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The OOLOGISTS' RECORD

A Quarterly Magazine devoted to the advancement
of Oology in all parts of the World.

EDITED BY KENNETH L. SKINNER.

VOLUME I

1921.

i.^:*ibf^

HARRISON & SONS, Limited, Printers in Ordinary to His Majesty,
45. St. Martin's Lane, London, W.C. 2.

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J lo -\o )-n^- mM^ 1>

THE OOLOGISTS' RECORD.

Edited by KENNETH L. SKINNER.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Vol. I -No. 1.] [March 1, 1921.

EAST AFRICAN NOTES.

The writer left London on 17th June, 1920, for Zanzibar via
Suez. Port Sudan was reached on 12th July. Great heat prevailed,
up to 110° in the shade on board, and the desert looked anything
but inviting. However, an excursion south-west of the town,
made between five and nine a.m. of the following day, was not
entirely unproductive. Crossing a rubbish-strewn waste we entered
a region where isolated wells permitted of some cultivation and
found a Prima, which I took to be P. gracilis {Licht.), breeding
in low bushes and hedges round the sandy gardens. One nest
contained three fresh eggs, small, rounded, and well covered with
cloudy brick-red markings. Another was just ready and a third
apparently deserted : at least four pairs of the birds were seen. As
I was walking beside a fairly high hedge a dove burst noisily forth
on the other side ; I was just in time to identify it as Oena capensis
{L.), the Namaqua Dove, and presently found the tiny frail nest,
built well into the middle of the hedge and containing one slightly
incubated egg. This dove was fairly common in the vicinity.
Other birds noted were a Pelican, a Gull (probably Larus leucoph-
thalmns, Temm.), a Vulture of the genus Neophron, Charadrius
tricoUaris, VieilL, Corvultiir crassirosfris [Riipp.), Rhinocorax affmis
[Riipp.), a Lark of the genus Pyrrhidaitda, and one other, and perhaps
half a dozen other birds. The interesting thing was that the few
birds there were belonged chiefly to iEthiopian and not Palaearctic
types.

At Aden, a few days later, the harbour was as usual full of Kites,
Milvus cBgyptuis [Cm.), whose nests one could see high on the cliffs
about the tanks — but they were not in use. From the look of a
nest of Riparia ohsoleta {Cab.) actually in one of the tanks, but out of
reach, and the discovery of fragments of a dove's egg under a tall
fig tree at the same place, we concluded the season was not long
over. The Bulbul, Pycnonotus arsincB {Licht.) was the only other
bird I remember seeing ; a reminder that Aden also forms part of
the /Ethiopian region, despite its being in Asia.

A

The Oologisis" Record^ March i, 1921.

After these arid spots Mombasa, where we anchored in Kihndini
Harbour on 24th July, seemed a veritable paradise : it was dehghtful
to see once more the palm trees and baobabs and watch through the
glasses the gay-coated Weavers flying to and fro among the tropic
vegetation that fringes the coral cliffs. We stayed here six days,
but I had only one short bird excursion, the fruits of which I will
incorporate with observations made on my return to Mombasa
after visiting Zanzibar, where I stayed from 31st July till 9th August.
Only on one day, 8th August, did my work permit of an outing in
the most interesting Island of Zanzibar.

In the morning I visited a small verdure-clad islet in the harbour
where Herons, probably MelanopJwyx ardesiaca (IVagl.), are said
to have bred, but found nothing. In the afternoon a friend took me
a delightful short trip by motor-cycle to a swamp where a colony
of the Golden-yellow Weaver, Plocens aiireoflavus, A. Sm., were
breeding in the ambatch {Herminiera sp. — a leguminous shrub).
The nests, comparatively small, neatly shaped, and without spout,
remjnded me of those of P. casfanops, Shell., of Lake Victoria, which
belongs to the same sub-genus {Xanthophilus, of Reichenow).
One often finds that similarity of nest-structure confirms affinities
postulated on other grounds. I took in all nine eggs, all of uniform
unspotted pale blue colour. Most of the nests contained young.

Returning by way of the Island of Pemba, where birds are
scarce in the dense gloomy groves of clove-trees, duty kept me in
Mombasa from nth August till 8th September. During this
time, besides many short walks on the island itself, I was able to
extend my acquaintance with a locality on the mainland south of
Mombasa, which I had first discovered as a haunt of birds in July-
August, 1918.

It is always a little difficult to convey a right impression of a
place to those who have not seen it, and I think this is especially
true of any part of the tropics. Let me try, however, to bring the
reader with me in spirit to Ras Mwaka Singe, the name b}- which
I know the locality, taken from the Arab-Swahili for the ocean head-
land on the east of it. We cross from Mombasa Island in a native
ferry, oxev the deep sea-arm that leads to Xilindini, and in a quarter
of an hour land at Likona on the mainland, whence the road runs
southward, more or less parallel with the coast on one's left, to
Vanga and so right on down to the old German border. Between

The Oologists' Record, March i, 192 1.

this road and the ocean is a strip of wild uninhabited scrub, the
northern extremity of which is the part I know. We turn off from
the ferry-landing away from the road by a native path which leads
along the coral cliffs eastward through cocoanut plantations and
plots of cassava and sweet potatoes with a good deal of long grass
and jungly shrubs. There is nothing special to detain us, but we
may note as we go drongos, a couple of weavers. Bush-shrikes
(Tschagra) and maybe a Roller, Coracias caudalus (L.). In half
a mile we are clear of the huts and cultivation, and passing through
a belt of seven-foot-high grass we turn southwards, rise perhaps
fifty feet in a quarter of a mile, and find ourselves in the " good
country." Who else but a bird enthusiast would so describe it is
another matter. We are on a sort of low tableland, where a high
but light growth of ripening grass (it is August and the big rains are
just over) conceals the ever-present " coral rag " just enough to let
one stub a foot every five yards. Look back northwards and
beyond the belt of jungle-grass below us the ground falls rapidly
to the coral cliffs skirting the Kilindini arm ; across the narrow blue
seaway the mansions of New Mombasa gleam white under the bluest
of tropic skies, and again beyond them the flag of the Sultan of
Zanzibar floats in the light south-east wind over the old fort built
by the Portuguese, foes of his ancestors. Eastwards, it is a bare
mile to the ocean beach and the breakers of the Indian Ocean.
In the opposite direction one gets, after about a mile, to less interest-
ing country, a richer soil with dense growth of palms, closely culti-
vated. To the south — but who knows how far this delectable
plateau, with its dozens of varieties of thorn trees and evergreen
bushes, scattered here in singles, there in clumps, may extend.
Never does the scrub form an impenetrable wall. Go up a narrowing
glade which seems a cul-de-sac, there is always a little break at the
end which leads to the real glade. For me, wrapt in the fascinations
of the oological chase, the westering sun has always warned me that
it was time to retrace my steps long before I had done more than
penetrate the fringe of these happy hunting grounds. Surely all
you who read can imagine, if you do not know it, the really likely
looking thorn-bush, just fifty yards ahead, and then, even if that
one does draw blank, the still better one a little further on ; and
the ten minutes one allows oneself to watch this or that and lo !
it is 5.30, and we can only get back to the island ferry before dark if
there are no distractions on the way, and how disappointing if no

The Oologists' Record, March i, 192 1.

distractions arose from long grass at this time of the evening !
This I am afraid is rather a long introduction to a short list, and I
must add that the birds which strike one first do not apparently
nest there, as the glorious Carmine Bee-eater, Merops nuhicus, Gm.
The following is a list of the species observed breeding, including
also one or two which I got in 1918, but not this year. The nomen-
clature is Reichenow's, the English names those of Haagner and
Gunning so far as they went : beyond that I fear 1 invented them.
Locality is Ras Mwaka Singe except where Mombasa Island is
mentioned. Latitude is about 4° south of the Equator. Of
course, many other birds breed which I was not lucky enough to
find eggs of, e.g., a Drongo, a Sylvietta, two or three Woodpeckers,
the Shrike, Lanius caudaUis, Cab. The beautiful Golden Pipit,
Tmetothylacus tenellns {Cab.), was quite common and certainly breed-
ing in 1918, but I saw nothing of it in 1920 on the same ground even
better explored.

Turtur capicola tropicus, Rchw. The local race of the Cape
Turtle Dove, with its monotonous triple coo, " Tokaaba, tokaaba "
as the Baganda say, was common and nested freely. A pair of
eggs taken at end of July, 1918, were in a nest built in a mangrove
standing in a creek of the sea.

Chalcopelia afra (L.) and C. chalcospilos, Wagl. Reichenow
first lumped, then split, these. C. afra, with blue-spotted wings, is,
he says, the larger, the other smaller with green wing spots. Van
Someren distinguishes them easily, but says you get blue, green, and
bronzy wing-spots, all in C. afra. These doctors disagreeing, I
confess I cannot tell one from the other bird in the field, and I had
no gun at Ras Mwaka. I took clutches of i, 2 and 2, of which one
clutch of 2 was much larger than the others. The single was in a
nest built on a broad swath of dead cocoanut bark which had
fallen into a guava tree. The nests themselves are very small and
frail, usually built about five feet from the ground.

Francolinus granti, Hartl. Grant's Spur-fowl. (?) On 5th
■ September a Francolin flew up in long grass at my feet. The nest,
containing two eggs, hard-set and with shells so hard I had to file
them through, was siinply a depression in the blackish soil (which
here lay shallowly over the coral) not bigger than the palm of one's
hand. It was a few yards away from a bush. The grass, about
two feet high, was nearly dead. There was no lining to the nest,

The Oologists' /Record, Alarch i, 1921. 5

except a few bits ot leaf and grass which may have been accidental,
and only one small downy feather. Reichenow describes the eggs
of Grant's Francolin as finely freckled. These were uniform drab
colour : otherwise the locaHtv indicates the present species.

Colitis macroiirus {L.). I was delighted to find on 27th July
my first nest of the Blue-naped Coly, and to identify the bird on
it. The three eggs were fairly heavily spotted with markings varying
from black, in what was probably the first laid egg, through deep
brown to light urriber in the last. The nest was five feet from the
ground in a thorny bush, rather an isolated one. It was a flattish
cup.

Colitis leucotis affinis, Shell., the White-cheeked Coly, was very
common indeed. One nest had as many as six eggs in various stages,
but four is the normal clutch. The nest is of stout grass and
twigs and lined with finer grass ; it is in the form of a flattish cup or
deep saucer and is generally fairly well hidden in leafy boughs at
a height of five to ten feet. The eggs are always pure wliite, and for
some reason much cleaner than Uganda eggs of the same bird. I
think that in Uganda they add green leaves to the nest after laying
and these get broken up by the bird's feet and stain the eggs.
Reichenow quotes Bohm, usually a fine observer, as saying the eggs
are streaked with black : he must have confused this species with
C. macrotirus.

Apus affinis [Or. Hardw.), the Indian Swift, clusters its untidy
nests in niches of old Mombasa Fort and under the eaves of every
second building in the city ; but they lay about May, and I got no
eggs of either this or what I took to be Aptis horus {Hartl. Finsch), a
squarer-tailed swift which nests singly in the Ras Mwaka cliffs,
usually well out of reach.

Bradornis pallidas murintis, Finsch Hartl., the pallid Fly-
catcher, was another " find " for me. I took two sets, 3 and 2,
28th August and 9th September. In the latter case the bird was
not on when I approached the small thorn-bush in which, at five feet,
was situated the loosely built flattish nest of dead tendrils lined with
fine dead grass. After I had waited half an hour she returned. The
nest was more exposed than that of almost any other species I
found. The eggs reminded me strongly of those of the Australian
Scarlet Robin, Petrceca leggii, Sharpe, reddish spots all over a green
ground. Emin Pasha's description of the nest and eggs quoted in

A 2

The Oologists' Record, March i, 1921.

Reichenow (III, p. 830) is a mistake : he is clearly describing those
of the Morning Warbler, Cichladusa guttata {Heiigl.), when he speaks-
of a mud-built nest with uniform bright blue eggs.

Pomatorhynchus senegalus (L.). The liquid whistling notes of
the Senegal Bush-Shrike resounded on all sides. I found many
nests, frail grass-built, root-lined structures, through which the two
or three eggs were always visible from below. Nests were placed
at from four to eight feet from the ground, usually not well con-
cealed. Not in one instance were the markings of the scrawly
bunting-like character generally attributed to this species.

Ploceus nigriceps (Lay.), the Black-headed Weaver was nesting
in colonies on the great cocoanut fronds, generally over a village
and at a height of thirty or forty feet. Nests examined towards
the end of July had young of a size which indicated late June as
the laying season. I took one addled egg.

Ploceus bojeri [{Hartl. Finsch) Cab.] Bojer's Weaver was
commoner on Mombasa Island than on the mainland. Nests were
usually within reach, on tall slender shrubs. I took one clutch of 3,
but 2 was usual. I did not find the differences in colour mentioned
by Reichenow, my series of over twenty eggs showing little variation.
On the whole they reminded me of the eggs of P. dimidiattts {Antin.
Salvad.) of Uganda, both in colour and size, which is curious, as
the birds are placed in different sub-genera.

Spermestes scutata, Heugl. A set of six eggs of the Hooded
Weaver- Finch taken from a nest in a lemon tree near the Fort,
Mombasa, showed some variation in size inter se. The nest was
very small as compared with Nyasaland nests of this species.

Urceginthus bengalus (L.). Bengali Finch. Most clutches of
this species on the Island numbered 4. and were taken from re-lined
nests of Ploceus bojeri [{Hartl. Finsch) Cab.]. I saw a few " inde-
pendent " nests, however.

Pyromelana flammiceps {Sw.). The Zambezi Bishop-bird was
not uncommon on the island, but I did not see it on the mainland.
I only found one nest, which had young : it was built with nests of
the next species among a colony of Ploceus bojeri, but the much larger
size of the nest of P. flammiceps differentiated it easily.

Pyromelana nigroventris (Cass.). The Black-bellied Bishop-
bird was commoner on the mainland. Three was my maximum
clutch. The eggs, like those of all the genus, are uniform dark

The Oologists' Record, March i, 1921.

turquoise-blue. The nests arc frail transparent purses, slung at a
height of from four or five feet between a couple of stems of tall
grass, usually in a dense belt of it such as is found along the Kilindini
arm. •

Serinus icterus icterus {Vieill.). The Mo,(;ambique Serin was the
only finch found breeding, and though I noted many old nests and
one with young I found but a single egg. The nest was small and
hidden among short tufty leaves of a thorn bush about seven feet from
the ground, and hned with shredded fibre only. After experience
of S. i. barhatus {Hcugl.) of Uganda, S. i. icterus {Vieill.) of the coast,
and S. i. madardszi, Rchw., of Nyasaland, it may be put on record
that there is no perceptible difference in the song, nesting habits or
eggs of these three sub-species.

Mirafra fischeri {Rchw). Fischer's Castanet Lark was the only
one of its family noted. Like M. apiata {Vieill.) of the Cape,
M . rufipilea {Vieill.) of the Orange Free State, and M . rufocinnamomea
{Salvad.) of Central Africa (all of which make the curious castanet
noise with the wings in flight), this bird domes its nest over. It is
very hard to find, as the bird ordinarily runs from it for yards through
the grass before getting up. In late July, 1918, during rain, one
rose at my feet from the sodden grass and I obtained a clutch of
3 eggs, heavily marked all over.

Phyllastrephus fiaviventris mombasce {Shell.). In igi8 I sought
in -vain for the nest of the Mombasa Bulbul in dense thickets where
the bird itself is usually to be heard. This year I stumbled upon
two nests by seeing the bird fly off at close quarters. The first
(29th July, 1920) was about four feet from the ground in a wait-a-bit
thorn. The nest was small and frail, but otherwise like that of a
Pycnonotus and no better hidden : the bush was very lightly leaved.
Base of nest was a little shredded grass, lining of fine dead leaves
and rootlets ; no hair, wool or cocoons. The second nest (28th
August, 1920) was better concealed : it was two feet from the ground
near the top of a very small green shrub which was growing up
through the low branches of a larger tree. The lining in this case
was of dead tendrils. The clutch was two in each case.

Pycnonotus layardi, Gum. The notes of Layard's Bulbul are
rather like those of the last and one may imagine it more common
than it is. However, I found more old nests of this than of any other
bird. Three contained eggs, rather smaller than those of birds from

A 3

8 2'he Oologisis' Record, March i, 192 1.

Nyasaland. Two is the invariable clutch with this species in East
Africa, as with P. tricolor minor, HeugL, in Uganda : but in Nyasaland
three is quite normal.

Anthreptes collaris hypodilus {Jard.). Of the three or four sun-
birds noted, I only fouijd nests of the Zambesi Collared Sunbird.
A clutch of two fresh eggs taken 21st August, 1920, did not differ
from Uganda specimens except in being rather more thickly marked.
The nest was very small, almost open at the top, so that the eggs could
easily be seen. It was built of fine dead shredded grass-stalk cases
and fine grasses, ornamented exteriorly with a few dark brown masses
of what seem to be dead clumps of insect eggs. The lining was of
whitish seed-down. A long " streamer " of fine grass hung from
the lower lip of the nest, downwards towards the left. The nest
was about four feet from the ground and attached by the back to
a thin ■ well-leaved branch — near its end — of a green rather thorny
shrub, in open scrubland on the coral rag.

Cisticola hypoxantha reichenowi {see Journal fur 0., 1918. p. 103),
This local race of Eraser's Grass Warbler was common and breeding,
most nests found containing young. On 27th July, 1920, I took a
clutch of four eggs from a nest slung about twelve inches from the
ground between the stems of grass which grew six inches higher.
It was of the usual Cisticoline construction, slightly domed, of
broadish grass and lined with fuscous seed-down. The eggs, finely
freckled all over with red, were like those of the same species from
Jinja, Uganda.

C. F. B.

BIRD NOTES FROM THE WESTERN FRONT.

. By J. Bishop.

Having read the very interesting articles in the " O. E. and M."
by Mr. Ritson and Captain Congreve, and others, which have
appeared in other periodicals, on birds met with in France and
Belgium, I thought it might be worth while to place on record my
own experiences during three seasons spent in the War zone.

Being but one of the rank and file, and more or less on the line,
naturally my range was somewhat limited, but whenever the slightest
opportunity presented itself I was with my beloved birds and thus
brightened many an otherwise grey period. I was able to keep a
rough but faithful diary covering the period I was out and will

The Oologists^ Record, March i, 1921.

quote a few extracts from it. I propose to deal firstly with the most
interesting species nesting in the vicinity of the villages and close
to the front, chiefly in the Arras and Somme regions.

CiRL Bunting, Emberiza cirlus, Linn.

I first heard the monotonous, though to me cheerful enough,
song of this bird as early as 4th February, near Aveluy, Albert,
and ever after could always be sure of having his company until
one neared the Belgian border (Ypres) where it was noticeable by
its absence. A favourite nesting site in France is a hawthorn hedge
if bordering a lane, where it should be sought on the lane side ;
but the orchard must be there for this bird loves an orchard. Many
nests are also built Tree-Pipit-fashion on the rough orchard hedge
banks, and again on the road or lane side. Once I found two nests
within twenty-five yards in such a situation. 30th April to 9th May
is an ideal time, 5th May being the best date for their normal
clutch of four eggs. I only found one nest with five eggs.

Black Redstart, Phanicurus titys {Linn.).

Little sooty sprite of the ruins, no place scarcely along the
line was without at least one pair of these pretty little birds. One
village near La Bassee held five pairs to my knowledge. I met
with it, and know it was nesting, in Dunkerque, Albert, Arras, Ypres
and Lille. I took a nest off a charred beam of a house in the Rue
de Peronne, Bapaume, in May, 1917. I often saw him perched on
a gable-end or chimney stack, giving out his redstart-like song, the
concluding stanzas of which remind me of the tearing of a piece of
linen, and which, once heard, is not easily forgotten.

The nest is a bulky structure e.^ternally of loose grasses and neatly
lined with wool, hair and occasionally feathers. It is usually built
on a beam of some ruined building or farm outhouse but the bigger
the ruin the more he seems to like it. Four and five pure white
eggs appear to be the normal clutch and the latter part of May is the
best time to look for eggs.

White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, Linn.

I must support Captain Congreve in stating that I only met with
the Pied Wagtail once and that was in a chalk pit near Paris, where
it appeared to be nesting. It was always the White Wagtail that
I met with wherever I went. Many times have I been charmed
by one particular pair of these birds near Arras. A favourite
site for the nest was the pollarded crowns of willows which are so

lo The Oologists' Reconf, March r, 1921.

often seen in France. Another place was the topmost beam of some
lofty barn or other building. I draw attention to this point as it is
so unlike the Pied Wagtails of my home district, which prefer to
nest in amongst the slag tips, quarries, and stone heaps. This bird
seemingly differs little from the British form in the actual construc-
tion of its nest and the coloration of its eggs.
Blue-Headed Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla fiava, Linn.

I found that this bird was more in evidence on the coast line
than its near relative the Yellow Wagtail, M. rayi (Bp.). I met
with the latter bird in many districts and found both spieces nesting
together near Dunkerque. On one occasion I knew of a nest of
each species within thirty yards and both nests contained six eggs.
On this particular occasion the male Blue-headed Wagtail was
attending to the incubation.

Crested Lark, Galerida cristaia {Linn.).

A cheerful little thing in a land of mud and desolation and I
can never forget him. As early as February I have heard and seen
him high overhead, jerking about, rising in spirals, to come down like
a stone when his cheerful, if not over musical, song was finished.
I found him commoner than the Sky Lark which I rarely «met with
except in the Merville district where it was by far the commonest
bird.

He loves broken ground, and is forever in evidence on some
hummock from which one gets warning of his presence. This
bird runs a good deal and is very cunning in its nesting economy.
I took a nest off the top of an old German trench parapet near
Bapaume. Early May is the best time to look for the nest which is
similar to that of the Sky Lark. The usual clutch is five eggs.

Little Owl, Athene noctua {Scopoli).

A very conspicuous bird all along the front ; in fact I met with
it almost everywhere. It certainly was the noisiest bird and I have
heard him trying his hardest to drown the screaming of shells going
overhead. It is a moot point if he is not the commonest owl in
Northern France ; he certainly runs the Barn Owl close.

Scops Eared Owl, Otus scops {Linn.).

To those interested in the range of this species I may say that I
found this interesting little creature nesting some few kilometres
from Arras in 1918. The peculiar cry, uttered with a monotonous
regularity, I first heard one night in a wood of big timber whilst

The Oologisis' Record, March r, 1921. n

listening to the song of a nightingale. Strange to say the male
came and perched just above my head. Shortly after his little mate
swept down beside him and I was charmed. The suspected nesting
hole in a large oak, which I discovered in daylight, was eventually
reached by a ladder. 1 had to make this ladder from "duck
boards " and several amusing incidents took place with regard to
it. Though it was then 25th May the hole contained no eggs, and
I was moved on a day or so after so that my hopes of the eggs were
frustrated.
IcTERixE Warbler, Hippolais icterina {Vieillot).

One of the most persistent singers in France, he seemed to take
up the thread of the nightingale's story. Wherever there were
grounds or gardens it was almost sure to be heard. I have taken
its nest in a red currant bush in the heart of Bapaume. One nest,
now safely in England, I took out of a plane tree just outside the
cinema theatre in the same town. I was prospecting for Gold-
finches at the time, for two pairs were nesting near by. The nest,
a beautiful structure, was some sixteen feet from the ground and
composed externally of white confectionery paper, which gave it the
appearance of a white ball. The eggs are usually five in number,
and the nest is found in all kinds of bushes and shrubs at varying
heights from four feet upwards.
Continental Song Thrush, Turdiis musicus, Linn.

I also met with this bird in the grounds of Vlamertinghe Chateau.
I many times thought of it as a rarish bird in France and, if anything,
more common near Lille and the Aubers Ridge. I took one nest
with four fresh eggs on ist July, 1919.

■Golden Oriole, Oriolus oriolus (Linn.).

I found this to be a common enough bird wherever there are
woods and grounds to suit it. I met with it almost everywhere,
but one must know its notes to locate it. Contrary to what I have
read it is by no means a conspicuous bird and I rarely got a good
view of the gorgeous plumage of the male " Loriet." They are
noisy enough in all conscience and the cat-like call of the male,
and the fluting note which follows it, are soon heard when their
haunts are invaded. The nest is not always easy to find and often
very difficult to get at. I have seen it at a height of sixty feet
swaying in the breeze some thirty feet out on th&end of a branch.
I took one nest after several attempts to get at it by cutting the tree

12 The Oolo gists' Record, March i, 1921.

down. This nest was some twenty-two feet high and suspended
some twelve feet out from the centre of a beech saphng. This
sapHng was too slender to climb so I solved the problem with the
aid of a jack knife and gently lowered nest and all quite safely.
Fortunately there were four fresh eggs and this was on 21st May,
I found the birds to be very bold and noisy when the young are
hatched, but at other times they keep to the high tree tops.

Earlyin 1919 I was eligible for demobilisation, but was persuaded
to stay on with the Army for a few months longer. It brought me
the prospect of a move from the land of desolation to a part of the
line which had been in German occupation for four years. I
decided to risk it and did not regret it, for the country turned out tt>
be better off as regards bird life as the following notes will show.

Great Grey Shrike, Lanius excuhitor, Linn.

Though I have read many notes on birds seen at the front few
have mentioned this most interesting bird. I met with it in many
districts but it was nowhere very common. My first sight of it was
in winter in the flooded area of the Ancre, and I shall never forget
this bird, like a miniature Magpie, with his loping flight. I saw
five nests in 1919 in all stages. I had a brood near my shack near
Lille and had many opportunities of studying their habits. It may
seem strange but it is a fact that I never heard the adult birds utter
a note though the young are extremely noisy. I have climbed to
their nests containing both eggs and young, and though the old
birds have come back to the tree while I was at the nest, I have
never heard them utter a note. The nest bears a great resemblance
to that of the Carrion Crow, but is of course a great deal smaller.
It is built, so far as my experience goes, high up in any tree com-
manding a look-out, even in a wood. I have seen its nest built
from forty to, in one instance, as high as eighty feet, and needless
to say I did not investigate the last-named one. The eggs, resemb-
ling small Magpie's, are usually six in number. My first find was a
clutch of seven on loth May, and these were in an advanced state
of incubation. The nest is commenced in April, and the first week
in May appears to be the best time for fresh clutches. I have a
curious nest in my possession lined partly with stocking wool. A
ball or card had been carried to the nest, and the branches of the
tree were laced with this material, some forty or fifty yards of which
I recovered.

The Oologists' Record, March i, 1921. 15

Continental Stonechat, Pratincola nibicola {Linn.).

I met with three pairs nesting near La Bassee, where I found them
no less cunning than their British relatives. Two nests found had
fledged young on*6th and 8th May. I found the second clutch of
one pair/ of birds on 19th May, with six eggs, and another on 21st
May with five. Little time had been lost in producing the second
laying. I met with this species commonly in another district
where it was nesting in company with Whinchats in similar con-
ditions, such as railway embankments, hedge banks, etc.
Marsh Warbler, Acrocfephalus palustris (Bechsi.).

