ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 209 



I set this individual at liberty a few days after its capture, and 

 have heard no more of it. 



25th. Our meadows are all flooded, and I am told of " vast 

 flocks" of Peewits frequenting them. 



28th. A considerable flock of Brown -headed Gulls reported 

 by my son and Lieut.-Col. Irby about Pilton and Thorpe. The 

 decoyman told me of having about 500 "fowl" — Mallard, Pintails, 

 Shovellers, Teal, Wigeon, and Pochard on the decoy-pool, but 

 that his intended " drive " for them was spoiled by the firing of a 

 gun at a short distance by a bird-scarer who, as my informant 

 put it, " flushed the decoy." 



29th. First report of Woodcock, about ten days later than 

 the average date for first autumnal appearance of this bird with 

 us. Six Goldeneyes seen on the river below Lilford by K. C. 



November. 



1st, 2nd and 3rd. Large numbers of Swallows and Martins 

 flocking about the house at Lilford. 



4th. I received an immature male of Great Crested Grebe 

 from Lady Mary Thompson, with the information that it was 

 killed yesterday at Milton. 



5th. Three Goldeneyes dropped on to the park-pond.— R. C. 



7th. Our butler told me that, observing his cat in pursuit of 

 a bird in his garden at Thorpe, he joined her, and found that she 

 was stealing up to a Fork-tailed Petrel, which on his approach 

 managed to rise and fly over the garden-fence, and was no more 

 seen. 



19th. Several Swallows and eighteen House Martins about 

 the house at Lilford. This is the last record in my journals 

 for the year of the appearance of the former species, but 

 some half-dozen of the latter lingered with us till the 21st 

 inst., on which day one was picked up dead and a few. others 

 seen on wing. 



24th. Thirty-seven Mallard, twenty-nine Teal, and one Wigeon 

 taken at the decoy. The decoyman assures me that after the 

 drive in which he took these " fowl," he left fifty Mallard, eight 

 Pintails, four Shovellers, and twenty Teal on the pool. 



28th. A female Pintail caught on the decoy. 



29th. Two Pintails on tbe park-ponds at Lilford. 



