Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/161

Rh Kingfisher and some Long-tailed Tits at St. Cross. On the 13th he writes:—"At about 5.15 p.m. a Pied Wagtail flew into a room where I was, no doubt attracted by the light. After flying about in a startled manner, it finally went out." On the 15th Mr. L. Claypon saw the first Reed Buntings in the near water-meads, and on the 16th a large flock of Peewits, fully a hundred, heading south. On the 19th he reports a flock of 500 Common Gulls near the town. Mr. Stares reports the following birds:—Dec. 2nd, saw a Great-crested, Red-necked, and several Little Grebes, on the Hants side of Chichester Harbour; also a pair of Tufted Ducks. 27th, a small flock of Siskins, feeding on the seeds of alder near the Hamble river. 31st, a male Blackcap, feeding on some rotten apples that had been thrown out for the Blackbirds; it has been here (Porchester) for quite a fortnight, and comes and feeds daily within two yards of the windows. It is still here (Jan. 4th). I may mention that I saw two Blackcaps near Winchester, on Oct. 18th.

During the last two months Mr. Chalkley has received the following birds:—Nov. 13th, Great Spotted Woodpecker, from the near neighbourhood; 15th, Pin-tailed Duck, from Avington; 18th, Hen Harrier, male, from Andover; 23rd, Long-eared Owl, from Avington, and one on the 27th, from the neighbourhood; 24th, Saddle-back Crow, from Avington. Dec. 16th, Golden Oriole, from Avington.

The following are some of Mr. Stare's notes for the earlier part of the year, which I was not able to insert in my own notes then:—"April 1st, a Tawny Owl, with eggs, sitting; 6th, a punt-gunner told me he had seen to-day, in Langston Harbour, a flock of about two dozen Red-breasted Mergansers (he called them "Spear-wigeon"); 19th, large flocks of Swallows pitching in the reed beds, and numbers of Nightingales and Warblers about the hedges and fields; 24th, Redshank with egg, sitting. Saw several Swifts. Small flocks of Whimbrel (Numenius phæopus) about Langston and Portsmouth Harbours, and several Bar-tailed God wits just beginning to get the red plumage. Flocks of Yellow Wagtails about the marshes. April 26th, Ringed Plover with young. 27th, on a piece of water not far from here (Porchester) I saw three White-winged Black Terns (Hydrochelidon leucoptera), one of the Marsh Terns. They only remained there one day. They are very elegant birds, flying about over the reed-beds and open water hawking after insects. Sometimes they would come and settle on some old posts that were standing in the water. May 19th, saw a Hoopoe (Upapa epops). I am told it had been about the spot where I saw it for more than a fortnight. 25th, Wood Wren with eggs. July 2nd, large flocks of Gulls in Langston Harbour, composed of Herring, Lesser Black-backed, and Kittiwake Gulls, one Great Black-backed Gull amongst them. 10th, saw a Hobby in the woods near Titchfield. 19th, pair of Pigmy Zool. 4th ser. vol. II., March, 1898