I shall never forget one breezy morning in June when I first
made the acquaintance of this bird. He was tossing about on the
top of a spray of figwort with his little lungs expanded to bursting
point. I often met with him after that and was always glad to
listen to what I consider one of the finest songsters. It is curious
that he should be named the " Marsh Warbler " for I rarely found
him near water. The favourite site for the nest is a nettle bed in a
dry situation. Their little home is slung to three or four stems of
nettle, dock, burdock, figwort or any plant strong enough to hold
it, and I have found it nesting on the outskirts of a bean field.
It is usually about two feet from the ground, but on one occasion,
owing to the nettles having been cut down, I found a nest quite
four feet from the ground in an elder bush. The clutch seems to
vary from three to six, and one nest with the latter number con-
tained exceptionally large eggs. The usual clutch is five, and the
best date for fresh eggs is 14th to 17th June. They seem to be
very sociable and I found two nests within twelve yards of each
other.

Melodious Warbler, Hippolais polyglotta {Vieillot).

Many of our readers may think it strange that I should have
found this bird breeding so far north, but I am pleased to say I
secured a nest on nth June near Lille. I was first attracted by the
song of the male bird which was very similar to that of the Icterine
Warbler. The site of the nest was, however, not one that would be
likely to be used by the latter. I was hunting rather aimlessly at
the time when I hit upon a beautiful little structure partly attached
to a beech shrub overhanging a stream bordering a willow garth.
The eggs, four in number, were quite fresh, and bear a great resem-
blance to those of the Icterine, but are smaller, brighter and have
smaller spots.

1 4 The Oolo°;isls' Record, March i, 192 1.

Little Ringed Plover, Mgialitis curonicus {Gm.).

I met with this Httle bird on the coasthne but I cannot give much
information as to its nesting habits. I had a male over me in late
June, and I well remember his twisting flight and twittering notes.
I found two forsaken nests holding two and one eg^ respectively.
The situation of the nests was similar to that chosen by its larger
relative and on a strip of shingle. The nests were similar to those
of the Ringed Plover, and in one I found short pieces of the stalks of
some marine plant.

Kentish PmvER, Mgialitis alexandrinus (Linn.).

Some few pairs of this species were nesting on the same ground
as the Little Ringed Plovers. As in the case of the former I was
too late for fresh eggs and the young were well on the wing. How-
ever, I was only a few hours at the spot so that I had no time to make
a full investigation.

Hen Harrier, Circus cyaneus {Linn.).

During the summer of 1919 I was given permission and essayed
a wild goose chase into the Marne district. The main feature of
the district in which I spent four days was a marshy valley with
extensive reed beds. On the uplands above one heard the cry of
the Stone Curlew while in the valley were to be heard the notes of
Rails, Grasshopper Warblers, Reed and Sedge Warblers, not to
mention the croaking of innumerable frogs and the chirping of
grasshoppers, a ceaseless hum of life day and night. The woods
were the home of the Buzzard, Green, Great and Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker, Crested Tit and many other most interesting species.

To see, as I saw, a colony of Hen Harriers, was a sight never to
be forgotten. Overhead, perhaps, there would be a Buzzard ringing,
but the sight of all was to see as many as five Hen Harriers and four
Kestrels in the air at once. Once I solved the problem I had no
great difficulty in locating the nests and found five Hen Harriers'
nests, but was a trifle too early as they had not finished laying. When
I left on 26th May, my five nests contained respectively 4, 4, 3, 2, 2
eggs. The female broods a good deal during the laying period.
The nests were a matting of dried reeds in clearings in the dense
reed beds. I have successfully approached the brooding bird to
within five yards so as to see every detail of her appearance. Her
silvery blue mate keeps away on his own and does not seem to con-
cern himself much with nest or eggs, at least during the laying period.

The Oolo^ists' Record^ March i, 1921. 15

Other birds I met with in this valley were Quail (abundant),
Scops and Little Owls, Baillon's Crake, Great Grey and Red-
backed Shrikes, Goldfinch and many otheis.
Little Bustard, Otis tetrax, Linn.

When one is pinched for time and in a strange country it is
something of a handicap and had I had the time I feel sure I could
have found a nest of this magnificent bird. 1 had my birds cornered
to a certain stretch of lucerne (alfalfa) and the beautiful male bird
was under observation on several occasions. One morning I found
three female birds ringing round the place where I thought the
nest was. At night I have heard the male in the same place calling
with a double metallic note the like of which I have never heard
before. I think that had I had more time I should probably have
found the birds common, for my observations did not extend to more
than a mile of ground.

OOLOGICAL NOTES ON SOME OF THE BREEDING
BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

By Capt. C. R. S. Pitman, LA., M.B.O.U.

From an ornithological point of view Palestine is a most interest-
ing country and even more so oologically. First of all a brief des-
cription of the Holy Land is necessary, and it is extraordinary what
a diversity of country has been crowded into so small an area, which
is approximately 150 miles long with a breadth of 30 miles in the
north and 50 miles at the southern end.

It is bounded on the west by the Mediterranean, and on the east
by the Jordan Valley depression, varying from 600 feet to nearly
1,500 feet below sea level, and containing Lake Huleh (the source
of the Jordan), the Sea of Gahlee, and the Dead Sea, the two former
fresh, and the latter extremely salt.

In the North and South there are no particular physical features
which can act as lines of demarcation, and the boundary runs easterly
to Lake Huleh from the rockj^ Cape Ras el Nakura (about 10 miles
north of Acre) in the former instance; and from Rafa S.E. to Akaba
along the International Boundary of old Turkey and Egypt in the
latter ; but Palestine proper does not really extend farther south
than a line taken easterly through Rafa and Beersheba extended as

1 6 The Oologists' Record, March i, 1921.

far as the Dead Sea depression. Along the whole length oi the sea
coast is a fringe of sand dunes succeeded by a fertile belt of undulating
country under cultivation and several miles in width, cereals being
predominant south of Ludd and north of Jaffa, while the inter-
vening area is chiefly utilized for vineyards and groves of oranges,
almonds and olives, with a certain proportion of eucalyptus spinnies
and copses for fuel purposes. Running north and south through the
centre of the land are the rocky limestone hills of Judea and Samaria^
separated from the Hills of Nazareth and the country of Dan by the .
fertile, black cotton soil plain of Esdraelon, only a few miles in width,
and situated between Haifa on the coast and Beisan (the ancient
Bethshan) on the Jordan.

This plain is bounded for half its length on the south by the main
spur of Mount Carmel, which rises abruptly from the sea at Haifa
and runs in an easterly direction for about 18 miles, in the many
subsidiary spurs to the S.E. Between the cultivated undulating
coastal area and the hills is a narrow strip of very fertile black cotton
soil in which cereals are grown. The hills of Carmel are scrub-covered,
there being many evergreens and aromatic herbs. Olive and fig
trees are abundant and produce heavy crops. Vines also thrive,,
and the local inhabitants try to cultivate cereals on terraces of the
poorest and most scanty soil.

The Jordan Valley, in the vicinity of the river and its marshes,
is full of a dense and tall jungle of tamarisk, reeds and papyrus,
and other cover, which, more often than not, is quite impenetrable.
The eastern slopes of the hills are in many places very bare, especially
in the vicinity of the Dead Sea, and very precipitous with an almost
total absence of vegetation.

In the hills small springs abound, though frequently the water
only flows on the surface for a few yards and then disappears into
the ground.

Three perennial streams, the Wadys Farah, Auja and Kelt,
flow into the Jordan, while on the west the River Kishon, Wadys
Zerka, Auja and Rubin are the only streams which reach the sea
the whole year round, and not one of them is more than a very few
miles in' length.

The streams flowing to the coast usually broaden at their mouths
into extensive marshy areas which abound with bird life.

The Oologisis' Record, March i, 1921. 17

The climate is cold in winter, snow being common in the hills of
the north, these being not many miles south of Mount Hermon
which is snow-capped almost the whole year, and even Jerusalem is
€very few years visited by severe snowstorms.

The rainfall is confined to the coastal area and hills, and only
reaches the Jordan Valley in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee and
to the north, while it is practically unknown in the Jordan depression
near Jericho and the Dead Sea.

The rainy season, generally speaking, commences in November
and lasts till the end of March. It is heaviest from mid-December
to mid-February, when it sometimes rains almost in lumps for days
on end, while violent hailstorms with hailstones as big as cherries
may be expected at the end of February or in early March.

As far as the breeding was concerned, I derived but little help
from text books — and articles written during the War were often
misleading — consequently I wasted much time in finding out the
typical haunts (and then the specific localities) of the various
species, and also missed much owing to inadequate knowledge of the
dates of the actual seasons. In my notes, therefore, I have endea-
voured to give an accurate and detailed account of the breeding
habits of all the birds with which I became familiar ; and if any of
my readers should ever contemplate an oological trip to Palestine,
and care to enlist my help, I wiU send them such information as to
localities and seasons as will mateiially save a tremendous amount of
time, trouble and expenditure. I found that all attempts to enlist
outside aid from the inhabitants of the country invariably ended in
iailure.

Each type of country has its own breeding species of birds —
T might perhaps broadly divide them into six classes as follows : —
The seashore, the coastal plain, the hills, Mount Carmel and its
spurs, the Jordan Valley depression, and Lake Huleh and its marshes.

The breeding avifauna is principally Palaearctic — though one
semi-tropical form, Cinnyris osea, has been attracted by the orange
groves from the Jordan depression and is reported to breed —
while Hagiopsttr tristrami is pecuhar to the Jordan depression and
breeds in cUffs in the gorges of the eastern slopes of the hills in the
vicinity of the Dead Sea, and Cercomela melanura is also peculiar
to this locality though not found lower than the bottom of the hill
slopes.

1 8 The Ool agists' Record, March i, 192 1.

My list is very incomplete as I only deal with those birds with
whose breeding habits I have actual personal experience.

I. WARBLERS.

Agrobates galactotes galactotes.

This, to my mind, is quite one of the most interesting of Palestine
breeders, and it is a summer visitor which is very common in the
groves of the coastal plain, but though found in the Judean Hills is
nowhere abundant on the high ground, and I have usually found it
breeding in cover or gardens in the valleys in such localities. The first
arrival in 1920 was noted on nth April when I saw a solitary bird.
Several were seen the next day, and by the 20th April they were
plentiful throughout the coastal plain. Nearly completed nests
were found in an eucalyptus grove on 30th April, and nests containing
respectively 4, i, i (all fresh) in a mimosa hedge on ist May.

Up to the 14th May eighteen nests were found and all contained
fresh eggs excepting a set of four taken on 9th May, which were
on the point of hatching out.

During the latter half of May, of twenty-four nests found, twelve
had eggs in an advanced state of incubation, and in the 'other twelve
were either fresh eggs or eggs of not more than a few days incubation .
Practically all these fresh eggs were found in the last week of the
month. On the 26th May I came across my first nest of this species
containing young, and these were a few days old.

In June fourteen nests were found containing eggs and an equi-
valent number or more with young ones. Eight of these nests
contained fresh eggs and were well spread over the first three weeks, .
while the eggs in an advanced state of incubation were found
between loth and 25th of the month.

In July I had not much opportunity for nesting in the groves
until after the middle of the month, but during the last fortnight I
found fourteen nests and out of these five found on i6th July con-
tained fresh or practically fresh eggs, eight found from 17th July
onwards contained eggs in an advanced state of incubation besides
which several of the clutches taken at the end of the month had
been abandoned.

The latest fresh eggs I found were a clutch of two on 22nd July,
while the latest clutch was one of three bad eggs taken on 9th August.

Now, having enumerated some breeding dates with a good deal

5 eggs.

4 eggs.

3 eggs.

2 eg^

... I

10

9

-

... -

II

8

3*

-

2 •

9

4

...

-

9

5

The Oologists' Record, March i, 1921. 19

of care, I would like to mention a few facts about the size of clutches.
Five eggs in Palestine is most unusual and not likely to be found
except in the beginning of the season, in fact, out of a very large
number of nests examined, I only came across a single clutch of five
eggs, and that curiously enough was the very first complete clutch of
the season. Sets of four are very common, but it is rather hard to
say whether four or three eggs is to be considered the normal clutch,
as threes are very common and of course preponderate later on in the
season, when it is also not uncommon to find a bird incubating only
a couple of eggs. I will just enumerate clutch numbers by months
and leave my readers to judge for themselves.

May 1-15 ...
May 16-31 ...
June ...

July

* Two of these clutches were taken before the bird was known
to have finished laying.

Next I will give a description of the nests and actual breeding
sites, but before doing so a short note of what is actually found in
an eucah^ptus grove is essential, as the uninitiated will probably
think of the huge trees which we commonly know as " Blue Gums."
As the forests of Palestine were for the most part cut down long ago,
the present day inhabitant of the coastal plain has to grow his own
fuel, so all over the plain amongst the orange and almond groves
are dotted copses and spinnies of eucalyptus, each usualh' a few
acres in extent. Directly the trunks of these trees have attained a
diameter of about a 'foot they are cut down at various heights above
the ground. I have seen trees treated in this way both at the
ground level and also as much as three feet above the ground and
stumps of any length of course continue to grow. The peculiarity
of the eucalyptus is that one has not destroyed the tree bv lopping
the trunk in this manner, and by careful cultivation and pruning,
after several years have elapsed, an entirely new trunk will be growing
out of the stump, and in time will attain the same dimensions and
almost completely join up with it. However, that is quite another
story, and I must get on with an account of the foliage which grows
out of these lopped trunks. In the first year or two it is very thick
and bushy, after which it grows taller and less profusely — then some

2 0 The Oologists' Record^ March i, 192 1.

trees are only pollarded and have excellent hollows at the top of the
trunks. Others have deep hollows almost on the ground, where
two or three large trunks have grown out of the old stump, while
many have ideal hollows in the forks between large branches growing
upwards from stumps cut at varying heights above the ground.
We have therefore a diversity of excellent and attractive nesting
sites. " Agrobates " seems equally partial to the lot.

In 1920 I recorded nests as follows : — Eucalyptus 41, orange i,
almond i, mimosa 17, and cactus 10.

The majority of nests that I examined were well concealed,
and those in more open surroundings were, to say the least of it,
inconspicuous and hardly any were conspicuous and really obvious.

Under this last category I could name several nests placed low-
in mimosa hedges which were as large as nests of the British Song
Thrush and could not possibly be overlooked. Another large
untidy nest was placed in the bare fork of a tiny almond tree, not a
foot above the ground, and was visible at a long distance, being at
the edge of a grove.

When placed in cactus the nest is conveniently built in the angle
of a leaf or couple of leaves, growing slightly upwards from the
large woody trunk. I am sorry Captain W. M. Congreve should
have gone in for that very painful recreation of " cactus-crawling "
in South Spain, when searching for nests of this species, as I never
found these birds breeding in the centres of even the broadest
hedges, and their nests always placed on the outer edges, though
inconspicuous, were not hard to discover. The bird sits tight
and motionless and this helps to protect it except from the keenest
eyes. Often, when peering into the dark recesses of the thick
and parted foliage of a bushy eucalyptus, I have started back at
what I thought was a snake peering up at me.

This bird with brownish head and yellowish eye-stripe, when
sitting in thick cover, has a habit of stretching its neck and twisting
it about in most snakelike fashion in the direction of the intruder,
and having failed to frighten him away by this pantomime then flies
off. I have practically never seen these birds during the operation
of nest building and they do not give away their homes by constantly
visiting them when the eggs are laid or when the hen is sitting.

The nests are peculiar in that they are quite the most loosely
constructed of any species I have ever examined. They are not

The Ooiogists' Record^ March i, 1921. at

interwoven, eis in the case of most other birds, but just put together,
hence it is quite impossible to remove a nest " in tolo," as, once hfted
out of the original site, it straightway falls to pieces.

Materials used for the nest are principally dead grasses and bent
straws and rootlets. The egg cup is usually of softer and finer
materials of a similar nature and the nest foundation often consists
of a thick layer of dead leaves. I must add that in 90 per cent, of
the nests I have seen, there were pieces of snake skin amongst the
lining at the bottom of the nest.

Nests varied much in size from large untidy structures, conspicu-
ously placed in hedgerows, to neat cups with but little foundation
and not much bigger than a small nest of the Spotted Flycatcher.
In all situations nests varied from practically the ground level to a
height of nearly 6 feet. I have seen old nests in holes in the sides
of banks and ditches alongside hedges.

In 1918 I found four nests in the Judean Hills at the end of
May, all in low scrubby l^ushes, thorns or brambles. Two were
1,300 feet above sea level and two at 2,500 feet. The internal
measurements of the cup of one of the. nests found in the hills was
i\ inches by 2 inches by \\ inches, and I would. hke to say that all
four nests were so well concealed in thick cover that if the sitting
bird had not flown away when the cover was shaken in all probability
I would never have spotted the nests, which were built into lumps
of flood debris and collections of old leaves, etc.

Later on, in the first fortnight of July, several nests were found
in the coastal plain near Jaffa. The majority of the eggs were in
an advanced state of incubation though a few fresh ones were taken
at the beginning of the month.

Nests were chiefly in orange trees in the groves, a few in mimosa
hedges — some others low in thick cover near the River Auja, and
one nest curiously situated in the middle of the thick overhanging
foUage of an olive tree, and placed nearly 7 feet above the ground.

The internal measurement of the cups of two of these nests were
respectively : 2| inches by 2\ inches by i inch and 2\ inches by
2\ inches by i| inch.

No measurements have yet been taken of an}' of my 1920 eggs,

if

The Oologists'' Record^ March t, 192 J.

though the measurements in inches of my 1918 lot may be of
interest : —

Size of clutch.

I
I

4

2

3

2

4

I

2

I
2

•94
•92

Measurement.

•92

X

■66

•90

X

•61

•895

X

•6275

•885

X

•625

•873

X

•657

.87

X

•645

•8625

X

•6425

•86

X

•63

•86

X

•61

•85

X

•62

•84

X

•64

•805

X

•615

Average of total

, -868

Minimum length,

•78 X

Minimum breadth,

•83 X

X
X

•62.

•66.

X -63. Maximum length,
•62. Maximum breadth,
•61.

It is curious that all the largest eggs were found in the hills, and
also that practically the largest egg should be the broadest. In
colour there is a good deal of variation — but the majority of eggs
are whitish in ground colour, finely but thickly spotted and speckled
all over the surface with various shades of brown and chestnut,
and with shell markings of different shades of grey — purplish grey and
slate — which are equally well distributed all over the &^^^, though
these shell markings are apt to be more profuse at the larger end.

Many eggs are almost indistinguishable from those of Motacilla
lugubris, while the majority resemble those of Passer domesticus,
though the surface markings are usually of a brighter brown. The
chief variations are in the ground colour, which in a good many
clutches varied from a pale greyish-green to quite a marked blue-
green tinge (but eggs in one clutch rarely vary), and in the surface
markings, which are occasionally collected chiefly at the larger end,
and often are large elongated spots of a bright umber-brown colour
instead of the finer spots and specklings, but all eggs are marked all
over to a certain extent. Ring markings consisting of a profusion
of spots at the larger end are most unusual, though sometimes a
faint greenish ring is discernible near the smaller end, due to an
abnormality in the pigmentation.

The Oologists' Jiecord, March i, 1921. 23

I would not call this species shy, as is sometimes stated, in
fact it is frequently rather Redbreast-like in its fearlessness and
confidence in man. Its song is beautiful and quite a joy to hear
throughout the early part of the summer, for it quietens down after
the latter part of June, but the truly pleasing feature of the bird life
in Palestine is the fact that there are plenty of birds, in actual
numbers and also a good many, species, which really do sing well,
a great contrast to such countries as Egypt, Mesopotamia and India.
Two broods are most certainly brought up in the season, perhaps
more, though I am inclined to doubt it, as late nesting birds have
probably lost previous eggs or broods for some reason or other,
though my experience was that the human factor in such cases was
a negligible quantity and it was only the War which brought in its
wake the ornithologist, and even then there were precious few of
them about. I have mislaid my notes about the departure of this
bird but the majority had left by the end of July, though I did see
an occasional straggler in the middle of August (one was noted at
Jericho, in the Jordan Valley, on 15th August, 1920) and even at
a later date in the coastal area.

Before closing those lengthy notes on " Agrobates " I would
like to mention that I found a good many nests of A. familiaris
in Mesopotamia during the seasons 1916 and 1917, and the normal
clutch out there was five eggs. It would seem, therefore, that it
does not necessarily follow that a bird reduces the size of the clutch
it incubates because the climate is exceptionally hot, for that of
Palestine was nothing in comparison to the intense heat of Mesopo-
tamia. The size of the clutch I imagine, is much more likely to be
dependent on the question of food supply.

Sylvia communis.

1 have found the Common Whitethroat breeding both in the
Judean Hills and in the coastal plain. It is a summer visitor and
usually brings up a couple of broods in the plain, but I have not
enough data in this respect for the hills, as I only found one nest
there and that contained newly hatched young (2nd June, 1918).
In 1920 in the coastal plain, I found the low and somewhat open
scrub cover in the vicinit}- of the marshes a certain haunt, though
one or two nests were taken in the bushy foliage of low, pollarded
eucalyptus in groves, and one early nest was found in a small bush
amongst green crops on a vast diy plain. Nests were well concealed

24 The Oo/ogists' Record, March \, 192 1.

in most cases and the bird sits tiglit until one is right on top of the
nest or until the surrounding cover has been disturbed. Nests
with eggs were found as follows : —

19th April, 1920, 1. Fresh. Low bush in crops on dry plain.

i6th May, 1920, 5. Few days. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

i6th May, 1920, 5. Fresh. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

i6th May, 1920, 5. Few days. Low in grass and aquatic vege-
tation in a marsh.

23rd May, 1920, 5. Hard set. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

23rd May, 1920, 4. Few days. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

26th May, 1920, 3. Several days. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

9th June, 1920, 3. Few days. In pollarded eucalyptus.

i6th June, 1920, 2. Few days. Low scrub cover in dry marsh.

Nests did not differ much from those found in England,
though all seemed better constructed and more solid. The
first nest found, in the crop land, was quite massive and really
looked much too large for this bird, but I saw the parents near the
nest. In height, they were usually 3 feet or less alcove the ground,
and, more rarely, up to 4 feet. I think tJie description " fairly
common locally," as several nests may be found in one tiny area,
and. " generally, though sparingly, distributed, all over the hills
and coastal plain," to be fairly correct. I believe several species of
Sylvia breed freely on Mt. .Carmel, near Haifa, though I never
had the good fortune to test this information.

On the whole, the eggs found were much paler in ground colour
than many spechnens I have found in Kent and Devon, a dirty
whitish, sometimes tinged green, being the prevailing colour. Five
eggs seemed the usual clutch, though birds were found incubating
both four and three eggs, but the riumber of nests found was not
sufficient to decide this point.

Whitethroats were first noticed passing through on passage
on 22nd February, after which date they were quite common and
more especially so in the cover at the edges of the marches. I shot
a few specimens which I made into skins. After the end of March,
the passage ceased, and the birds remaining to breed were principally
to be found in the scrub and cover near the marshland. I have no
dates of the departure of this species at the end of the breeding season,

(Jo he continued.)

Harrison & Sons, Ltd., Prinlers in Ordinary to His Majesty, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. 2,

THE OOLOGISTS' RECORD.

Edited by KENNETH L. SKINNER.

ALL REGHTS RESERVED.

Vol. I-No. 2.] [June 1, 1921.

OOLOGICAL NOTES ON SOME OF THE BREEDING
BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

Hv (APT. C. R. S. Pitman, I.A., M.B.O.U.

[Continued from p. 24.)
Ilippolais pallida claica.

This is another Palestine species which prefers to lay a com-
paratively small clutch of Qgg?', and its breeding season lasts from
the first week in May until the about the middle of June. My first
eggs were found on the 8th May, and the last on the 25th June.
The former was a clutch of four eggs from a compact and strongly
built nest of fine grass and vegetable down, placed 4 feet above the
ground in the fork of a small eucalyptus sapling in a large grove.
I had watched this nest for some time, and after a certain stage it
appeared completed, and when day after day elapsed and no egg
appeared, I really thought the nest had been deserted. However,
this seems to be a regular characteristic of this species, and I have
frequently noted nests in all stages of construction left for a week
or more before any further addition was made to them, the longest
case I have on record being that of a nest which took more than
three weeks to complete, and both my Indian egg collectors and
myself had really given up the nest as abandoned. Laying is also
erratic, as sometimes a da}' or even two elapses between the laying
of eggs and this happened in the case of the first nest I found, the
clutch of four being laid over a period of six days. This Warbler
seems rather careful in its efforts to conceal the whereabouts of
its nest, and, in spite of being constantly in their breeding haunts
at all times of the day, I never saw them actually nest building,
and if birds are sitting on their nests, they quietly slip oi^" and
disappear when the human intruder is still quite a long way off.
As this was a trick practised by several of the Palestine grove
building birds I soon found out that this hurried departure, which
nearly always caught one's eye, was a sure indication of the where-
abouts of. a nest. WTien the ? was sitting, the J would usually
be concealed fairly high above the ground in a neighbouring tree

A

2 6 ?. - - , The Oologkts' Record, June \, 192 1.

and singing as lustily as possible. Nests varied much in size
and structure, though the materials were usually the same. Fine
dead grasses and vegetable down preponderated, the former as
foundation and general materials — the latter interwoven and used
for the lining which also frequently contained some fine rootlets
and an occasional horsehair. All nests had rather a woolly appear-
ance which instanth^ distinguished them from those of other species.
Some nests were flimsy and small, others solid and deep and almost
purse-shaped, and this description fitted the majority — others
compact and round, and as sohd and neat as a well-built Gold-
finch's nest. Situations varied in height from 8 feet above the
ground to less than 2 feet. Nests were never too easy to see
although I would hardly call them well concealed, but their situation
and construction both tended towards concealment — so they may
aptly be described as very inconspicuous — and no nests were
obvious. Eucalyptus groves were sure finds, and usually inhabited
by many pairs of these birds. Almond groves were the next popular,
while occasional nests were found in orange and lemon groves,
peppermint and reed beds, brambles and low scrubby bushes. 1
found no nests in the very prevalent mimosa hedges, casuarinas,
olive trees or vineyards. I will not describe the eggs, which varied
but little, except perhaps in size and shape and which did not
differ from typical eggs of this species, but I will give a list of actual
nests as found in the Various types of trees and herbage.

Eucalyptus ... ... ... 26.

Almond ... ... ... ... 4 with eggs — but also many

empty nests.

Orange ... ... ... ... 6 — nests always placed near

edge of grove.

Reeds and peppermint 2 — placed over running

water — also several
empty nests. Somewhat
gregarious in this sort
of cover.

Brambles ... ... ... ... 2 — evidently both nests of

one bird.

Low scrubby bush (not 2 feet high) i — in dried up marsh land.

Eggs in the same clutch show practically no variation what-
soever. The shells are very thin, and before cleaning, fresh eggs

The Oo/ogisis' Record, /line i, 1921. 27

have quite a purplish tinge caused by the colour of the yolk showing
through the shell. I have never seen the spots and markings as
a ring formation.

