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-DRITISABIRDS

AN

~- Wirr watcn was INcorporatep IN JANUARY, 1917, ‘ THE Zoovoaist,’
an ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE

DEVOTED
CHIEFLY TO THE BIRDS ON THE BRITISH, LIST

EDITED BY

H. F. WITHERBY M.B.E. F.Z.S. M.B.O.U.

ASSISTED BY
Rev. F. C. R. JOURDAIN M.A. M.B.O.U. H.F.A.O.U.

AND
NORMAN F. TICEHURST o.BE. MA. F.R.C.S. M.B.O.U.

Volume XIX
JUNE

1925 — MAY

1926

H. F. & G. WITHERBY
326 HIGH HOLBORN LONDON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE
TURNSTONE: In a typical attitude. aes by
Ralph Chislett) Plate 1... ... Frontispiece
FEMALE TURNSTONE. (Photographed by pas
Chislett) re 3
MALE TURNSTONE Srrune. (Photographed * Ralph
Chislett) 5
MALE TURNSTONE SITTING. ( Photographed by Ralph
Chislett) 3 7
_Map showing spring arriv ai ot Woneeeded in ened 35
Weather situations at the culminating dates of spring
immigrations of Woodcock into Hungary, 1906-13 38
Weather situations accompanying autumn “ rushes ”’
of Woodcock observed on Heligoland ... ae 39
Map showing movements of Marked Woodcock and
supposed directions of flight is bse eas 40
SERIES OF NESTS BUILT BY BLACKBIRD. ( pata i
‘bw J. L. Hawkins) .... A 73
Nest oF Moor-HEN IN Boat. (Photographed %
T. N. Roberts) Sa2 77
Avocet: Approaching nest. (Photographed éy W. E.
Glegg) Plate 2 we facing 82

NEST OF THE AVOCET. tPiploeenked 4 W. E. Glegg) 54
Avocet: The bill was often open and the bird seemed

to pant. (Photographed by W. E. Glegg) ae 85
Avocet: Rising away from the intruder. es

graphed by W. E. Glegg) ... iis 86
Avocet: Jlying directly at intruder. (Photographed

by W. E. Glegg) —..: = 87
Invitatory attitude adopied by the ake Avocet 89
GOLDEN FEAGtet. lia i ae se Duncan Mac-

donald ; 220
GOLDEN EAGLET. (Photographed ig Po ve

donald) as 221
HEN GOLDEN EAGLE AT NEST. (Photographed | ”

Duncan Macdonald) j 222
NESTLING OSPREY an Fee —- oe .- 248
SWAN Marks ee _ ae th bs 266-273
SWAN Marks eae pe: due che re 294-308

> ANIEUSTRATED-MAGAZINE
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The: Collection of Birds’ Eggs formed by the late Hubert May, Esq.,
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Natural History Books including Marshall and De Niceville’s Butterflies:of
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Lepidoptera, 5 vols., Leitz Macrolepidoptera of the World, Hampson, Catalogue
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THE FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA
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A scarce standard work in seven volumes ; imp. folio (600
coloured plates) and supplement one vol. (81 coloured plates) ;
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british Birds, Vol. XIN.

TURNSTONE: IN A TYPICAL ATTITUDE.
(Photographed by Ralph Chislett.)

PL

| )95

PURCHASED

BRITSHBIRDS

\WITH WHICH WAS INCORPORATED IN JANUARY, 1917, ‘‘ THE ZooLoGIsT.”

EDITED BY H. F. WITHERBY, M.B.E., F.ZS., M. BOOS

ASSISTED BY fe, , 3

f

IREV. F. C. R. JOURDAIN, M.A., M.B.O.U., H.F.A.0.U.,¢ANDes
NorMAN F, TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U.L Up,

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 1, VOL. XIX., JUNE I, 1925.

i PAGI
Turnstones on a Baltic Islet. By Ralph Chislett, M.B.0.v.,
RPS. = .« F <P FP oF zis ae 2
Manx Ornithological Notes : ‘1924. By PG. Ralfe :.. rar 10
Recovery of Marked Birds PAC Ps ae mee At 13
‘Notes :—

Notes from Holy Island, Northumberland, 1924 (W. G.
Watson) 20

Early Nesting of Magpie i. in 1C ambridge shire (G. W. Thompson) 21

The Continental Goldfinch as a British Bird (Dr. Norman H.

