IBO 
than one old pair had taken to the river without a single contri- 
bution to St. Helen’s Swan-pit. 
Ikartridges, of course, suffered with other ground-nesting birds, 
and numbers of young were found dead. So bad a season has not 
been known for years, and it might have been well if, by common 
consent throughout the count}'’, as was the case in many localities, 
partridge shooting had been postponed for a twelvemonth. 
In such a year late nesting, not only amongst the Hir undines, 
often late breeders, but with most birds, became the ffishion, and 
nestlings — whether they survived or not, I cant say — were seen 
exceptionally late. For example, a Yellow-hammer’s nest, with 
cenrg. was found on the 9th of October; and a young Waterhen, 
about half grown, was seen on the 25th of November; but 
whether nestling Barn Owls at Eyburgh and Sparham, early 
in November, may be reckoned amongst the exceptional features 
of the year I am not prepared to say. If, however, our summer 
migrants ffiilcd to divert us with their song in spring and summer, 
the amende, in some slight degree, was made in our more genial 
autumn months. As late as tlio 15th of July the Cuckoo was 
heard singing his perfect note. Chiffehaffs and Willow Wrens in 
the last week of August were singing in my garden, as in April 
and May — not the young male, practising his notes for next year, 
l)ut the adult bird, in full song ; and late into September, Swallows 
were “garrulous” on the wing. It seemed almost as if the melody 
of spring, frozen up at that time in their little throats had like 
the tunes in Munchausen’s horn thawed at last ; and better late 
than never. 
Here then, from the close of one winter to the commencement of 
the next I close my narrative, trusting I may long be spared sucli 
a threnody over the ffuma of this county as has been called 
forth by the reminiscences of 1879. 
January. 
Shoveller. Notwithstanding the severity of the frost at the 
time, there was a male Shoveller in our ffshmarket about the 
middle of the month, and 1 heard of one or two others having 
been killed. These no doubt were all bred in the county. 
Black-headed Bunting. A male brought to me alive on the 
14th, caught wild a few days before, had already attained very 
