52 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



fairly " mobbed" hiin, after the manner of a breeding Peewit ; but, 

 from information that will be found further on, I am inclined to 

 think that he is mistaken in his identification of these four birds. 



10th. The gamekeeper above mentioned says that his four 

 Golden Plovers are still haunting the same locality, and have 

 " black breasts." 



11th. Another gamekeeper, well acquainted with Golden 

 Plovers in their breeding haunts, went at my request to the 

 locality above mentioned, and confirms the report of his colleague, 

 adding that he saw a bird that he believes to have been a Ruff. 



12th. I heard from the Duke of Buccleuch's head gamekeeper, 

 at Boughton, that while beating Boughton Wood for rabbits, on 

 9th inst.,they flushed a Woodcock that disappeared behind a rise 

 in one of the broad " ridings." On going to look for this bird 

 they found that it had been caught, killed, and partially eaten by 

 a Sparrowhawk, which flew reluctantly from her " quarry." 



17th. Mr. John Crisp sent me a fine adult Lesser Black- 

 backed Gull in flesh, killed yesterday at Elton. The Rev. Edward 

 Moore told me that a Partridge had laid eggs in a domestic Duck's 

 nest containing three of the rightful owner's, in the Rectory 

 gardens at Benefield. 



18th. Mr. F. Hodgson reported seeing several Redshanks, 

 apparently breeding, on Achurch meadow. I strongly suspect 

 that, in spite of the "black breasts" alluded to above, these are 

 the " Golden Plovers" of my previous informant. 



19th. Two Woodcocks were reported to me as seen to-day in 

 our woods, and are the last of which I had any information before 

 October. One of our gamekeepers reported having to-day seen 

 four birds about a bend of the river near Achurch — known as 

 " Starnel Corner" — that must have been either Little or immature 

 Black Terns. 



20th. My brother-in-law, who went to look after the supposed 

 Golden Plovers in Achurch meadow, saw three Redshanks, but no 

 Golden Plovers (see 11th inst., supra). Miss F. Wickham wrote 

 to me telling of several Redshanks evidently nesting upon Perry 

 Heme (a rushy meadow below Oundie, regularly frequented by 

 these birds during the summer), and adds that she saw a con- 

 siderable flock of Fieldfares, and saw and heard a Snipe 

 " drumming" in the same locality to-day. 



28th. Mr. John Crisp told me that twenty-four Wigeon and 



