NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 411 



"First" I ever knew. 56°; wind north. On this day and the 

 2nd 1*80 in. of rain fell at the Grove, nearly as much as we 

 had in the previous three months. The rest of September was 

 fine and warm. 



5th. — A few Meadow Pipits. A pair of Ked-backed Shrikes, 

 accompanied by two full-grown young, about their old breeding 

 haunt near Milcomb. They must have come and bred late in the 

 season, for they were not there when I searched the place in June. 



6th. — A Land-Bail shot at Milcomb. There are hardly any 

 this autumn, despite suitable bits of standing barley. Have 

 had news from Mr. Calvert of a Green Sandpiper, shot as it rose 

 from a pond-side on the 4th inst. Also of a Land-Kail, shot 

 the same day. 



8th. — The Shrikes still in the same place. 



10th. — Two Clouded Yellow butterflies in a clover field. 



12th. — A great congregation of Martins on the roof. Chiff- 

 chaff singing all this month. 



13th. — A few Pipits in roots. 



14th. — The flowers on a tree-ivy covered with flies and some 

 wasps. 



15th. — Again many Martins. 



19th. — A great gathering of Swallows on telegraph-wires. 



20th. — A smaller congregation of Martins. 



26th. — Larks sang. A Song-Thrush sang a little and badly. 



27th. — One of the warmest days of the summer; 72°. 



28th. — Starlings destructive to apples. Most of the Black- 

 birds gone into the fields. Nearly all the Swallows and Martins 

 have been gone a day or two. 



[A small number on October 3rd were the last seen here.] 



30th. — A Brimstone butterfly and a Meadow Brown ; some 

 Red Admirals earlier in the month. Two or three Snipe in 

 turnips. Many Meadow-Pipits both in roots and other fields on 

 the hills about Wiggington. Numbers of migrating Pied Wagtails 

 about — as many as twenty or thirty in one field being ploughed. 



October 2nd. — A thunderstorm and lots of rain. Since 

 the great storm of April until to-day I do not think there has 

 been any thunder. A Ked Admiral in the garden. 



5th. — Mistle-Thrush back in garden and noisy. 



6th.— A Clouded Yellow butterfly. Two young Red-legged 