Now as to numbers — I never found a clutch of five eggs —
but found eight nests of four eggs, though three was the normal
clutch, while late in the season sets of two were quite common.

The majority of nests found in the week, i8th to 25th May,
contained eggs in an advanced state of incubation. From the above
data I think it is fairly clear that in Palestine this Warbler is
quite common as a breeding bird, that is, if one knows where to look
for it.

The whole of my observations were made in a few large eucalyptus
groves, some small almond and orange groves and a rather confined
marshy area. All my nests were found in the low-hdng coastal
plain not many miles from Jaffa, and during the season 1920.
In 1918, I found no nests in the Judean Hills during the month of
June, although a few pairs of these Warblers were evidently breeding
in the gardens in the valleys 10-12 miles north-west of Jerusalem —
and later on in July I found some old nests, some empty, and some
containing stale eggs, in the orange groves and marshy cover not
far from Jaffa. As I have only imperfect data with regard to the
arrival and departure of this species, which is of course a summer
visitor, I cannot with accuracy fix any dates, but these have been
noted in the " Ibis " of January, 1920, by Col. Meinertzhagen,
From my observations I have concluded that usually this bird only
brings up one brood in the year. I did not measure any of my eggs
or nests during the 1920 season — but a couple of eggs taken, in
July, 1918, near Jaffa were : —

72" X -53'

i:-}

73 X -53 J '^"-^ "" '^^

The nest measurements were 2\" X 2" x i|" (all taken intern-
ally).

Cisticola cisiicola cisticola.

The first point I would like to note about this species is the
very inadequate description of its nests given in the majority of
text books and which in many cases is quite misleading. Take,
for example, " Its typical purse-shaped nest " as one writer sets
down — that is not going to carry one very far — or else, " A neat,
deep, purse-shaped structure with the opening at the top,"

2 8 The Oologists' Record^ June i, 1921.

followed by a list of building materials, etc. ; this is getting warmer,
but at any rate for Palestine the real essential description seems to
be omitted. As I have only found the nest of this species in that
country I am not qualified to generalise on the subject. If I were
asked to furnish information which would materially help in the
search for these nests I would tell my questioner to go to marshy
areas where these birds were abundant, and they would soon be identi-
fied by their peculiar, noisy habits, and by the incessant " teck,"
" teck," " teck," uttered during their jerky flight. These birds
are extraordinarily bold in visiting their nests either during con-
struction or for the purpose of feeding the bird incubating the
€ggs, even when an intruder is only a few yards away. Now for
the nests, what is one to look for ? Do not expect the fairly obvious
globe or oval of fine dead grasses of Prinia gracilis — nor yet the
solid cup of Acrocephalus streperus, nor even the neater and softer
cup of Hippolais pallida — in fact don't look for a nest such as one
usually expects to find ! You must look for something in the nature
of the gossamer home of a large spider, or the elongated, sausage-
shaped web of a host of caterpillars — and of course this is not placed
conspicuously in the open, but concealed in the centre of thick grass,
often not 2 feet above the ground, and the outside of the nest is
thickly woven to a regular screen of grass blades. The length or
depth of the nest is generally 4 to 5 inches and the diameter 2
to 3 inches at the egg chamber, which cjuickly narrows till at the
top there is an entrance hole just large enough to admit the parent
bird — and this narrowing at the top draws the tips of the grass
stems together and forms a little screen or shelter which helps to
conceal the entrance. There is therefore no resemblance whatever
to the ordinary forms of nest and unless one knows where to look
and what to find, there is every possibility of passing by these
gossamer-knit structures. The principal nest material is the white
vegetable down of aquatic grasses beautifully interwoven and
fastened to the growing grass stems — the egg-chamber has also
some fine dead grasses in the lining, and one invariably has to
destroy the nest to obtain the eggs — while a satisfactory photo-
graph is quite out of the question. With two exceptions I found
all nests in thick grass, not more than a few feet high, growing in
water and never higher than 3 feet above the ground, and even
this height was unusual. I found well over a dozen nests and they
were either at the edge of extensive marshy areas, or in the grass

The Oologists' Record, June i, 1921. 2y

growing in small shallow damp patches not more than 10 feet wide
though quite extensive in length — many such ])laces were very
favourite haunts and several nests would be Invuul near each other.
Many nests are abandoned if the parent birds discover that they are
known to the human intruder, and I frequently noticed that a
practically completed nest would be dismantled and re-erected not
very far away. These birds also have a habit of destroying com-
pletely the remains of their nests when robbed of their eggs. The
nests suffer a good deal from the cattle which graze in large herds
in the marshes during the breeding season.

The nests found other than over running water, were as follows : —
One was at the edge of a marsh and in a tuft of grass in the centre
of a low and open bramble bush, while the other was in a clump
of thistles and withered vegetation on a small mound amongst
crops which had just been cut, and with no water within at least
half a mile of the locality. In marsh land the sitting bird would
invariably give away the position of its nest, if one was quick enough
to note its mouse-like departure when one was still 20 to a dozen
yards awa^^ The Palestine type of eggs, is the white type, thickly
spotted and speckled, principally at the large end, with various
shades of red, chestnut-red, lake-red, and purplish-red. Eggs of the
same clutch do not vary much — fresh eggs before blowing have a
decidedly pinkish tinge due to the colour of the yolk partially
showing through the thin shells. After cleaning, the eggs are a dead
white. Five seems a normal clutch, but sets of six and seven eggs
are by no means uncommon, though I imagine it is som,ewhat of a
task for the minute parent bird to incubate so many and then rear
and nourish so large a brood. As few as three eggs only will be
laid, later on in the season, after a bird has probably lost one or
two sets of eggs.

This bird is a late breeder, the first eggs not being found till
the 20th June, when three clutches of five eggs each were respec-
tively fresh, a few days, and advanced in incubation. It struck
me that this late breeding was probably due to adaptation to local
conditions, for the grassy areas in and about the marsh land are
cut for hay at the end of May and early June — and I did not find
any nests with eggs nor any started, until after the hay had been
cut, and even then the birds kept to the edges or to small damp
localities which were not molested by the haymaker. It is not a
long breeding season, lasting but three or four weeks, and the

A 2

30 The Oologists' Record, Jiaie i, 192 1.

majority of fresh eggs are found during the last week of June.
The last clutch found was one of three eggs on the ist August, but
I knew this pair of birds had lost at least two sets of eggs, besides
being worried by other interruptions.

I would describe this bird as common, locally, in the coastal
plain wherever there is damp marsh land — while nests, being
difficult to find, are much rarer than the bird itself. One brood
only is normally brought up in the season. I have so far taken
no measurements of the eggs in my possession. This bird is a
summer visitor at any rate in its breeding localities, and I have not
noticed it in Palestine during the winter, though I shot a specimen
(probably on passage) in the middle of March in the Jordan Valley
just south of the Sea of GaUlee.

Acrocephalus streperits.

This species is chiefly noted for the fact that it is one of the
latest breeders of all the Palestine birds, and I have found fresh
eggs at the end of July. With regard to this species, thereby
hangs somewhat of a tale, and if I had only had a little more time
at my disposal, and realised earlier that these birds were breeding,
I might have obtained a very handsome series of eggs.

On the 4th July, 1918, while encamped near the sources of

the Jaffa Auja, a small perennial stream which has a total length

of barely 10 miles, some of my Indian soldiers, who were doing

anti-malarial work near the river, brought me a nest containing

three fresh and well-marked eggs which I felt certain were Reed

Warblers, but I was told that the Reed Warbler did not breed there,

and that the eggs probably belonged to Sylvia rueppelli in spite

of the fact that the nest was of the typical Reed Warbler type,

and taken from a reed bed by the water's edge. Consequently,

wheji I found myself again in Palestine for a breeding season in

1920, I did not really bother myself about Reed Warblers. I

had plenty of work, besides numerous other desiderata, which I

knew for certain could be found if I only had sufficient time to spare

at the psychological moment, so AcrocepJialus was completely

forgotten.

On the 13th June I thought I would search Lome thick cover
which grew for a length of about 200 yards over a small stream,
and to my intense disgust found several old Reed Warbler's nests,
a nest containing an egg on the point of hatching out and two newly

The Oo} ovists' Record, June i, 192 i.

hatched young, and a new nest containing one fresh egg. There
was no mistaking the nests, eggs and birds, which were all totally
different to those of the Olivaceous Warbler which also bred rather
freely in this same small area. Even then I did ncjt realise h(jw
common these birds were in quite an extensive and suitable locality
and in addition could not spare much time for searching for their
nests.

For breeding purposes they preferred small reed beds and tiny
patches of dense cover over running water, and I never found
nests in very extensive cover or in large marsh}' areas. All nests
were firmly woven to reed or peppermint stems, or else to the straight
stem of a tall aquatic plant with a pinkish flower— -in this latter
type of cover I have found nests as much as 6 feet above the ground
though 4 or 5 feet was the usual height — and more rarely a nest was
placed as low as 3 feet.

Searching for these nests was often full of incident as the thick
cover through which we wearily forced a passage abounded with
the small open comb-nests of a species of tiny wasp, which did not
hesitate to attack the unwelcome intruder, and I have often been
badly stung on the face by these infuriated little warriors in the
black and yellow jackets — and afterwards suffered from their effects
for days ! More eggs were found on the 19th June (fresh), 28th
June (fresh), 4th July (full fledged young), several nests on the i8th
July, in all stages of incubation from fresh eggs to young about to
fly, fresh eggs on the 22nd July ; several nests in all stages of
incubation on the 24th July, and eggs in an advanced state of
incubatnon on the ist August, ^besides which a great many old nests
were found during this period as well as several broods of young
ones seen, which were strong on the wing. The normal clutch of
eggs was three — only in one case did I come across a clutch of four,
and that was on the i8th July, when a nest contained three full-
fledged young and one unfertile egg which I took and successfully
cleaned, and I am still inclined to believe that it may have been
an odd egg, not belonging to the fertile clutch of three. I am
quite sure that two broods are hatched out in the ordinary course
of events, but these birds have much to contend with, as, at the
end of July or in early August, most of their favourite reedv
patches are cut down by the local Arabs while a snake or lizard
seems to prey on their eggs a good deal. At any rate clutches of
eggs that I have watched, hoping for a fourth t^^'g to be produced

A

J

The Oologists' Record, Jiaie ^. 1921.

have more than once disappeared in quite an unaccountable fashion.
The eggs are some of the most handsome and most interesting
that I have found in Palestine, as they really do go through quite
a wide range in variation of colour and markings though eggs of the
same clutch scarcely vary at all. The ground colour may be white,
dirty whitish, greenish-white, greyish-white and almost brownish-
white — while the markings are generally profuse all over the egg,
and vet occasionally rather sparing, but always in the form of
blotches, these being all shades of sepia brown, greenish- brown,
grey-brown, and ohve with a few black specks and streaks on the
surface, and with various shades of grey and grey-green shell
spots. The size and shape does not seem to vary much. The nests
are unmistakable both as to their situation and construction, and are
principally composed of the dead outer bark of reeds and aquatic
plants, firmly and solidly interwoven and strongly bound to several
upright stems of aquatic herbage and are lined with finer materials
of a similar nature as well as fine rootlets and fine dead grasses.

This Reed Warbler if not quickly seen, soon gives away his
presence by his noisy habits and almost ceaseless song which he
trills away while his mate is incubating the eggs. He never sings
far from the nest and is really most obliging, as he frequently goes
to see if the nest is still there, and by watching the antics of one of
these birds one can usually mark down the position of the nest to
within a few feet. WTien there are young birds in the nest the
parents are most arduous in their attentions, and pay not the
slightest heed to the intruder — and with a good high power camera
one could secure excellent photos with but little difficulty.

I have so far taken no measurements of the eggs obtained in
1920, though the following details of the clutch taken in 1918 may
be of interest : —

•69" X -50" ^

•69" X -50" ;> -677" X -50"
•65" X -50" J
The nest measured 2I" X 2" X if", all internal measurements.
The identity of this Reed Warbler was confirmed by several
skins that I sent to Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.. for
reference.

I have only met with this interesting Httle bird in the marshy
locahties near the coast, and would call it common, though local.

The Oologists' Record, Jiiiic i, 1921. 33

It is a summer visitor. I do not know whether this species breeds
in the Jordan Valley.

Before leaving the subject of Acrocepiialus, I would like to say
that there was little doubt that one of tl\e larger Reed Warblers,
probably A. stentoreus, was breeding in u large bog in the coastal
region a few miles south of Jaffa. There were several males singing
loudly in a reed bed at the edge of an e.xtensive bog when I visited
it at the end of May and in early June, but this reed bed was quite
unapproachable being completely surrounded by a liquid black
ooze. Similarly, if I had shot any of the songsters I could not
have recovered them. Lack of time only prevented me from
devising a means of negotiating this treacherous area. This large
and noisy Reed Warbler is a summer visitor.

I have no data regarding the arrival and departure in Palestine
of the breeding species of Acrocephalus.

There is another Warbler present in the marshy locahties on the
coast during May, June and July — but, owing to its habits, rarely
seen, for it lives in the densest of cover and thick tangle of under-
growth, and is rarely seen long enough even to obtain a snapshot
at it. Sometimes when offering a splendid target, it has invariably
escaped as I have had no weapon at hand ! I noticed these birds
sparingly though fairly regularly during the above-mentioned
months and concluded that they must be breeding, but I never
found any nests either new or old which 1 might allocate to them,
and which would have helped to identify the owners. The Warbler
I think was a Cettia, but failing that may have been a Liisciniola ,
though it is possible that both may breed in those parts. I say
this, as it is in their various breeding localities that racial differences
of certain species originate, become accentuated and finally remain
as a permanent though possibly trifling variation. Now in the
spring of 1920, and early summer during the passage of migrants,
I managed to bag a Cettia of sorts and a Lusciniola. The comments
of the British Museum were that each showed marked differences
to the type species one might expect from these localities — but it
was too late for me to try for more. The Lusciniola apparently
approximated more to L. major than to L. melanopogon which one
would have normally expected to find here. Well, it is onl}^ a
theory, but it may prove to be correct, that each of these birds
I shot was the racial \'ariety of its type species which breeds in the
marshy areas of the Palestine coast.

34 The Oologists Record^ June x, 1921.

Prinia gracilis palestincB.

The Streaked-Wren Warbler is a common resident in Palestine
and has been separated racially from P.g.deltce of Egypt proper
and the Suez Canal zone. This bird brings up two broods in the
season, possibly more — and commences to lay eggs about the
middle of April, after which date eggs may be found throughout
the summer and even up to the beginning of August. In 1918,
this was quite the latest breeding species that I came across in
Palestine, but whether this was influenced by local war conditions
I cannot say. All the agricultural land near the low-lying areas
around the Jaffa Auja had grown to weed, thistles and self-sown
crops in which Prinia was breeding freely in the middle of
July — in fact all my nests were found between the 8th and 15th
Jul}^ — and if I had had more time to spare I might have found dozens
more. Perhaps a few dates and incubation notes will be of interest :

Stale.

Fresh.

Fresh .

Advanced.
2, 3 Respectively, several days,
fresh, several days, stale
and bad, fresh, fresh.

Advanced.
5, Respectively, advanced, fresh,
several days, fresh, fresh,
stale and bad, fresh, fresh,
stale.

Of the above nests two were in pomegranate bushes, one in a
bushy damson tree, two in thick cover by the river Anza, and the
remaining 16 in thistles, cover, and tall grass in the overgrown
fields.

I did not come across this bird in the Judean Hills varying
from 2,000 to 3,000 feet above sea-level and situated 10-12 miles
north and north-west of Jerusalem, during the month of June in
igiS, when I managed to put in a good deal of birds nesting, so
was not likel}^ to have overlooked it.

Eggs.

July 8th,

1918 ..

I

July 9th,

1918 ..

3

July loth.

1918 .,

3

July i2th.

1918 .

4

July 13th,

1918 .

• • 3 1 D > 3 ' J '

July 14th,

1918 .

4

July 15th,

1918 .

••5- 4. 4. 4>
I, I. 3. 2

The Oo/ogists' Record, June i, 1921.

35

My measurements of the eggs taken in 1918 may be of interest,
but I have not vet measured any of my 1920 lot.

Set. Average Measure-

ment in Inches.

3

•62

X

4

•^>i75

5

•616

X

I

•60

X

3

•60

X

4

•595

X

3

•59

X

5

•594

X

3

•59

X

3

•59

X

Set. Average Measure-

ment in Inches.
•59 X -46

X
X
X

X
X
X

X
X

I

4
3

2

4
2

4

I

4

5«

587

585

575

57
5(^25

55

525

435
443
46

45

44
46

44
43

.46

•4475

•438

•45

•443

•4625

•43

•45
•46

•45
Average of total, -586" X -448".

Maxima and Minima.

•63" X -44" and -50" X -43" Length.

•54" X -42" and -56" X -47" Breadth.

In 1920, I found 16 nests with eggs between the 20th April
and the nth July, besides a good many old nests as well as others
which contained young birds in all stages. In both seasons I had to
practically give up egg work after the middle of July, so my obser-
vations are really not quite complete.

During 1920. these notes were made in the coastal plain a few
miles south of Jaffa.

I cannot lay down any hard and fast rules which will guide
the oologist to numerous nests, as, unlike most other breeding
Warblers of this country, this species will breed almost anywhere,
except of course on the open ground ! However, wherever one
sees these birds dining the breeding months as noted above, one
may reasonably expect to find a nest in the near vicinity — though it
may quite possibly be a question of some hundreds of 3^ards — at
any rate if they have got a nest they do not go very far away from
it. Moreover, they seem inordinately proud of their building
capabilities, and like to show off in front of intruders and I have
often watched the birds building, with a distance of only a few
feet between myself and the nest at which they were working.
They will always give away the position of a nest ; are by no
means shy and often do not leave the nest when sitting until

36 The Oologists' Record^ June i, 1921.

a finger has been put into the entrance hole. Nests are beautifully
constructed of fine dead grasses interwoven with vegetable wool
and plant down — and are thickly lined with the latter. They vary
much in size and shape — some are almost globular, others elongated
ovals, others more sausage-shaped, while the entrance holes are
usually at the side, though sometimes almost at the top. Nests
in most cases are firmly woven to the stems of plants, shrubs,
etc., but I have seen quite a number which have been suspended
from mimosa and pomegranate branches as much as 6 feet above
the ground, when they are generally very conspicuous, but in most
instances the nests are well concealed. Nests are never placed
in the middle of thick brambles or dense cover, though often at the
edge, and I have found them both high up and low down in mimosa
hedges, in pomegranate trees, in the bushy foliage of pollarded
eucalyptus, in tiny scrubby bushes barely a foot above the ground
in dried up marsh land — in tall grass and aquatic herbage in the
actual marshes, in small plum trees ; and in the tall grassy cover
growing in waste land, along the hedge-rows, in ditches, excavations
and other situations of a similar nature. An occasional nest is
found in an orange grove, but this is unusual; hedge-rows, etc.,
and the scrubby cover at the fringe of marshes I can confidently
recommend as being the best hunting grounds. Nests are usually
placed less than 3 feet above the ground, except when in pome-
granate and eucalyptus or other bushy trees, when they are mostly
situated at a height of 4 to 6 feet. Although seemingly quite
fearless of human beings, these birds scold incessantly on the
approach of cats or snakes, and I always knew when a big black
Rat Snake (Dhaman) nearly 7 feet long, was about, by the incessant
chatter of a pair of Prinia which had a nest above his subterranean
home, though well out of his reach. These birds have a trick of
covering up the eggs with the soft plant down and vegetable wool
of the lining during the middle of the day, and leaving the tempera-
ture of the air to carry oiit the incubation, and on several occasions
I was nearly caught by this fact, and the first time it was only
chance that led me to discover the eggs under a thick layer of soft
lining material, as, luckily, I had known that eggs were there a
few days previously when they had only just been laid. This habit
was occasionally resorted to by Goldfinches in Palestine. It is
probably due to this habit that I often noticed that Wren Warblers
would scratch out the inside lining of their nests after the eggs

The Oologists' Record, June i, 1921. 37

had been taken, probably in a vain endeavour to find the eggs which

might have been concealed beneath the soft materials. For such

large and neatly built structures the parent birds require but very

few days from the time when the first straw is laid till their house

is ready to receive the eggs.

Some external measurements in inches of nests taken in 1918^

afe : —

Length approximately.

Diameter approximately.

Inches.

Inches.

4

2|

5

3

5

3

4i

Z\

A\

4

4

3

5

2|

6

3i

M

3i

5

2^

5

3i

5

4

5

2*

5

4

Five eggs appear to be the normal clutch whether early or late
in the season, though birds frequently sit on four eggs and rarely
on only three, and no nests were found to contain more than five eggs.

These eggs differ decidedly from those of the Prinia gracilis
of Mesopotamia and India, in the fact that the ground colour is
whitish, buff, pale brownish, pale chestnut and other similar shades
instead of pale greenish.

In most Indian and Mesopotamian eggs the markings are
distinct and fairly conspicuous, which is not the case with the
Palestine eggs, for the surface markings are so fine and thick in the
majority of specimens I have seen that the eggs are really suffused
with the colour of the surface spots, specklings and streaks.

These markings I have noted as pinkish, chestnut, brownish-
buff, yellowish-orange, yellowish-brown, huffish and pale reddish-
brown.

Unblown fresh eggs, on account of the yolk showing through the
thin shells and thereby tinting them, often appear most beautifully
coloured, producing delicate shades of coral-pink, salmon-pink^
nail pink, or shell pink — but these attractive colours disappear

o

8 2^he Oologists' Record, June i, 192 1.

and become various shades of buffy-white when the eggs are
cleaned. Large spots and pronounced markings are rare — though
I found one or two such clutches and in such cases the markings
were well distributed all over the eggs. A characteristic form of
marking is a pronounced ring round the larger end and usually
considerably darker than the other colouring.

Though eggs of the same clutch rarely show much variation,
these ring markings are not always found on all eggs of a set.

Occasionally the ring has been formed so close to the top of the
egg, that it merges into a dark cap instead of a ring — while ring
markings round the smaller ends are not uncommon, in fact in one
clutch of five that I have, there ai'e two such specimens.

Very pale sets with less pronounced rings are rare, though
occasionally found — but I only saw one such set. In this type of
surface marking, which as before stated often amounts almost to
suffusion, it is only natural that the shell spots, which are of a pale
purplish-grey, are practically indiscernible. However, they are
nearly always apparent at the larger end of the eggs and show
up fairly distinctly in the rings.

Sylvia melanoccphala inomus.

On the 22nd April, 1920, I took a very handsome clutch of five
eggs from a loosely constructed nest of the White-throat t\^pe,
which was placed 3 feet above the ground in a tiny orange bush
at the edge of a grove. The nest was quite well concealed, and the
(^ bird seen to visit the nest, though I did not secure it for a speci-
men— but I am quite certain that it was momus. The eggs
which had been incubated for two or three days, are greenish,
being boldly marked, and chiefly at the larger end, with spots of
sepia and various shades of brown on the surface, and with greyish
and pale slate shell markings.

There was but little variation in the eggs of this set. This
species is a summer visitor, as are all other representatives of the
genus Sylvia, which are found in Palestine during the summer
months.

This brings to a close my notes on the breeding Warblers —
though I beheve S. atricapilla, S. riteppelli, S. curnica, and others
all breed in Palestine, but I had not the good fortune to find any
nests, though I am certain several pairs of S. riteppelli were nesting
in some of the orange groves that I used to visit — but these biids
were few and far between.

The Oohgists" Record, June i, 1921. 39

AN HISTORIC EGG.

By (iKAHAM Ri:nshavv, M.D., I'.R.S.E.

It has long been a zoological axiom that the location of all type
specimens — whether in public museums or private hands— should
be carefully recorded for the benefit of working naturalists. In
conformity with this rule, the writer has pleasure in announcing
that he has recently acquired the famous type egg of the Samoan
Tooth-billed Pigeon {Didimculus sfrigirostris) brought to this country
in 1864 and subsequently described by the late Professor Newton.

The history of the specimen is a romance in itself. Ever since
Titian Peale, naturalist to the U.S. Exploring Expedition, obtained
in Samoa two examples of "a new bird allied to the Dodo," the
interest of scientific men had been powerfully aroused in this rare
and remote species ; in the words of Dr. Bennett, " The head of
a rapacious bird on the body of a pigeon would excite the attention
of the most ordinary spectator," and the value of any specimens
was soon raised by the report that the unhappy didimculus was being
exterminated by imported cats. Many persons had inquired at
Apia for the rarity, offering high prices for it. Dr. Bennett of
Sydney was prepared to pay £$ or even £10 for a pair of skins,
and the living bird was all but unobtainable.

At last, after twenty years of unsuccessful effort, Mr. Williams,
British Consul at Samoa, acquired a young bird which he sent alive
to Sydney ; this being subsequently joined by an older individual,
brought over by the Rev. Rigg. Dr. Bennett bought both
birds for a high price, to present to the London Zoo. In view of their
great rarity he had them sketched from life, lest they should not
long survive ; and it was well that he did so, for the second one
died of fits and was promptly interred in spirits for Professor Owen
the anatomist. The survivor left Sydney on 12th January, 1864,
under the care of a steward named Broughton, who had already had
considerable experience with birds. Dr. Bennett's confidence was
justified, for the didimculus arrived in London safe and sound ;
on the voyage she had laid an egg (the first egg known to scientific
Europe) and this egg was given by Broughton to the late Mr. A. D.
Bartlett, then superintendent of the Zoo. The data ticket now
before the writer is inscribed in Mr. Bartlett's handwriting " Tooth-
billed Pigeon, Didunculus strigirostris laid on board the La

40 The OotOgists' Record^ Jii7ie i, 1921.

Hogue, 1864, and presented to me by Mr. Broughton. A. D.
Bartlett."

The &^g measures 178 by i-i6 inches, and in general appearance
suggests a dwarf wood-pigeon's. In 1865, Professor Newton stated
the colour to be greenish-grey ; such at any rate is no longer the case,
the entire surface now being dull white, faintly glossed like that of a
Dipper ; there is none of the polish characteristic of our native pigeon
eggs. The specimen is well blown, with a single hole in the side, the
aperture being so large as to suggest a somewhat advanced embryo,
while numerous nest stains and also the dullness of the shell suggest
at least some attempt at incubation ; the bird, one recollects,
had a companion — perhaps a mate- — while under Dr. Bennett's
care at Sydne}-. Be this as it may, the specimen remains an interest-
ing memento of the middle of the last century, a valuable and
characteristic souvenir of two famous Victorian naturalists.

FURTHER OOLOGICAL NOTES FROM SPAIN.

By Captain W. Maitland Congreve, M.C, M.B.O.U.

