Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam, F.Z.S. 



Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. 



Waxwings occurred in many places throughout the country 

 during the winter of 1897-8, and my note books contain' 

 the following records for our district. 



Two were killed at Amble, on 4th January 1898; on the 

 16th another fell a victim to a boy's catapult, on a hedge 

 by the roadside, near Belford Railway Station, and is pre- 

 served at the Castle Inn, Bamburgh ; and a pair were shot 

 at Felton Park about the same time. On Sunday, 23rd 

 January, the late Mr H. H. Craw watched an individual 

 feeding upon the berries of a beautiful bush of Pyracantha, 

 which grows on the front of one of his cottages at Foulden 

 West Farm, and which, from the abundant crop of richly 

 coloured fruit which it seems to carry every year, can 

 scarcely fail to attract the attention of anyone passing along 

 that road in winter time. Often have I stopped to admire 

 that bush, and have more than once had some trouble in 

 satisfying a companion, who would persist that he had never 

 seen the like before, that the plant was not an uncommon 

 one in the country. 



Mealy Redpole. Linota linaria (Linn.) 



I saw a very pretty specimen of this bird, on the sea 

 banks below Fenham-le-Moor, on 1st March 1898. It was 

 quite alone, and rather more than usually pale coloured, and 

 appeared to be, at the same time, an exceptionally small 

 example of this pretty species. 



