450 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



22nd. — A lot of Martins on roof. Examined a young Hobby 

 with wings hardly full-grown, which was shot at Tusmore early 

 this month. Also a Whimbrel shot at Barford in May. 



24th. — Many restless Meadow-Pipits in roots ; a flock of one 

 to two hundred all got up and went away. Red-legged Partridges 

 are very scarce this season, not having recovered from the effects 

 of the wet summer of 1903, and the following wet winter. 



27th. — The bulk of the Swallows and Martins have gone. 



October 6th.— A few Martins. 



8th. — Half a score of Swallows on the roof, some quite young. 

 Hardly any seen this month. 



11th. — A few Swallows and Martins in front of the house 

 early. 



13th. — Five Swallows on the roof. 



14th. — Starlings have been most destructive to fruit this 

 year. To-day I saw one eating Burgundy pears on a wall-tree ; 

 these were then gathered, and one bird went to a tree of John 

 Dowy crabs, when I shot it. 



17th. — A Pied Wagtail has sung a good deal lately ; this bird 

 really seems to sing almost as much in autumn as in spring, but 

 this is not saying much. 



18th. — A Woodcock shot yesterday. Grey Wagtail in Sor- 

 brook. 



19th. — Wren sings well. 



21st. — When going to see the hounds draw the gorse, at 

 7.30 a.m., and very foggy, I heard a Yellow Bunting and two 

 Thrushes singing at 7.15, and the wheeze of a Brambling from 

 some beech-trees. 



26th. — Redwings. Linnets still sing. Song-Thrushes sing 

 well. 



30th. — The Grey Wagtail is common here this autumn, and 

 Mr. Fowler has noticed unusual numbers at Oxford and King- 

 ham. Several have flown over this garden. 



November 4th. — Very nice dry weather now, warm and 

 pleasant, and the autumn tints most beautiful. Plenty of roses 

 in bloom. 



10th.— Fieldfares. I watched a Barred Woodpecker feeding 

 on something he had hammered out of a dead and broken elm- 

 branchlet for about ten minutes. 