I am afraid my experience of Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscin-
oides (Savi) is somewhat limited, but I have once had the good
fortune to meet with this bird in its breeding haunts, and I spent
a morning looking for nests. They appear to be extremely local
and one does not meet with them necessarily in swampy ground
just anywhere in Spain. The place where I met with them breeding
is the same as that described by the late Colonel Irby in his " Ornitho-
logy of the Straits of Gibraltar," and there, I should say, they are
common, but so intensely dense is the great area of matted cutting-
sedge that one can make no approximation as to whether they are
really common or not. One occasionally sees a bird darting across
an opening or sitting on a rush or sedge as it reels out its monotonous
song and of course they can be heard, but the note, like that of the
Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia {Bodd.), is not a powerful
one, and it is necessary to have a windless day in order to hear it
clearly, and then it is well-nigh impossible to tell exactly from what
spot it emanates. It was on 14th May, that I hunted for nests of
these elusive birds. Hunting for them, it may be said, is almost
as bad as hunting for the proverbial " needle in a haystack," and

The Oo/o<::is/s' /Record, June i, 1921. 41

as far as I was concerned meant methodically parting sedge as
I tramped about over an acre or two of swampy ground. Gloves
are of course a necessity unless one is prepared to have ones hands
cut about by the sedge.

My first find was after an hour or two and when I was beginning
to think it a hopeless business. I suddenly saw a pair of birds,
which I presumed were Savi's Warblers, flash acioss the open and
then dive down into the sedge not far away from where I was stand-
ing. I marked the place as carefully as I could and then proceeded
to beat the sedge with a stick about where I lost sight of tlie birds.
Suddenly out popped a bird from under my stick and, on parting
the sedge, I found a beautiful little nest well down in the sedge
and about i foot above the water of the swamp. I call it a beauti-
ful nest because, although made entirely of loosely woven dead
sedge, it was very neat and deep and looked very compact. How-
ever, on removing it, it promptly commenced to become unwound
and fall partly to pieces. This nest contained four extremely
incubated eggs of the usual type, i.e., buffish-white ground colour,
very closely spotted with small greyish and brownish spots which
formed a slight zone at the large ends.

Shortly after this I saw another pair, apparently busy collecting
food or nesting material, and soon saw that they made for a par-
ticular spot and there I found a nest in the same sort of situation
as the last, containing two young with feathers well formed and three
unfertile eggs. As my time was limited I had shortl}^ after this to
leav^e the swamp, but I have no doubt that it was only a question
of time and patience to find more nests. The best date for fresh
eggs would appear to be during the first week of May, and I have no
doubt they can be found in many places where there are dense,
sedge beds. I cannot say I have ever found them actually breeding
except in the one place, but I saw and heard them in one other near
Gibraltar in 191 1, but in this same place they were not present,,
as far as I could see or hear, in 1920.

Cetti's Warbler, Cettia cetti {Marmora) is a common bird in
Southern Spain, and its remarkably loud and distinctive note
once heard should never be forgotten. It is a bird that invariably,
in my experience, frequents the vicinity of running water and
wherever one comes across dense vegetation, particularly tamarisk,
bramble or bamboo, near water, there one can be almost certain
of hearing the curious song. It is an extremely difficult bird to

42 The Oologists' Record, June i, 1921.

see/ but one occasionally gets a fleeting glimpse of a nightingale-
like bird. I know of no bird that is more difficult to get a good view
of, let alone shoot, if one is minded to obtain a specimen. All nests
I have found have been in brambles or thorny creeper, sometimes
intermingled with dead rush, growing on the side of, or actually
over, some running water. The nest is not easy to find, for the
simple reason that the thickets which this species frequents are often
so dense and thorny as to be almost impenetrable. My solution of
the difficulty was to wear my oldest, but most thorn -proof, clothes,
gaiters and gloves, and carry a big hunting knife, to slash my way
through the matted brambles. At the same time T slowly struggled
along the bed of a 2-foot wide rivulet which ran through a dense
wood of alder, etc., growing in very damp ground. I only came
across two new nests on this particular day (12th May). I found
first an old nest of what I presumed to be a Cetti's Warbler, and this
was supported on bramble growing over the rivulet and gave me the
necessary clue as to what to look for. Shortly afterwards I came
on the two new nests one after the other, and about 100 yards apart.
In each case the nests were perfectly easy to see when I had hacked
my way within say, 10 feet distance of them. The first nest was
supported in dead rushes and brambles, and was actually right over
the centre of the rivulet, and about 4 feet from the surface of the
water. The other was in bare thorny creeper falling from an over-
hanging tree, and was on the very edge of the rivulet, and again
about 4 feet up. In this case the cock bird gave the show away b}^
singing from near its nest, so all I had to do was to pay particular
attention to the place where I thought the song came from. The
first nest contained four nearly hatched eggs and the second three
considerably incubated ones. The nests were made of marsh grasses
lined with finer grasses, and a little piece of cotton grass here and
there. They were fairly deep and moderately neat. The only'
other new nest I have ever come across was in bramble growing
beside tamarisk, on the banks of the River Guadalquivir below
Seville, and this contained three highly incubated eggs on 22nd May.
From my limited experience of this species I should say that the
proper time for fresh eggs in Southern Spain is normally the first
week of May, if not the last week of April. Four is the usual
complement, three not unUsual, and five I have not met with,
but understand it is not rare. [In " Aves de Espafia," Arevalo
y Baca, we find it stated that the bird lays " cuatro huevos a lo

The Oolo):^ists Record^ June i, 1921. 43

mas " (four eggs at the most), and that laying is commenced at
the middle of May, continuing until th? middle of July, and that
it nests amongst the tamarisks (" tarays ") and always immediately
on the ri\-ers. — Editor].

Methodical hunting in clotlu'S that oni' can afford to ha\-e badly
torn (I tore xvw clothe^ nearly to rags) not forgetting gloves and, if
possible, a billhook, in dense bramble thickets where one hears the
bird singing, seems to be one of the best ways of tackling the nests
of this species in Southern Spain. The wonderful brick-red {.^^■s<
(which I tind do not fade noticeably), are of course unmistakable^
and identification therefore presents no sort of difficulty.

Melodious Warbler, Hippolais polygloita [Vieillot) is quite a
common bird, but it was only in May, 1920, that I really got to know
it. In 1911, I found a deserted nest containing three eggs at the end
of a quince bough on the edge of a swamp near Seville and I
imagined, especially after that, that it was a swamp-loving bird,
but I now know that it is not necessarily, if at all, a swamp fre-
quenter. This year I met with any number of breeding pairs,
and thev were invariably on dr^/ ground in cork woods wherever
there was an open glade in which gorse and other bushes grew.
The song and the bird are conspicuous enough, but I am not prepai;ed
to say that I know the difference between this species and its near
relative of more northern climes — the Icterine Warbler, Hippolais
iderina {Vieillot) which I found commonly in Northern France
while there during the War. Where these two species overlap
it must be somewhat difficult to identify any nest found, but the
nests I have found in the two remotely divided districts of Northern
France and Southern Spain have been dissimilar, and the eggs of the
Melodious Warbler are distinctly smaller on the average, but if
several lots of eggs were mixed, I should not care to try and separate
them. All the nests I found this year were, with one exception,
in gorse bushes and about 2 feet from the ground, and fairly well
concealed — the exception was in an evergreen shrub of sorts.
About 20th May seems to be a good date for fresh eggs. The nest
is very deep and neat, and often whitish looking on the outside
owing to the outer covering being of dead grey-white thistle leaf.
However, this is by no means invariable, but all nests found con-
tained a certain amount of plant down and were made of fine flowering
grasses, lined with finer grasses and a small amount of white
plant seed which resembled dandelion. The Icterine Warbler

44 The Oologists^ Record, June i, 1921.

nests I found in France were very similar, but usually much whiter
outside owing to the use of spiders' webs and sometimes light
coloured feathers and willow-down. They were also usually
lined with white hair, and I have not noticed hair in the lining of
Melodious Warblers' nests. The Melodious never, in my experience,
mimicked other birds, while the Icterine Warbler is a marvellous
mimic. Four is the normal complement of eggs for the Melodious,
and I twice found five. All the nests were found without dithculty
by beating gorse bushes where I saw birds of this species flying
around.

The Western Olivaceous Warbler, Hippolais opaca {Licht.), is a
near relative of the Icterine Warbler, and I believe it to be a common
bird in Southern Spain, but in 1910 and 1911, owing to my ignorance
of the fact that such a species existed at all, and also to the fact that
it is a late breeder, I never found a nest or got to know the bird.
Between the 20th and 26th May, 191 1, four lots of eggs were brought
to me, when staying on the banks of the River Guadalquivir below
Seville, by small boys. Each set consisted of four eggs, and they
were all fresh. In my ignorance I imagined them to be eggs of the
Melodious Warbler, in spite of the ground colour being grey-white
instead of a delicate pink. On getting home, I soon had my error
pointed out to me by a well-known oologist, and there is really no
difficulty in identifying the eggs by their appearance. I imagine
that below Seville they nest in orchards and gardens near the banks
of the River Guadalquivir.

Of the Phylloscopi I mention the Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus
trochilus (L.) and Wood Warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechst.)
in order to say that, whatever may be stated to the contrary in
Irby's " Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar," or in other works»
I am unable to agree that there is the slightest sign of either species
breeding anywhere in Andalucia. I know both species extremely
well, and spent a month in 1920 in a perfect wood for the Phylloscopi
and never saw the slightest sign or heard a note that resembled these
two species of Warblers.

The Chiffchaft, Phylloscopus collybita {Vieillot), is a common
breeding species and I should not mention such a well-known bird
in these notes if it was not for the fact that, although the South
Spanish Chiffchaff is similar in appearance to the typical species,
it differs very appreciably in note and eggs. The note I cannot
describe clearly, but what strikes one at once is the absence of the

The Oologists' Record, *Jnne i, 1921. 4.5

" chaff " in the well-known " chiff-chaff " refrain. Instead of the
second note there is a series of four or five descending ones, and any
ornithologist who knows the notes of common birds can at once
detect the difference between this bird and its British representative.
The nests I found in the last two weeks of April were typical Chiff-
chaffs' and were suspended in brambles or brambles and fern about
I to 3 feet*from the ground. The eggs were cither four or five in
number, and all the eggs I have seen are remarkable for the fact that
the spots are larger as compared with those found in Britain and
are more evenly distributed all over the eggs. They are also much
lighter in colour, in fact the spots in one case were quite pink, and
the eggs greatly resembled those of certain types of the Willow
Warbler. Never have I seen the typical very dark, small and almost
black-spotted type that we have normally in Britain. I am glad
to say that my friend, that well-known ornithologist Captain
Hubert Lyncs, discovered these differences in the Spanish Chiffchaff
independently of me, near Gibraltar, some years ago and wrote a
paper on the subject for the " Ibis." The result of our independent
observations is that we both completely agree as to the differences
I have endeavoured to describe. The only solution I can offer for
these differences, is that presumably the Andalucian Chiffchaff
is a resident and is gradually becoming a sub-species, but has not
yet differentiated from the normal type except as to note and eggs.
Bonelli's Warbler, Phylloscopus bbnelli [Vieillot) is extremely
common in South Spain and takes the place of its more northern
relative, the Wood Warbler. In some ways they are not unlike
and the song of the former has a distinct family resemblance to that
of our own bird, but it is rather a feeble imitation without any of
the shivering trills of the Wood Warbler. The ten nests I found in
1920 were in almost every case extremely well concealed on trackside
banks in a wood (tracks formed by mules and rains), but two (?r
three were on slightly sloping banks among trees in the wood, and
one was practically on the flat ground in the same wood. Man\'
of the nests were extremely sketchy, and when placed in a natural
recess had very little dome. Absolutely no feathers were used, and
in many cases there was no hair in the lining. The normal lining
was of fine fibrous black rootlets. In the few cases where there
was hair there were only a very few strands, and it was always
black. Nests were easy enough to find by noticing any bird that
sounded its mournful alarm note (different but not unlike the Wood

46 The Ooiogisls' Record, Ju tie i, 192 1.

Warbler's) between 6.30 to 8 a.m., and 5 to 6 p.m. The alarm note
always appeared to come from a bird, presumably a hen, that wished
to go to its nest. Any bird returning to its nest to sit, always tried
to drop almost vertically on to it from a tree or bush above —
sometimes a drop of 10 feet or so, but in many cases there was no
vegetation of any height above the nest and the drop was a very
short one of a foot or so. Needless to say a sudden drop from a
tree or bush should always mean a certain nest. My dates for eggs
were as follows : — i6th May, c/5, c/5 (nearly hatching), c/5 (con-
siderably incubated) ; 19th May, c/5, c/5 (incubation sliglit) ;
20th May, c/5 (nearly hatching) ; 23rd May, c/4 (incubated two
days) ; 25th May, c/5, c/5 (incubated i day), and c/4 (incubated
2 days).

I am nearly certain that the three nests of 28th May, were the
second nests of the three lots of i6th May, as each nest of those
of the 28th, was within 15 yards of those of the i6th. On 17th
May, these presumed second nests were being built in a great hurry.
Quick work to build and lay a full clutch of eggs in 11 days, and
curious that all three pairs should complete their several tasks in
exactly the same time !

The eggs of Bonelli's Warbler that I found were much like
Wood Warbler's, but on an average decidedly smaller, and the spots
have a more ruddy tinge.

The only other Warblers I have met with breeding in Spain
are the Great Reed, Reed, Blackcap and Whitethroat, but as they
are well-known in England, except the Great Reed, I do not propose
to say anything about them except that the Great Reed, Acro-
cephahis anmdinaceus (L.) appears to be only locally common,
nests in colonies and has normally five, and sometimes six, eggs
about 20th May.

If any reader of these notes meets with the Sedge Warbler,
Acrocephalus schoenohaemis (L.) or Aquatic Warbler, Acrocephalus
aquaticus (Gm.) or Garden Warbler, Sylvia borin (Bodd.), breeding in
Andalucia he will be doing useful work for ornithological science
if he records the same. It has been stated in print that the Aquatic
and Garden Warblers do breed there, but neither I nor. anyone I
have met, who has worked there in recent years, has ever found
either of them in the breeding season.

The Oologisis' Record, Ju7ie i, 1921. 47

NESTING OF THE GREAT TIT.

(Pariis major neivtoni, Prazak.)
By The Editor.

On 24th May last a nesting-box near our house was observed
to have, in the morning, two eggs of the Great Tit hiid merely on
the " lloor " of the box with but the veriest beginnings of a nest
in the box. By the morning of the 28th idem the nest was found
to be completed and the ? was sitting upon seven eggs.

A still more curious incident in the life history of the Great Tit
was observed in 1918. On the evening of i6th May we peeped
into a nesting-box containing nine young Great Tits almost ready
to fly, and we looked down upon what looked like a quilt of plumage,
the nine little ones being arranged most neatly in three rows of
three each. We were away from home until the 31st day of the
same month when, walking round the garden in the evening we
chanced to peep into the same nesting-box again and saw, to our
astonishment, a Great Tit sitting. Feeling sure that she could
not be brooding the little family last seen in the box we put her off
and foimd that there was a new nest which contained nine eggs.
We supposed that these eggs could not have been the produce
of the former tenant of the box, but in any case the incident seemed
extraordinary for the first nest must have been pulled out, the
new one built, and the nine eggs laid, all inside fifteen days. We
did not take any of these eggs, and cannot therefore say how long
they had been incubated.

Modern methods of egg blowing are still unknown to some
collectors in out-of-the-way places. Some " two-hole " eggs recently
received from Brazil exhibit, nevertheless, the most perfect and
careful blowing we have ever seen. The two holes are both in
the centre of the sides of the eggs, and the smaller of the two is
in most cases so small as to be almost invisible, and so small that
one wonders if any air could enter by it. Even the larger of the
two is smaller than some of the smallest we have seen in " one-hole "
specimens. Notwithstanding the smallness of the holes all the
specimens appear to be perfectly cleansed and free from even
the lingering deposits of yolk sometimes seen round the holes.

48 The Oologists' Record, June i, 192 1.

A correspondent in the Philippine Islands states that for some
reason or another there is a great difficulty in finding eggs in the
islands. One trouble is that the vegetation is very rank, and another
that there is no well-marked nesting season as in temperate climes,
and no month in the year when some birds are not nesting. Our
correspondent states that the European Tree Sparrow {Passer
montaniis), which has been introduced, is doing fairly well in the
vicinity of Manila and also in Cebu.

A copy of Mr. Francis Edwards' latest list of ornithological
works, just to hand, includes many of great interes^t to the oologist
both in the United Kingdom and abroad. One wonders if the
time will ever return when really good scientific books can be
produced at the prices prevailing before the war.

Apropos of books, we are often asked to recommend a concise
work on British birds and eggs for overseas oologists. In such
cases we usually suggest Mr. Coward's most excellent two-volume
work (cloth, 25s. net). With the exception of the poor quality
of the illustrations of eggs there is nothing else anywhere approaching
it. The coloured illustrations of birds are beyond praise, and the
many photo illustrations of nests in situ are extremely good also.

Harrison & Sons, Ltd., Printers in Ordinary to His Majesty, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. 2.

THE OOLOGISTS' RECORD.

Edited by KENNETH L. SKINNER.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Vol. I -No. 3.] [September 1, 1921.

A BIRDS '-NESTING TRIP TO ANDALUCIA.

By H. KiRKE SwANN, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.

My trip to Spain this year was much more fortunate than
that of last year, chiefly because I had more time and was
consequently able to get further afield and do more observing and
collecting. .1 was also fortunate in being able to get to the
Guadalquivir and the Cotos, the most desirable of all collecting
grounds in Spain.

I left London on 31st March, a week later than last year,
and, travelling by the same route, reached Madrid on 2nd April,
going on to Seville the same evening and arriving at Coria, on the
river below Seville, on the afternoon of the 3rd. Here I met
my companion, J. H. McNeile. The only birds of note observed
on the way were one or two White Storks, Ciconia alba,
and Black Storks, Ciconia nigra, on the river between Cordoba
and Seville and a few Hoopoes, Upupa epops epops, in the olive
gardens.

The next morning we rode out with a Spanish guide to the
pine woods, starting at g a.m., and riding all day, our mounts
being, I think, ex-stalking horses, which were quite incapable of
going at more than a sober walk unless constantly urged forward
by blows from one's stick. They had their own ideas of pace,
and mine took a lot of beating, philosophically, before it could be
induced to break into a trot, which it only kept up so long as the
stick was applied. They also had a detestable habit of following
in a line and my horse was only happy when he could see the tail
of the one in front of him. Consequently he took a lot of arm-
tiring efforts at the outset before he could be induced to break
the line when I wanted to ride off to examine a clump of trees or
any other object of interest.

Our guide M — ■ — , was a famous fellow. He had been out
with many bird-men and was an expert tree-cHmbcr, while he
knew a great deal about the birds and their particular breeding

A

50 The Oologists' Record, September i, 1921,

localities. His father, I understand, was out with Lord Lilford on
the same ground many years before, so the thing was probably
born in him.

As we rode up the narrow lanes between hedges of great cadi,
10 feet or more in height, the first object of interest we came to
was a last year's nest of the Spanish Raven, Corvus corax hispanus,
on a big pine from which one of the birds flew, but it was too early
for eggs yet.

On entering the pine woods we saw many Black Kites, Mihns
migrans" migrans, and the woods resounded with their cries. We
also put up a Common Buzzard, Buteo huteo bufeo, and saw a last
year's nest near by in a pine tree. The mewing of the Black Kite
is quite different to that of the Buzzard. The cry of the latter
is a clear pee-you, while the Black Kite starts with a piercing mewing
whistle not unlike that of the Buzzard, but it is followed by three
or four tremulous or whinnying notes. Many of the Black Kites
were building and the ground below the trees in which the nests
were was littered with dropped sticks. Apparently, if they drop
a stick they do not pick it up but go to a distance for more.
Scattered about the woods also were many parties of Azure-winged
Magpies, Cyanopica cooki, which flew from tree to tree uttering a
low harsh chattering. Very few Hoopoes were seen but we saw one
Woodchat Shrike, Lanius rufus, perched sentinel-like on a small
tree and also observed one Black-throated Wheatear, Ginanthe
hispanica hispanica. We also heard the Nightingale and found a
nest of the Spanish Blackbird, Turdus meriila hispania, placed
0*1 a horizontal branch of an ilex, 20 feet from the ground, like a
Mistle Thrush's nest. This local race of Blackbird differs much,
in its habits from the English race and has the strange peculiarity
of not making a mud wall in its nest.

On 5th April, we crossed the river by ferry boat and rode out
across a couple of miles of level land covered with corn and bean
crops, the home of the Crested Lark, Galerida cristata, until we
came to a belt of marsh land on which were a party of five Buff-
backed Herons, Ardeola ibis ibis. On the rising ground beyond
we found the Spanish Goldfinch, Carduelis cardtfelis africanus (?)
nesting in the wild olive trees but only found one egg, as the date
was rather early. Beyond was a low-lying cattle corral with a
shallow stretch of water in the centre, the pastures around which
were the home of the Calandra Lark, Melanocorypha calandra

The Oologists' Record, September i, i92r. 51

calandra. Many pairs were put up and two nests were found
after much search, both with four eggs. They were placed under
the fronds of a spiny herbaceous plant which the cattle would
not touch. This large species has a rather unlark-like appearance
on the wing, being of a rather brownish colour and with a short
tail. It utters a peculiar warble on the wing, and when disturbed,
several pairs fly round in the air over the intruder somewhat after
the manner of some of the waders.

We heard the Cuckoo, Citculus canorus, on the way back and
also saw a couple of Marsh Harriers, Circus cBVUginosus harterli (?)
some White Storks, two or three Spanish Magpies, Pica pica
melanota, and many Kestrels, Cerchneis tinnunculits tinnuncidus.

The following day, 6th April, we spent in Seville, but M

went out and got a pair of White Stork's eggs from a nest on the
top of a small pine, about 25 feet high, to the west of Coria. This
nest was found by McNeile on the 3rd, and it then contained one egg.

On the 7th, we packed some food and bedding on our horses
and started out early for the Cotos and the famous IMarismas.
We rode all the morning through scattered pine woods and open
sand hills covered with stunted gorse and other vegetation, with
here and there a lone pine tree. Dartford Warblers, Sylvia imdata
undata, were fairly common here and in a tiny gorse bush we found
a nest of this species with one egg. Continuing into the pine
woods two single Red Kites, Milvns milvns milvus, were seen
sailing overhead. They are easily distinguished from the Black
Kite by the deeper forked and brighter red tail as well as by the
large whitish patch on the under side of the wing. The Red Kite
in flight is certainly worth more than a day's ride to see and possibly
it was of greater interest to us because of its marked scarcity
as compared with the ever present Black Kite. We observed
many nests of the latter species, some apparently nearly completed.
Working on through the larger timber after the luncheon halt,
we were for a time unsuccessful. We all three spread out well
and knocked all the pine trees which had nests in them without
result, until late in the afternoon when we put a Common Buzzard
off a nest about 70 feet up in a big pine and got a pair of rather
incubated eggs. We also saw two or three Snake Eagles, Circcstus
gallicus, and were shown a new nest of this species beneath which
was a feather or two from the bird but the nest contained no eggs.
Common Kestrels abounded in these wilds.

52 The Oologists' Record^ September i, iQ2i.

Nightfall found us on the edge of the marismas and, to the
accompaniment of the mournful hoot of a Scops Owl we urged
our weary horses towards a small farm on the rising ground near
the edge of the marshes, where we speedily secured accommodation
for our horses and, after some parley, accommodation of a kind
for ourselves. It was rough but acceptable, for McNeile and I
were allowed to spread our sleeping bags on the brick floor of the
best parlour, after first enjoying as good a meal as we could make
from our stock of provisions. M found more congenial accom-
modation elsewhere, but we were quite satisfied with the seclusion
and cleanliness of our selected quarters. Fresh air we got by
forcing open the window, but unfortunately we also thereby got
night marauders in the shape of mosquitoes. On another intruder,
who opened a door in the dead of night and looked in upon me with
shining eyes, I need not enlarge, for it proved to be nothing worse
than a cat.

Next morning I was out at daybreak and saw a wealth of birds
on the marismas. Purple Herons, Ardea purpurea purpurea,
stood about here and there while Buff-backed Herons, Ardeola ibis
ibis, stalked under the bellies of the cattle, and ducks of all sorts
flew up and down. One or two Avocets were to be seen and many
Ravens and other large birds. However, we were not intending to
explore the marismas then, so after an early breakfast we went
to see first a perennial Raven's nest in a huge pine near the farm.
The birds were about but it was too early for eggs. Pushing on
to a belt of big timber, under the guidance of a local donkey-man,
we put a magnificent Red Kite (Sp. Mildno real) off a nest about
80 feet up in a huge pine. The local donkey-man went up and
found that there was only one egg, which we left, and then pushed
on to another tract of big timber. Here we put up another Red
Kite from a nest 60 feet up in a tall thinnish pine and got three
very handsome eggs. The nest was lined with rags, paper and a
large piece of a rush basket. Near by we got another nest of the
Common Buzzard with two nearly fresh eggs. As we jogged on,
knocking any nest-trees to put off possible birds — for the guides
consider it useless to make an ascent unless a bird is seen to leave

the nest — we discussed Eagles with M . He affirmed that

Bonelii's Eagle, a well-known cliff breeder, here nested in pine
trees, a fact we were extremely sceptical about. Yet presently
we came to a huge pine, the biggest in the district, which had a

The Oo hoists' Record^ September r, 1921. 53

large nest in the crown, about 80 to 90 feet up, well protected by
the main branches which bulged out all round and then to some
extent recurved to contain the nest like the fingers of one's hand.
I would mention here that there are no lower branches to Spanish
pine trees, they are all lopped when the trees are young. Well,
we knocked and kicked this tree and out flew an undoubted Bonelli's
Eagle, HieracBtiis fasciatus fasciatiis. The incident was most
opportune to prove our guide's assertion. The climb was a very

stiff one. M started with a hobble rope around the tree as

well as his climbing irons but, losing one end of it when half-way
up, he had to continue without it. The bulging top of the tree
was very awkward, but he finally got into the nest and found
two little Eaglets in whitish down, possibly a week old, also half
a Red-legged Partridge. One we left but the other was sacrificed
and I sent it, duly formalined, to the British Museum (Natural
History) as evidence of this notable find. Apropos of this divergence
from the normal nesting site, Col. Willoughby Verner told me
recentl)' that he had known of three instances in Spain of the
Egyptian Vulture nesting in trees.

Near here we saw our first Booted Eagle, Hieracetus pennatiis,
with white underparts, the phase that seems to be the general
one in Spain, and we watched it make a magnificent vertical swoop,
presumably at a rabbit. Here also I observed two small uni-coloured
falcons flying about in a bunch of pines. They had the size and
appearance of Falco eleonorcB, but it was impossible to ihoot or
identify them correctly as we had no weapon with us but a pistol.
This species appears to have been observed in Spain by Lord Lilford
and by Howard Saunders.* We also saw a solitary Griffon Vulture,
Gyps fulvus fulvus, one or two of which often wander over from the
distant Sierras, several White Storks and a party of twenty or,
more Buff-backed Herons. Returning along a sandy track McNeile
found a nest of the Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius excuhitor meridio-
nalis, in the lateral branches of a thick wild olive tree, which contained
two eggs. Coming back over the marshes we also observed a

* Arevalo states, p. 75. that Castellarnau says that he has seen some
examples of this species in the month of October in the meadows of the little
villages in the Sierra de Guadarrama, that Vayreda notes it as rare and " de
paso" (Spanish = passing by) in Gerona. He states further that "some
English authors " have stated that it has nested for about a century on the
rocks of Penon at Gibraltar. — Editor's Note.

