THE OOLOGIST. 



89 



We can furnish new subscribers with the 

 .F'ield and Iuj7-€St and this journal, at $1 

 a year for both, postage prepaid, the regu- 

 lar subscription price of the former maga- 

 zine. This is a good opportunity for those 

 who desire to obtain both these magazines 

 and get them cheaply. 



It gives us pleasure to note the increas- 

 ing interest taken in oology in general and 

 The OoiOGisT in particular. In renew- 

 ing their subscriptions, our patrons renew 

 their efforts to uphold our journal and make 

 its course successful. One enthusiastic nat- 

 uralist says : "How the young collector and 

 naturalist can afford to get along without 

 your paper is really surprising to me." An- 

 other, a frequent contributor to oiir col- 

 imms, says that " he woidd support it with 

 cash if it were in his power to do so." An- 

 other, an occasional correspondent, writes 

 us : "I notice a vast improvement, both 

 in appearance and contents of The Oolo- 

 GIST, and it ought to be a source of con- 

 gratulations, both to you and to its subscrib- 

 ers. I cannot do without it and do not in- 

 tend to." While we take pleasure in receiv- 

 ing such letters as these, we would earnestly 

 remind our friends that by subscribing they 

 are contributing to the scope and useful- 

 ness of our journal. 



Collecting Trip on the Lincoln- 

 shire Broads, England. 



|E have had a somewhat wet time of 

 it this season [1877], very few hot 

 days, and but few bright skies. I 

 have had no adventures in my collecting 

 trips worth relating, with the exception of 

 an occasional row with some indignant far- 

 rier for roaming over his land searching for 

 eggs and any fresh fact in ornithology. Be- 

 low I give an account of one of my collect- 

 ing journeys, the scene of my observations 

 being the Lincolnshire Broads, near a small 

 village called Skegness, one-hundred miles 

 from Sheffield. 



This coast is low and even, and the neigh- 

 boring country presents a rich storehouse 

 of ornithological treasures, especially in the 

 winter months, but I anticipate. On the 

 way we passed the Partridge and Pheasant 

 on the grass land searching for food. At 

 a small town called Retford we saw a large 

 sand bank containing upwards of three-hun- 

 dred holes, each hole tenanted by a pair of 

 Sand Martins. 1 dare say in this one bank 

 there woidd be fifteen-hundred eggs, but I 

 could not obtain one. Upon the hedges or 

 flying over the ueigbbotiug fields were nu- 

 merous Rooks, Buntings, Robins, Pipits 

 and Wagtails. Sometimes we saw a large 

 flock of Lapwings, sailing restlessly over 

 their breeding places, and sometimes the 

 Swift would be seen at a great elevation, 

 searching the air for food. 



Near Skegness is a splendid breeding 

 ground for the Lesser Tern and Riuged 

 Plover, it is called Wainfleet Haven ; no 

 sooner had we got to this place than the 

 Terns took wing, sailing gracefully over 

 our heads, uttering their harsh ci'ies ; the 

 snow white under plumage contrasting 

 beautifully in the sunny skies. Feeling 

 sure by the birds that they had eggs, we 

 commenced a diligent search. I was be- 

 ginning to despair of finding any, when I 

 came upon four, laid snugly in a small hole 

 in the sand. The bird makes no nest and 

 does not sit upon the eggs in the daytime, 

 except in inclement weather. After this I 

 succeeded in obtaining several more ; they 

 were invariably placed amongst the shells 

 and shingle and are hard to discover, as 

 they resemble their surroundings closely in 

 color. 



Another sharp little bird was running up 

 and down the sand, called the Ringed Plov- 

 er ; we saw as many as five in company. 

 I again commenced searching for eggs and 

 was fortunate enough to secure two of this 

 bird ; tliey are more difficult to discover 

 than the Terns' eggs. The birds also were 

 less anxious for their eggs than the others. 



A large flock of Blackbacked Gulls Avere 

 j following the receding tide in search of food, 

 I they were so shy that I did not observe 



