ORNITHOLOGY IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 57 



25th. Mr. H. Beauford sent me a Little Owl in flesh, that was 

 caught by a dog near Sudborough on 23rd inst. Mr. W. Bazeley 

 reported that he had recently received several Short-eared Owls 

 from various parts of the county for preservation ; and on 29th 

 inst. sent me a good specimen of this species that was killed by 

 telegraph wires at Hardingstone, near Northampton. 



30th. The falconer tells me that a good many Mallard, Teal, and 

 Wigeon come in at evening " flight "-time to a small pond in our 

 pleasure-grounds. The Mallard are, no doubt, attracted by the 

 exceptionally heavy crop of acorns fallen from a tree in the 

 enclosure, but, unless it be for company's sake, I cannot tell what 

 is the attraction for the other species. Twenty-seven Golden 

 Plovers were observed by several members of our shooting party 

 on Aldwincle. 



December. 



3rd. I received a fine adult male Gadwall, and a Tufted Duck, 

 alive, from the Borough Fen decoy. It is remarkable that, 

 although the Gadwall has occurred upon our decoy here on 

 several occasions, the proprietor of the other decoy did not 

 recognise the bird sent to me, and enquired of me if it was an 

 "American Wigeon ! " Two Wild Geese were seen in the meadows 

 below Lilford on the 2nd, and reported to me to-day. 



9th. Vast numbers of Wood Pigeons are coming to our planta- 

 tions and pleasure-grounds for the acorns, of which there are 

 hardly any in the neighbourhood except in these places. Many 

 of these Pigeons are deficient in their wing feathers, some of 

 which are not more than a quarter grown, and still partially 

 " in quill ;" others of these birds are affected with tumours about 

 their heads and the roots of their bills ; these conditions are 

 prevalent in both old and young birds. 



12th — 20th. I received many reports of Peregrines seen in 

 the neighbourhood of Lilford. 



31st. The Rev. F. M. Stopford reports a very large number 

 of Bramblings about a fence on Aldwincle Manor yesterday. 



I do not trouble you with a record of vernal arrivals on this 

 occasion, as they by no means assuredly indicate the actual 

 earliest dates of appearance ; but I may mention that the Wood 

 Warbler was very much more common than usual in our neigh- 

 bourhood ; and that the first nest of this species that I have 



ZOOLOGIST, THIRD SERIES, VOL. XX. FEB. 1896. F 



