ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 55 



at least, of this species must have " come off/' very near the 

 house at Lilford. 



15th. Tawny Owls have been for many days past, and still 

 are, hooting vigorously from daylight to dark, but are compara- 

 tively silent during the dark hours. Grey Wagtail seen for the 

 first time this season. 



30th. Dr. T. Walker, of Peterborough, reported having re- 

 cently seen a White Swallow between that town and Whittlesea. 



31st. First large flock of Peewits of the season, seen by me near 

 Barnwell Mill. 



September. 



2nd. Mr. John Cordeaux informed me by letter that on this 

 day he saw some young Red-backed Shrikes at Welford, in this 

 county, that could not have left the nest more than a day or 

 two ago. 



6th. A very young Common Redpoll taken at Pilton. I only 

 record this as I am not aware that a nest of this species has ever 

 been found nearer to Lilford than the neighbourhood of Stamford. 



9th. My son reported large Gulls passing over Pilton to the 

 southward. The decoy man reported ten Teal, first of the season, 

 on the decoy. 



15th. A quantity of Throstles at work at the Irish yew berries 

 in the terrace garden. These birds have been, comparatively speak- 

 ing, scarce here throughout the summer, and I believe that those 

 seen by me, as above mentioned, were travellers ; at all events, on 

 the following day, at the same time, and under precisely the same 

 conditions of weather, I could not see one of these birds in the 

 garden during the five or six hours that I was sitting there. Mr. 

 W. Tomalin informed me that the last Swifts were seen at 

 Northampton on the 22nd ult. 



18th. Mr. G. M. Edmonds informed me that a Golden Oriole 

 was seen in his garden at Oundle to-day, by an "unimpeachable 

 witness." 



19th. One of our gamekeepers saw a flock of Geese passing 

 over Tichmarsh about a week ago. A Quail was killed by Mr. W. 

 Tomalin, in the parish of Hackleton. 



oOth. The falconer reported the first Redwings of the season 

 seen close to Lilford. 



October. 



6th, A White Starling is often seen about a meadow near 



