THE EASTBOURNE CRUMBLES. 



67 



sometimes the duck-shooting is for a day or so quite good, 

 t. e. until the lagoons are frozen. Mallard come nearly every 

 night, and I can vouch for the appearance of the following : — 

 Wigeon, Teal, Scaup, Golden-eye, Tufted. I have also heard of 

 Pochard, Sheld, and Shoveler being shot, and Mr. Bates has 

 three Ferruginous Ducks in his possession, which claim to have 

 been secured on one of the ponds. Herons from the Hurst- 

 montceaux herony are common. I have seen seven at once. I 

 have never encountered the Bittern so far, but in December 

 1905, in a garden near the ' Archery Tavern,' a man, going out 

 to gather cabbages, nearly stepped on one squatting amongst the 

 stalks. He gave chase, and was a good second up to the garden- 

 wall and no further, for the Bittern just cleared it and he just 

 didn't. Crows, both the Hoodie and the Common, are to be seen 

 daily foraging in the winter, and often a Kestrel hovers over the 

 more grassy portion of the " Hassock." Dr. Colgate once saw a 

 Eaven shot there during a fog, and I saw a Peregrine pass one 

 evening just before flight-time. I have only heard of one Wood- 

 cock. It was killed by some rabbit-shooters after they had pep- 

 pered one of their own party in the face at the first attempt. 



The following perhaps deserve dates : — 



> 



1901. 



Sept. 26th. — Immature Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus 

 hyperboreus) on the " Hassock." Its flight reminded me of a 

 dragonfly. 



1903. 



July 22nd. — Saw and heard a Temminck's Stint (Tringa 

 temmincki) ; it hung its legs a good deal as it flew. 



Sept. 20th. — Mr. A. H. Streeten and I saw a Bluethroat 

 (Cyanecula suecica). We walked it about for a long time, and 

 often had it only a few yards off. There was no mistaking the 

 half-red tail, but we never could get a view of the breast, nor have 

 I ever managed to do so in Norfolk. This bird behaved much 

 like a Robin. 



26th. — Got a Blue-headed Wagtail (Motacilla flava), either 

 an immature or a mature bird in autumn plumage. There were 

 others about, as there often are in September. 