Joy) - 21
Mealy Redpoll at Hampstead (Bertram Lloyd) 22
Water-Pipit in Dorset (Rev. L. Aerie ae 22
Rapid Nest-building by Se Thrush Cie Me thold) 22
Influence of Rainfall on Fecundity of gee Thrush and

Blackbird in Perthshire (A. H. R. Wilson) ae 22
Blackbird Brooding on Nest and Eggs of Song- Thrush Aifecwks

Elliott) . : 24

~ Curious Nesting-site of Redbreast (F. “Howard Lancum) 24
Homing Instinct in Hedge- Sagi (A. H. R. Wilson) 24
| Building Habits of the Dipper (Patience Mackenzie) 25
| Little Owls attacking Cat (Mrs. E. G. Nash) es mas 25

Increase of Little Owl in North Lanoabisnies (Wm. E. Barber) 26

Rare Birds in Romney Marsh (H. G. Alexander) , we 20

Possible White-billed Diver in Merioneth (H. E. Forrest) ... 28

Great Black-headed Gullin Hampshire (W. Parkinson Curtis) 28

Glaucous Gullin Kent (W. H. Thorpe) 29

Glaucous Gull in Man (Frank S. Graves) 29

‘short Notes :—

Interval between Nests of Mistle-Thrush. Early Nesting of
Blackbirdin Berkshire. Black Redstart in Inner Hebrides.
Cuckoo Returning to same Summer Quarters for Seven
Successive Years. Food of Manx Shearwater. Fulmar
Petrels and Gannets on the Yorkshire Cliffs. Greenshank
EPreeding in Aberdeenshire. Sandwich Tern Breeding in
Clyde Estuary. Late Nesting of Moorhen in Durham ... 29

Letter :—
Hooded Crows in the London District (Clifford Borrer) 30
Reviews :—

The Food of some British Wild Birds : a Study in Economic
Ormithology. By Walter E. passa D.sc. 2nd revised
edition ... et Ae 31

A Monograph of “the Birds of P vey Bes Accipitres) By ;
H. Kirke Swann, F.Z.S., M.B.0O.U Part I. a pes 32

A

(a4
TURNSTONES ON A BALTIC ISLET.

BY
RALPH (‘CHISEE TL, xB on; IR Ps:

AN unexpected result of our trip to Oland of 1924 has been
the belief that, given time and favourable circumstances, I
could find Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) breeding in the
Shetlands were I to visit those fascinating islands again. I
saw Turnstones on my last visit, though they showed no signs
of breeding ; but neither did the birds we saw in the south
Baltic, until we had closely narrowed down the locality of a
NESE,

Saxby’s description of the nest and eggs he discovered in
Shetland some fifty years ago, although unsupported by
_ evidence acceptable as complete proof, is unmistakeable
enough to leave little room for doubt ‘as to the truth of his
record. And he adds, “ I have no doubt that if some of the
smaller islands were carefully and patiently searched, other
nests would be found.’’ The Turnstone’s breeding range in
the Baltic begins considerably south of Shetland. Danish
ornithologists tell me that the species breeds on their side of
the North Sea, on both sides of latitude 56. Shetland, the
bulk of which lies north of latitude 60, is on a regular migration
route of the species. Some birds always appear to remain-
through the summer, but with so much scattered, suitable
round available, the would-be finder of their eggs, in the
absence of a stroke of extremely good fortune, would need
to devote his time to the one species until rewarded by success.
lew of those who go so far feel they can afford to do this,
which probably accounts for the fact that the Turnstone is
still unrecognized as a British breeder. This description of
our experience with the species on an islet off Oland may
perhaps be of service to one who would seek to alter the
status of the Turnstone on the British list, and who has the
opportunity to make the attempt.

