ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 47 



11th. Very severe frost. The falconer reports a large number 

 of Mallard, two Pintails, three Teal, and three Pochards on the 

 river below Lilford, and hundreds of starving Fieldfares about 

 the meadow-fences ; also an adult male and two female or young 

 Smews; the latter birds were seen again in the same locality on 

 12th inst. by my informant. 



15th. A cold thaw. The falconer shot at a Tufted Duck high 

 in air close behind the house at Lilford, just 'Hipped" her in the 

 wing, and brought her down otherwise uninjured to my fowl-pond, 

 where she found many of her own and other allied species. Three 

 Mute Swans paid a visit to this pond to-day, and seem disposed 

 to remain with us. Three Canada Geese were seen on our river 

 near Lilford. 



16th. I received a young Snow Bunting, "in the flesh," from 

 Mr. G. Bazeley, of Northampton, with the information that it 

 was caught in a meadow near that town a few days previously. 



19th. I had a letter from Mr. John Crisp, of Warmington, 

 informing me that he had recently got very close to three wild (?) 

 Swans on the river near that place ; he also tells me of having 

 observed some Grey Wagtails taking small fishes from the gravelly 

 shallows near Elton mill, and devouring them upon the dry bank 

 of the river close at hand. Mr. Crisp also mentions that he only 

 just managed to save the life of a Kingfisher by running up and 

 driving off a Sparrowhawk from a bush into which it had " put" 

 the former bird. 



20th. Lord Henry Grosvenor told me that he flushed a Bittern 

 four times in the garden at Bui wick on Dec. 14th ult. 



21st. Our river in full flood. The decoy-man told me of some 

 300 Mallard in the flooded meadows ; and that he had about 260 

 of these birds and ten Teal on the decoy on 18th inst., when the 

 water was already too high for a " drive." He tells of seeing six 

 Tufted Ducks on the river on 15th inst. and seventeen Geese on 

 19th. He came up to see me again in the evening to report that 

 a big Otter had got into the decoy-enclosure ; this readily accounts 

 for the fowl getting out of it. 



24th. I received a Little Auk in the flesh from Kev. Henry 

 H. Slater, of Thornhaugh Eectory. This bird was picked up at 

 Wansford Bridge on 22nd inst. Another caught and brought into 

 a cottage at Wadenhoe by a cat was also sent to me ; and I received 

 a third from Brigstock without any particulars of capture. 



