502 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Notes on the Ornithology of Northamptonshire. — The first Wood- 

 cock of the season in this neighbourhood reported to me was seen by one 

 of Lord Lyveden's gamekeepers on October 16th; since that date we have 

 heard of several, but only seen one killed Nov. 8th. A Spotted Crake, Crex 

 porzana, male, was shot near Thrapston, Oct. 23rd, by one of our game- 

 keepers, who told me that he had often seen these birds in our upper 

 meadows without shooting at them, as he did not know that they were 

 " fit to eat," or of any interest to us [vide p. 4(37). Is not the above 

 an unusually late date for this species hi a district where it is certainly 

 not resident iu the breeding season? A male Merlin, Falco asalon, 

 came up to one of our Tiercels who was "waiting on" over a piece of 

 turnips near Titchmarsh, Oct. 24th, and appeared curious as to his views 

 and intentions, circling round him for a lew minutes ; but as we sprung no 

 Partridge, and the small birds kept close, the little hawk evidently thought 

 the concern " not good enough," and sailed off to the southward to hunt on 

 his own account. Since the last date we have seen and heard of several 

 Merlins hereabouts. On Oct. 24th the first Water Rail, Rallus aquaticus, 

 of this season, was shot by one of our gamekeepers in our upper meadows. 

 The numbers of this species in this neighbourhood vary greatly in various 

 seasons ; but though we never met with, or heard of, a Water Hail's nest 

 iu this portion of the Nen valley, we have recently received information 

 which leads us to believe that these birds do occasionally breed with us. 

 On Oct. 20th, Mr. William Seale, a well-known London birdcatcher, who 

 was staying here for catching common small birds as food for our Raptores, 

 assured us that on this day he saw two Richard's Pipits, Anlhus Richardi, 

 near Thorpe Station, L.N.W. Railway. Seale is perfectly well acquainted 

 with this species, of which he has taken more thau one in his nets, and 

 I have no doubt whatever as to his accuracy in this matter. This is the first 

 occurrence of this species in this county that has come to my knowledge. 

 A flock of some forty Siskins, Chrysomitris spuius, appeared amongst the 

 alders on our river-bank, at a short distance from this house, during the 

 week begiuuiug Oct. 21st ; seven of them were taken by the auceps above 

 mentioned, and are now in our aviary. This is, in my experience, a very 

 uuusually early arrival of this species in this district. On Oct. 27th 

 I received a letter from Sir Rainald Kuightley, Bart., informing me that 

 he and Lady Kuightley had observed a Hoopoe, Upupa epops, at Fawsley, 

 near Daventry, on Sept. 24th, 1878. On Oct. 30th, Mr. J. Eayrs, of 

 Kettering, brought for my inspection a fine specimen of a young Cormorant, 

 Phalacrocorax carlo, stuffed and maltreated iu a glass-case by a local 

 mangier of birds. This bird was killed near Brigstock early iu September 

 last. On the above mentioned day several Swallows, Hirundo rustica, were 

 observed about Wadeuhoe House by Mr. Hunt and Lieut.-Col. L. H. Irby. 

 On November 1st the first Bramblings, Frimjilla montifringiUa, of this 