I was accompanied by my wife and our friend Jasper
Atkinson, a fellow-member (now President) of the Zoological
Photographic Club—that club to which every photographic
ornithologist should belong whose work is sufficient in
quantity and quality to enable him to fulfil the obligations
of membership.

On June 4th we landed on one of the landward points of
the rough triangle of which our little, low islet consisted, and
as we did so two Turnstones flew silently away in the direction

(‘y201sTYD Ydrey gq paydvasojoydq)
(auo}suINy, spews)

‘ISHN HHL FAO UVEA LAHAT FHL OL

4 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX,

of the seaward angle. In length the triangle’s sides approxi-
mated three-fourths of a mile. The side the birds had
followed had a narrow, stony beach, rising rapidly and
merging into a low hill some 30-40 feet above sea-level, and
covered with long grass and much tall, umbelliferous growth.
In the cover a few pairs of Velvet Scoters (Oidemia f. fusca)
nested. We followed after the Turnstones, but no others
were seen until we had rounded the beacon marking the next
angle, where a bird was seen on a rock well out in the water.
Here a considerable search was made, during which the
Turnstone disappeared and was seen no more.

Along this, the seaward side of the island, nothing of
interest was seen beyond Common Gulls (Larus c. canus),
Arctic Terns (Sterna macrura) and Ringed Plovers (Charadrius
hiaticula) until we had passed two-thirds of its length, when
another Turnstone was seen which called once or twice half-
heartedly. Protracted search revealed nothing more exciting
than the nest of a Redshank (Tringa t. totanus) in a narrow
patch of grass under the lea of a large rock. The Redshank
called frequently, and a second Turnstone appeared on another
stone in the water. More for the possibility it gave of observ-
ing the Turnstones than for any other reason a hiding-tent
was left by the Redshank’s nest. For a similar reason a tent
had been left by a Common Gull’s nest near to the beacon.
The Turnstones had displayed no anxiety and very little
energy, and when we left that day our hopes were not very

right.

On the following day both Atkinson and I passed some
time in the tents without seeing anything indicative of
breeding Turnstones. The same pair of birds flew away from
the apex as we landed, they had doubtless watched our
approach. Round the second point a bird was seen again,
but it soon disappeared behind the bluff on which the beacon
stood, and did not return. The Redshank’s neighbours were
there again, but further away, and one of them called faintly
a time or two. Systematic search over shingle and in
herbage amongst rocks revealed nothing. On the landward
side a Turnstone was seen standing, unconcernedly as usual,
on a stone in the sea. Disappointment had taken the place
of hope when we left that night.

On June the 19th Atkinson followed the same direction
round the islet as before, whilst my wife and I reversed it.
Less than half-way along the landward side a Turnstone was
noticed at the water’s edge before us, and by flights of varied
lengths it continued to keep some hundred yards ahead.

»
“

A,

| te

~)

_

r¥
oe

THE SITE OF NEST NO. I.
(Some herbage has been removed.)
Male Turnstone sitting.
(Photographed by Ralph Chislett.)

6 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

When we reached the end of that side it stood on a rock a
similar distance out in the sea, and waited there until we had
passed far enough along the next side to lose sight of it,
without doubling back or doing anything which a non-
breeding bird would not have been equally likely to do.

One of the Redshank’s Turnstone neighbours called as we
came up. This was the only one of three pairs which ever
uttered a sound in our hearing. I see from my note book I
rendered the call at the time as ‘“‘ Tcherwio-tcherwio, some-
times repeated half-a-dozen times so as to form a rippling
whinney.”’ After a little preliminary search we selected a
spot which commanded as good a view as the broken nature
of the ground allowed, and fixed the tent against a rock.
When I had entered my wife walked away to see how Atkin-
son was progressing—also incidentally to beguile the Turn-
stones. Soon afterwards both Turnstones flew to rocks some
fifty yards away. After a few minutes one of them flew to
the edge of the beach and ran up and along past me, Jess than
a dozen yards away. This looked like business, although the
bird soon flew back to its mate. Against the sky, not more
than thirty yards away, appearing over the top of a rise in
the ground, as seen from the hiding-tent, was a group of
chervil flower-heads. One of the Turnstones, on taking wing,
flew directly to these flower-heads and appeared to settle in
the midst of them. After giving the bird time to get settled
on the eggs (I hoped) I crawled out of the tent, and keeping
low was within six yards of the chervil clump when the
Turnstone took wing from a point two yards on the other
side, repeating its cry much more meaningly than hitherto.
I had been prepared to find the nest under shelter of some
sort, but had not expected the eggs to be so completely
hidden from view as proved to be the case here. The nest
lay on the seaward side of the clump. To obtain a view for
the camera, a tall chervil stalk, some leaves and grasses, had
to be removed. The definite scrape was lined with bits of
seaweed and dry grass stems to a depth of more than one
inch. The four eggs were greenish in ground colour, mottled
and blurred brown over grey, underlying markings.

