340 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM OXFORDSHIRE. 

 By 0. V. Aplin. 



The transcription of the following notes for 1891 has been 

 delayed by a journey to South America, whence I have but lately 

 returned. 



Januaey. 



5th. A Redwing was caught in a garden at Bodicote, too weak 

 to fly. Redwings and Blackbirds have finished the holly-berries 

 there. A Little Grebe was found alive on the snow under the 

 windows of a house in that village, a long way from any water ; 

 it was very thin. 



6th. Examined a Coot, in very poor condition, which was shot 

 the previous day on one of the open " scours" in the Cherwell, at 

 Franklin's Knob, Bodicote. 



7th. Heard from Mr. W. C. Darbey, of Oxford, that he had 

 received for preservation the previous day a Pink-footed Goose 

 from Wood Eaton (see Feb. 6th), also " Kingfishers innumerable." 



8th. Sky Larks by this date had entirely left Bloxham parish ; 

 they are generally abundant, on one farm especially. Examined, 

 at Mr. W. Wyatt's shop, a Grey Crow, shot close to Banbury this 

 week, and a female Pied Woodpecker from Boddington, Northants, 

 caught alive. The fields are now covered with two or three inches 

 of frozen snow, the worst possible state for birds. News from 

 Mr. M. F. Melliar that he saw a Barred Woodpecker at North 

 Aston on the 6th. 



10th. A little flock of Ring Doves haunting a swede field at 

 Bloxham. Found one Snipe in the warm ditch at Barford, which 

 remained open through the frost, though the rapid Swere, close 

 to it, was frozen. Intensely sharp frost ; tracks of bird and beast 

 most beautifully impressed on a sprinkling of dry powdery snow 

 recently fallen on the crust. Saw about twenty Carrion Crows 

 roosting in some trees near Barford ; a few remained with us all 

 the winter, and some generally frequent this roosting-place, but 

 I never saw so many there before, and think they must have been 

 migrants. Saw a Kestrel. 



12th. Mr. Darbey wrote on the 11th: — "The poor King- 

 fishers seem now to be all killed, for I have not had one in for 



