428 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



was good enough to send me private notice of, the occurrence of a Pied 

 Flycatcher, Muscicapa atricapilla, male, at Dallington, near Northampton, 

 on May 1st. I have, as I firmly believe, once seen a specimen of this bird 

 here many years ago, but the above is, as far as I know, the only authentic 

 record of a capture of the species within the political boundaries of our 

 county. Mr. Hunt shot a fine specimen of Larus ridibundus, with full 

 brown mask and only one leg, near Oundle on May 5th. I only record this 

 fact because the bird does not nest in our county, and its appearance herein 

 ju nuptial plumage is very uncommon. Some of this species have bred 

 and reared young in my aviary during these two last summers of 1882 and 

 1883. Mr. Hunt, writing to me on June 21st, mentioned the unusual 

 abundance in our neighbourhood of Red-backed Shrikes, Lavius collurio, 

 and Whinchats, Pratincola rubetra. My friend Mr. Frederick Rooper 

 wrote, June 28th, that a " Solan Goose," Sula bassana, was brought to him 

 "last month," killed at Ramsey, Hunts, and adds, " I have never heard of 

 one in these parts before : he was very much starved." I include this 

 occurrence, although not within the political boundaries of our county, as I 

 consider that the whole of the County of Huntingdon belongs to the same 

 zoological region as our own. Mr. Hunt reported to me the firat appearance 

 of Common Snipe, Scolojm.r gallinago, in our Nen valley this season on 

 August 9th, on which day he shot the only two seen by him near Aldwincle. 

 I found Green Sandpipers, Totantts ockropus, in about their average 

 numbers in this district during the latter half of the month of August. I 

 may mention that I have met with this species in Northamptonshire in 

 every month of the year except June. We have more Sparrowhawks, 

 Accipiter nisus. than I ever remember hereabouts. My gamekeepers 

 destroyed several nests, with their contents, during June and July. Ten 

 have come to a violent death by their own agency since August Kith on my 

 property, but nevertheless we see one or more on wing almost every day ; 

 one of the defunct above mentioned committed suicide by dashing himself 

 against the wire netting of an aviary. One of our gamekeepers reported 

 eleven Curlews, Numenius arquatus, passing up our Nen valley in first week 

 of August. An Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, was seen by Mr. Hunt near 

 Wadenhoe on the evening of August 24th, and came within easy shot of me 

 the next morning as I was fishing on our river between this house and 

 Oundle ; I snatched up my gun as I saw the bird coming, pursued by a 

 Carrion Crow and many Hirundines, and at first thought that it was a 

 Harrier, Circus, but I soon saw my mistake, sat still in the boat, and the 

 Osprey came on till within some fifty yards of me before seeing us ; he then 

 soared away high in air over the park, puisued by a cloud of Rooks and 

 small birds, apparently Swallows aud House Martins. We had a good view 

 of him the next day (August 20thj, near Aldwincle, and saw him make two 

 ineffectual plunges into a broad reach of the river; this bird was last seen 