A hiding-tent was fixed, but as the bird had not returned
in half-an-hour it was moved a little farther away and I left
ostentatiously. Before leaving the island I paid another visit
to see if the bird had returned ; it had.

On the landward side of the island, on a spit of grass
mingled with thrift and clover, a number of pairs of Arctic
Terns had eggs, and, in a few cases, young. As I passed on

:

vou. xIx.] ‘T'URNSTONES ON A BALTIC ISLET. 7

my last journey I fixed and left the second hiding-tent there,
then passed on to the landing apex to pack up for the day.
I had seen no Turnstone as I came along, nor as I fixed the
tent: but on looking back saw two birds on rocks by the
water’s edge nearest to the Tern colony. I sat down in the
long herbage, and, after I had watched through binoculars

AN OPEN SITE.

Male Turnstone sitting.
(Photographed by Ralph Chislett.)

for some ten minutes, one of the Turnstones flew to the top
of a large rock to the landward side of the Terns. Thence it
jumped to the ground and was eventually lost in the cover.
On the following morning we searched all the chervil and
other clumps near to the place of disappearance without success.
Then I passed on to photograph the birds whose nest I had

8 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIx,

found the previous day, leaving Atkinson in the tent among
the Terns, hoping he might repeat my experience. Before
I had entered hide No. 1. I could see J. A. “ moving, and on
running back to learn the news I heard him shout joyfully,
as he pushed in tent supports with eager fingers, ‘’ I’ve got
it.’ J.A. supplies the following note:

‘“When Chislett left me in the tent among the Terns, these
birds returned to their nests quickly, and no doubt were
useful in establishing a feeling of confidence in the Turnstone.
At any rate one of the pair flew past the tent and alighted on
the large rock already mentioned. There it remained for two
or three minutes, when it dropped to the ground and walked
without any further hesitation back along the line of its recent
flight, through the thrift, where presently it became invisible.
Giving it time to settle I crept out at the back of the tent,
and approaching on hands and knees got within three yards
before it flew. The tent was then moved and fixed near the
nest with Mrs. Chislett’s assistance, and in less than half-
an-hour, and—for a wader—with very little circumlocution,
the bird (which I also judge was the male) was back at the
nest, soon ignoring sounds which came from the tent.”’

This second nest was only some twenty-five yards from the
the tent as originally fixed and right among the breeding
Terns. It was similar to the other nest but had rather more
dry grass stems placed around it. The eggs were open to the
sky. The spot was some fifty yards from the water on which
the grassy spit abutted.

Photographic details were fairly simple, except that the
fierce sunlight was entirely from the wrong direction in the
case of nest No. 1. These Turnstones usually alighted on a
large rock to the left rear of the nest, and, after running to and
fro for a while, dropped to the ground and walked to the back
of the chervil clump, through which the striking black and
white head shortly afterwards appeared. At first, every
sound caused the birds to run out in front and along the side
of the chervil, thence round and behind the clump again, and
so back to the eggs. More than once, male and female were
within a few yards of the nest together. In one bird, doubt-
less the female, the white head-markings were tinged with
cream or buff; the size and shape of the black and of the
white areas also differed a little. The back plumages seemed
to be alike, the chestnut barrings being equally noticeable in
all birds at close quarters. The head-dress of both males
appeared very conspicuous against the greenery. In the
case of No. i pair both birds incubated ; with No. 2 birds I

VoL. XIxX.] ‘TURNSTONES ON A BALTIC ISLET. 9

spent less time, and only saw one bird sitting, which I believed
to be the male, his plumage being quite as unclouded as in
the male of the first pair.

