SOME EXTRACTS FROM A SHOOTER'S NOTE-BOOK. 443 



least a hundred) appeared in the winter grey plumage. It is a 

 strange and remarkable fact that of the hundreds of Bar-tailed 

 Godwits continuing on the sands of the estuary, perhaps not one 

 in a hundred of the birds when leaving for their northern haunts 

 ever exhibit their breeding plumage. 



July 4th. — A pair of Spotted Flycatchers have had a nest in 

 the garden, but reared only one young bird, leaving two addled 

 eggs in the nest. 



August 14th. — To-day, in the bog at Castletown, saw what I 

 think was a male Hen-Harrier flying about the bog ; it ap- 

 peared of the grey colour of the male, but the ends of the wings 

 appeared darkish. However, from its mode of flight being low 

 and its flying backwards and forwards like a setter, it certainly 

 was some species of Harrier. 



September 28th. — Wigeon have arrived ; to-day I fired at and 

 wounded one, but without securing it. 



October 28th. — For the first time, to-day I saw a flock of 

 Long-tailed Tits, in the Fort Field plantation, the only time 

 that I ever met this species at Moy View. They had probably 

 wandered down from the woods of Belleck Manor, the demesne 

 of Sir Arthur Knox Gore. 



January 1st, 1867. — The greater part of November and 

 December was very wet and stormy, but with a mild tempera- 

 ture, there being only one night's hoar frost early in December ; 

 but the 30th and 31st were very wild and cold. On the morning 

 of January 1st heavy hailstorms began, and about 11 a.m. a 

 fearful gale of wind set in from the north, with snow-showers. 

 This continued all day, but the wind fell during the night, 

 leaving the 'ground covered with snow to a depth of three 

 inches, accompanied by a sharp frost. 



2nd. — A very hard frost last night, with snow. 



3rd. — Frost very severe last night, with some snow-showers, 

 and being very calm the snow froze in beautiful crystals on the 

 branches of the trees, giving an ideal snow-scene. The birds 

 looked very miserable, having no place to feed, for, owing to 

 the calm, the snow drifting under the bushes covered their 

 ordinary feeding-grounds, so for the two days past they had to 

 take to the shore and search for sandhoppers and such food 

 among the seaweed and along high-water mark, as soon as the 



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