ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 61 



21st. House Martins seen, with many Swallows. 



24th. Kay's Wagtail ; very late. In the western part of this 

 county this bird is more abundant than in any part of England 

 where I have been. Taking Wellingborough as a centre, a morn- 

 ing's walk in the breeding season before the females are sitting, 

 would probably show a careful observer half a dozen pairs at 

 least. In the autumn they leave the neighbourhood of water and 

 resort to turnip-fields on higher ground, where, for the first fort- 

 night in September, large numbers are to be found, as many as 

 forty together. After this they get scarcer, and the present date 

 is as late as I have seen them. 



25th. A Goldfinch's nest — a second brood, no doubt— fledged. 

 The nest was at the top of the Norway maple overhanging my 

 alpine rockery. I heard the parent birds much excited over the 

 event, and one fledgling fell dead on the rockery. 



26th. Some Phylloscopi in the garden amongst the shrubs, but 

 they were obstinately silent, and I could not identify them. 

 They were very green in tint. Swallows many : one young 

 House Martin among them. A lot of Gulls, high in air (like 

 Larusfuscus) working to the south-west. 



Oct. 2nd. A turnip-field near Elton swarming with Meadow 

 Pipits and common Buntings, 



12th. Bedford Purlieus. Saw a female Kedstart on the 

 Wood Farms. I ought to have shot it, as it was very likely 

 jR. tithys (it was not a Bluethroat). But I had only No. 5 shot. 

 Fieldfares for the first time ; the last I saw were at their nests at 

 Tromso. A large flock of Peewits. 



17th. Swallows (three), near Wansford Station. 



23rd. Going to Peterborough in the train, I caught sight of a 

 large bird of prey mobbed by hundreds of Rooks. It was too 

 far off to do more than guess at the species ; but as I noticed 

 that the wing-spread was about four times that of the Rooks, it 

 was probably a Sea Eagle. I saw a Hooded Crow for the first 

 time this autumn. 



Nov. 22nd. Eight or nine Snipe in a turnip-field. I got one, 

 but I don't think any one else saw them. 



