42 
NOTES FROM A WINTER JOURNAL. 
Feb., 1892. 
ditch, Barford, a few days before. This ditch has its origin 
in a spring, and after emerging from a covered drain flows 
with rather a sluggish current through several fields. The soil 
through which it flows is rather boggy, and the sides of the 
ditch are rush-grown. Although widening out here and there, 
it is generally from two to four feet wide, until after passing 
through three fields it becomes considerably wider, and is 
very much grown up with rushes. This stream (above the 
wide grown-up portion) did not freeze all the winter. 
Indeed, during nearly the whole of its course through three 
fields there was not a bit of ice on it, even at the banks. In 
the clear moonlight of some of the sharpest nights it used to 
look like a black streak winding through the snowy fields. 
The Swere itself was frozen hard, even in places where it 
flowed fast enough to “ talk,” the ice forming a roof over the 
current, It is almost needless to say that this ditch yielded 
a few Snipe all the winter. 
Kingfishers are now suffering greatly. In the first week 
of the month sixteen were sent to one taxidermist in Oxford, 
Received news that a White-fronted Goose was shot at North 
Aston about the 15th. Some weeks afterwards I saw this 
bird; it was killed with another from a gaggle of about 
twenty. Also received news of a Golden Eye Duck shot at 
Handborough about the same date (but from the description 
I am inclined to think this was a Scaup), and of some Wild 
Geese seen in the Cherwell Valley, near Cropredy. 
19th.—Very heavy fall of snow, six inches on ground, and 
drifted a little. Hard frost at night. Had news of three 
Wild Geese killed in the Cherwell Valley at Twyford Mill, 
near Adderbury, this week. They were unfortunately 
plucked and eaten before I could see them, but from the 
description I had of them I have no doubt they were Bean 
Geese (Anser segetum). The fortunate sportsman told me 
afterwards that about the same time he saw gaggles of thirty- 
seven, seven, and three in the same locality. Five Bramb- 
lings, with about fifty other small birds, were netted round 
some ricks here. 
20th. — Extremely sharp. A female Blackcap Warbler 
was shot while feeding on the berries of the cotoneaster. 
Great, Blue, Marsh, and Cole Tits come to the suet I have 
hung up, also Robins, but only one Sparrow has succeeded in 
settling on it. A Jack Snipe flushed and killed from the 
Swere, which is frozen over in most parts ; a good deal of 
ice on the bottom in shallow, quick places. Heard the Isis is 
frozen from Oxford to Iffley, and bears skaters above the 
city. The Oxford Times of to-day contains report by Mr. S. 
Sargent of a Golden Eye Duck (probably the one I heard of) 
