12 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



20th. — News of a Woodcock shot in potato-field at Hook 

 Norton on the 7th. 



28th. — Redwings in the hedges, which look quite red in the 

 distance from the heavy crop of haws. At the end of this month 

 a Grey Phalarope (now in my possession) was picked up at Kirt- 

 lington. Mr. Darbey told me that he had a male Peregrine 

 Falcon from Tar Wood this month. 



November 6th. — News of an adult Gannet caught alive in a 

 field at Lower Tadmarton on the 1st inst. Chaffinch sang all 

 its song, but poorly ; and again the next day. 



7th. — News from Mr. R. Surman, of Oxford, that he had in a 

 cage a bird he believed to be a hybrid between the Blackbird and 

 Song-Thrush. He caught it outside Worcester College gardens, 

 where it was probably hatched. I called to see the bird in July, 

 1900, when it had much the shape of a Blackbird, a dull orange 

 bill, back brownish black, and under parts mottled brown. At 

 the end of August, 1901, I saw it again ; it was partly in moult. 

 Upper parts chiefly a dark rich bronze-brown or umber-brown. 

 Under parts mottled. Bill yellow with a brownish tinge. Mr. 

 Surman said it sang a little, and that the song was peculiar, 

 although something like a Blackbird's. 



8th. — Saw in the large meadow called Bestmoor, in the Cher- 

 well valley above Somerton, a flock of about one hundred and 

 fifty Golden Plovers, with a lot of Peewits. 



10th. — A few Fieldfares about. A flock seen going to roost 

 in the evergreens at Great Tew on the 8th. Great numbers of 

 Greenfinches, Starlings, Wood-Pigeons, and other birds roost 

 there. Two Goldfinches in the garden, and several about the 

 Milcomb hills. 



18th. — Fieldfares often passing over now. 



28th. — A good many Fieldfares and Redwings. News of a 

 Fork-tailed Petrel picked up dead in a ploughed field at South 

 Stoke about the middle of the month, after a strong gale from 

 S.W. and W. 



December 2nd. — Three and a half out of ten and a half brace 

 of Partridges between Milcomb, Barford, and South Newington 

 were Red-legs. Many Fieldfares and Redwings. 



8th. — Three or four wild Snipe in the Sorbrook valley here ; 

 scarce birds in these upper valleys. 



