In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



309 



killed. I have a good many notes of their occurring both here, and 

 all down the Avon Valley, and during this year (1878) there have 

 been several specimens procured round Christchurch. Thus Mr. 

 Hart informs me one was shot at Christchurch, on August 7th; 

 another killed by Hart himself on August 14th ; a third was shot 

 on Cranemoor on September 2nd, and a fourth at Longfleet. Besides 

 these specimens others have been killed lately at the undermentioned 

 places : one killed at West Knoyle, in May, 1865, by Mr. Thomas 

 Grey; another, at Breamore, in May, 1869 ; a third since that date 

 was shot on Mr. Crook's farm at Dean ; another, about the same 

 date, at Upton Scudamore; a fifth was shot by Mr. Richard Brine, 

 at Mere, on April 2nd, 1873 ; while a sixth was picked up dead on 

 Mr. Rawlence's farm, in 1874, one or two of them having been seen 

 tog-ether, and fired at, on the Race Plain a day or two previously. 

 There are several other occurrences I could record of these birds, but 

 these are quite sufficient to prove their frequent visits to us. Before 

 I leave them, however, I wish to record an occurrence that was 

 mentioned to me by Mr. Norwood. On Saturday, June 16th, 

 1877, he informed me that his clerk, W. Holbech, had seen a party 

 of Hoopoes in a withy-bed on the river at Stratford-sub-Castle, some 

 two miles from Salisbury, and on questioning him myself, Holbech 

 told me that he was floating down the river quietly in a boat when 

 his attention was attracted by some birds in an osier bed, that he 

 had never seen before. They were six in number, and appeared to 

 him to be two old birds and four young ones. He kept perfectly 

 quiet, and they allowed him to approach within some ten yards of 

 them. The old birds kept flitting on in front, and every now and 

 then erecting a magnificent crest on their heads, "something like 

 this," as he said, holding up his hand, and di viding his fingers ; and 

 the younger birds followed them, picking insects, apparently, off the 

 withies, as they went. He observed them closely for some time, 

 and then, being convinced that they were rare birds, he rowed back 

 at once to Mr. Norwood and begged him at once to bring his gun 

 and try and secure some of them, which, however, he could not do. 

 Norwood at once suspected what the birds were, and taking Morris's 

 Birds, he showed him several other plates first, and then turned to 



