Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/126

98 and Grey Wagtails as usual. There were no Bluethroats, and Snow-Buntings were scarce (H.N. Pashley); but my correspondent speaks of "foreign Blackbirds," and hundreds of small dark Thrushes in October, an appearance perhaps more due to the locality than the size of the birds themselves. A Black Redstart was identified in October, and another in November (Pashley), and on Nov. 7th Mr. Ramm feels certain of having seen an Ortolan Bunting. Whether this identification can be trusted I cannot say, but the wind the day before had changed to the north-west.

The only Lapland Buntings were two in October, but many Long-tailed Tits were observed, and in one place they were even seen coming off the sea. November was rainy and unsettled up to the 11th, but it was too late then to much affect migration, as most of the species had passed, though flocks of Little Auks and other Alcidæ were seen at sea. Three or four Grey Shrikes paid their customary autumnal visit, and Mr. Arthur Patterson had two Quails to announce in that month.

Although I have diligently written down the direction of the wind in my journal nearly every day, there was so little autumnal migration that no results have been gained. The principal movement was during the first week in October, when there were so many Grey Plovers; and at the same time, viz. on the 4th of that month, something like a rush was observed in North Lincolnshire by Mr. Caton Haigh (cf. p. 112).

On Dec. 10th the first snow came with a light west wind, and so rapid was the drop that night that the thermometer in my parish marked two degrees above zero. A profusion of Ducks, Snipe, Water-Rails, Water-hens, &c, immediately appeared on the meadows adjacent to the Norwich rivers, and every gunner sallied forth bent on destruction. Half-starved Mistle-Thrushes flocked to the yew trees in my garden, as many as nine of these great birds hanging on or around one small Irish yew; but already the red berries (which were in masses a week before) were falling off. Barn-Owls, persecuted at all times, suffered more than ever, and a good many Kingfishers were slaughtered; but our Norwich birdstuffers have the good sense to refuse to buy either the one or the other. On the 12th two guns shot forty Snipe in an afternoon at Carrow, and the next day, on the same