NOTES FROM OXFORDSHIRE. 99 



27th.— Received from Mr. Fowler an immature Puffin, which had 

 been picked up a few days before in a swede-field at Stonesfield, 

 and died on the 25th ; another was caught in Banbury about the 

 same date. 



Dec. 8th. — News from Mr. Fowler of a Great Crested Grebe, 

 apparently immature, shot on the Isis, just below Oxford, and 

 brought to him. 9th. — Large flocks of Fieldfares here now, 

 which are making short work of the abundant and well-ripened 

 crops of haws. 10th. — News from Mr. Sutton A. Davies, Win- 

 chester College, of a Snow Bunting, showing a good deal of white, 

 which was shot at Goddington, near the north-eastern boundary 

 of the county, on or about the 5th inst., and sent to him in the 

 flesh. The Snow Bunting is a very rare visitor to Oxfordshire. 



The North Newington Sparrow Club destroyed during the past 

 year 2906 birds and 1328 eggs. In four years 10,300 birds and 

 4700 eggs. There are also Clubs at Shutford, Adderbury, Milton, 

 and Deddington. The damage done by Sparrows to ripening 

 corn and thatched buildings in this neighbourhood of late years 

 has been enormous. 



In October some Rooks came to three or four elm-trees on 

 the outskirts of the village and built three nests, but I do not 

 think they laid eggs. No Rooks have been known to breed there 

 before. Some rook-trees between here and Milcombe have been 

 recently cut down, and the birds, now forced to find new quarters, 

 may have belonged to that colony. October was very warm. In 

 * The Field' of Nov. 11th, a correspondent, writing from Charl- 

 bury, stated that about three weeks before two pairs of Rooks 

 began building there, completed their nests, and began sitting. 

 Subsequently he saw one bird feeding the other on the nest. There 

 were no other Rooks' nests there, the nearest rookery being 

 a quarter of a mile off, at Cornbury Park. At Sarsden two or 

 three nests were built, and in one of them young birds were 

 actually hatched and fed until they were well growm ; but it is 

 believed they perished in the severe weather which set in on 

 Nov. 18th. 



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