Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/263

Rh that another fine Osprey was shot near Scarborough. An archangel would have no chance in these days. Common Buzzard, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, and Pomatorhine Skua were obtained at Bridlington. On the 14th a beautiful white Weasel was shot at Whixley by Mr. H. Pexton; it had normal coloured eyes, and was of a very pure white. These varieties of the Weasel are very scarce; this is only the second that I have seen. Mr. Allen, the well-known York taxidermist, showed me a young Rat, which cannot have been more than six weeks old, in which the upper incisors had either been broken completely away, or had never been; but the lower ones had grown and curled to the length of nearly two inches—a remarkably rapid growth. Had a white Mole sent to me, which I stuffed. Was away at the Lincolnshire flight-nets at the end of the month.

A Gray Phalarope got at the Teesmouth, Nov. 19th, shot with a pistol. A Red-necked Phalarope obtained at Easington, Holderness, on the 8th. Several Whooper Swans in Bridlington Bay. Green Sandpipers about. In the middle of the month I was down on the Humber. At a certain spot there were great numbers of our commonest Wild Goose—the Pink-footed. I saw one huge mass of them, in which there cannot have been much fewer than a thousand birds; they arrive early in September, and remain throughout the winter. About 8 o'clock every morning, making a great noise, long skeins of them fly over North Cave Vicarage, where my friend the Rev. W. M. Tomlinson lives, on their way to feed on the stubbles, &c, on the wolds. One morning, with his Rook-rifle, Tomlinson fired at the leading bird, which was a great height up, and a big field's distance from the garden. He hit the third bird, and down it came. We had it in a pie, and excellent it was. I preserved the skin for him, as a memento of a wonderful shot. In such mild open weather we were quite unable to get near the birds on the Humber with a punt and big gun. On the 25th, when Pheasant shooting, I was surprised to see a large Frog hopping about in the middle of a wood as merrily as if it were June. Saw two Woodcock.

During December we had some very severe weather. Mr.