NOTES FROM NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 425 
Feb. 21st. “A few fowl begin to take to the decoy-pond again, 
now that the floods are going down; fifteen Ducks, seven Teal, 
and four Wigeon in to-day. Twenty Golden Plovers seen on 
15th.”—R. 8. 
Feb. 23rd. Three Swans seen going northwards. Wm. Seal 
(a London birdcatcher) says positively that he saw two Wheatears 
at Wadenhoe on 21st.—R. C. 
Feb. 28th. “‘The Bearded Vulture, Gypaétus barbatus (one of 
two received from separate nests in Andalusia in 1878), is making 
a nest (at Lilford); the only material used is wool, but she does 
not line the bottom of the hole that she has scratched in the 
sand—she only collects the wool around it.”—R. C. This bird 
did not lay, and till last year has never during the ten years she 
has been in my possession shown any desire to nest. The other 
bird, which I believe to be a male, was so bullied by his fellow- 
captive, that we were forced to separate them about six years ago, 
but at present (September, 1889) they are living together in 
perfect amity. 
March ist. Our total of wildfowl for the past season is 
singularly poor, as the produce of the decoy, gun, and telegraph- 
wires—viz. 1 Landrail, 4 Spotted Crakes, 5 Water Rails, 1 Golden 
Plover, 7 Woodcocks, 85 Snipes, 17 Jack Snipes, 177 Mallard, 
24 Teal, 1 Gadwall, 1 Pintail, 6 Wigeon, and 1 Goldeneye. 
March 9th. “ The Black Vulture (¢f. supra) laid on 5th, quite 
in the open; I put the egg in the nest: she and the Griffon sit 
upon it by turns.”—R. C. 
March 20th. “ There are 20 Ducks, 10 Teal, and 6 Wigeon on 
the decoy; there were two Pochards in on 15th. Twelve Sea- 
gulls (? species) passed over on 16th.”—R. S. 
March 22nd. “‘ The Golden Eagle (cf. supra) laid this morning, 
and sits very ciosely; both Hagles are very savage.” —R. C. 
April 9th. ‘‘The Eagles are sitting closely by turns on two 
eggs. A very fine young Falcon came a few days ago and looked 
at my Pigeon at the ‘hut,’ but would not stoop at it. On the 2nd 
there were several Herring Gulls going down over the river, and 
yesterday I saw two Gulls which looked like the Brown-headed, 
Larus ridibundus.”—R. C. 
April 22nd. ‘“ During the past week I have seen several large 
flocks of Mistletoe Thrushes going northwards. On the 19th 
there was a solitary Fieldfare about the lawn at Lilford; he 
