128 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Bishops Sutton; 14th, a Hawfinch from Basingstoke. With regard to the. 
Kite, a species which Mr. Chalkley has not seen for twenty years, I certainly 
incline to his view that it is a bond fide wild bird. Although part of the 
tail-feathers are shot away, the remaining tail- and wing-feathers are not at 
all rubbed. Mr. Stares tells me he saw about ten Hooded Crows along the 
coast at Browndown, the first he has seen this autumn (Oct. 10th). 
November was a very unsettled month, with a preponderating north- 
east wind. On the 8rd a good many Meadow Pipits came into the near 
water-meads, and I noticed a Carrion Crow among a great many Rooks, 
Jackaws, and Starlings. It moved off immediately. The Jackdaws are 
fond of perching on the Cows’ backs. On the 4th Mr. Lane Claypon 
reported a Herring Gull among the others in the water-meads. On the 
Sth a party of Dabchicks paid a visit to the near water-meads, but left the 
same day. On the 10th Peewits were still on the move, a party of four 
flying south down the valley; I saw another party on the 15th. I watched 
a Kestrel on this date playing in the most systematic manner. It 
pretended to be hunting for food, hovering for several minutes over nothing 
at all, and then swooping away to repeat the same operation at a distance. — 
I watched this going on for quite half an hour; then I went away, after 
having satisfied myself that there was no animal against which these 
manceuvres were directed. I left it still hovering. On the 22nd I noticed | 
an increase in the number of Larks and Chaffinches in the near water- 
meads. On the 23rd I paid a visit to Fisher’s Pond, and noticed that the 
Coots were still there. I also saw, in the wood bordering the pond, 
a great many Long-tailed and Blue Tits, and also a few Magpies. Mr. 
Stares sends me the following notes from Porchester :—‘ Nov. 3rd, saw a 
flock of Grey Plovers in Langston Harbour. 6th, shot a Quail on 
Portsdown Hill; it was a hen bird, and its crop contained plantain seeds. 
Whilst out waiting for Ducks at night on the mud-flats, I heard birds 
migrating over head, the calls of Fieldfares and Thrushes being especially 
distinct. 16th to 20th, good number of Wigeon about Portsmouth and 
Langston Harbours at night. 27th, very large flocks of Pigeons about the ~ 
woods, mainly composed of Stock Doves and a few Ringed Doves among, 
them.” Mr. Stares was also informed of a Fire-crested Wren caught on. 
board a steamer at Spithead, and a Spotted Crake killed by flying against 
telegraph wires in Portsmouth Dockyard. 
December. The weather was cold and still for the first part of the month, 
but subsequently very wet. Mr. Lane Claypon tells me that Pied and 
Grey Wagtails remained numerous in the water-meads, while the Gulls were 
fairly constant, with occasional very large flocks (6th, 7th, 13th, 19th). On ~ 
the 5th he reports an enormous flock of Starlings, on a ploughed field a 
mile south of the town; on the 9th a flock of Peewits going south, and a 
