A HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE been found breeding within our boundaries. The common continental form with grey back in all stages of plumage. 38. Grey Wagtail. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. A fairly common winter visitor from the end of September to the beginning of March, oftenest seen near water. 39. Yellow Wagtail. Motacilla rail (Bona- parte). A fairly common but rather local summer visitor, very common in the neighbourhood of Wellingborough — of course, by water. Ar- rives early in April, nesting on the ground near a stream or river (the nest very carefully concealed), leaving in mid-September, at which times very large flocks may be seen in turnip fields. 40. Tree-Pipit. Anthm trivialis (Linn.). Usually, but wrongly, called in Northants the ' titlark,' a name which belongs to the next bird. A summer visitor, pretty com- mon, but rather local in distribution, arriving about the middle of April, nesting on the ground, but always near trees, on which it commonly perches, and leaving again before the end of September. 41. Meadow-Pipit or Titlark. Anthui pra- tensis (Linn.). A resident in small numbers, much more abundant during the winter. Breeds in two localities only, as far as I am aware, in the county. Is strictly a moorland bird during the summer, and very rarely indeed perches anywhere but on the ground. [Richard's Pipit. Anthus richardi, Vieillot. Lord Lilford records a doubtful occurrence of this bird [op. cit. i. 163), but the bird was not shot, or caught, nor examined by his lord- ship. Considering the close resemblance be- tween A. richardi, and the tawny pipit [A. campestrisy Linn.), its occurrence cannot be called an ascertained fact.] 42. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galhulc, Linn. A rare occasional visitor. Several occur- rences are on record [Lilford, i. 84), and more recently one of these birds haunted my garden at Thornhaugh for a considerable part of the summer of 1897. It was a female, and fortu- nately was seen by no one else. 43. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, Linn. A rare occasional winter visitor ; a number of its occurrences in the county are given by Lord Lilford (i. 69-74). 44. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio, Linn. A summer visitor, though not common, appearing at the beginning of May, nesting in thorn bushes or thick hedges, and leaving us again in August. Much commoner in some years than others. Very fond of sitting on telegraph wires. 45. Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, h n. A rare winter visitor from northern Europe, which occasionally visits England in consider- able numbers. It is recorded to have occurred in our county a dozen times or so (see Lilford, i. 50, etc.). 46. Pied Flycatcher. Mmcicapa atricapilla, Linn. A scarce and irregular summer visitor, breeding not uncommonly in Wales and the northern counties of England, which has four times been shot, and once or twice been seen besides, in Northants. 47. Spotted Flycatcher. Mmcicapa griiola, Linn. A common summer visitor, reaching us about May-day ; nesting in creepers, or trees on garden walls ; often raising two broods in the season, and leaving us again about the middle of September. One remained about Thornhaugh Rectory till October 5th last year (1899), byt this was very exceptionally late. 48. Swallow. Hirundo rustica, Linn. A common summer visitor, arriving early in April, raising two (or even three) broods, and leaving us by the middle of October, though odd individuals may be occasionally seen a fortnight later. 49. House-Martin. Chelidon urbica (Linn.). A common summer visitor, reaching us within a week of the swallow, raising two broods, and sometimes three. The third brood often dies in the nest, or in the neigh- bourhood, shortly after being fledged. Is de- creasing in numbers in a good many places owing to persecution by the house-sparrow. 50. Sand-Martin. Cotile riparia (Linn.). A common summer visitor, but somewhat local, its abundance depending on the presence of suitable breeding-places. Reaches us early in April, occasionally at the end of March, breeds in banks and quarries, usually raises two broods, and departs again between mid- August and the end of October. 116