A 2

54

The Oologists' Record, September i, 192 1.

party of Pratincoles, Glareola praiincola, which settled on the
grass beside the track and were extraordinarily fearless.

On the 9th we went across the river again after Sardinian
Warblers, Sylvia melanocephala melanocephala, and found three
nests, two being in small furze bushes with, in each case, a small
tree alongside, and the third in the centre of a bunch of the tall
straggling bush, which the Spaniards use for hut-making. We
also got two more nests of the Spanish Goldfinch. In the marsh
below we found several nests of the Crested Coot, Fulica cristaia,
with from one to seven eggs. The eggs are darker than those
of the Common Coot, Ffdica atra, which frequents the same marsh.
Most of these nests had the rushes bent down and intertwined above
the nest, probably with the object of warding off Harriers and other
nest robbers. We put up a female Marsh Harrier from the centre
of the marsh, but a search only revealed an old nest of this species.
I have since come to the conclusion that the i\Iarsh Harrier breeding
here is Hartert's Harrier, Circus ceriiginosits harterti, of North
Africa and not the typical form, and Dr. Hartert is of the same
opinion.

Next day we went out to the Red Kite's nest found two days
before, with one egg, but finding there was still but one we had it
taken and it proved to be much incubated. No one had scaled
the tree before, so it became evident that the Red Kite must
sometimes lay but a single egg. Returning we found another nest
of the Common Buzzard with two incubated eggs and along
the edge of the marshes found three nests of the White Stork, two
being on the top of old straw stacks, and each with three eggs,
while the third was on a large tree growing in the deeper water
of the marsh. This nest was an enormous affair, probably 5 to
6 feet deep and appeared sufficient to fill a wagon. It contained
two eggs.

We went across the river again on the nth and saw some more
Sardinian Warblers' nests, two of which had four eggs each. We
also were shown by a boy our first nest of the Crested Lark, Galerida
cristata pallida, under a prickly plant beside the track. It contained
four eggs.

We left the samiC afternoon for Seville en route for Grazalema
in the Sierras, where, however, we did not arrive until two days
later, such are the facilities for travel in rural Spain. At Ronda
on the 13th, we found Serins, Serinus canarius serimts, singing in

The Oologists' Record, September i, 1921. 55

the Hotel Gardens and a pair of Lesser Kestrels about the cliff.
They chased ol^ a Raven which at one time winged its way near
them. A Blue Rock Thrush, Monticola cyaneus, was also flying
about the top of the cliff and singing on the parapet.

April 14th was our first day at Grazalcma and, leaving McNeile
to work the lower valleys, I started up the mountain pass with
a guide. We soon found a small griffonry consisting of five or
six pairs, only just through the pass, and got one egg, which proved
to be quite fresh, from a ledge, although all the other nests con-
tained half-grown young birds. Two pairs of Egyptian Vultures,
Neophron percnopterns percnopterus, also had nests in slight cavities
here. One proved inaccessible ev^en to the guide, a good climber,
but we got to the other nest in a small V-shaped fissure where
the floor was covered with bits of stick, excrement, bones, &c.,
with a slight hollow in the middle lined with a few old scraps of
rag and some hair. It contained a handsome pair of eggs. One
Lammergeier was flying slowly along the face of the cliff near
here. I found the high cliff frequented by the Black Redstart
and the Great Titmouse, well above the tree level.

Next morning the young Spaniard who got me a set of Egyptian
Vulture's eggs beyond Benamahoma last year brought me in
another set of two just taken from the same nest. They are remark-
able as being alike in size, shape, and colouring, yet marked at the
reverse ends to those of last year. He also brought in a pair of
eggs of the Eagle Owl, Bubo bubo hispanus, taken a fortnight before
from a nest in a cliff. On the i6th we set out on horseback to
Hermita de la Gigante with Francisco Vasquez. It was a grand
narrow gorge with great cliffs each side, where a few Griffons and
many Egyptian Vultures bred. We picked up a lad at the farm
at the head of the gorge as guide and endeavoured to get round
the right-hand cliff to where the Egyptian Vultures bred. Very
soon, however, we came to a nasty place, and as Egyptian Vultmes
were not exciting enough to tempt us to be foolhardy, we returned
the way we had come, the only nest found being that of a Griffon
Vulture with a full-grown youngster in it.

Next day we went across the mountain pass to Benamahoma
with horses and a guide. We saw a Golden Eagle, Aqnila chrysafos
occidentalis, flying round the peak of San Cristobal, but the guide
did not know where the nest was. In the woods along the pass
we observed several Spanish Jays, Garruliis glandarius, subsp. ?

A 3

56 The Oologists' Record September t, 192 i.

Near Benamahoma we visited the cliff, where the set of two Eagle
Owl's eggs had been taken. The nest was in a shallow light cave
at the very top of the cliff, merely shaded from the sun by two
or three small trees growing out of the rocks. It was easy to
descend into the cave by the help of one of these trees. The cave
still contained a few feathers of the Eagle Owl. A few yards away,
and about 10 feet from the top of the cliff was the nest platform
of a Griffon Vulture from which the egg, highly incubated, had
been taken a few days before. It was composed of a layer of dry
grass and small odd sticks, &c., with plenty of the droppings of the
old birds, which in the course of years so whiten the edge of the
nest-ledge that it can be plainly discerned from below. Another
Griffon's nest lower down contained a chick in white down about a
week old. This was a small griff onry, comprising only four or
five pairs. I noticed that in flight the Griffon Vulture uses its
legs in descending, holding them close together stretched straight
downwards, perhaps to assist in steering. When actually alighting
they are placed more forward and separated. One bird scratched
its neck with one leg during flight, an easy performance, perhaps,
considering the way it soars steadily on its mighty outstretched
wings, which are very seldom flapped in flight. I noticed, too. that
the tips of the quills are widely separated in flight. I only once
observed a bird make any attempt at attacking when its nest was
robbed. This was on the 14th, when my climber went up to a
higher nest which contained a young bird, I, meanwhile, being
perched in the middle of the cliff where we had just taken the
fresh egg previously mentioned. When the climber was at the
nest the old bird flew at him repeatedly, uttering a long harsh
scream quite different from the hoarse croak uttered not infrequently
in flight. The climber considered it somewhat menacing for he
commenced hurling all the loose stones he could find at the bird,
to my discomfort, for I was almost directly beneath him and two or
three hundred feet lower. I therefore fired my pistol at it, when
it wheeled near me, and that made it sheer off for a while. Witherby's
statement (" Practical Handbook," p. 184), on the authority of
Jourdain, that this Vulture is " absolutely silent on the wing " is, in
my experience, inaccurate.

There are, I found, in all, seven griffonries, large and small,
within 4 or 5 miles of Grazalema, the largest accommodating
about 25 pairs and the smallest 2 or 3 pairs.

The Oohgisis' Record, Sep i ember i, 1921. 57

We slept at Benamahoma on the 17th and went on to the Ridges
near Pinar next day, having added my friend of last year, Francisco
Chacon Rosa, to our party. We visited several Egyptian Vultures'
nests, but some were empty, while in two cases we completely failed
to find the nest holes in the broken wooded cHffs, although we
watched the birds go in, so cunningly is the nest hole often chosen.
Many Sub-alpine Warblers, Sylvia cantillans cantiUans, were about,
and we found one nest, but without eggs.

The 19th I spent in the scrub near Grazalema and found one
nest of the Spanish Blackbird with three fresh eggs, and again, there
was no mud wall to the nest. I also found a newly completed
nest of the Sardinian Warbler. I observed one Woodchat Shrike,
some Crested Larks {Galerida cristata pallida, I believe), many
Swallows, all of which appeared to be pure white below, and several
pairs of Red-legged Partridge. Some small parties of Bee-eaters
also passed over, flying north, and uttering their liquid call.

Next day I went shooting in the pass above the town. I tried
without success to shoot a Spanish Blackbird, but it is one of
the most wary birds in Spain and they flew shrieking to the cliffs
before I could get within shot. I secured a female Cirl Bunting on
the top of the mountain and also observed Spectacled Warblers,
Sylvia conspicillata, Sardinian Warblers, Crested Larks, one Rock
Thrush, Black-eared Wheatears, Linnets, Wrens and Meadow
Buntings, Emberiza cia cia. Another set of two Egyptian Vultures
was brought to me which had been taken from the cliff in the pass.
In the evening some boys brought in their hats three eggs of the
Black Redstart, Phxnicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis, and three
of the Black Wheatear, CEnanthe leucura, with the nests, but we
refused to take them, this being the only way to stop indiscriminate
and useless nesting by the local boys.

On the 2ist we examined the cliffs close to Grazalema and found
an Egyptian Vulture's nest in a small crevice half-way up in a part
of the cliff inaccessible even to the goat boys who climb over most
of this cliff, nor could we find any practicable position from which
a rope could be used, as the cliff overhung the nest. We took
two sets of Black Redstart, a 3 and a 5, from crevices in thischff,
one at the foot and one half-way up. The nests were made of
moss, grass, wool, down, &c., hned with hair, but sometimes feathers
are used for the hning. McNeile also got one set of four Sardinian
Warbler's eggs in a tiny thorn bush. From a ruined house we

^8 The OoiOgists^ Record^ September i, 1921.

disturbed a Black Wheatear from a small hole in the wall between
the ends of two rafters, and after some trouble extracted the nest
with four eggs, somewhat incubated. The nest was made of dry
grass lined with feathers, and a few small stones and bits of plaste ;
were placed under the front edge of the nest. In a medlar tree
in a garden on the outskirts of the town McNeile got a nest of the
Serin with four eggs. The nest was concealed in foliage at the
extremity of a drooping branch and was smaller and more shallow
than that of the Goldfinch and had no down in it, being lined with
hair. In the next tree was a Goldfinch's nest with four eggs, affording
an interesting comparison. The Serin's eggs were whiter and more
like miniature Greenfinch's eggs. We also found the nest of a
Common WTiitethroat, Sylvia communis, in a bramble clump with
six incubated eggs.

The next day I spent shooting on the mountain and got examples
of both the Black-eared and Black-throated forms of (Enanthe
hispanica hispanica ; also an example of a species of Crested Lark,
Galerida thedce, and a Stonechat, of which there were many but all
noticeably blacker in plumage than British examples. I also got
the male bird of a pair of Wheatears which struck me as considerably
different to ours, which had been previously recorded as occurring
here on migration. This pair were on the same patch of ground
on which I noticed similar birds last year and I think were either
breeding or about to breed. My male bird proved to be an example
of (Enanthe oenanihe nivea, first described from the Sierra Nevada,
and is, I beheve, the first authentic example secured from the
Cadiz Province, although there is one from Malaga in the British
Museum. I have therefore presented it to Tring Museum. It
differs from the Common Wheatear in the longer bill, much
greater extent of white on the forehead and much purer blue-grey
of the upper parts, without an}' brown shade, while the wings are
blacker.

The 23rd I also spent shooting on the mountain and got an
example of the local Dartford Warbler, a common bird here, but
of a different race to the British form, and also saw a number of
Spectacled Warblers, Meadow Buntings and a Rock Thrush. In the
evening one of our climbers from Benamahoma brought in another
set of two Egyptian Vulture's eggs.

On the 24th we visited the woods towards Ronda with a boy
as guide and McNeile obtained a nest of the Sub-alpine Warbler

The Oologisis' Record, September i, 1921. 59

with four eggs. I shot and identified the bird with certainty, but
it was too battered for preservation, so I was unable to keep it to
determine whether it belonged to the typical race, Sylvia cantillans
cantillans, or the North-west African race, Sylvia cantillans
inornata, as the darker red of the under-parts rather suggested.
It is indeed remarkable to what an extent the local birds seemed
to be akin to the North African forms rather than to the European.*
This nest was in a gorse bush among oak and other trees. We
found a second nest in gorse but without eggs, also a nest of the
Spanish Blackbird with four eggs, and a nest of the Sardinian
Warbler, Sylvia melanocephala melanocephala, with five most
beautiful erythristic eggs ; it was placed in a tiny prickly bush.
We also got a nest of four Cirl Bunting's eggs in a thorn bush and
a nest of four Blue Rock Thrush in the hole of a wall of a ruined
house in the centre of Grazalema. A number of Woodchat Shrikes,
Lanius senator, were seen this day.

On 25th April I left Grazalema on horseback at 5 a.m. for
Montejaque en route for Seville, leaving McNeile behind. The day
had not broken when I started, and the Scops Owls, Otiis scops,
were calling from the cliff below the"town, while almost at the same
time a Cuckoo commenced to call also. Not manj' birds of interest
were seen until near by Montejaque, when- I observed a party of
Bee-eaters, Merops apiaster, about the road. Entering my train at
9.10 a.m. I had the good fortune to make Seville, 50 or 60
miles distant as the crow flies, by 5.45 the same evening ! I stayed
there the night and went on to Coria the next morning. That
day I explored the river banks belov\' Coria but found httle of

* Paul Gwynne, in his recent work on " The Guadalquivir," writes : —
" When observant people who have been in Morocco or Algeria visit
the basin of the Guadalquivir, they are struck by the resemblance of the
Andalucian landscape to that of Northern Africa. Here are the same types
of hill and gorge, the same patches of rocky desert at higher levels, the same
watercourses which run dry in summer, the same cactus, aloe and locust .
tree. In the Boletin of the Geographical Society of Madrid, Don Federico
Botella even goes so far as to point out that the fauna as well as the flora
of this district are African and not truly Iberian, though it seems to me that
fauna have legs which the frowning Sierra Morena could hardly confine to
the south. For Botella's argument is that this range of mountains once
formed the southern cliffs of the peninsula, and that a channel of the Atlantic
separated Andalucia from Europe. Andalucia was then a part of Africa,
the Straits of Gibraltar did not exist, Hercules was not born, nor were his
Pillars thought of." — Editor's Note.

6o The Oologists^ Record, September i, 1921.

interest beyond a nest of the Nightingale, Luscinia megarhyncha ,
with one ^^g. I observed several Turtle Doves, Turtur communis,
and also a number of Bee-eaters on the telegraph wires.

On the 29th I rode out to the pinewoods with M . Many

Azure-winged Magpies, Cyanopica cooki, were nesting in these woods,
generally in little colonies of half a dozen or more pairs. The
nests were in the forks of small pine trees of a height of from 10 to
25 feet, and were composed of pine twigs, moss, bark strips, &c.,
with a layer of loose dry, powdery, earth, and lined with wool and
hair, there being a deep cup-shaped hollow. The sets varied
from five to seven eggs in number and were all fresh. Near by the
first colony I got my first nest of the Black Kite in a small pine.
It was a rough nest of sticks, and contained, as lining, two pieces of
white rag and a fiattened-out Goldfinch's nest. Farther on we
found two more nests, each with two eggs, and both lined with
rags, one only having some small pieces inside but a long piece
hanging down about 2 feet outside, where it had caught and been
left by the careless bird.

On our v/ay home a man took us to a nest of the Raven in a
big pine and was positive it was occupied by a pair of birds, but
on sending him up to the nest he brought down five handsome
eggs of the Common Kestrel. The nest had certainly been newly
lined by the Ravens and contained some grains of maize. This
day we observed several Hoopoes in the olive plantations.

Next day we rode out to the Cotos again. We found a nest
of the Common Buzzard in a 30-feet pine with one nestling and
one addled egg, also several more nests of Black Kite, all with
eggs and lined with rags, except one, which had a lining of horse-
dung and other rubbish. A Booted Eagle, HieracEtus pennatus,
was flying round in one part of the woods and we found what proved
to be the last year's nest, but it contained two eggs of the Common
Kestrel. Another set of four eggs of this species was also taken
from an old Kite's nest. Several Snake Eagles, Circalus gallicus,
were seen, and we found one new nest ready for eggs, a quill feather
of the eagle being on the ground at the foot of the tree. The flight
of this eagle is very leisurely and frequently it quarters the ground
like a Harrier. A Golden Oriole was calling in one part of the
forest.

The 29th was devoted to searching the more or less barren
Cotos for nests of the Spanish Raven, Corvus corax hispanus. We

The Oo/ogists' Record, September i, 1921. 61

soon put a bird off a nest in a medium sized tree in a small clump
of pines, and got six finely marked eggs, but a long search produced
only another set of two, although two other nests were found, newly
lined with bark strips, hair and wool, and ready for eggs. We also
found two other Buzzard's nests, the first with a nestling and an

addled egg while the second provided an amusing episode. M

had approached it while I was engaged in examining an old Eagle's
nest in an adjoining tree at which I fired a pistol shot to put off a

possible bird. M called excitedly to me to say that a bird

had stood up on his nest and flapped its wings. I therefore ap-
proached and fired a second shot at it, but without bringing off a bird.

M then commenced to climb the tree but declared that the

bird was still flapping its wings. I promptly fired a shot directly

at the nest from which M presently threw down to me a dead

Common Buzzard. Astounded at my prowess with the pistol I
approached and examined it and found it to be very much dead,
having probably been shot by a farmer some weeks before. The
nest also contained one smashed and dried egg. A ]\Iistle Thrush's
nest was also taken from a slender pine-tree containing three
remarkably blue eggs with purple markings in a zone, more like
eggs of the Pine Grosbeak than the Mistle Thrush. I have not
obtained skins of the local Mistle Thrushes but they struck me as
being browner than our British birds. Beside the track on our
way back we got a nest with three incubated eggs of the Crested
Lark, Galerida cristaia pallida, and I shot an example of Galerida
theclcB theclce, identical with the form shot on the Sierras.

On the 30tli we worked out to the Cotos, far to the south-west
of Coria, starting early and reaching the big timber, the home of
the Red and Black Kites, by 10.30. Many Common Kestrels were
breeding in the old Kites' nests and I obtained several handsome
clutches, noting that most of the nests were lined with dry earth.
I also got some more sets of Black Kites' eggs, one rather small and
shallow nest in a 70-foot pine yielding a very handsome set of 3.
This nest was of sticks, lined with cow-dung and part of a puff-ball
fungus. We lunched below this tree and then proceeded slowly,
tapping the trees which contained nests. The pine belt literally
teemed with nests, new and old, most of them Black Kites', which
birds we saw slipping off their nests in every direction. Two trees
side by side yielded a handsome pair of Black Kite's and a fine
set of five Common Kestrel's. A little farther on we came to

62 The Oologists' Record, September i, 192 1.

our turning point on the edge of a small clearing without having
found my special desideratum, a nest of the Snake Eagle. Right
before us, however, was a large fiat nest up in the bent-over top
of a biggish pine. I urged ray horse towards it and commenced
to strike the bole when out hurriedly flew a long- winged Snake
Eagle, dropping a quill feather from its wdng in its haste to be
away. The nest of sticks was lined with pine twigs and contained
the usual single large white egg, very slightly incubated. A little
beyond a Long-eared Owl was sitting in the dazzling sun on an old
Kite's nest and refused to come off until a shot was fired at her
when she flew sulkily away. The nest contained one young chick
and three addled eggs which were very much nest-stained. Many
Golden Orioles were seen in the forest, uttering their loud clear
bell-like song, quite unmistakable when once heard. Coming
back by the fighting bull corral we saw a flock of 17 Egyptian
Vultures and also a single Southern Grey Shrike, while from a tree
beside the track we put out two Black Kites from twin nests almost
touching one another. Only one nest, however, contained eggs,
a pair, one white, and the other well marked with pale red. This
nest was lined with bits of old newspaper. .

The next morning, ist May, my last day at Coria, we rode
out to the marsh on the opposite side of the river to look for the
nest of the Harting's Harrier we had seen on our previous visit to
the spot. On the waj' we found several nests of the Crested Lark,
Galerida cristata pallida, all placed in the deep hoof marks of cattle
in the dried mud of the track. Some had practically no nest at
all, 'others a distinct nest of dried grass. Arrived at the marsh
we worked steadily through it on horseback, a troublesome task
as the horses continually endeavoured to make for the parts where
there were short young reeds to eat. With a plentiful application of
rope-end, however, I smashed my way through and reached the
spot where the reeds were tallest, growing perhaps 6 to 8 feet out
of the water and here I found the last year's nest of the Harrier.
Before, however, I could make a circuit to look for the new nest
my horse took fright at a bull, which was struggling through the
reeds with a great noise, and headed for the bank. Here I found

M equally unsuccessful, but at that moment we saw the male

Harrier which appeared to have just left the reeds in the centre of the
marsh. We then proceeded to the other side of the marsh, and,
turning out sundry bullocks, lay down among the bushes to watch

The Oologists' Record, Septefuber i, 1921. 6^

for the bird's return. We lay there perhaps for half an hour watching

a Red Kite hovering, and other birds, and then M declared

that the nest could not contain eggs as we had not seen the bird
return. Not satisfied, I insisted upon returning through the
centre of the marsh and on arriving at the spot where the reeds
were tallest sure enough there was last year's nest again and a minute
or two later up flew the male Harrier from the new nest right against
my horse's head. It was built up out of the water about 2 feet
and was composed of a mass of dead reeds with a few small sticks,
the hollow in the centre being lined with the casings of reeds. The
four eggs were much incubated and nest-stained. There were
many Crested Coots about and I took one set of six eggs and saw
also a nest of ten eggs of this species as well as two nests of the
Common Coot with five eggs each, and a joint nest containing
six Crested Coot's and five Common Coot's, the former being easily
distinguished by their darker appearance.

At mid-day we returned to Coria and I left in the afternoon
for Seville where I met McNeile on his return from Grazalema.
He brought me a couple of Swallows with their eggs from Grazalema
to help me in my enquiry as to whether there was any difference
between the local Swallows and our North European birds. One
was the darkest bird we had seen, buffy-white below, and the
other one of the usual white-bellied ones.

The next daj' I returned to England while IMcNeile went on
to Coria and the Marismas. Of his doings there I am not competent
to speak, beyond mentioning that he secured two sets of eggs of
the Great Bustard and also some of the waders, &c., while he also
got a couple of sets of five of the Lesser Kestrel, one of which he
generously presented to me on his return to England, as I had left
too early to get eggs.

A REMARKABLE CUCKOO COINCIDENCE.

By G. J. SCHOLEY.

During the nesting season of 1919 a pair of Pied Wagtails took
possession of a small chalk quarry, but I did not find them nesting
that year. In April of 1920 I noticed with much pleasure that
another pair had joined them, presumably by reason of a further
opening out of the quarry which by this time extended over roughly

64 The Oologists' Record, September i, .1921.

2 acres, being 35 feet deep. There are various water springs all
the year round in addition to which the quarry receives the water
from the local marshes. This water has to be pumped out daily
before the men can get into the quarry from which the chalk is
taken for the manufacture of Portland cement. The conditions
make an ideal habitat for such a bird as the Pied Wagtail, water
life and aquatic vegetation being in abundance. In the early part
of May, 1920, 1 noticed a Cuckoo one morning apparently searching
the sides of the quarry with the two pairs of Wagtails in hot pur-
suit, and I consequently resolved to make a thorough search for
their nests. I could find nothing, but continued my search daily as
the Cuckoo was still hanging about at intervals. However, there
was no trace of Wagtails' nests, so I got my friend Hollands, who
had more time at his disposal, to watch proceedings. It was several
days after when he came to me and said he had found a nest, but
he could not get at it as it was so far under the chalk. I accordingly
went to the spot, groped a way into the entrance of the hole, and
found a Wagtail's nest with three eggs and a sHghtly incubated
Cuckoo's egg. We thoroughly searched the remainder of the
quarry, but could find nothing. Further watchings did not assist
us, but I was certain from the movements of the Cuckoo that she
must be on egg-laying business. As the time went on we con-
tinued our searches, and it was not before several days had elapsed
that Hohands found another Wagtail's nest with three eggs and
another incubated egg of the Cuckoo. The female Cuckoo put in
an appearance frequently onwards, often accompanied by two males,
and it was getting well into the season. One evening I saw the
hen Cuckoo come over and sit on a hurdle gate on the top of the
quarry, where she could get a good view of the neighbourhood.
Six or seven times she flew to two different stacks of large flint
stones, which she examined very thoroughly, going in and out of
several of the recesses between the stones. I remained obscured
until she finally left the locality, when I went to examine the two
stacks of flints. In one stack I found a Wagtail's nest with three
eggs very artfully concealed, but the second stack of flints where
the Cuckoo had also been, revealed me nothing, although I was
certain it contained a nest. The Wagtail's nest in the first heap
got the Cuckoo's egg the next day, one Wagtail's egg disappearing,
as when the Cuckoo's egg was found the Wagtail's nest only con-
tained the three eggs, and there were four in the nest that morning

The Oologists^ Record^ September i, 1921, 65

at 9 a.m. We found the Cuckoo's egg at 6 p.m. We continued
our search in No. 2 stack of flints, but without result. We saw
no more of the Cuckoo after this, but on the i6th July I saw a
pair of Wagtails feeding a young Cuckoo. I had been beaten, and
they had got this one off somehow, undoubtedly in that second
heap of flints — a nest too well concealed for me to find.

I watched the Wagtails with the young Cuckoo with some pangs
of regret, even to the extent of going once more to that second
heap of flints to see if I could trace the old nest. I remained beaten,
fully convinced of the Wagtail's cunning. I could only hope. All
sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind, and I wondered whether
I should ever have the pleasure of tracing the young bird which had
been successfully reared. Nine weary months seemed a long time
before anything could be done, but it came at last.

On i8th April, 1921, I was about early, 6 a.m., and had the
pleasure of seeing seven Cuckoos sitting on the very hurdle gate
from which my Cuckoo had spotted her nest the year before. Here
w^as a problem, but as the days passed by I proved them to be
two females and five males. Here again all sorts of things flashed
across my mind. Could the two females be my last year's bird and
the young bird I had seen with the Wagtails last year ? Time had
to prove again and on 12th May I saw a Cuckoo hanging Wood-
pecker fashion on to the steep side of the quarry. With the aid
of a ladder I got to the hole, and found a Wagtail's nest with no
eggs but apparently ready. This nest had one Wagtail's egg the
next day, and on the day after, 14th May, 1921, it contained a
Cuckoo's egg, but — it was not by my last year's Cuckoo. All sorts
of things again flashed through my mind. During the afternoon of
the 14th May I saw a Cuckoo enter a hole under a flint, five or
six times. Once she came out tail first. She was in this hole 30
seconds at a time. This hole revealed another Wagtail's nest
apparently ready for eggs. On 15th May the Wagtail laid her first
^^,'^, and on the i6th this nest had a Cuckoo's ^g^ by the same bird
that laid on the 14th.