A number of nearer views of the female of No. 1 pair were
secured by means of placing a stone by the side of the clump
of chervil, which she readily jumped upon when making the
little circular tour, sometimes waiting there for a minute or
two. The second bird flew up from the water’s edge to the
edge of the Tern colony, and then ran between.the heads of
sea-pink.

By this time I had concluded that the Turnstone we usually
saw round the corner of the second point of the triangle was
one of the pair which flew away when we landed, and that
they were nesting along the umbel-decked coast between the
two points. Photographic work, however, left no time in
which to locate this nest precisely.

The outstanding and to us rather surprising feature was
the very small amount of assistance obtainable for a long
time trom the behaviour of the birds. It was our first
experience of the species as proved breeders.

( 10 )
MANX ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES, 1924.

BY
Pp, G. RALPE-

THE following notes are intended to continue the record from
Vo. XVIL, p.220. ;

CARRION ¥% HoopED Crow (Corvus corone * cornix).—Mr.
F. S. Graves writes : “On April 7th, 1924, I again observed a
mixed pair of corone and cornix half a mile to the east of last
year’s site. On May 4th I located the nest, with the grey bird
sitting on it, on a small, grassy cap of an almost vertical fold
in the face of a low cliff some forty feet high. The black
Crow was on guard, constantly dashing at Herring-Gulls and
Jackdaws nesting in the same cliff.

‘“T visited the site many times from this date, and spent a
long time observing the birds. The sitting bird was always
the grey one ; occasionally when the nest was left for a few
minutes the black bird would settle on the grassy cap but
never on the nest, and would leave when the other returned.
By May 24th there were evidently young in the nest as
both birds showed great anxiety when I approached it. On
June 11th I could see two young Crows in the nest gasping
in hot sun. On the 15th I found two young hybrid Crows on
Contrary Head, some 600 yards from nest, and two others
still in it. I approached to within fifteen yards of one, when
with glasses I had a perfect view of it in good light. Although
in the distance it appeared to be dingy black, it was
intermediate in plumage, the grey of the back a deep
brownish-grey with the feathers edged black. Head dull
smoky-black, wings black with dull green and purple sheen.
Tail black and still short. Bill deep lead-black. Legs and
feet black. Eyes pearl-grey with dark pupil. The grey of
one still in the nest appeared to be lighter than that of the
two on wing. On June 20th the four young were on the
wing.

“On July 20th I again saw this family party of Crows
feeding in a field on the hill, the four young birds appearing
very dark alongside the Hooded Crow, the lighter parts of the
plumage were just noticeable in a favourable light. I last
saw the two old Crows with three of their hybrid young feeding
on the slope of Contrary Head, near the nesting site, on
March 15th, 1925. the young still looking very dark.

In 1923 I stated trom the behaviour and appearance of
the birds that the black one was the female. This year the
case 1s reversed, the grey one being the female.’

VOL. XIX.] ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 1}

Brack Repsrart (Phenicurus o. gibraltariensis).—About
the new year of 1923-4 one was caught in a yard at Ramsey ;
it died after a short confinement.

TRISH DippER (Cinclus c. hibernicus).—A specimen taken on
the headwater of Sulby in November, 1923, was given to the
Manx Museum by Mr. R. F. Douglas. This has very dark and
uniform upper plumage, red band not extensive or deeply
coloured. Mr. H. F. Witherby, who has seen the bird, writes
me that it ‘‘ matches Irish specimens very well and may be
said to be quite typical of that race.” :

Hoopor (U pupa e. epops).—On March 27th, 1924, Mr. F.
S. Graves watched a bird of this species on Peel Hill.

KINGFISHER (Alcedo a. ispida).—I am told by Mr. H. M.
Rogers of another Manx nest. While fishing a small stream
near Douglas, he caught a Kingfisher on his hook. He
released the bird with difficulty and later traced it (or its mate)
to a hole in the bank, which contained three eggs.

