OBNITHOLOGY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 43 



Hastings, brought to him, and presented to the Northampton 

 Museum. 



26th. I had a Golden-eye on the decoy yesterday. — R. S. 



27th. Of eight Snipes received to-day from Lilford, the 

 heaviest weighed rather more than 4j- oz. Mr. F. A. Irby tells 

 me of a large trip of Golden Plover going southwards near 

 Lilford to-day, and of having seen two "grey geese" near 

 Aldwincle on the 28th inst. 



December. 



2nd. I received this morning, from Mr. F. Dyer, formerly of 

 Irthlingborough, but now living at Margate, a very perfect speci- 

 men of the Black-breasted, or Scandinavian, form of Dipper, 

 Cinclus rnelanog aster, with the information that the bird was shot 

 on Nov. 18th ult., at Raunds Staunch, on the Nene near Ringstead, 

 and sent to him, for preservation, by Mr. Spencer, of Irthling- 

 borough. The Dipper is a rare visitor to our district, and this 

 is the only instance of the occurrence of the Scandinavian race 

 in Northamptonshire that has hitherto come to my knowledge. 

 Under this date Mr. W. Tomalin informed that a Great Grey 

 Shrike was taken alive near Northampton " about three weeks 

 ago." 



3rd. In some ornithological notes very kindly communicated 

 by the Rev. H. H. Slater, of Irchester, I find, under this date, 

 the following statements: — "A lot of Golden Plover on my 

 shooting (close to Irchester), very wild ; I shot two. I saw also 

 a white Cushat." In a subsequent note, of 12th inst., Mr. Slater 

 tells me that this white Wood Pigeon had been seen several times 

 since his first notice. I received an immature female Golden-eye 

 from Lilford, shot yesterday on the river below the house. 



4th. I this day received a letter from Mr. Arthur Tucker, of 

 Northampton, informing me that he found a nest of Common 

 Redpoll in the parish of Great Houghton on July 10th ult. : 

 I record this, as I have very few records of the breeding of this 

 species in our county. 



5th. My son and the falconer report a Peregrine, a few 

 Herring Gulls, and some Gulls of a smaller species seen near 

 Lilford to-day. 



10th. An old Haggard Peregrine made one stoop at my 



f. 2 



