() THE ZOOLOGIST. 



seen in the flesh here. On the 25th a Redcar pilot captured a 

 Great Grey Shrike about three miles off at sea; it was evidently 

 in an exhausted condition, and alighted on the " sheet," where it 

 remained until it was taken up. Towards the end of the month 

 frequent occurrences of Short-eared Owls were reported; one 

 which was shot on the sand-hills had been feeding on Meadow 

 Pipits, its claws being thickly matted with the blood and feathers 

 of its prey. A moderate N.W. wind was blowing on the 26th, 

 and brought over several Woodcocks, two of which alighted on 

 the sand-hills, where they were shot. Numerous Gannets and 

 many flocks of Ducks were passing at sea. On the 29th and 

 30th, E. wind, foggy, Hooded Crows and Larks, in large bodies, 

 arrived. The Hoodies are generally noticed in largest numbers 

 during thick weather in October and November. Two Purple 

 Sandpipers were feeding at the edge of the water on the shore 

 east of Redcar on the 31st. 



The early part of November was conspicuous for bad weather, 

 and there was little to note till the 19th, when a Red-necked 

 Grebe was shot off Redcar, and, the same day, Mussell, the 

 Middlesbro' taxidermist, had a Spotted Crake which had been 

 shot on the marshes on the north side of the Tees. On the 16th 

 and 21st E. and N. winds prevailed, and large flocks of Snow 

 Buntings passed. From the 18th to the 23rd we have to record 

 the late stay of Swallows and House Martins, which were to be 

 seen continually hawking about on the front and in the High 

 Street. For full particulars reference may be made to Mr. J. E. 

 Harting's article on " Belated Swallows" in ' The Field' of 30th 

 January, 1892. On the 26th three Eider Ducks were observed 

 swimming near Redcar Pier : this bird is very rare with us, 

 although it seems quite probable that, owing to the strict pro- 

 tection in force at the Fame Islands, where it breeds abundantly, 

 we may in the future have more opportunities of recording its 

 occurrence on the Yorkshire coast. 



On December 18th an immature Great Northern Diver was 

 shot at sea, and two flocks of Geese passed over. On the 26th a 

 large number of Snow Buntings arrived ; and again, on January 

 2nd, 1892, during a N.W. gale, quite a multitude of Snow Buntings 

 and Sky Larks migrated, coming in without intermission during 

 the whole day. On the 7th, N.E. breeze and heavy snow, Red- 

 wings and Fieldfares passed in large bodies to the N.W. Hosts 



