ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 13 



11th. — Sharp frost. A Snipe at South Newington. 



12th. — Three inches of snow on ground. 



13th. — Snow all the forenoon. 



14th. — Thermometer down to 17°, and 20° at 9.30 a.m. 



16th. — Severe weather. Stock-Doves feeding on turnip-tops. 



19th. — Steady cold thaw. 



28th. — The want of rain during the autumn is severely felt 

 after the dry summer. Several wells, never known to fail pre- 

 viously, are now dry. Three or four Bramblings shot from a 

 flock near the village. 



31st. — Large flock of Bramblings, with Chaffinches and a few 

 Sparrows, near the village. 



I find I have met with the Barred Woodpecker on about half 

 a dozen occasions this year in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 Bloxham. It may be slightly on the increase. As it is not 

 persecuted in any way, and is not known to or seen by one per- 

 son in five hundred at the most, it is strange that it does not 

 become numerous. It probably suffers much less than the 

 Green Woodpecker from severe weather, as it does not feed on 

 the ground ; but it seems to be a law of nature that Woodpeckers 

 should not be numerous. 



I am indebted to Mr. Heatley Noble for the following inter- 

 esting notes : — 



In the shooting season of 1894-5 an immature White-tailed 

 Eagle remained for some weeks in Fawley Court Deer Park, and 

 enjoyed the protection of Mr. Mackenzie, who on one occasion 

 saw the Eagle settle in a tree just over his head. Mr. Noble 

 also saw the bird. 



A female Smew was killed on the river at Hennerton about 

 1881. 



In J 892 or 1893 a pair of Pied Flycatchers are said by the 

 Hon. and Rev. A. Parker to have nested in his garden at Bix. 



The Royston Crow is occasionally seen in the neighbourhood 

 of Henley-on-Thames, but is rare. 



Mr. Noble saw a Stone Curlew three times in one day, getting 

 quite close to it, on a rabbit-warren at Stonor, on Nov. 13th, 

 1899. This is the latest date in the autumn on which I have 

 known the " Curloo " to occur in Oxon. 



