NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 413 



crop of acorns ; no beech mast ; the biggest crop of holly- 

 berries I ever saw. 



24th.— Fieldfares and Bedwings very scarce. 



29th. — Lark sang to-day, but they have hardly sung at all 

 since the early days of the month. A fine, really hot day. 

 Some fine, warm weather this month. 



30th.— Mistle-Thrush sang. 



December 4th. — Falls of snow (melted), but this bird 

 sang. Many " foreign " Pigeons, and an arrival of Snipe and 

 Jack-Snipe in the Chipping Norton district lately. 



10th. — One aconite in flower. 



13th. — A few scattered Fieldfares ; the first seen since the 

 end of November. 



16th. — Country very dry, and many flowers in bloom. 



18th. — Many Wood-Pigeons at poulterer's. Small, dusky birds, 

 tinged brownish on upper parts, darker generally than the native 

 birds and less pink underneath. A few of the latter were present 

 for comparison, as also several Stock-Doves and three Jack- Snipe. 



19th. — News from Mr. Fowler that a week before three or 

 four Swallows flew over the school gardens at Kingham, going 

 south-west; also of nests of young Sparrows and Starlings. 

 Nests with eggs of some birds have been reported here. 



20th. — Examined, at Mr. Darbey's, a Leach's Petrel, picked 

 up dead at Tackley, after the storm about the middle of Novem- 

 ber ; and a nearly white Partridge (with a few small patches of 

 brown) shot at Nuneham in October. I have lately had news of a 

 Hoopoe, shot near Chipping Norton, about the end of April, 1912. 



22nd. — A Blackbird's nest with three eggs reported, in the 

 garden of the " Guardian " office, Banbury. Two or three 

 Fieldfares. 



25th. — Frosts and cold days have stopped the Song- Thrushes 

 singing; but the Hedge-Sparrow continues. 



26th. — Winter jasmine in full bloom, also Chimonanthus and 

 Galanthus elwesi ; while various summer flowers linger. 



28th-31st. — Snow and frost; about three inches of snow on 

 the ground, and Hedge- Sparrow the only bird that sings. A dry 

 month. Eainfall for the year at Bloxham Grove amounted to 

 29*73 in., notwithstanding the dry summer. The fall, however, 

 varied a great deal in different places. 



