ORNITHOLOGY OF NORTHHAMPTONSHIRE. 89 



left. The ' Polar Star ' has also been spoken about the same 

 latitude some time later. All the vessels experienced very heavy 

 weather after leaving Dundee, and it was twenty-one days before 

 the ' Balsena ' got clear of the Irish coast ; the rest of the voyage 

 was very favourable, the passage from Dundee being made in 

 ninety-one days. All were well, and anxiously looking forward 

 to the time when the ice would be reached and the business 

 proper of the voyage commenced. The Norwegian steamer 

 * Jansen ' called at the Cape Verd Islands about the beginning of 

 October, since which time she has not been heard of. The 

 Dundee owners are anxiously expecting news of the result of 

 this new venture. 



NOTES on the ORNITHOLOGY of NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 

 AND NEIGHBOURHOOD for 1892. 



By the Rt. Hon. Lord Lilford, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



I continue my notes from the end of 1891 (Zool. 1892, 

 p. 210). 



January. 



1st. I received a female Tufted Pochard, alive, from the 

 Peakirk decoy. 



2nd. The decoy-man brought in fifteen Mallard, twelve Teal, 

 and a female Pintail, alive, from the decoy, and told me that on 

 Christmas-day, and other recent occasions, a Peregrine had been 

 driving the Teal about terribly. 



14th. " Black-Duck " reported by one of our gamekeepers as 

 having been seen on flooded meadows near Thrapston. 



20th — 25th. The falconer tells me that a Water-Rail has 

 been frequently feeding about his cottage-garden during the 

 sharp frost. I have heard of several of these birds about lately, 

 but may add that there is no open water within a con- 

 siderable distance of the garden above mentioned. 



March. 



1st. One of the Ruffs in the aviary is rapidly assuming his 

 " show" or neck-frill. 



7th. A female Antwerp Carrier-Pigeon that has paired with 

 a Stock-Dove in the aviary hatched two eggs this morning, and 