OsPREY (Pandion h. haliawtus)—-On March 26th, 1924, a
specimen was killed on a tree at Ballamenagh, between
Douglas and Laxey, and has come into possession of the Manx
Museum. An adult (or nearly adult) male, it is the first
certain record of the species in Man.

WHOOPER SWAN (Cygnus cygnus).—-On March gth, 1924,
a mature specimen was killed out of five on the small Lough
of Gat-e-Whing, Andreas, and through Mr. J. Bell came to
the Manx Museum.

BEWICK’S SWAN (Cygnus b. bewickii).—In November, 1923,
one was killed in the Northern Curragh, and also found its
way to the Museum through Mr. Bell.

SLAVONIAN GREBE (Podiceps auritus).—In February, 1924,
one was shot on a “dub” at Andreas, and given to the
Museum through Mr. Bell.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (Colymbus tmmer).—On Novem-
ber 27th, 1924, a bird of this species was handed to Mr. F. 5.
Graves by a fisherman. Its foot had been caught on a hook
of a long line, set on the bottom of from eight to nine fathoms
of water, some two miles off Peel. These lines are armed with
hooks fixed to fifteen inches of snod, six feet apart along the
line. A small whiting on the next hook had all the appearance
of having been seized by the bird before it in turn was caught
on the next one and drowned. It was a fine bird in usual
winter plumage, weighing exactly eleven pounds. The birds
which are seen in Peel Bay are frequently badly “ oiled.”

HERRING-GULL (Larus a. argentatus)—Mr. G. Preston
informs me that in the spring of 1924 a pair attempted to nest

12 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL. XIX.

-_

on the chimney of a house at “ King Orry,” Laxey. The
wire guard of the chimney was beaten down to form a founda-
tion, but after about a fortnight’s occupation the _birds
disappeared. In spite of the familiarity of the species in the
Manx towns, I have never heard of a similar instance.

Mr. F. S. Graves writes : ‘‘ A few only of the large number
of Herring-Gulls in the Peel district have acquired a taste for
young rabbits. I had frequently been told that they had
been seen to catch them on the hillside above the west quay,
drop them into the harbour, tear them to pieces and devour
them. On June 3rd, 1924, I noticed two Gulls apparently
waiting an opportunity of seizing one of the many young
rabbits feeding on the grass outside the burrows on the hill
opposite. They slowly stalked the smaller ones through the
bracken, taking no notice of the larger and full grown ones.
Presently one seized one by the skin of its back and planing
‘down dropped it on the mud in the centre of the harbour (the
tide being out at the time). Many other Gulls hurrying up
to join in the feast were driven off by fishermen, and the
rabbit, about the size ot a full grown rat, was brought to me
paralyzed with fright but apparently uninjured. Had the
tide been in at the time, the rabbit would have been torn to
pieces and swallowed in a few seconds.”

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus).—Mr. F. S.
Graves writes: “This bird is much more numerous in the
Peel district than it was twenty to thirty years ago. A few
frequent Peel shore and bay at all seasons. Occasionally I
meet with them inland on small sheets of water, flooded fields,
and a mile or so up the Peel river, in company with Herring-
Gulls, but never following a ploughman as other Gulls do.
They nested in the Peel district at at least one place in 1924.

“On March 6th, 1925, thirty-one birds of this species were
on Peel shore and bay and three more in the harbour. I
recognized birds in the first, second and third winters’ plumage
as well as adults, more of the immature birds than the latter.”

( 18.)
RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

Tur expenses of the Ringing Scheme have for the last few years, owing

to the large number of birds ringed, been very heavy, and a special

appeal for subscriptions has been made to the ringers themselves. It
has been suggested that other readers of BritisH Brrps who are
interested in the scheme and yet are unable actually to do any ringing

May care to support it by subscribing towards its cost, and any sums

sent in for this purpose will be welcome.

