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BIRDS [Purple Gallinule. Porphyria caru/eus, Vandelli. Has been several times reported in the county, where there is much more likelihood of the occurrence of P. smarag/Jontus, which is a common 'ornamental waterfowl.' I doubt if the two are often distinguished from one another. In any case the birds recorded have undoubtedly escaped from a private collection.] 159. Moor-Hen or Water-Hen. Gallinula chloropm (Linn.). A common resident, breeding on all rivers, brooks, ponds and lakes. 160. Coot. Fulica atra, Linn. A resident, common on all larger sheets of water, and occasional on rivers. Moves about a good deal in winter, like the last species. 161. Great Bustard. Otis tarda, Linn. Morton (17 1 2) records this bird, then common on all considerable open stretches of land, as only a rare visitor to Northants. It has not occurred of late years. 162. Little Bustard. Otis tetrax, Linn. A rare winter visitor, of which only one occurrence has been noted in our county, which was shot near Rothwell, November 20th, 1858. 163. Stone-Curlew also Norfolk Plover or Thick-knee. CEdicnemui icolopax (S. G. Gmelin). A rare wanderer to our county from Nor- folk, where it is a pretty abundant summer visitor to the ' breck ' country. Lord Lilford records two occurrences {Lilford, ii. 1-2), since which the Rev. F. M. Stopford has sent me notice of one he saw at Tichmarsh, July 26th, 1898. 164. Dotterel. Eudromias morinellus (Linn.). A rare visitor during the autumn and spring migrations, of which the late Lord Lilford received two specimens, and others have been reported, but not obtained. 165. Ringed Plover. /Egia/itis hiaticula (Linn.). A rare occasional visitor, of which the only county example is the one in the Northamp- ton Museum, shot in 1866. Such a common bird on the British coasts that it is rather surprising that we have no more records. 166. Golden Plover. Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. A pretty common winter visitor to the Nene valley, seen sometimes in large flocks. I saw a trip of about fifty on April 19th, 1886, between Irchester and WoUaston, evidently on their way north to breed, nearly all of which had put on the black breast of the summer plumage. [Grey Plover. Squatarola helvetica (Linn.). Has been reported from Northants, but tangible evidence of its occurrence in the county is still wanting.] 167. Lapwing or Peewit. Vanellus vulgaris, Bechstein. A common resident, breeding in the end of March and throughout April on fallows and rough grass ; decreasing in numbers as a breeding bird, owing to the taking of the eggs by man, crows, rooks and jackdaws. 168. Oyster-Catcher. Hamatopus ostralegus, Linn. A pretty common winter visitor to the more southerly English coasts, wandering rarely inland in England, though in Scotland resident and breeding, often far inland {e.g. in the heart of Perthshire). Has been once shot, and more than once reported as seen or heard in our county [Lilford, ii. 27, 28). i6g. Grey Phahrope. Phalaropus fuUcarius (Linn.). A rare irregular winter visitor to Britain, twice recorded as occurring in Northants {Lil- ford, ii. 33, 34). The red-necked phalarope, P. hyperhoreus (Linn.), has not yet been ob- tained in our county. 170. Woodcock. Scolopax rusticula, Linn. A regular autumn visitor, though not in the same numbers in which it occurs in other parts of the British Islands. Has bred occa- sionally (see Lilford, ii. 37, 38), but I have no recent evidence of this. I have had a good deal of experience of woodcocks' nests in the north, and have observed that they require shady and undisturbed woods for daylight, and marshy fields adjacent where they can feed at night and teach their young to probe, carrying them there at nightfall till they can carry themselves. Unless there is the conjunction of these two elements, they seldom or never remain to breed. Now the area in Northants of ground wet enough during the summer to be pierced by a youthful beak and near suitable woods is not very large, and is probably de- creasing. 171. Great Snipe. Gallinaga major {GmeUn). A rare autumn visitor, most of the so-called great snipes reported being only fine specimens of the following. One has been shot in the county, and several more reported {Lilford, ii. 125