ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 23 



hilly land this year that birds are scarcest ; while the contrary 

 is usually the case with us. 



2nd. — Chiffchaff in song. Saw a Wheatear in two places 

 near South Newington. 



5th. — The cracks in the ground are larger than any I have 

 seen since the dry summer of 1867 (or 8), which I remember 

 being pointed out to me as the probable grave of many young 

 Partridges. Straggling flocks of Missel Thrushes seen every 

 day almost this month, so far. It is a curious thing that during 

 the late autumn and winter the Missel Thrush can hardly be 

 called a gregarious bird in England, and that we do not see 

 flocks after early autumn. In winter the Missel Thrush is seen 

 singly, or, at the most, three or four together, until early spring 

 when it pairs. I think this bird was more common here when I 

 was a boy, judging from recollections of nests found in apple 

 orchards and the fork of forest trees — an ash for choice ; judging 

 also from the birds shot with Fieldfares in hard weather in the 

 thorn and other berried trees. Those who were accustomed to 

 shoot Fieldfares as they came to feed in the thorn bushes, hated 

 the " Norman," as it is called here ; for if one arrived in a bush 

 where the Felts were gathering, it straightway began to swear 

 with its harsh screaming voice, and to fight, and so drove the 

 other birds away, causing the hoped-for family shot to fade away. 

 A Landrail bagged. Only a few seen this season ; but I did not 

 expect any, as I do not think I heard one in the summer. Mr. 

 H. G. Thomson wrote me word that in the neighbourhood of 

 Woodperry they had been conspicious by their absence. In 

 1897 also they were rare with us. A Wheatear seen. 



7th. — For the first time the oppressive heat quite overcame us 

 this afternoon. The thermometer stood at 70° after 7 p.m. 



8th. — Temperature in the shade 84° at 1 p.m. 



9th. — Have shot this month Partridges with the horseshoe 

 pure white (two females) ; white with a few chestnut feathers ; 

 mixed ; and pure chestnut. I made this note in consequence of 

 a suggestion in the ' Field ' newspaper that this white shoe was a 

 " stage " in the change of plumage. This is of course a wrong idea. 

 But it seems likely that the pure white horseshoe is almost 

 confined to the female Partridge, if, indeed, it is not entirely so, 



11th. — Chiffchaff sings well. 