Subscriptions have been received from the following ringers since the
last list was published :—Capt. C. E. Alford, Messrs. C. F. Archibald,

J. Bartholomew, Sir S. Bilsland, Mr. R. O. Blyth, Mrs. C. M. Boord,

Messrs. A. W. Boyd, W. G. Bramley, R. H. Brown, Po A Burtt. E:.

Carlyon-Britton, Miss B. A. Carter, Messrs. P. K. Chance, T. Coward,

F. Dipple, R. M. Garnett, H. S. Gladstone, Wm. Glegg, Sir Richard

Graham, Bt., Mr. H. S. Greg, Mrs. T. E. Hodgkin, Dr. N. H. Joy,

Messrs. T. Kerr, R. E. Knowles, F. H. Lancum, Col. P. C. Macfarlane,

Major W. F. Mackenzie, Messrs. J. R. B. Masefield, A. Mayall, Misses

I, Mayne and E. Mellish, Mr. J. H. Methold, Dr. H. J. Moon, Messrs.

P. E. A. Morshead, J. H. Owen, The Rev. E. Peake, Lt.-Col. Porritt,

Mr. B. J. Ringrose, Lord Scone, Mr. P. Scott, Dr. H. G. Langdale

Smith, Miss F. K. Staunton, Messrs. W. P. G. Taylor, J. F. Thomas,

R. G. Willan and A. H. R. Wilson.

CaRRION-CROW (Corvus c. covone\.—74,799, ringed near Arbroath,
Forfarshire, as a young bird, by Mr. H. G. Watson, on May 26th,
1924. Reported on Leuchar’s Estate, Fifeshire, on March 30th,
1925, by Mr. G. R. Crocket.

STARLING (Sturnus v. vulgaris).—51,850, ringed at Bradfield, near
Reading, Berks, by Dr. N. H. Joy, on November 24th, 1922.
Reported near where ringed on January 4th, 1925, by Mr. A. L.
Whitfeld.

51,927, ringed as 51,850, on November 27th, 1922. Reported
where ringed, on November 7th, 1924, by Mr. W. S. Wilson.
55,222, ringed at Maidstone, Kent, as an adult, by Mr. W. Wood,
on January 27th, 1923. Reported where ringed, on April 3rd,
1925, by Mr. E. Chittenden.

59,245, ringed at Seaford, Sussex, as a young bird, by Mr. J. F.
Thomas, on June 27th, 1923. Reported where ringed, on March
31st, 1925, by Mr. R. Lambert.

CHAFFINCH (Fringilla c. celebs).—A.3,827, ringed at Bridge-of-Earn,
Perthshire, as an adult, by Mr. A. H. R. Wilson, on April 12th,
1923. Reported where ringed, on April 28th, 1924, by the ringer.
Again released.

A.5,855, ringed as A.3,827, on July 4th, 1923. Reported where
ringed, once March 1924 and twice in March 1925, bv the ringer.
Again released.

B.2,827, ringed at Malvern, Worcestershire, as an adult, by Mr.
P. E. A. Morshead, on December goth, 1923. Reported where
ringed, on February 7th, 1925, by the Rev. O. Jay.

B.4,845, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as an adult, by Mr. W. P. G.
Taylor, on April 20th, 1924. Reported where ringed, on
February 11th, 1925, by the ringer.

CHIFFCHAFF (Phylloscopus c. collybita)—A.6,572, ringed at Dorney,
Bucks, as a nestling, by Mr. A. Mayall, on May 28th, 1923. Re-
ported at Evora (Alemtejo), Portugal, on October 19th, 1924, by
Senhor L. Francisco Sales Batista.

14 BRITISH BIRDS. [vouL. XIX,

Wittow-WarBLER (PaAylloscopus t. trochilus).—2,156, ringed at
Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young bird, by Mr. J.
Downie (for Mr. J. Bartholomew), on June 17th, 1921. Reported
at Sobral de Pichorro (Fornos de Algodres), Portugal, on October
23rd, 1924, by Mr. E. M. Leith. Published in A Epoca, November
18th, 1924. mA ‘

MistLE-THRUSH (Turvdus v. viscivorus).—99,590, ringed at Hafod,
Trefnant, Denbighshire, N. Wales, as a young bird, by Major W.
M. Congreve, on April 23rd, 1922. Reported two miles from
Denbigh Station, on November 29th, 1924, by Mr. R. Williams.

