470 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
reported to me about the last date, and has been frequently 
seen since. 
A pair of Teal, Anas crecca, were seen by my son on the 
decoy-pool on Sept. 5th; the decoy-man told him that they had 
been there for some days, and about this time assured me that 
he had seen and heard several Whimbrels, Nuwmenius pheopus, 
and a few Redshanks, Totanus calidris, over and about the 
meadows near the decoy. 
Sept. 8th.—A Quail, Coturnix communis, was seen by Colonel 
Irby on the Wadenhoe Manor; this species, which was by no 
means very uncommon and occasionally bred near Lilford till 
within the last fifteen years, has of late become very scarce 
hereabouts, though I have reason to believe that it is found pretty 
frequently in the neighbourhood of Northampton. 
The first Jack Snipe, Scolopax gallinula, of which I heard 
this autumn was reported to me by G. Edmonds, Hsq., of 
Oundle, as shot by him in a meadow near that town on September 
28th ; he also informed me that he flushed a Woodcock, S. rustt- 
cula, on the same day ; if he is not mistaken in this latter case, 
the bird was in all probability bred in the county. 
Grey Wagtail, Motacilla melanope, first of the season, seen 
at Lilford Locks, Sept. 20th, but not reported to me till Oct. 3rd. 
October 4th.—I heard a Tawny Owl, Strix aluco, hooting 
loudly shortly before 1 p.m., with a cloudless sky and bright 
sunshine. We have a great many of these and the Barn Owl in 
the park and pleasaunce close to the house, where, as in all 
places over which I can exercise any control, I have always done 
my best to prevent the destruction or molestation of these 
beautiful and most useful birds. In this connection I may 
mention that my falconer assured me that in a cavity of an old 
elm tree in the park, from which three young Tawny Owls had 
taken their first sally in April last, he found in the following 
month a Wild Duck’s nest containing thirteen eggs, from which 
thirteen young Ducks were very soon afterwards hatched, and 
safely taken away by the parent bird or birds. 
In reply to my enquiries, I received a letter from H. 5S. 
O’Brien, Esq., of Blatherwyche Park, Wansford, under date 
October 5th, 1886, in the following words :—‘‘ There have been 
two pairs of Great Crested Grebes on the water here all through 
the spring and summer of this year ; two of them are still here. 
