464 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



letter from Mr. C. F. Dyer, of Irthlingborough, who informed me 

 that whilst out partridge-shooting with some friends in that 

 neighbourhood on the 6th inst., he distinctly recognized and 

 twice flushed a solitary Sand Grouse, which flew away unharmed. 

 Mr. Dyer is dumb on his own merits, but I have every reason to 

 believe that this Sand Grouse owed its life, or escape, entirely to 

 his efforts, and I think that such instances cannot be too highly 

 praised or widely made known. 



Sept. 12th. Saw the first Grey Wagtail of the season. 



Sept. 13th. My son shot a Spotted Crake in a rough grass- 

 field near Tichmarsh. 



Sept. 14th. Under this date, Mr. Oliver V. Aplin wrote to 

 me: — "I have recently examined a Spotted Redshank in the 

 plumage of the first year, which was shot at Canon's Ashby, 

 Northamptonshire on August 28th." I do not remember to 

 have heard of any previous occurrence of this species in our 

 county. This bird has, through the kind offices of Sir Henry 

 Dryden, lately come into my possession, and appears to be a 

 male in plumage of the first year. 



Sept. 17th. A solitary Golden Plover (first of the season 

 reported) and several Whimbrels passing southerly. 



Sept. 18th. One of the gamekeepers brought in two Spotted 

 Crakes, shot near Thrapston, and another brought in a Common 

 Snipe, weighing full 5| oz. 



Sept. 20th. First Jack Snipe of the season seen near Achurch. 

 Water Rail killed by telegraph-wires near Wigsthorpe brought 

 to me. Two Wigeon, first of season, seen by Mr. G. Hunt, near 

 Wadenhoe. 



Sept. 21st. A solitary Curlew going southward up our valley. 



Sept. 22nd. Mr. Hunt sent me fragments of a Wagtail shot 

 by him in his garden at Wadenhoe this morning, which looked to 

 me much like those of Motacilla flava, but were impossible to 

 identify, and may have formed part of a specimen of M. rayi, 

 though the locality was unusual, and the date very late, for this 

 latter race in our neighbourhood. In ' The Field' of this day's 

 issue, a Mr. Betts records the recent slaughter of a Hoopoe at 

 Ketton, Rutland, within a very short distance of our county 

 boundary. 



Sept. 25th. First Merlin of season seen near Lilford. 



Sept. 27th. First Fieldfare of season seen near Aldwinkle. 



