352 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



some that I noticed on the floating ice seemed very brilliant in 

 colour." 



Jan. 7th. Colonel Irby wrote from Wadenhoe, " I saw a 

 Kedshank, Totanus calidris, on Wednesday." The Redshank 

 visits our neighbourhood occasionally and irregularly, generally 

 in August or September ; but I consider its appearance there at 

 this time of year, and in such severe weather, as well worthy of 

 record. 



Jan. 13th. A Waxwing, Amjjelis garrulus, seen at Stoke Doyle, 

 near Oundle, and reported to me on excellent authority. 



Jan. 18th. My falconer wrote : — " About half-past four on 

 the afternoon of 12th, when I went to take in the Goshawk from 

 her block, I found her fighting with a Tawny Owl. I got hold of 

 it at once, found that it was not much hurt, and placed it with 

 the others (of the same species) in the Owl-house. I am glad to 

 say it is quite well." 



Jan. 24th. The same man wrote :— " I have often seen 

 Tawny Owls on wing about here this winter before dark, which 

 I think is very unusual for these birds." 



February 1st. The decoy-man reported " quite 500 head of 

 wildfowl— Ducks, Wigeon, Teal, and Pochards"— on our flooded 

 meadows near Thrapston; the decoy impracticable from the 

 depth of water and the floating ice. 



Feb. 17th. One of my gamekeepers wrote : — " I have found 

 six Green Woodpeckers dead of starvation from hard frost and 

 snow. More Wild Geese than usual flying over this winter; 

 I saw twenty-nine on Jan. 13th, and several more lots of eight 

 or nine, of which I have not got the date." 



March 16th. A young Puffin, Fratercula arctica, arrived 

 alive at Lilford from the Rev. Sir F. Robinson, Bart., of Cranford, 

 Kettering, who informed me that it was picked up near that 

 place. This bird fed freely upon small fishes, and lived till 



April 2nd. 



March 17th. Heard of Stock Dove sitting on her eggs at 



Lilford on 18th inst. 



March 18th. The Hon. Thos. W. Fitzwilliam wrote :— " The 

 Herons (at Milton, Peterborough) are about as numerous as 

 usual, I think ; about ninety-three nests now, but I do not think 

 that all have built yet." 



March 22nd. Chiffchaff first reported, by Colonel Irby. 



