ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 337 



Thrashes here, so they are probably passing migrants. Wren 

 has sung all the month occasionally. 



26th. — Many Bramblings with the Chaffinches, and a few 

 other birds about the fields where manure is being spread. Some 

 elms have not shed all their leaves, and oaks are rather full of 

 leaves, but brown. 



27th. — A Woodcock in Milcomb gorse. 



I received news this month of a Little Owl, shot on the 5th 

 inst. near Shirburn. Probably all the Little Owls which occur 

 now belong to introduced stock, but it is curious that the only 

 three Oxfordshire examples of which I have dates were killed in 

 the first half of November. This may point to an inclination to 

 migrate or wander in autumn. 



Mr. Harvey has been good enough to give me particulars of 

 the occurrence of three or more Bough-legged Buzzards in the 

 vicinity of Dame Lys Game Farm, which is situated at the foot 

 of the hills near Watlington, where there are a good many 

 Babbits, and the country is very open, but wooded on the hill- 

 tops. Two were seen about the middle of November, and one of 

 them was taken alive on the 18th. Two were again seen on 

 Dec. 4th, quartering the ground, and on the 14th one was seen. 

 They attacked the Pheasants, but did not appear to kill any. 



A mild month, with a good deal of rain. 



December 1st. — Saw four Herring-Gulls fly over Milcomb 

 gorse, low down, going S.W., their usual course in autumn. 



6th. — Very stormy, W.N-W. About forty Peewits in field of 

 thin swedes. 



7th. — A Kestrel ; worth noting in this month and up to the 

 end of February. 



11th. — A Little Grebe, choked by a Bullhead, and picked up 

 in the brook near Broughton, was brought to me. They were 

 quite fresh. I had great difficulty in getting the fish out ; it was 

 3 in. long and § in. wide across the head. It is curious that a 

 Dabchick should attempt to swallow such a fish, but there had 

 been a frosty or snowy day or two previously, and the bird may 

 have been hard up for food. 



17th. — Song-Thrushes have stopped singing this cold but not 

 severe weather. 



24th. — Bullfinches very numerous. 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XI., September, 1907. 2 D 