Where was my last year's bird ? I was not dismayed as I
continually saw the two females in the quarry. On 4th June I
happened to be looking round the quarry, and saw a Cuckoo sitting
on a stack of rails. I immediately ran to cover, but she flew off.
I gave her time to get right away, then went in search of a Wagtail's
nest in the vicinity of the stack of rails. Here I discovered a

66 The Oologists' Record^ Septe^nber r, 192 i.

Wagtail's nest in a hole in the quarry side just above the rails. I

was overjoyed, as this nest contained two Cuckoo's eggs and one

of the Wagtail's. One Cuckoo's egg was the same as I had found

on the 14th and i6th May and the other was — joy to me — by my

last year's bird. Here was the mystery solved at last — mother and

daughter back to the old place and using the same nest. At this

time we had quite a few pairs of Wagtails about, probably the young

from last j^ear's two pairs. Nests, however, were scarce, as the

works not pumping through shortage of coal caused the bottom of

the quarry to flood to a depth of 14 feet, complete!}- \nping out my

Wagtail's nesting places. I decided to rig up a few nesting places

for them on the banks above the water line by placing a few large

flints together, just sufficient to afford them shelter. One of these

was readily occupied, and on the 9th June I saw six Cuckoos at

various places on the hurdles above. While watching these I saw

a Cuckoo leave the stones where my nest was, but there was no

Cuckoo's egg. The Wagtails had three eggs on this da}- — 9th June

— and four eggs, on the loth, when I looked again. On the nth I

took up my observation post at noon. The female Cuckoo was in

the quarry at the time with two males. The two males remained,

and were continually being mobbed by several Wagtails. At i.io

p.m. I saw the female Cuckoo dive into a patch of grass from a

hurdle gate, and at 1.30 p.m. she rose and went straight to the

hole where I had seen her enter on the 9th. Six times she entered

and left. The other Cuckoos were still in the quarry, and at 1.40

p.m., that is 10 minutes later, a Cuckoo entered and left the hole

again six or seven times. The other Cuckoos were still in the

vicinity, and I w-as called away for business reasons. I returned

to my post at 3 p.m., and to my delight found two Cuckoo's eggs

and one of the Wagtail, the Cuckoos being the same as in the nest

on 4th June — mother and daughter again.

I thoroughly searched the quarry again, but could not find
another Wagtail's nest. I may mention that the nest just found,
i.e., nth June, contained five Wagtail's eggs that morning, so it is
safe to assume that each Cuckoo removed two Wagtail's eggs when
depositing their own. Unfortunately there was a serious shortage
of Wagtail's nests, due no doubt to the flooded pit, but on i8th
June I saw a Cuckoo visit two places in the quarry, continually
fly-ing from spot to spot for the best part of an hour. I let her get
away and went straight to each place, and found a nest readily

The Oologists' Record^ September i, 1921. 67

enough in both places. The two nests were practically built but
contained no eggs. On the 19th June one nest was again empty,
but the second, nest contained one Wagtail's egg. At 9 a.m. on
the 20th the first nest still had no egg and the second Wagtail's
had two. I took up my post at noon, and at 12.55 the female
Cuckoo came over and rested on the hurdle gate. I lost this Cuckoo
at I o'clock, and can only assume that she was somewhere in the
grass. At 1.20 p.m. I noticed her again in the quarry, and she came
over to within 6 feet of me. I had taken up a position just above
No. I nest. She flew straight to the nest, her gape was wide open,
and I plainly saw an egg in her throat, in fact I was near enough to
see the red lining in her mouth between the egg and the base of
her beak. She was assaulting two Wagtails, which she continually
butted with her wings. They were undoubtedly the owners of
No. I nest. They would not leave her, and she turned and flew
straight to the second spot I saw her at on the i8th. The other
Cuckoos were still about, and it was a difficult matter to pick out
the bird I was watching. I managed to see her four or five times
enter the hole at the second spot. This was 1.45 p.m. In and out
she went, finally fl}'ing off in company with the others. It was
3 p.m. before I left my seat to investigate. No. i nest was only
6 feet away from me, and this was in the same condition as it was
earlier in the day, no doubt forsaken through the attention of the
Cuckoos on the i8th, and no doubt accounting for the Cuckoo's
assault on the Wagtail on the 20th. I went straight to spot No. 2,
and here found my two Cuckoo's eggs again for the third time with
one Wagtail's — 20th June. The apparently forsaken nest (No. i)
proved so subsequently, as it never contained eggs.

The net result of my season's observations was three eggs from
the mother, eight from the daughter, three of which latter came
to grief, two by falls of chalk and one too hard set to blow. It
can be readily understood that the actual depositing of the Cuckoo's
egg was not seen, as the Cuckoo had to enter a hole each time,
which rendered her immune from observatioj:i. One can also
understand how easy a Wagtail's nest can be overlooked through
their selection of such cunning nesting places. The nest containing
the Cuckoo's egg on i6th May was built in a stack of chalk, and
had three small entrances. The nest was at least a foot in the chalk,
and how the Cuckoo managed to insert her egg I cannot understand.
I had to remove pieces of chalk before I could remove the eggs, and

68 The Oologi sis' Record, September i, 192 1.

an examination of the nesting hole proved to me that the Cuckoo
had been in difficulties also, for one of the Wagtail's eggs was lying
in the hole on the side of the nest. What happened is clear. The
Cuckoo apparently just had sufficient space to deposit her own ^^^,
but in removing one of the Wagtail's eggs she found the exit too
small. Her feathers ruffled in her endeavour to withdraw, and she
was glad to drop the Wagtail's egg over the side of the nest in order
to release herself more easily. The ^^g dropped upon chalk and
was fractured, probably due to the difficulty she experienced in
withdrawing her head from the hole. This is not the first time I
have noticed this with Wagtails — in fact I always examine the
interior of the Wagtail's nesting hole for a stray egg, especially
where I consider the Cuckoo has had difficulty in entering a small
hole.

The tg'g I saw in the Cuckoo's throat on 20th June has interested
me. I do not claim it to be her own. It certainly could have been
the egg of the Wagtail which she was removing, carrying it away
in her throat to avoid detection by the Wagtails belonging to No. 2
nest, where she ultimately deposited her own. On the other hand,
it might easily have been her own, which she had intended for No. i
nest. It is also very interesting to note how these two female
Cuckoos kept the company of their five male consorts. This is
especially to be noticed in connection with the deposits by both
female Cuckoos on the nth and 20th June respectively. Once again
it is proved that the female Cuckoo ffiids the nests of her dupes
at least 48 hours before she uses them, and I hope next season, if
they return, to have such arrangements made as will enable me to
ascertain with certainty what actually happens when they enter
the Wagtail's nesting hole.

The Oologists' Record^ September i, 1921. A 9

9, Hay Hill,

Berkeley SyuAKE, W. i.
August loth, 1921.

Dear Sir,

Mr. G. J. Scholey has most kindly afforded me an opportunity
of inspecting the series of eight Cuckoos' eggs taken in five Pied
Wagtails' nests, during the. past season, and he has also personally
shown me the nesting sites referred to.

The enquiry which Mr. Scholey is so enthusiastically pursuing is
lull (jf interest. Although it is of course impossible delinitely to
declare that the two Cuckoos which on three occasions this season
laid in the same Wagtail's nest are mother and daughter, there is
no doubt that the character of the eggs, as regards shape, size and
markings, though differing in colour, lend support to that belief.
Mr. Schole}^ declares emphaticall}' that each of the three Wagtails'
nests in which the two Cuckoos laid received both Cuckoos' eggs
on the same days, viz., the 4th, nth, and 20th June respectively.

It is to my mind an astounding coincidence that on each of the
three occasions both Cuckoos should lay on the same day, and
that too when the interval of time between the laying in each nest
was not less than a week. One is almost forced to the conclusion
that there was some collusion or co-operation between the two
female Cuckoos.

As a result of my own intimate study of the Cuckoo's habits
during the past four seasons, I have formed the conclusion that sooner
or later one female Cuckoo will dominate a given territory. By this
I mean that I should not expect to find in two consecutive seasons a
run of several eggs in any given area from two different Cuckoos,
laid in nests of the same species of fosterer. I feel sure that the
tendency is for each individual female to more or less monopolise
her natural fosterers in her territor}-, driving out any other females
desirous of depositing their eggs in the same nests. This aspect
of the fascinating Cuckoo question, let alone the whole field of
research into the habits of Cu cuius ca/iorus, is too big a subject to
go into more fully on this occasion.

I wish, however, to pay tribute to the painstaking study which
Mr. G. J. Scholey is making, and I hope that he will make every
endeavour to find every Wagtail's nest in his quarry next season.

70 y- The Ool ovists' Record, September i, 192 1.

In advance I will hazard the opinion that he will not find both
these Cuckoos laying together on more than one occasion next
year. One will dominate the other, and I shall be surprised if
he finds more than one or two eggs, if any at all, of the second
Cuckoo.

As is pretty generally known, I am hoping to publish, in due
course, considerable data respecting the egg-laying habits of the
Cuckoo, only basing my conclusions upon practical experience,
and that of such competent and accurate observers as Mr. G. J.
Scholey.

Yours faithfully,

Edgar P. Chance, M.B.O.U.
The Editor,

" Oologists' Record."

THE HEN HARRIER IN FRANCE.

In his notes in the March issue, Mr. J. Bishop related the finding
of a colony of the Hen Harrier in France. Some of the eggs secured
were afterwards submitted to the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain who has
pronounced them to be those of Montagu's Harrier. Three of the
eggs taken by Mr. Bishop from different nests average as large as
43 by 33"6, and are considerably larger, especially as to breadth,
than the average of 100 eggs of Montagu's Harrier. In communica-
ting these facts to us, Mr. Bishop adds that he had previously had
little experience of Harriers and had no chance to note the essential
points of difference in the birds themselves. The size of the eggs also
misled him.

"THE BOOK OF BIRDS.'

By Henry W. Henshaw, formerly Chief of the U.S. Biological
Surve}/, illustrated in natural colours from 250 paintings by Louis
Agassiz Fuertes and including chapters on " Encouraging Birds
Around the Home," by F. H. Kennard ; "World Record of
Feathered Friends," by Gilbert Grosvenor ; " The Mysteries of
Bird Migration," by Wells W. Cooke; and " How Birds can take
their own Portraits," by George Shiras 3rd, and 45 reproductions
from photos and 13 charts.

The Oo/ogisis' Record., September i, 1921. 71

Published by the National Geographic Society, Washington,
D.C., U.S.A. Price $3 ; postage outside the U.S., 36 cents.

•

Mr. Gilbert Grosvenor, President of the National Geographic
Society, was good enough to send us for review a copy of the above
work which, though published in 1918, is probably new to most of
our readers. Seldom has a bird book of more absorbing interest
come into our hands, dealing as it does with so many interesting
features of bird study.

Dr. Henshaw, who is responsible for the major portion of the
text, discourses on the life history of most of the better known
.species and deals particularly with the economic aspect of bird
life in its relation to agriculture. The great work done by the U.S.
Biological Survey in this field is well known to everyone, and the
pity is that our own Board of Agriculture does .so little in this
connection.

The late Wells W. Cooke explains most comprehensively the
migration routes of many of the North American migrants, and
the 13 charts, with which his article is enriched, show at a glance
the routes taken by many species. One of the most interesting
of these gives the two routes taken by the two great groui)s of the
Palm Warbler, Dendroica palmarum palmarum, one of which winters
in Porto Rico and breeds in the Mackenzie basin, while the other
winters on the northern shores of the Gulf of Texas and breeds in
Labrador. There is a point on the Western boundary of Georgia
where these two lines of migration cross, almost at right angles,
both coming and going. Another chart shows the different routes
taken by the Connecticut Warbler on the spring and autumn
journeys and another the two different routes taken by the Golden
Plover in spring and autumn. In the autumn its non-stop flight
from Nova Scotia, where it leaves the mainland, to the mainland
of South America, some 2,500 miles, is thought to be the longest
regular bird journey made.

There are far more bird sanctuaries in America than in England
and Mr. Kennard, in an article accompanied by numerous illustra-
tions, shows what can be done to attract birds even in a small way.
The account of what Mr. Grosvenor has achieved in this direction,
and which he no doubt justly looks upon as a world's record, is
truly remarkable. He acquired in Maryland a farm of about 100
^cres, half woodland and with some rough pastures and, some time

72 The Oologisis' Record, September i, 1921.

after he had taken it over, had a census taken of the number of
breeding birds. " The bird census, taken in the week of June 15th
to 2ist, showed that on the first acre, they had one pair of Flickers,
one pair of Bluebirds, one of Yellow Warblers, two of Orchard
Orioles, two of Catbirds, one of Song Sparrows, two of Chipping
Sparrows, one of Phoebes, 14 of House Wrens, seven of Robins, one
of Kingbirds and twenty-six of Purple Martins." There were
other acres for which a census was taken but no other came up to
this total of 59 pairs.

" I attribute our success primarily," writes Mr. Grosvenor, " to
shooting the English Sparrows and driving cats away, to putting
up many boxes, keeping fresh water handy at all times, etc. We
do everything we can for the comfort of our birds. For instance,
we put on twigs little pieces of the oiled paper that our butter was
wrapped in, and we left mud in convenient places for the Martins.
The Catbirds used the oiled paper for their nests ; in fact, they used
all kinds of scraps. Imagine the delight of the family, when, on
examining one of the Catbirds' nests in the autumn, we found
one of the children's hair ribbons and also a piece of an old dress of
the baby." Mr. Grosvenor relates, how, on placing a stuffed owl
in the garden, all the small birds came to inspect it, how a pair of
Red-throated Hawks, which nested in the orchard, had to pay the
penalty for their misdeeds, how a pair of Phoebes had a nest on
the cornice of the piazza, up and down which children ran all day,
and much besides.

A separate article by Dr. Henshaw on American Game Birds
will be read with great interest by British sportsmen, as the con-
ditions are so different from those that obtain in Great Britain.
He relates at length the alarming shrinkage in their feathered
game and the steps that are being taken to stem it. He does not
say so, but we would suppose that the creation of large landed
estates, a new and increasing feature in American rural life, will
perhaps tend to help matters if preservation is systematically
undertaken as it has been for centuries in England. Our large
landowners, though blamed for so much, can never be blamed for
not protecting our game birds. Even the cutting up of so many
large properties that has followed the War will not alter things much,
though one could wish that other species were protected as well as

the. game birds.

The Editor.

Harrison & Sons, Ltd., Printers in Ordinary to His Majesty, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. 2,

THE OOLOGISTS' RECORD.

Edited by KENNETH L. SKINNER.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Vol. I— No. 4.] [December 1, 1921.

OOLOGICAL NOTES ON SOME OF THE BREEDING
BIRDS OF PALESTINE.

By Capt. C. R. S. Pitman, I.A., M.B.O.U.

{Continued from p. 38.)

Brown-necked Raven — Corvtis corax umhriniis.

I did not actually take any eggs of this species, though I came
across many old nests in cliffs in ravines a tew miles north of Jeru-
salem, in the cliffs of the Jordan Valley between the Sea of Galilee
and the Dead Sea, and in the high and inaccessible cliffs ot the
innumerable wadies and ravines which open out into the Jericho
Plain from the eastern slopes of the Judean Hills. I have evidence
of their breeding in suitable localities throughout the hills of
Palestine.

The nest is of the usual type, though somewhat smaller than
that of the British bird, and is generally quite accessible, and often
placed in cliffs at no great height from the ground.

Similarly situated nests were found in Mesopotamia, in the hard
sun-baked cliffs of the River Tigris, near Samarra and the River
Adhaim.

The breeding season, I am told, commences in early March,
but I did not have the good fortune to visit any nesting haunts
at that time of the year.

This species is resident, though it moves down to the Coastal
Plain during the winter.

Palestine Hooded Crow — Corvtis comix syriacus.

This species I have found breeding both in the Judean Hills
and Coastal Plain, though their habits differ considerably in the
two areas. In the hills they are equally fond of olive and other
low trees as of tall evergreens ; and they seem to prefer the more
secluded valleys and ravines running up into the hills in the same
way as Garritlus i^landariiis atricapitlus, and avoid the hill-tops
and broad valleys between the larger ranges. In the Coastal Plain
they almost invariably build their nests in the tallest eucalyptus

A '

74 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1g2i.

trees, and often so high up and among such slender branches that
they are quite inaccessible.

In such situations the abandoned nest is often used by the
Hobby, FaJco suhhuteo, which does not lay its eggs until the month
of June.

In common with other Crows, this " Hoodie " sticks to the
same locality year after year, and even after being robbed of one
set of eggs will only move to another site in the near vicinity and
build a fresh nest, while instances have occurred of a second set
being laid in the first nest. There is little of interest in the descrip-
tion of the nest, which is the usual large mass of sticks placed in
a tree at any height from lo feet to 70 feet above the ground, and
which contains the soft receptacle for the eggs; made of dead grasses,
wool, lumps of hair, rags, old paper, string, etc. ; plastered mud is
not included in the constituents of the nest. The nests are fairly
conspicuous, and the sitting bird slips quietly off the nest on the
approach of a suspicious character in the same manner as Corvtts
corone, and thus often reveals the presence of. an otherwise unsus-
pected nest. If robbed of her first two sets of eggs, the same bird
will nearly always produce a third set. The Great Spotted Cuckoo,
Clamaior glandarius, uses this species for foster-parent, but I
never came across any eggs, though one of these Cuckoos was
frequently about during April, May and June at the edge of the
Wady Rubin marshes, where there were several Crows' nests in the
tall eucalyptus trees.

As so few specimens have passed through my hands, and I have
not examined many nests, I am hardly qualified to say very much
regarding the size of clutch and coloration of eggs. My eggs are
as follows : —

2.6.18 ... I Fresh. Judean Hills, north of Jerusalem,

2,400 feet.*
II. 4. 20 ... 6 Fresh. Wady Khanin, near Ludd.t
5.5.20 ... 2 Fresh. Bir Salem, near Ludd.J
10.5.20 ... 5 Fresh. Wady Khanin, near Ludd.f

* Bird deserted after egg had been taken — which I had to do, as the
previous nest had evidently been robbed, and I was afraid to leave this egg.

f The same bird.

f Nest in almost inaccessible tree ; eggs taken, as boy said he would not
go up again.

The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1. 75

The normal breeding season commences between the end of
March and the middle of April, and is prolonged as late as June
by the loss of the first, and sometimes second, set of eggs. Nor-
malh', it appears that there is only one brood brought up in the
season. I have noted in inches the measurements of the single egg
taken in the Judean Hills, i -64 x i • 16, and its coloration as " bright
greyish green, tinged bluish ; shell spots and fine speckles of greyish,
greyish brown, and greyish purple all over ; surface spots and
blotches, chiefly at the larger end, of sepia and brownish."

. There is nothing remarkable in the colouring of the eggs taken
in the Coastal Plain in 1920 ; they are much the same as the above,
though the set of two is bluer, with fewer markings, which are
principally confined to the top of the large end. This species is
resident throughout its range, though it moves about a great deal
during the winter, when it may often be found in fairly large flocks.

Syrian Jay — Garruhts glandarius atricapilliis.

Unknown in the Coastal Plain, but breeds freely in the Judean
Hills, where I found nests from 1,500 to 2,500 feet. I believe it
also nests in the hills near Nazareth, as I saw some of these hand-
some birds in that neighbourhood in the middle of March. Nests
were invariably placed in olive trees from 5 to 20 feet above the
ground ; there was no attempt at concealment, so they were not
hard to find. It was unusual to find a nest on the hill-crests or
slopes, or in the large valleys between hill ranges, as this species
prefers the smaller well-wooded ravines and vales running up into
the hills. In such localities there would nearly always be a pair
of Jays, and no more, and then it was only a question of systemati-
cally searching that area to find their nest. The same pair evidently
breed in their own special locality 3'ear after year, judging by the
number of old nests which were found in all stages of decay.

The nests do not appear td" differ in construction from those
built by the British bird, consisting as they do of a scanty founda-
tion of thin sticks and twigs into which is interwoven a fairl}^ solid
layer of rootlets, this being lined ^vith finer rootlets. In one case
the nest seemed far too small for the sitting bird, which could hardlv
get into it, and had her tail cocked up right over her back. Another
nest was in a tiny stunted olive tree, not 7 feet above the ground,
and quite conspicuous ; incidentally, this was the only nest found
on the slopes of a hill near the crest. I have not enough data to

A 2

76 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

go on to say much about the normal size of clutch, which is probably
six or five eggs. My sets are as follows : —

26.5.18 2 Fresh i,5ooS , , .,.,, ^,

o^ .. -rQ r -17- J J / Judean Hills, north

30.5.18 6 Very advanced ... 2,500 ,

. r. -rQ r- Tj + u- i. ' r ai^d north-west

4.0.15 5 Hatchmg out ... 2,300 I . j

13.6. 18 4 Advanced and bad 2,000' J ^

Measurements in inches of 13 eggs : —

Average. Maxima. Minima.

(L.) 1-26 (L.) 1-30 X -go (L.) I -21 X -90

(B.) -916 (B.) 1-23 X -94 (B.) I -21 X -90

The eggs do not differ in coloration from British specimens.
The breeding season apparently starts early in May, and there is
only one brood in the year. This bird is a resident.

Hagiopsar iristrami.

While Chukar-shooting in the Wady Kelt, near Jericho, during
August, 1920, I came across what were undoubtedly the nests
of this species on the ledges of the rocky and precipitous cliffs
which flanked this cleft in the hills. The nests, as far as I could
see, were large, untidy collections of sticks, and quite conspicuous —
they were not more than 50 feet above the ground level of the
ravine and by no means inaccessible. I have no information as
to which months constitute their breeding season. I believe this
species is a resident, and it is peculiar to a few ravines only in the
vicinity of the Dead Sea.

Palestine Greenfinch— Chloris chloris chloroiica.

Alter the House Sparrow {Passer domesticus biblicus) this is
probably the commonest breeding species in Palestine, at least in
the Coastal Plain, besides which it is one oi the earliest as well as
the latest to nest.

It is essentially a bird of the orange groves, though it is not
over-particular in its choice of breeding sites, provided that the
cover is fairly thick and helps to concealment, while it is by no
means uncommon in the Judean Hills. Dozens of nests may be
found in quite small orange groves, while this bird is even more
partial to the small patches of lemon trees which are
scattered amongst the groves.

The Oologisls' Record, December i, 1921. 77

Eucalyptus, firs and casuarinas are also patronised, and in the
hills the olive trees are usually selected, and preferably those which
are short and bushy. I have found no nests in the almond groves.

In 1918 half a dozen nests found in the Judean Hills were all
in olive trees, and those found in the Coastal Plain not far from
Jaffa were in —

Orange trees ... 51 Brambles and cover i

In 1920, out of over 200 nests found, I have the following records-
from the Coastal Plain near Ludd and Ramleh : —

Orange trees ... 88 Eucalyptus ... 8

Cypress firs ... 6 Lemon trees ... 13

No nests were found in mimosa, cactus or olive trees in this
area, and many more found in lemon and fir trees of which I have
kept no record.

Nests are found at \'arying heights above the ground, but are
rarely lower than 3 feet, the favourite height being from 5 to 7 feet,
while I have found nests as high as 15 feet.

They vary but little in construction, and out of several hundreds
examined there is not much to note.

There are two types of nest — the one made chiefly of fine twigs
and dead grasses, and the other principally built with the fine red
surface-feeding rootlets of the orange and lemon trees, which give
the nests a very rufous appearance, while they may be solid, neat
and compact, as well as rather flat and untidy. The former type
is found in the Judean HilK and a good many in the groves by
the River Auja near Jaffa, and in the eucalyptus and fir trees ;
while the latter is almost invariably confined to the orange and
lemon groves. The egg-cup and nest lining do not differ in materials
from those of English nests, and a medley of stuff can be found,
such as soft pieces of string, plant-down, vegetable wool, sheep's
wool, the hair and fur of animals, long horsehairs, pink medical
cotton-wool, feathers, and such like ; while I have sometimes seen
foundations of dead leaves and dry skeleton leaves, and in others
the nest decorated outside with lichens, aromatic plant stems and
dry flowers. A few special notes are worth recording : {a) " Rather
an unusual type of nest for this Finch, quite neat and compact,
being constructed of very fine dead grass firmly and closely inter-
woven and lined with soft materials, more like the nest of some
species of Sylvia." {h) " Remarkably neat little nest. The usual

78 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

foundation of dry stalks, stems, etc., but the upper part more like
a Goldfinch's nest of greyish-green dry flower and plant stems —
the usual soft lining." (c) " Untidy, and chiefly composed of
cotton-wool and plant-down, interwoven and strengthened with
plant stems, fine dead grass and flower-heads. Usual lining."
{d) " Nest chiefly composed of, and entirely lined with, great lumps
of hare's fluff — more like a nest of Par us major." {e) This last
I am about to describe was the most curious nest of all, and I
find it hard to offer an explanation. It was typical Greenfinch in
construction and placed barely 4 feet above the ground in a bushy
orange tree near the edge of a grove. But from some distance off
its large size and somewhat flatness of shape attracted my attention,
and it appeared to be more suited to a Bulbul than a Greenfinch-
Judge of my astonishment, then, to find two fresh Bulbul's eggs
(Pycnonotus capensis xanthopygus) and one very hard-set Green-
finch's eg^. All the eggs were warm, and the sitting bird, which
must have quietly disappeared, was evidently a Bulbul, as I have
never seen this species sitting in its nest ; while the Greenfinch sits
exceedingly tight, and will hardly fly away till one's outstretched
hand has almost touched her, and even then she keeps up a mournful
twitter from a tree or the ground only a few yards away. In this
case I can only come to the conclusion that a Bulbul appropriated
the nest of a Greenfinch and altered it to suit its own needs ; but
why did it contain the Greenfinch e^^, which would have hatched
out after a few days if I had left it ? Nests, though placed in any
part of a tree or bush, are generally fairly well concealed, and are
just as commonly found in the centres as well as along the edges
of groves, but never more than one nest will be found in the same
tree or shrub.

The following are the internal measurements in inches of some
nests examined in 1918 : —

2o X 2o X Ir

'2 ^^ ^^2 '^ -^4

■1
-2

-4

^ 8
2j X 2j X I

2 X if X I

2| X 2^ X I

2| X 2 X I1
2j X 2|- X I

24

X 2

X I

2h

X 2

X i|

2

X 2

X I

2l

X 2I

X 1

2i

X 2

X I

2i

X 2I

X f

2i

X 2I

X I

2|

X 2

X I;:

2|

X 2j

X

1

2i

X 2I

X

li

2i

X 2

X

li

^2

X 2I

X

li

2i

X 2\

X

3

4

2i

X 21

X

I

2i

X 2

X

1

2h

X 2j

X

I

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

79

In the hills I found nests at all heights up to 2,500 feet. The
breeding season commences at the end of March and continues
almost up to the end of August, though the principal nesting months
are April, May, and the first half of June. After that, nests, though
very common, are not abundant, and not many are likely to be
found after the end of July.

The earliest nest I found was on the 2nd April, 1920, and con-
tained five eggs which had been incubated over a week.

Nests found after the loth July contained eggs as follows :—

I9I8.-

—Coastal Plain, near

1920.—

-Coastal Plain, near

Jaffa.

Ramleh and Lndd.

II.7.IS

4

Sitting.

17.7.20

4

Fresh.

II. 7. 18

2

Fresh.

21.7.20

4

Advanced.

II. 7. 18

I

Fresh.

22.7.20

4

Advanced.

12.7. 18

4

Hatching

out.

24.7.20

4

Several days.

I4.7.I8

4

Advanced

.

27.7.20

4

Very advanced

I5.7.I8

3

Fresh.

