222 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



to the finding of the Gannet by the Pytchley 

 hounds, which throws some additional light upon 

 the approximate date of the occurrence ; and will 

 not, I think, as the personal reminiscence of an 

 eye-witness, be lacking in interest to my readers : 

 Mr. Tryon, under date of October 25, 1891, Avrites 

 thus : — " Your letter reminds me, I believe, of the 

 whole incident of the Gannet in Northamptonshire ; 

 I was out with my father with the Pytchley, when 

 C. Payne was putting the hounds into a wood 

 (I believe near Benefield). I recollect that it was 

 a grassfield on the side where the hounds were put 

 in, a large white bird flopped along the ditch for 

 about 20 yards, when the whip got off and killed it 

 with the stock of his whip, and carried it under his 

 arm all day ; . . . whether the bird went to the 

 kennels or the house I do not know for certain, 

 although I recollect them talking about it. I believe 

 this was the Gannet." 



In reply to further enquiry from me, Mr. E.. Tryon 

 wrote on October 27, 1891 : — " In addition I can 

 only recollect that the bird had very long wings. 

 I should say that the event must have been in 1847 

 or 1848. The master was not Mr. Villiers ; no 

 doubt George Payne." 



I will only add that the date given coincides with 

 the second term of Mr. G. Payne's mastership of the 

 Pytchley hounds, and that in my opinion there can be 

 no reasonable doubt that this is the bird mentioned 

 to me by Mr. Thomas Tryon in 1849, and referred to 

 in the letters from Mr. George Payne and Charles 

 Payne, from which I have above quoted. 



A very fine adult Gannet was picked up alive near 

 Warmington on April 25th, 1892, by Mr. John 



