144 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



during high water on quiet shingly places on the coast. At very high 

 tides they were on the sandhills or on isolated pieces of the saltings which 

 might not be quite submerged. The Curlews would he packed in dense 

 masses numbering hundreds of birds, jostling one another in their 

 endeavours to escape the water which would occasionally splash over their 

 places of refuge. Some of the Curlew Sandpipers were undoubtedly old 

 birds retaining traces of their breeding plumage ; one, indeed, was in nearly 

 perfect summer plumage. Of many G ,- ey Plovers which were shot, one 

 only was in grey plumage, all the others being speckled with yellow, 

 indicating immaturity. Only one Knot, out of many shot, bore traces of 

 the breeding plumage. The Little Stints were in small parties of six or 

 eight, except on one occasion when I saw some forty together. On August 

 26th I obtained an immature Pied Flycatcher far out on the sands. On 

 September 5th a friend who was with me killled a very nice Ruff — the 

 only one observed on that day. On September 7th immense flocks of 

 Greenfinches and Linnets appeared on the shore. Sept. 11th, 1 walked 

 with a friend to Wells to make a call, taking my walking-stick gun. On 

 the way a bird rose from a creek, which from its shrill whistle and appear- 

 ance was evidently something strange to us. Jt was out of shot without 

 giving a chance. On the way home we again heard the whistle, and, upon 

 cautiously going towards the sound, the bird rose from the same creek some 

 twenty-five yards away, when I killed it as it topped the bank It proved 

 to be a very nice specimen of the Spotted Redshank, Tutunus ftiscus, a 

 female. It has, witli other specimens, been admirably preserved by Mr. 

 Gunn, of Norwich. Sept. 13th, Goldfinches just from the nest were fed by 

 parent bird. Sept. 16th, many Swallows leisurely flying south round the 

 coast, feeding as they flew along ; also many Larks going south. Sept. 

 19th, first Golden Plovers shot. Sept. 21st, a large flock of Ruffs arrived 

 in the afternoon, passing me within forty yards, — unfortunately when my 

 gun was empty, — but moved on before morning, They were very wild, 

 settling in the open marsh, and not permitting me to stalk them up the 

 creeks. One morning I was much amused by watching a Kingfisher 

 chasing a Little Stint away from a tiny piece of marsh which remained 

 above a very high tide. — A. B. Farn (Stone) 



Ornithological Notes from Breconshire.— The past winter has been 

 specially marked by numerous flocks of Crossbills all over the county, and 

 particularly near this town. There were plenty of red cock birds among 

 them, but I have only seen a few bright yellow ones. This is the first 

 year since 1860 that they have visited us in any numbers, if at all. I have 

 n >t myself seen one since 1866 until this, but they have now all left us. 

 The frost is severe here and the birds have had a bad time of it ; still, 

 except a few duck and wigeon, nothing has been seen in the shape of wild 

 fowl but a male Scaup, and a few redheaded Pochards were noticed on the 