2.8.20

3

Very advanced

I5.7.I8

4

Hatching

out.

12.8.20

3

Stale.

These can only be taken as rough records, as in 1918 I did no
more nesting after the 15th July ; while in July, 1920, I was not
on the look-out for nests of this species, and only took note of those
that I chanced upon while in search of other kinds.

Two broods are brought up in the year and possibly a third-
The normal clutch consists of five eggs, and out of at least 300
nests that I have examined I ha\'e only come across one in which
there was more than this number, and that one contained a set of
six fresh eggs which I took on the ist June, 1920, in the Coastal
Plain. In the same area that year, on the 12th June, I found a set
of four fresh eggs, one of which was a pigmy egg and not as large
as that of the Golden-crested Wren. Sets of five are very uncommon
late in the season, and I only came across two after the end of
June.

The eggs \ary tremendously in size and shape, as well as a
good deal in their coloration, and I find that several of my sets of
small Chloris c. chlorotica overlap the sets of my largest eggs of
Carduelis c. niedecki, as follows : —

8o

The Oologists Record, December i, 192 1.

Chloris

chloris chlorotica.

Measurements in Inches.

6.7.18

3

Fresh

.

•69 X -55-1

•70 X •S7yav.= -70 X

•56

•71 X •56J

9.7.18

3

A few days .

.. -66 X -^y

•72 X -56 Yav. = -683 X •
•67 X '53-

547

9.7.18

4

Fresh

■

-• ^70 X -531

•71 X -53 ^«''- = "71 X
• 72 X •54-'

•5325

•71 X -53

II. 7. 18

2

Fresh

-I 1 •

•• -68 X -541^,, ^ .69 X
•70 X •54>'

7 T • • 7 7 ■

•54

2.7.18 I Fresh
6.7.18 4 Advanced

Carduelis cardtielis niedecki.

Measurements in Inches.

•69 X '49

53 lav. = -7125 X -5175

14.7. 18 4 Very advanced

9-19.6.18 5^

•69

X •

•72

X •

•70

X •

•74

X •

•71

X •

•71

X •

•68

X •

•69

X •

•71

X •

52J

52.

52 r
52J.

•6975 X -52

52

•72 X -5

iJ

28.6.18 2
12.6. 18 2

•70 X -52^

•71 X ■^,2 y

•72 X -52^
•73 X -511 •
•71 X -51/
Bad, and one/ "72 X •53\
fledged young \ • 70 X -51/
Fresh ... -70 X -52^

•69 X •54/""

[av. --= -J

15 X •515

•71 X ^52
•695 X -53

* Five eggs of one set taken from the same nest, as follows : —
2 eggs . . Fresh . . Q.6.18

1 egg . . Fresh . . . 10.6. 18

2 eggs . . Advanced . . 19.6. 18

The Oologists Record, December i, 192 1.

81

From these measurements it will be seen that whereas the two
species of eggs overlap in length, they do not do so in breadth,
the eggs of Carduelis c. niedecki being considerably smaller. Never-
theless, when these sets are laid out together I And them so similar
that it is almost impossible to distinguish their species without
looking at the distinctive marks. In comparison with these
small eggs, the measurements of the largest sets should prove
interesting : —

In Inches..

57 yav. = -867 X -SO/
57J

56 ruv. = -827 X -56

58 Uv. = -8075 X -5775

%l

measured in 1918 (in inches) the average is
The

Maxima.

(L.) -88 X -57
(B.) -75 X

26.6.18

28.6.18

8.7.18 4

Hatching out

•85 X •

•88 X •

•87 X •

Very advanced

•83 X •

•83 X •

•82 X •

Advanced

•82 X •

•80 X •

•80 X •

•81 X •

Of 93 eggs
•7626 X -564.

•61

Minima.
(L.) -66 X -55
(B.) -67 X -53
Of 18 eggs taken by me in 1920, the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain,
M.B.O.U., sends me the following measurements (in milhmetres),
av. = 19-1 X 13*97 :—

Maxima. Minima.

(L.) 19-9 X 13-1 (L.) i8-i X 14-2

(B.) 19-5 X 14-5 (B.) 19-9 X 13-1

N.B. — In this latter series the longest egg is also the narrowest.

There is little to be said about the colouring and marking of
the eggs, as they approximate to British specimens ; and markings
are principally at the larger end, and though rarely in the form
of a ring are sometimes confined to a cap. There is also a some-
what erythristic type of eg^ of which I have taken a few sets, and
they are invariably large and curiously shaped eggs, which I describe
as oblate ovals. Their ground colour i^ a pale pinkish-brown with

A 3

82 The Oologisfs' Record, December i, 1921.

no trace of green ; surface markings are large and pale rufous and
chestnut, the shell spots being a very pale maroon and reddish-
purple.

One frequently comes across eggs with green rings near the
smaller end, due to some abnormality in the pigmentation, and if
one egg in a set is so marked one usually finds that two or three
eggs in that set are all similarly affected. To conclude a very
lengthy article, this bird is one of the commonest residents in the
Coastal Plain, besides which it is strongly reinforced in winter by
large migratory flocks. In the summer I have noted them feeding
freely on the seeds of borage, thistles, hawkweeds, dandelions
and various kinds of large daisies.

Palestine Goldfinch — Carduelis carduelis niedecki.

This exceedingly handsome little bird and rich songster breeds
freely throughout Palestine, though it is far more common in the
Coastal Plain than in the Judean and other hills. It is a resident^
but large migratory flocks also winter in the country. In the hills
I have found nests up to 2,500 feet, and the trees selected have
been fig, olive and pomegranate ; whereas in the plains, the almond
groves are the chief favourites, while nests are not uncommon in
the smaller eucalyptus and in the lemon trees and are iound more
rarely in the bushy orange trees. The following table of a few
recorded breeding sites is interesting : —

Coastal Plain.

1918. 1920.

Almond 12 ... 24

Leafy bush ... ... ... i ... —

Bramble cover ... ... i ... —

Orange tree ... ... ... i ...' 8

Eucalyptus ... ... ... — ... 8

Lemon ... ... ... • — ... 5

The usual height for nests is from 8 to 12 feet above the ground,
though some in almond, olive and lemon trees have been higher,
and one in an olive tree in the foothills was at least 20 feet. A
few nests also have been found very low, and one placed in the
foliage of the stump of an orange tree was barely a foot above the
ground.

Many nests may be found in a single almond grove, and the
birds seem to have no preference as to whether they build at the

The Oologisfs' Record, December i, 192 1. 83

edges or centre of a grove, or amongst the top or lower branches
of the trees. In orange trees the nests are well hidden, and in the
other sites are by no means conspicuous, on account of their small
size, and owing to the fact that the outside of the nests always have
a greenish appearance, due to the dried plant and flower stems used
as building materials, and which assimilate to a certain extent with
the foliage of the trees. The nests retain this greenish or greyish-
green appearance for many weeks, until some time after the young
have flown ; they then have a brown, withered look, and may
almost be mistaken for a very compact and solid type of nest of
Hippolais pallida elaica. Nests are usually small, very neat,
compact and solid, almost invariably decorated outside with dry
flower and aromatic plant stems, while the egg-cup is a thick mass
of soft plant wool and vegetable down beautifully interwoven ;
and there are frequently fine grasses, fine rootlets, or a few horse,
hairs mixed up with the lining just inside the lip of the cup. Of
course there are exceptions, and a certain number of nests are flimsy,
untidy, and rather flat. One curious fact I have noticed about this
bird on several occasions is, that the eggs are sometimes concealed
at the bottom of the nest beneath a thick layer of the soft lining,
and, unless one knew this trick or had actually put a sitting bird
off the nest, one would be liable to miss the eggs altogether. These
birds when on their nests sit very tight, and do not fly off until the
intruder is right up to the nest. They are then nearly always at
once joined by their mates, and remain very close at hand, keeping
up a tremulous twittering until the intruder has left.

The internal measurements of a few nests, in inches, are noted : —

2x2

X I

2

X 2 X I

2

X 2

X I

2^ X 2

X I

2

X 2 X I

2

X ij

XI

2^ X 2

X I

2i

X 2 X li

2

X 2

X I

2j X 2j

XI^s

2

X 2 X I

2i

X 2

X I

2X2

X f

2

X 2 X f

2

X 2

X

Eggs may be found from the end of March until about the end
of July, and possibly even in August ; but I think the latter half
of April and the month of May constitute their real breeding season,
though nests with eggs are quite common in June as well as in the
early half of July. In 1920 the first nest I found was on the 13th
April, and it contained two bad eggs and two young birds which
had been hatched out three or four days.

A 4

84

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

In 1918, after the 5th July, the following nests were found in the
Coastal Plain not many miles east of Jaffa : —
6.7.18 4 Advanced. 9.7.18 2

8.7.18 3 Several days. 12. 7. 18 3

8.7.18 2 Fresh. 14. 7. 18 4

9.7.18 4 Several days. 15. 7. 18 4

In comparison with the above list, the following sets were
examined in the Coastal Plain near Ludd from mid- April to end
of May, 1920 : —

Fresh.

Fresh.

Very advanced.

Several days.

16.4.20

4

Sitting.

22.5.20

5

Sitting.

22.4.20

5

Several da^'s.

22.5.20

4

Advanced.

25.4.20

4

Fresh.

22.5.20

3

Fresh.

2.5.20

4

Several days.

22.5.20

5

Sitting.

5O-20

5

Full-fledged young.

25O-20

5

Hard set.

5-5-20

5

Hard set.

25-5-20

5

Hard set.

8.5.20

5

Hard set.

25.5.20

4

Fresh.

I3O-20

4

Few days.

28.5.20

5

Fresh.

17.5.20

5

Few da vs.

28.5.20

3

Several days.

17.5.20

5

Sitting.

29.5.20

5

Hard set.

17.5.20

5

Sitting.

3I-5-20

5

Very hard set.

18.5.20

4

Fresh.

What I chiefly wish to bring to notice is the fact that more than
50 per cent, of the nests in this latter list contained sets of five eggs,
whereas in the former, of those found late in the season there is
not a single clutch of as many as five eggs. From this I conclude
that the normal clutch is five eggs ; but after the middle of June
it is quite unusual to find any sets of more than four eggs, while
sets of three are then not uncommon. Two broods are probably
brought up in the season.

In the hills in 1918 both fresh eggs and full-fledged young were
found in the middle of June. In 1920 few records were made
after the middle of June, as I confined my attention to other species
whose habitat was the marshes.

The eggs vary a good deal in shape, size, and in the markings,
though they do not differ in their various characteristics from
British specimens.

The largest eggs easily overlap the smallest eggs of Chloris c.
chlorotica {vide comparative table in note on Chloris c. chlorotica)
in length, though they keep smaller in breadth.

The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1. 85

The following measurements are interesting.
Measurements in millimetres sent me by the Rev. F. C. R.
Jourdain of some eggs I gave him, which were taken in 1918 and
1920 : —

^wm^<? of 13 eggs measured ... ... ... 16-9 x 12-8

Maxima. Minima.

(L.) 19 X 13-2 (L.) 15-7 X 12-5

(B.) 17 X 13-5 (B.) 17-5 X 12-3

Average in inches of 48 eggs measured in 1918 ... -675 X -Si-
Maxima. Minima.
(L.) -74 X -52 (L.) -62 X -49
(B.) -69 X -34 (B.) -63 X -47

In comparison to these latter figures, the minimum measure-
ments of Chloris c. chlorotica are : —

(L.) -66 X -55 (B.) -67 X -53

which are very decidedly shorter than the longest eggs of Chloris c.
niedecki.

Palestine Linnet^Acanthis cannahina fringillirostris.

A resident in the Judean Hills "which is very common in the
spring and summer, though I found nests by no means easy to find.
I never saw any specimens in the Coastal Plain either in winter or
summer, though I came across this bird on the hills round Nazareth
and in Carmel during March, 1920.

As I only found a couple of nests containing eggs, I cannot say
much about their breeding habits. Nests were in thick, solitary,
thorny bushes 3 or 4 feet above the ground, on the open slopes of
the limestone hills 12 miles north-west of Jerusalem, and at a
height of about 2,300 feet above sea-level.

A set of five eggs found on the 2nd June, 1918, was on the point
of hatching out, while another found on the 8th June contained but
a single new-laid egg. The nests were well concealed, and in the
case of the larger set (five eggs. I believe, being the normal clutch)
the bird sat tight and only left when the shrubby cover had been
Well shaken. The nests were large and chiefly composed of dead
grasses and bents, thickly lined with hair, sheep's wool and feathers.
The eggs do not differ from British specimens. Measurements in
inches are as follows : —

86 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

c/5

•71 X -57-1
•72 X -54

Maxima.

(L.)- -75 X -53

•68 X -56 yav. -

= -70 X -555

(B.) -71 X -57

•69 X -55
I smashed J

ilfwzmrt'.

(L.) -68 X -56

C/I

•75 X -53

(B.) -75 X -53

A certain number of old and empty nests were also found,
and all were situated on the hill-sides, either about half-way up or
nearer to the crest. I imagine the first eggs are laid about the
end of April or in early May, and that probably two broods are
brought up in a season.

Persian Desert Bullfinch — Rhodospiza ohsoleta.

On the 14th June, 1918, a small nest was brought in to me
which contained three fresh eggs, but all so damaged as to be
impossible to save. One I measured was -79 x -53 (inches). This
nest, taken in the Judean Hills (2,300 feet) a few miles north-west
of Jerusalem, was made of fine twigs and rootlets, thickly lined with
wool, some horsehair and feathers, and not unlike a Greenfinch's
nest. The nest was placed in an evergreen bush on a hill-side,
quite well concealed and about 4 feet above the ground. The eggs
were whitish, elongated and oblate, and marked at the top of the
larger end with surface specks and spots of deep maroon and
purplish-brown, and fine shell markings of pale mauve. I showed
the remains of these eggs to E. C. Stuart-Baker, M.B.O.U., and he
was inclined to think that they were the eggs of R. obsoleia. I
must confess that I did not come across any of these birds in the
Judean Hills during the summer, but in 1920 I had reason to believe
that a few pairs remained to breed in Palestine. My experience of
these birds is that they are winter visitors to the Coastal Plain,
and they put in an appearance after the first heavy rain of the
year. In igi8 they were first noted at the very end of December,
while in 1919 the 17th December was the earliest date. They
are very local, and roost in the eucalyptus groves, while their
pretty little purring note of " Prrut-prrut " is quite unmistakable.
$ birds are a good deal commoner than (^ "s in these flocks, which
are present throughout the winter and which are evidently joined
in March and April by large flocks on passage. It was very curious

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921. 87

the way in which huge, noisy flocks of these birds would congregate
in ber trees [Zizyphus jiijubn), mimosas, and other thorny shrubs
near the eucalyptus groves before retiring to the groves to roost
for the night, which they would not do without much preliminary
fuss and circling round and round the grove, and they always
settled in and then left again at least half a dozen localities in the
grove before finally settling down for the night. At the end of
April thev were still very plentiful in certain eucalyptus groves
near Ludd, had all paired off, and were very noisy ; a good many
pairs were noted right u\) to the middle of May, after which all
had apparently gone. Several times I thought I heard these birds
in an eucalyptus grove during the latter half of May and in early
June, and then I saw a pair in our camp, which was not a quarter
of a mile away from the particular grove, on the 14th June, and
saw them frequently up to the end of the month, and on one occasion
there were two ? and one (^ , all adult birds. They used to come
and catch grasshoppers round our tents at Birsalem, near Ludd.
Then on the 6th July I saw a pair near Ramleh town, and this made
me almost convinced that a few pairs did remain to breed in the
Coastal Plain.

Palestine House Sparroiv — Passer domesticus hiblicus.

Ubiquitous and resident throughout the hills and Coastal Plain.
I don't think there is much to be said about this species which
one does not know already. It is quite impartial as to the situation
of its nest— holes in rockS, cliffs, trees, wells and houses, thick hedges
bushes, trees, cactus, etc., all come alike to it — and the nests are
the same untidy structures which are found elsewhere. The breed-
ing season starts about the middle of April and continues right on
into August. Two broods are brought up in the season, and these
birds will go on laying up to three or even more sets when persist-
ently robbed of their eggs. Sets of seven, six and five eggs were
all quite common, and it is hard to say which of these numbers
constitutes the normal clutch. In cliffs, pits, wells, trees, etc.,
they are gregarious. The eggs vary as much as those found in the
British Isles, both in size, shape and the colour of the markings.

Small Palestine Sparroiv — Passer moabiticus moabiticus.

I really have no business to include this species in my list, as
I neither came across the nests nor the birds, though they breed

88 The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1.

commonly in the late spring and early summer in the cover at the
northern and southern extremities of the Dead Sea, which localities
I was unable to visit during their breeding season.

[We have a set of five eggs taken in the Jordan Valley on the
23rd April. — Editor.]

Spanish Sparroio — Passer hispaniolensis transcaspiciis.

Common locally in the Coastal Plain, where it breeds in large
colonies in tall eucalyptus trees and fir trees. It is also found in
the Jordan Valley, and I noted a flock in the gardens of Jericho on
the 15th August, 1920. I believe it is a resident, but although I
was always out looking for birds, I saw none of this species near
Ludd from the beginning of November, 1919, until after the middle
of February, 1920. There was evidently then a migratory move-
ment of sorts, for these birds appeared in large numbers on the
20th February and went on increasing until the end of the month.
They then began to decrease, and by the 6th March the majority
seemed to have passed on, although I noted a few about in the
middle of that month. However, as they are so local and their
breeding sites are the tops of lofty eucalyptus trees, unless one
happens to live near a colony it is quite possible to overlook these
birds, as one requires the aid of a pair of glasses to distinguish
the adult birds when at no great distance. In one large eucalyptus
tree I have counted over 60 nests, not one of which was within
30 feet of the ground. The nests are in no way different to those
of P. domesticus, and two broods are apparently brought up in
the season, for I saw broods strong on the wing at the end of May
and in early June, 1920, while I took many sets of fresh eggs from
a colony near Jaffa at the beginning of July, 1918.

Five eggs seems to be a normal set, though sixes are not un-
common, and one rarely finds a Sparrow, however late in the
season, incubating less than five eggs. Actual sets do not vary as
much as those of P. domesticus, but the eggs of different sets vary
a great deal in size, shape, colouring and markings. The average of
40 eggs measured in inches is -844 X -618, while other measure-
ments are : —

Maxima. Minima.

(L.) -93 X -61 (L.) -79 X -60

(B.) -90 X -66 (B.) -83 X -58

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921. 89

I have a record of a c^ which was breeding in company with a
tew dozen pairs of P. domestictis who had nests in the roofs of our
office huts at Divisional Headquarters. I often used to watch him
at his nest in my office, but don't know whether his mate was of
his own species or P. domesticus. At any rate, his presence seemed
to be tolerated by the majority.

Rock Sparroiv — Petronia petronia piiteicolor.

This species I found common in the Judean Hills at elevations
of nearly 3,000 feet in the vicinity of Ramallah (12 miles north of
Jerusalem). I cannot say whether they are resident or migratory,
as my acquaintance with them was only during the month of June,
1918. They breed either in single pairs or colonies, in the sides
of wells, in holes in the walls of rock cisterns, in old walls, and in
the clefts and crannies in rocky cliffs. These birds are unmis-
takable on account of their plaintive twittering call, which becomes
rather monotonous, and by the white terminal spots to the tail
which are very conspicuous when in flight. The nests are often
hard to get at on account of their position, and when one has
reached the entrance-hole it is often too small to admit the passage
of a hand, or the nest may be placed too far inside.

They are very like P. domestictis in their breeding habits, and
if a set of eggs is taken they are accommodating enough to lay
a second and even a third set in the same nest. Nests are very
similar in construction to those of the above-named species, but
consist chiefl}; of softer materials and more feathers, hair and w'ool,
but in some cases I only found a tin\- pad of wool and feathers
with a very scanty foundation of dry grass and beuts. One nest
was a large mass of cow's and goat's hair and sheep's wool, with
a few feathers mixed up in it, and simply swarmed with fleas of
three different kinds. The young birds make the nest and nesting
hole in a filth}- mess, so much so that it absolutely stinks. There
are probably two broods in the season, and I found young ones
able to fly on the 31st May, 1918. A further description of this
nest is as follows : —

" The actual nesting site was in the walls of an old rock cistern
cut into a hill about 2,500 feet up. The diameter of the cistern
entrance was not more than 4 feet, the depth 6 feet, and the inside
diameter 15 to 20 feet. The nesting hole was fairly large and
about 4 feet from the bottom of the cistern ; the hole led into

90 The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1.

three chambers, one each on the right and left and one in the centre,
and all about a foot in. The nest was constructed with a little
dead grass lined with feathers, and when new must have been a
pad of material with a shallow cup in the centre, but was now in a
filthy state on account of two or three weeks' droppings from the
young birds. There were three fully fledged 3'oung, and two bad
eggs which were clotted with congealed filth. The ? parent bird
came out of the mouth of the cistern on our arrival and flew away.
The cry of the ? was a prolonged twittering, if anything rather
harsh ; it reminded me on occasions of the alarm note of the Peewit,
though, of course, not so voluminous. She also uttered a very
Finch-like chirrup. The eggs differed very considerably in size,
colour, shape and degree of badness. One was hard set, stinking
and quite impossible to clean, of the usual shape, but reminded
me more of a Tree Pipit's egg ; the ground colour was a pinkish-
purple, very thickly speckled, and marked all over with purple
and purplish-brown, shell spots of a greyer hue ; measured -86 X -66
(inches). The other was unfertile and easily cleaned, small and
round, measuring -77 x -62 ; whitish ground colour, speckled all
over with grey-brown shell spots, the larger end being stained and
heavily blotched with brown and sepia surface markings. Out
of the same nest two fresh eggs were taken on the 7th June, 191.S,
and another couple on the 8th June. Not much attempt had been
made to clean up or rebuild the nest, though a little fresh dry grass,
some bents and feathers had been added, but the nesting hole
was still in a filthy state. The ? bird was always very careful
to leave the cistern before anyone could get down to the nest,
and while one was yet several yards away she would come out
and perch on a rock near by. Then she would go through a regular
display to try and draw one away from the nest, and was an adept
at playing the wounded bird and going through various noisy antics
in order to attract attention to herself and draw the intruder away
from the nest. This nest was again visited on the 19th June, when
six fresh eggs were taken, all of a beautiful reddish-purple colour,
finely speckled, streaked and spotted all over with reddish-purple
on the surface and with finer purplish shell markings. This nest
of hair, etc., and full of fleas, has been previously described."
The measurements of 14 eggs are as follc^ws : —

•86 X •66\ / 2, and 3 fully \„, , j , j o

r r ^n , J >Staleandbad... 31. 5. 18 2,500

•77 X -62 j L fledged young. J ^ ^ ^

The Oologists Record, December i, 1921. 91

885 X

•6625

4

Fresh ... 7-9.6. iS

2,500

86 X

•66

6

Fresh ... 19.6. 18

2,500

845 X

•65

2

Av. =

Stale and bad. 5.6.18
= -844 X •65.

2,300

Maxima.

Minima.

(L.)

•91

X

•66

(L.) -77 X -62

(B.)

•86

X

•67

(B.) ^77 X -62

Several colonies were found in the middle of June, but all the
nests contained young birds. It is quite impossible for me to say
what is the size of a normal clutch, probably five or six eggs.

NOTES FROM NYASALAND.

I propose to confine this article to certain general considerations,
and shall hope to follow it with others giving a more detailed account
of the nests and eggs which have come under my notice.

By the end of this year (1921) Blantyre will be connected by
rail with the Cape, but till now Nyasaland (formerly British Central
Africa) has been the most difficult of access of all the British pos-
sessions in Africa. Transhipping at Beira into a coasting steamer,
you reach, after twenty-four hours of a very troubled sea, the
Portuguese port of Chinde, where there is a British concession.
Then follows a journey, which may take the shallow-draught river
steamer anything from three days to a week, according to the state
of the river, up the Zambesi to Chindio, also Portuguese. Here one
boards a train which, after traversing Portuguese territory for a
short distance, enters the British Protectorate and arrives the same
evening at Blantyre.

That a trip up the Zambesi is packed with ornithological interest
may well be imagined. There are many stoppages, accidental and
other, so that I was able on my way up (September, 1920) to do a
little nesting. Eggs found were those of the Red-chested Sunbird,
Chalcomitra guttiiralis, Mozambique Shrike, Laniariiis major mossam-
bicus, Spur-winged Plover, Lobivanellns lateralis, and Kittlitz' Sand
Plover, Charadriits variiis. The last two were at Chindio, on a
large sandy island in the river. Watching shore birds to their nests
at midday, under the white glare of a scorching African sun, is a
good test of interest in the hobby, I thought.

92 The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1.

I arrived at the end of September at Zomba, and spent there
the ensuing five months. Early in March this year I moved to
Blantyre, where I still am stationed.

British Nyasaland has an area of rather mider 40,000 square
miles, and consists of a northern part, which is a long narrow strip
lying between Northern Rhodesia and Lake Nyasa, and a broader
southern part, which may be described as a rough oblong of country
south of the Lake. This southern area is bounded on its remaining
three sides by Portuguese territor5^ European settlement centres
in the southern portion, where are situated the townships of Blantyre
and Zomba.

I find it by no means easy to describe in a few words the general
configuration of the country, on which so much that concerns birds
must depend. Lake Nyasa is at 1,600 feet, and the northern part
of the Protectorate consists of a high watershed (up to 8,000 feet),
which slopes more or less gradually to the Lake. These hills in their
southern continuation form, as the Kirk Range, the international
boundary. A reference to the map will show that the Shire River
flows out of the southern end of Lake Nyasa southwards into the
Zambesi, dividing in its course the southern portion of N\'asaland
into two imequal parts. Here it may be remarked that the Shire
is rapidly diminishing in volume from \'ear to year ; whether or not
this bears any relation to the assumed general desiccation of Africa
is uncertain. In the southern district, then, we have, going from
west to east, first the high Kirk range, gradually sloping east to the
valley of the Shire, which itself falls rapidly to the south after going
half its distance. Port Herald, towards its southern end, is only
about 300 feet above sea-level. Crossing the Shire and going east,
the land rises rapidly to the uneven plateau known as the Shire
Highlands, with its centre somewhere about Blantyre. Further
east still there is another considerable drop to Lake Chilwa and the
Ruo River, which form the Portuguese border on that side of the
Protectorate. There are therefore in Southern Nyasaland, with
which I shall perforce have chiefly to concern myself, two belts of
high country alternating with two of low. The Shire Highlands,
the interior high belt to which most of my notes will relate, has this
further peculiarity that out of it there rise a number of isolated
hills and mountains which, in the case of Mlanje — the largest, and
about 70 miles round — reach a height of 10,000 feet above sea-level,
or say, 7,000 feet above the average level of the Highlands, Exactly

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921. 93

where the Sliire Highlands begin and end nobody seems to know,
but all are agreed that the district immediately abQut Limbe
(4 miles from Blantyre) forms their highest point, actual mountains
apart. From Limbe the land falls more or less rapidly in all direc-
tions, north to the Lake, east to Lake Chilwa, and west and south to
the Shire. I may here name the principal mountains of the High-
lands, as I shall have to refer to them Liter. They are Mlanje,
Chiradzulu, Zomba, Cholo, Mikalongwe, Soche, Mpungwe, Mchiru,
and Ndirande.

