NOTES FROM OXFORDSHIRE. 349 



May (utsup.). Mr. Darbey told me lie had received a Ring 

 Plover from Port Meadow the day before, and that he usually 

 receives one, or hears of one being seen, about this season. He 

 had also had some Terns from the river, as usual. The Botanic 

 Garden was very gay with autumnal flowers in the sunny after- 

 noon, and full of birds. Willow Wrens and Robins in song, 

 Chiffchaffs also (but song very faint), Flycatchers, Blackbirds, 

 Thrushes, Starlings, Pied Wagtails, Chaffinches, &c. 



5th. Wheatears sitting on a wire fence at Barford, side by side 

 with Flycatchers. 



6th. A Bodicote boy caught a young Cuckoo and brought it 

 to Mr. F. C. Aplin ; this is a late date. 



7th. Observed at Bodicote what I have little doubt was a 

 Ring Ouzel, but I could not get near it on account of its shyness. 

 It flew from tree-top to tree-top, settling finally on a bare branch, 

 where it remained jerking its wings ; it looked long when flying. 



25th. Flushed a Landrail from cut barley ; this bird is not 

 nearly so often seen after as before the middle of the month. 



27th. Two Kestrels hawking about a grassy hill-side, about 



6.30 or 6.45 p.m. (clear evening, sunset at 5.47). They often 



settled on the ground, and were doubtless taking the Dor-beetles 



which were about. 



October. 



2nd. Examined a Shag, Phalacrocorax cristatus, shot the day 

 before on the Cherwell, at North Arton Mill. 



11th. A good many Swallows and Martins observed. 



14th. A few of both. Destructive storm from S.S.E. and 

 S.W., yesterday and to-day. 



16th. A fairly large party of Swallows and Martins, chiefly the 

 latter. 



17th. Observed a charm of Goldfinches ; between thirty and 

 forty in number, two or three still wanting the red colour on the 

 face. A good many Martins still lingering about. 



18th. Information of two or three Gulls seen flying over in a 

 south-westerly direction a few days ago. 



21st. Purchased a Fork-tailed Petrel which was picked up 

 under the telegraph-wires at Banbury the day before. A great 

 visitation of these birds to the coasts of Ireland and the West of 

 England recently. Three or four Martins. 



24th. Observed a Lesser Redpoll at Wigginton, 



