50 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



immediate locality, and notably scarce throughout this summer ; 

 only two were to be seen on the 2nd inst. I may mention that 

 we had a whole gale from W. by S. on the 1st, and that the 2nd 

 was a perfectly calm, sunny day, with a slight touch of frost in 

 the early morning. 



8th. I heard and saw the first Brambling, and first Grey Crow 

 of the season. 



15th. I received a Little Owl, alive, that was taken from a 

 rabbit-burrow at Deene a few days ago, its retreat discovered by 

 a pointer-dog. This bird is, in all probability, one of the many 

 turned down hereabouts during the last few years. 



17th. Wild, stormy day, with strong N.W. wind. Clouds of 

 small birds crossed the lawn to windward throughout the day ; 

 the majority — so far as I could make out from the window — was 

 composed of Sky Larks; but there were also great numbers 

 of Chaffinches, Linnets, Greenfinches, possibly Redpolls and 

 Starlings. Ten Geese also passed over the house, going heads 

 to windward. 



18th. Wind veering to the N. ; a great many birds passing to 

 S.W. First certain report of Fieldfare for this season. 



20th. First Woodcock of the season, shot close to the house 

 by the falconer. One of the gamekeepers, who was employed in 

 packing game to send away at the game-larder, suddenly heard a 

 great uproar of Chaffinches, Tits, and Robins, and thinking that 

 it was, in all probability, caused by the appearance of a Little 

 Owl, went out to investigate, and found that the excitement was 

 due to the Woodcock, which had apparently just settled under a 

 chestnut tree hard by the larder ; he flushed and marked down 

 the stranger, and summoned the falconer with his gun. This is 

 not by any means the first instance that has come to my know- 

 ledge, in this county, of the mobbing of a Woodcock by small 

 birds — a proof, no doubt, of the lamentable local scarcity of this 

 desirable species. 



22nd. Four Pochards and an adult pair of Scaups dropped on 

 to the decoy-pool at morning flight-time, but left at sunset, and 

 did not reappear there. 



23rd. First Wigeon of this season, on the decoy. 



25th. First Water Rail of the season, at the decoy. 