Seasons and rainfall are next to be considered. Lying between
10° and 17° south, and at no great distance from the Indian Ocean,
Nyasaland differs little in its seasons from the north-eastern parts
of the Union. Bearing in mind that the actual amount of rainfall
may vary from 100 inches at Mlanje to 20 mches in the Shire
Valley, one may say that there is a rainy season of six months
from November to April, and a dry season of which the months
from May to August are cool, and September and October hot.
The Shire Valley has very high summer temperatures, up to 120°
in the shade, and even in winter it is never really cold there, while
at Blantyre a summer heat of 90 is unusual, and fires are very
welcome in June and July, when the glass often goes down to 40°.

Most birds breed during the rains, November to March being
the best months ; but many species begin to build long before any
rain falls, and others lay only in the dry season. There is observ-
able in August and September a distinct reflex of the southern
spring which manifests itself in the nesting of hawks and crows as
well as in the bursting into leaf of the deciduous native trees. But
the grass fires which annually sweep the country from August
onwards effectually prevent any general nesting until the first
rains extinguish them.

Allowing for o\'erlapping, one may say that there are three
distinct types of bird fauna in the Protectorate, corresponding to
three different kinds of country. First there is the abundant life of
the Shire Valley, reminding one in its richness in species and indi\ i-
duals of the splendid avifauna of Uganda, and in its essence tropical.
Next we have the sparser bird-life of the Highlands, more suggestive
of South Africa, and distinctly disappointing on first acquaintance
to one whom other parts of Africa have led to expect much from
a new domain. Finally there are the very interesting birds confined
to the patches of primeval forest which crown the summits and fill

94 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

the lateral kloofs of Mlanje, Zomba, Chiradzulu, and many of the
lesser hills..

Practically all our knowledge of Nyasaland birds was gained in
the ten years before the present century began. In that decade
twenty-eight new species were found ; all of them (except a parrot
from Liwonde) in the Highlands, and most of them being forest
species. Eleven of them are, so far as I can learn, peculiar to the
Protectorate. These are : —

Crawshay's Francolin, Francoliniis craivshayi.

Bertrand's Bush Shrike, Chlorophoneus berirandi.

Mlanje Bulbul, Pkyllastrephus mlanjensis.

Mlanje Thrush, Turdus mlanjensis.

Alethe, Alethe anomala.

Yellow-throated Bush Warbler, Apalis flavigularis.

Nyasa Reed-Warbler, Bradypterus nyasce.

Whyte's Crombec, SylvieUa whytei.

Lesser Thick-billed Weaver-finch, Pyrenesfes minor.

Green-headed Oriole, Oriolus chlorocephalus.

Sharpe's Weaver, Othyphantes sharpii.

One or two of these may have to be relegated to the rank of
sub-species. The Oriole is probably the most distinct of the
peculiar species.

A list compiled from all available sources gives some 450 species
for the Protectorate. Probably there will be many additions in the
future, for in the past twelve months I have noted several not pre-
viously recorded, for example Riparia rnfigula, Hirundo griseopyga,
Heliolais kirbyi, Cisticola erythrops, C. brachyptera (— C. rufa),
another Cisticola not yet identified, and Cinnyris afer. Nyasaland
lies at the point where the East African and South African sub-
regions meet ; its affinities are with South Africa except in the case
of birds inhabiting the forest-patches, which exhibit rather East
African relationships.

The Shire Valley, which as yet I have not had opportunity to
explore, promises better, but I never knew a belt of country where
nests were either so few or so hard to find as is the case in the Shire
Highlands. Many causes contribute to the comparative scarcity of
birds, most whereof may be traced to their ultimate source in the
settlement of the country by Europeans. Thirty years ago, when
it began, the native population was ver3^ small in these cold uplands,

The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921. * 95

always liable to Angoui raids just as the grain ripened. But years
of peace have trebled the native population, naturally prolific ; more
firewood is wanted every year both for natixf and European domestic
use, and also for the railway engines and the settlers' tobacco barns.
The countryside is burnt afresh every dry season, so that quite
apart from the direct destruction of bird-life, the undergrowth gets
no chance to grow and provide nesting places. More and more land
is cleared for tobacco, cotton and native crops. The swarms of
waterfowl which bred in the swamps of Chilwa and Pamalombe are
rapidly disappearing before the sportsman and pot-hunter. Last,
but not least, must be mentioned the proclivity of the small native
boy to turn every living thing into " chakudya " (food). Nothing
comes amiss to him, from an addled bustard's egg to a nestfuU of
fledgling finches with the mother snared on the nest. There is
something to be set on the other side of the account. Natives have
been removed from some of the hills, where a new growth of indi-
genous trees is springing up fast, and there are large plantations of
eucalyptus about the townships and most European homesteads.
But this only seems to advantage the crows, and in general the
Shire Highlands and contiguous areas are witnessing a grievous
diminution of their bird-life.

C. F. B.

NOTES ON SOME OF THE RARER BRITISH BIRDS
WHICH BREED IN DENMARK.

By C. F. A. RiTSON.

In 191 2, in company with a friend, I had a couple of weeks
nesting in West Jutland — that part of Denmark lying to the w^est,
which is washed by the North Sea. The country there is extremel}-
flat, and consists of ling, delta and damp meadowland, intersected
by water channels and swamps ; whilst in the neighbourhood of the
Ringkjobing Fjord and the mouth of the sluggish Skjernaa, there
are numerous small islands and immense tracts of reeds, the whole
forming a perfect retreat for ground-building species. Most of the
bird colonies are on government ground and strictl}^ preserved, and
it is necessary to obtain a permit from the Danish Ministry of
Agriculture in order to visit them. Without a permit one can do

q6 , The Oologisfs' Record, December i, 1921.

nothing ; there are numerous wardens, and permission is not easily
obtained.

Of all the birds we saw, perhaps the waders were the most
abundant, both in numbers and species. The country appears to
be one of the great breeding-grounds of the Dunlin, Pelidna alpina
(L.) ; these birds literally swarm on the deltas, and were " trilling "
everywhere. The Ruff, Pavoncella pugnax (L.), Black-tailed Godwit.
Limosa aegocephala, Bechst., Redshank, Totanus calidris (L.) and
Lapwing, VaneUus cristatus, W. and M., were also breeding in large
numbers.

The habits of the Dunlin were quite as exasperating as at home.
Whilst tramping along the delta a small snipelike bird would be
seen standing a few yards away, alert and motionless ; you walk
towards it — it runs a few yards, then turns round and again surveys
you. You may repeat the manoeuvre as often as you wish ; the
exasperating bird will simply make rings round you. Time and
again, when thus annoyed, did we hurl our walking sticks at them,
but they only opened their wings and flew round us, a few feet
from the ground. Most of the nests we found were stumbled upon
accidentally, although we occasionally met with a close-sitter — an
adept in the art of broken wings. Considering the numbers which
were breeding, it is strange we came across so few nests.

The habits of the Black-tailed Godwit were also exasperating^
but in a different manner. They play the same trick as the Lap-
wings. Directly you make your appearance on the deltas they rise
with the Lapwings and circle overhead, uttering repeatedly a loud
and somewhat wild cry, and, of course, disturbing the whole neigh-
bourhood of sitting birds. They are fairly easy to stalk, and with a
pair of good binoculars are visible at a great distance ; but are
extremely shy and suspicious, and require a considerable amount of
patience at times ere a nest is betrayed.

During our stay in Denmark we experienced very cold and wet
weather, which rendered stalking anything but pleasant ; conse-
quently we relied rather upon chance, and judged by the beha\iour
of the parents when we were near the nests. The latter are mere
depressions in the ground, lined with a few bits of dry grass. The
eggs of the Black-tailed Godwit vary a good deal, some being of
a uniform pale olive, whilst others are pale buff, well marked with
darker shades of brown.

The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1. 97

The nests of the Ruff were fairly easy to Unci as the birds
generally sit tight, and performed the broken-wing dodge almost
as well as did the Dunlins. When flushed from a distance they rose
quietly and silently, and flopped down a short distance ahead, soon
returning on our walking away. Most of their nests were admirably
concealed in tufts of the long grass, and the four richly coloured
eggs were in many cases standing almost upright on their pointed
ends, so deep and cup-shaped were the depressions. The variation
in the eggs is very marked, some being pale green, handsomely
blotched with umber and vandyke ; some dark greenish-brown ;
and others savouring more of the Redshank type, but always more
handsomely blotched.

The habits of both Redshank and Lapwing did not differ in any
marked respect from those of the birds at home.

Another wader which is well established, though confined to a
certain area, is the Avocet, Recurvirostra avocetta, L. These beauti-
ful birds, with their curiously upturned bills, make a pretty picture
as they wade about in the shallow water, the sun glinting on their
black and snowy white plumage. They are wild and sh}' during
the breeding season, and when approached fly high overhead, utter-
ing a wild, screaming note. Their nests are very open, and the
dull-coloured eggs easily found.

The Common Snipe, Gallinago ccelestis, Frenz., was everywhere
abundant, but we were not fortunate enough to find a nest of the
Great Snipe, Gallinago major (Gm.), although it breeds in Jutland.

The pretty little Wood Sandpiper, Totanus glareola (L.), breeds
sparsely on most of the deltas, and we saw several pairs, but could
never locate a nest. The Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis, L.,
nests on the heaths, and we saw several breeding pairs, but had no
time to spend on them.

Along the Jutland coast the Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus,
L., and Ringed Plover are abundant, and also the Kentish Plover,
Mgialitis alexandrina (L.), in various localities ; whilst on the portion
of the coast which faces Sweden, which we did not visit, the Little
Ringed Plover, ^gialitis dnhia (Scop.), and the Turnstone, Arenaria
inter pres (L.), also breed, the latter, however, very sparingly.

Owing to the immense tracts of reeds, Jutland is rich in breeding
ducks. The Shoveller, Spatula clypeata (L.), Pintail, Dafila acuta
(L.), and Mallard, Anas boschas, L., are numerous in many places,
and we took several nests of these species, and also of the Common

98 The Oologisis' Record, December i, 1921.

Teal, Xeftion crecca (L.), and Gadwall, CJuiiilelasmiis sf repents (L.).
The Garganey, Querqitedula circia (L.), is said to nest also, although
we never found a nest, and on the Swedish side the Common Eider,
Somateria nwUssima (L.), and Red-breasted Merganser, Merganser
serrator (L.), are to be found. We only once saw the Sheld-duck,
Tadorna corntda (Gm.) — a pair flying low over the coast near
Esjberg. No doubt they bred there.

The Corncrake, or Land Rail, Crex pratensis, Bechst., was a
common bird, and we were fortunate enough to stumble upon a
nest and four eggs of the Spotted Crake, Porzana mariietta (Leach).
It was in a very wet locality, and similar to tliat of the Corncrake,
but slightly smaller, and with a lengthy " run " to it. The female
sat tight, and, on being flushed, flew away without demonstration.
The Water Rail, Ralliis aquaticus, L., owing to its skulking habits,
was perhaps o\-erlooked.

At the mouth of the Skjernaa, which flows into Ringkjobing
Fjord, are numerous small islets with colonies of Terns. The
Common Tern, Sterna hiriindo, L., and Arctic Tern, Sterna macriira,
Xaum., were the most abundant, but on the Government Reserva-
tions there are also numbers of Sandwich Terns, Sterna cantiaca,
Gm., and a few colonies of the rarer Gull-billed Tern, Gelochelidon
anglica, Mont., the onty colonies in North Europe, whilst along the
coast the Lesser Tern, Sterna minnta, L., breeds.

On the deltas, as before mentioned, are numerous swamps, and
in such places the Black Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra (L.), breeds in
small colonies. The nests are extremely difficult to reach, owing
not so much to the depth of water as to the dangerous and uncertain
nature of the ground below, which rocks up and down in a most
alarming manner as one gingerly wades about. The nests are
curious little shallow piles of aquatic vegetation, no larger than the
rim of a breakfast cup, and raised only a quarter of an inch or so
above water-le\el ; they are not moored to the standing reeds, but
are fastened from below to the weeds. Owing to the masses of
floating herbage which abound, they are somewhat difficult to
detect, but by watching the habits of the parents, which are \-ery
^■ociferous and make sundry swoops at one's head, one can generally
tell wiien one is near a nest. The usual clutch of eggs appeared to
be three, and some specimens are most handsomely marked. We
were charmed ^\ith the buoyant flight and exceedingly graceful
movement of this beautiful Tern. The manner in which thev hawked

The Oologisis' Record, December i, 192 1. 99

for insects over the -swamps and along the river was very fine, and
we never tired of watching them.

There is an island near the German frontier which can boast of
a small colony of Caspian Terns, Hydroprogne caspia (Pall.) —
about a dozen pairs — strictly preserved by an ornithological society.
On the Government Preserves there are colonies of Black-headed
(iuUs, Lams ridibiindus, L., Common Gull, Lams canus, L., and
Herring Gull, Lams ari^entatus, Briinn., and also a small colony of
the Little Gull, Lams mimitus, Pall., which here finds its western
limit and is treated to well-merited protection like the Caspian
Tern. Strange to say, we never saw the Bittern, Botanrus stellaris,
(L.), although it breeds fairly regularly in many places.

Of the Grebes, there is a large colony of the Great-crested Grebe,
Podiceps cristatus (L.), on the Government Preserves, and the
Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps griseigena, (Bodd.), and Eared Grebe,
Podiceps nigricollis, Brehm., also breed sparingly.

A very interesting and conspicuous bird in Jutland is the White
Stork, Ciconia alba, Bechst., which is strictly preserved. Their huge
nests are placed on the thatched roofs of the farm buildings — always
at an end, and in many places old cart-wheels or hurdles are put up
by the owners to form a nesting platform for them. These birds
are never molested by the peasants, and we were not fortunate
enough to see inside a nest, although we tried various ruses for the
purpose, the expression of a desire to photograph, etc. We saw an
old bird flying to a nest with a huge rat in its bill. The species
makes a curious snapping noise by striking together the upper and
lower mandibles, for they have no vocal organ.

Of the Hooded Crow, Corone comix (L.), the native crow of
Denmark, we saw .but a single example. It is abundant in the
forests towards the cast.

In many places Coots, Fulica atra, L., were numerous, but we
seldom saw the Moor-hen, Gallinula chlorupiis (L.). The latter fact
we often remarked, and it is the more strange as the country seems
perfectl}' adapted to their habits.

Of Jutland's small birds one of the most abundant species is the
beautiful Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail, Bndytes flava (L.). They
were everywhere common, and we found man}' nests. The latter
were placed in various situations, a favourite site being at the side
of the numerous water-channels and gutters ; and they appeared'
to prefer those that were not too dry. We occasionally, however.

100 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1921.

found them on the open meadow-lands in tufts of grass. Six eggs
was a frequent clutch. They resemble those of the Grey Wagtail,
Motacilla melanope, Pall., ranging from whitish-brown to fawn or buff.

Sky Larks, Alaiida arvensis, L., and Corn Buntings, Miliaria
miliaria (L.), ranked next in point of numbers ; the air was full
of the former. Then Reed Buntings, Emberiza schoeniclus, L., and
Meadow Pipits, Anthits pratensis (L.). We never saw the Tree
Pipit, Anthus trivialis (L.).

Of the continental representative of the Pied Wagtail, i.e., the
White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, L., we saw but a few pairs, and only
discovered one nest. This was placed on the ledge of a beam in an
old, disused shed, on rough moorland. It contained six eggs.

On the heaths the Twite, Linota flavirostris (L.), and Linnet,
Linota cannabina (L.), were very common.

We were greatly disappointed with the warblers, that is to say,
of what we saw of them. The Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus streperus,
y., and Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palnstris (Bechst.), were both
plentiful, as also the Sedge Warbler, Acrocephalus phragmitis
(Bechst.), yet we never took a nest, for it was almost impossible to
penetrate the immense beds of reeds which they frequented, owing
to the dangerous nature of the ground below, and boats were useless
in such places. The Icterine Warbler, Hypolais philomela (L.),
Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus (L.),. Barred
Warbler, Sylvia nisoria (Bechst.), Blackcap, Sylvia atricapilla, L.,
Wood Warbler, Phylloscopns sibilator, Bechst., Willow Warbler,
Phylloscopus trochilus (L.), and no doubt other species, all breed in
Denmark in suitable localities, but we saw none of them except the
Garden Warbler and the Blackcap. The Grasshopper Warbler,
Locustella naevia (Bodd.), appears to be wanting, or at least very
scarce.

Chaffinches, Fringilla coelebs L., and Greenfinches, Lignrinus
chloris (L.) were fairly common, and also the Wheatear, Saxicola
oenanthe (L.) and Whinchat, Pratincola rubctra (L.), but the Stone-
chat, Pratincola rubicola (L.), is scarce.

Starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, L., House Sparrows. Passer domesticus
(L.), Swallows, Hirundo rustica, L., and both the House Martin,
Chelidon urbica (L.), and the Sand Martin, Cotile riparia (L.), were
all abundant, whilst Jackdaws, Coloens monedula (L.), Spotted
Flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola, L., Pied Flycatcher, Muscicapa
atricapilla, L., and Ring Doves, Columba palumba, L., Stock Doves,

The Oologists Record, December i, 1921. loi

Columba oenas, L., and the Wryneck, Jynx lorquilla, L., breed
commonly in the wooded districts to the east of the country.

The Goldcrest, Regiilus cri status, Koch., is also present, and the
little Red-breasted Flycatcher, Muscicapa parva, Bechst., breeds,
but is extremely scarce. We often heard the familiar call of the
Cuckoo, Cuculus canorus, L.

Of course our list of birds must not be taken as representing the
whole of the Danish avifauna — far from it. There are many more,
besides those mentioned, which either breed, or are at least met with,
in the country. I ha\-e only given the results of our own somewhat
limited investigations.

NEW LIGHT ON THE HABITS OF THE CUCKOO

[Cuculits canorus).

Film Representations of Mr. Edgar P. Ch.axce's Wonderful

Life Studies.

On ibth November last, there was given at the New Gallery
Cinema, in Regent Street, London, a " trade show " of the films
Mr. Chance obtained last spring which will dispel entirely many
of the traditional ideas hitherto held in regard to the breeding habits
of the Cuckoo. It is, perhaps, the most intimate peep we have
ever been afforded of the habits of a bird, and, as it clears up so
many points that have till now been obscure, to say the least of it,
it is difficult to over-rate the importance of what has been accom-
plished. Mr. Chance's work marks an epoch in nature study, and
we feel sure that from now onwards the film will be, to students of
nature, an even more useful ally than the camera. Certainly, no
book dealing with our birds will be complete in future without a
reference to his pioneer work.

Mr. Chance was so kind as to invite many of his oological friends
on the occasion above referred to, and the Cinema was as crowded
as it would have been for a public performance. The applause that
greeted the pictures was proof, had any been needed, of the appre-
ciation they merited.

Before the film was shown, Sir William Beach Thomas and Dr,
P. Manson-Bahr, F.Z.S., expatiated at length on the scientific value
of the result of Mr. Chance's work and after the film had been pro-
jected. Sir R. Baden-Powell and Viscount Grey of F'allodon, after
eulogising what had been achieved, referred to the great advantages
that would accrue if more of such nature studies were shown in
Cinemas.

102 The Oologisfs' Record, December i, 1921.

It was known to many of his friends that Mr. Chance had studied
the Cuckoo's habits closely for several years, and had marked down
for special observation, a female Cuckoo which he knew so well,
that he had named her after one of the prominent ladies of the film
worlcj. Indeed, so well had he studied this particular bird, that by
this spring he was able to predict, and did so to his friends, the
exact hour at which she would lay her eggs, and the nests in which
she would laj^ them. Had Mr. Chance not known so much, he could
not have made the ample preparations that he did to secure a film
showing exactly what took place when this particular bird laid her
eggs.

The series of pictures shown depicted this Cuckoo first taking
her usual perch on a tree not far from th6 nest about to be used,
later flying down to the nest, mobbed meanwhile by the Meadow
Pipits to which it belonged, then taking one of their eggs in her bill,
and seating herself on the nest and finally flying away with the egg
of the Meadow Pipit in her bill. The film showed this one Cuckoo
approaching and laying in several nests.

Mr. Chance has established a fact that has long been disputed
by eminent ornithologists, namely, that the Cuckoo eats the egg
which she removes, and, in this connection, he remarked that he
thought she removed the fosterer's egg before laying her own in
order that she might not inadvertently remove and destroy her own

egg-
Other pictures showed the 3'oung Cuckoo ousting his foster

brothers from the nest, a procedure which the mother Meadow

Pipit, returning to the nest while this was in progress, hardly seemed

to understand, although more than one person present fancied they

detected upon her quite a worried maternal expression.

Viscount Grey remarked that it would be most interesting to

learn the methods of the Cuckoo in making use of the nests of other

foster parents, and we are betraying no secret when we state that

Mr. Chance hopes to secure next year films of what takes place in

the case of Cuckoos using nests of other species.

NESTING OF THE COMMON SNIPE IN NORTH KENT.

Mr. G. J. Scholey records the finding of a nest of the CommOn Snipe
on a marsh in North Kent on 6th July last. The nest, he states,
was in a tussock, and similar in all respects to that of the Redshank,

The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1. 103

being a mere depression lined with marsh grass. The eggs appeared
to be highlv incubated, and the bird sat very tightly and did not
move until nearly trodden upon. We think this is something of a
record for Kent in recent years.

THE CROSSBILL IN COUNTY WICKLOVV.

A correspondent in County W'icklow secured for us last spring,
a nest and three eggs of the Crossbill which were in a Scotch fir
tree marked for felling. He stated : —

" There is no doubt as to their identity, as the birds were in'
great distress afterwards, and searched each bough for the nest,
and curiously there were two hens and the cock in the search, so
that, as you thought might be the case, there are more in the
vicinity. The nest was not visible from the ground, and was quite
hidden in the foliage, and very inaccessible. We had to cut the
bough and lower it by degrees to get the nest.

One thing especially is noticeable in this case. The parent bird
stripped the adjoining trees of cones and left alone the one with
the nest ; and surrounding the nest were cones — in fact touching it.
Is this instinct to leave food for the young convenient ? This is
quite apparent although it may be only an isolated case, and may be
a guide to further nests being found.

I miss these birds' chatter now as they have left me, even the
other hen is not to be seen. The nest and tree were only 50 yards
from my cottage so that I could sit and watch them for hours."'

Unfortunately, these three eggs were almost hatched and this,
coupled with some damage in the post, made it impossible to save
them.

Our correspondent wrote later :

" There are still Crossbills nesting near me here, but they are
now extremely shy, but quite apparently the}- have made their
home here for the summer. The cock sings very beautifulh', but
very low, and entirely different from his usual sharp, continuous
chatter.

There is, undoubtedly, another nest as you suggested, close by,
but I am sure the eggs must be hatched b\' now (13th March)."

104

The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1.

INDEX TO VOLUME I.

East African Notes, by C. F. B

Bird Notes from the Western Front, by J. Bishop {see also p. 70)
Oological Notes on some of the Breeding Birds of Palestine, by Capt

C. R. S. Pitman, LA., M.B.O.U.—

General Remarks and Warblers
Warblers (continued)
An Historic Egg, by Dr. Graham Renshaw
Further Oological Notes from Spain, by Capt. W. Maitland Congreve

M.C., M.B.O.U

Nesting of the Great Tit, by the Editor . .

Note on " two-hole " specimens, by the Editor

Note on Nesting in the Philippines, by the Editor

Note on Bird Books, by the Editor

A Birds'-Nesting Trip to Andalucia, by H. Kirke Swann, F.Z.S

M.B.O.U

A Remarkable Cuckoo Coincidence, by G. J. Scholey

Letter from Edgar P. Chance, M.B.O.U., in regard to the foregoing

article
The Hen Harrier in France, correction by J. Bishop
" The Book of Birds," review by the Editor
Oological Notes on some of the Breeding Birds of Palestine, by Capt

C. R. S. Pitman. LA., M.B.O.U. {continued)—
Crows and Hagiopsar trislrami . .
Finches
Notes from Nyasaland, by C. F. B.
Notes on Some of the Rarer British Birds which Breed in Denmark

by C. F. A. Ritson

New Light on the Habits of the Cuckoo, an Appreciation of Mr

Chance's work in filming them, by the Editor
Nesting of the Common Snipe in North Kent, communicated bj' C>. J

Scholey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

The Crossbill in County Wicklow, communicated to the Editor

PAGE
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91-95

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Keep a large stock of Clutches of Eggs and also

Skins of all the species of Birds included in the

British List, as well as those of many Palaearctic

species not included therein.

Correspondence is invited from Oologists
abroad who are desirous of filling up gaps
in their collections or of completing series or
groups.

All Eggs are perfectly prepared and authen-
ticated, and full data are furnished. Single Eggs
can be supplied as well as sets.

COLLECTIONS PURCHASED.

We also supply Cabinets, Apparatus and
Accessories of all descriptions, of our own manu-
facture, for the use of Oologists, Lepidopterists^
Botanists, &c., and specialise in Books for every
branch of Nature Study.

Catalogue sent post free on application.

Please mention "The Oologists' Record^' when replying

to advertisements.

SMALL ANNOUNCEMENTS.

The charge for advertisements in this cohimn is is. bd. per line
of 10 words. Minimum charge 4s. del.

An oologist wishing to spend a week or ten days in the neigh-
bourhood of Bordeaux in May next would be glad to hear of a travel-
ling companion. B.B., c/o K. L. Skinner, Weybridge.

" O. E. & M." standard data forms, size 5 inches by 3 inches,
are supplied to subscribers by Harrison and Sons, Ltd., St. Martin's
Lane, London, W.C. 2, at the following rates, post free ; —

250 for 3s. 3^. ; 500 for 6s. ; 1,000 for los. 6d.

Card-index cabinets, of standard size, to hold these data forms in a
most convenient manner for ready reference, are supplied as
follows : —

i s. d.

1 drawer, to hold about 2,000 forms ... o 12 b*

2 drawers ,, „ 4,000 ,, ... i i of

Larger sizes can be quoted for, as well as every description of
printing and stationery of the best quality.

* Postage is. dd. f Postage 2.v.

WATKINS & DONCASTER,

36, STRAND, LONDON, W.C.2,

Keep a large stock of Clutches of Eggs and also

Skins of all the species of Birds included in the

British List, as well as those of many Palaearctic

species not included therein.

Correspondence is invited from Oologists
abroad who are desirous of filling up gaps
in their collections or of completing series or
groups.

All Eggs are perfectly prepared and authen-
ticated, and full data are furnished. Single Eggs
can be supplied as well as sets.

COLLECTIONS PURCHASED.

We also supply Cabinets, Apparatus and
Accessories of all descriptions, of our own manu-
facture, for the use of Oologists, Lepidopterists,
Botanists, &c., and specialise in Books for every
branch of Nature Study.

Catalogue sent post free on application.

Please mention "The Oologists' Record" when replying

to advertisements.