216 the zoologist. 



July. 



7th. Mr. W. J. Horn, in a letter from Kingsthorpe under this 

 date, informed me of the finding of several nests of Grasshopper 

 Warbler, with eggs, not very far from Northampton. 



15th. Several well-grown young Partridges picked up dead and 

 dying, with large indurated lumps of clay attached to their feet. 



20th. A very noticeable decrease in the numbers of Swallows 

 and House Martins about Lilford. 



22nd. Our gamekeepers report having constantly noticed a 

 Hobbj% during the last few days, about the park and neighbouring 

 plantations. Curlews and Whimbrels heard at night, passing over 

 one of our woods near Lowick, by a person well acquainted with 

 the call of both species. 



26th. Mr. W. J. Horn, writing under this date, informed me 

 that Mr. W. Tomalin reported Ringed Plovers, Green Sandpipers, 

 and young Common Sandpipers at Ravensthorpe Reservoir on 

 19th inst. 



30th. I never remember to have seen Spotted Flycatchers in 

 such abundance about Lilford as I did on this day. 



August. 



5th. I was delighted to see several Kingfishers about the river 

 near Lilford. These birds, formerly abundant here, have been 

 comparatively scarce since the winter of 1890. 



10th. We noticed two large Gulls, that I have no hesitation in 

 calling Black-backed, going over the pleasure-grounds at Lilford 

 in an easterly course. One of the gamekeepers brought down two 

 Brown-headed Gulls at one shot near Tichmarsh ; one of them, 

 only touched in the pinion-joint, is still alive in the aviary (April 

 19th, 1894). Very severe and prolonged thunder-storm in the 

 early morning hours. 



17th. Mr. Hill, of Wadenhoe Mill, informed me that he had 

 recently been savagely attacked by a Little Owl in Wadenhoe 

 churchyard. It is not a little remarkable that he should last 

 year (July, 1892) also have been subjected to a similar totally 

 unprovoked assault (cf. Zool. 1893, p. 93). 



18th. Rooks unusually clamorous throughout the day. Tem- 

 perature at sunset, 92° Fahr. 



20th. Almost total disappearance of Swallows from about 

 the neighbourhood of Lilford. Tawny Owls have been hooting 