Sonc-TuRusH (Turdus ph. clarkei).—3,292, ringed at Torrance, near
Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young bird, by Mr. J. Bartholomew,
on May 9th, 1922. Reported where ringed, on March 28th, 1925,
by the ringer.

59,166, ringed at Aberargie, Perthshire, as a young bird, by Mr. A.
H. R. Wilson, on May ist, 1924. Reported at Rock Ferry,
Cheshire, on January 19th, 1925, by Mr. W. Gashell.

BLacKBIRD (Turdus m. merula).—96,331, ringed at Pulborough, Sussex,
as a nestling, by Mr. A. Mayall, on April 26th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on February 16th, 1925, by Miss Frogley.

59,659, ringed at Pyrford Court, near Woking, Surrey, as a nestling,
by Mrs. L. E. Taylor, on May 16th, 1923. Reported one mile from
where ringed on March 13th, 1925, by Mr. C. D. van Narman.
Z.4,621, ringed at Marlborough, Wilts., as a nestling, by Mr. W. P.
G. Taylor, on May 11th, 1924. Reported in same place, on
February roth, 1925, by Mr. G. Peirson.

Z.8,167, ringed near Worthing, Sussex, as a nestling, by Miss F.
Collins (for Lon. Nat. Hist. Soc.), on May 26th, 1924. Reported
where ringed, on April 9th, 1925, by Mr. G. A. Bentley.

B.8,330, ringed at Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as an
adult, by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on October 20th, 1924. Reported
at Blackpool, Lancs, on November 19th, 1924, by Mr. T. Hull.
93,204, ringed at Lytham, Lancs, as a young bird, by Dr. H. J.
Moon, on March 15th, 1918. Reported near Kirkham, Lancs,
on December 8th, 1924, by Mrs. T. Parkinson.

WHEATEAR (Ginanthe @. enanthe).—C.1,821, ringed near Thornton,
Bradford, Yorks, as a young bird, by Mr. J. V. Stephens, on
June 27th, 1924. Reported at St. Palais-sur-Mer (Charente
Inférieure), France, on September 2nd, 1924, by Mr. J. Schenk.
Published in Chasseur Francaise, November 1924.

REDBREAST (Erithacus rubecula).—A.3,824, ringed at Bridge-of-Earn,
Perthshire, as an adult, by Mr. A. H. R. Wilson, on April 6th, 1923.
Reported where ringed, on March 14th, 1924. Again released.
A.3,839, ringed as A.3,824, on April 8th, 1923. Reported where
ringed in February, March and December 1924, and February
1925, by the ringer. Again released.

A.3,843, tinged as A.3,824, on January r4th, 1924. Reported
where ringed, on January 26th, 1925, by the ringer. Again
released.

A.3,853, tinged as A.3,824, on January 12th, 1924. Reported
where ringed, on December 13th, 1924, by the ringer. Again
released.

A.5,934, ringed as A.3,824, on March 13th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on January 25th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
A.5,931, ringed as A.3,824, on March 15th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, in October and December 1924, by the ringer.

vou. x1x.}] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 15

A.5,927, ringed as A.3,824, on March 17th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on March 8th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
A.5,925, ringed as A.3,824, on March 18th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, in December 1924, and January and February 1925, by
the ringer. Again released.

A.5,937, ringed as A.3,824, on March 21st, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on December 17th, 1924, by the ringer. Again released.
B.2,590, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as an adult, by Mr. WW ee Ga
Taylor, on April 4th, 1924. Reported where ringed, on March 13th,
1925, by the ringer. Again released. FE
B.4,134, ringed at Benacre, Suffolk, as a young bird, by Miss C.
Wingfield (for Miss F. K. Staunton), on May 14th, 1924. Reported
near where ringed, on November 18th, 1924, by Mr Inc. Boggis.

HepbGeE-Sparrow (Prunella modularis).—A.3,837, tinged at Bridge-of-
Earn, Perthshire, as an adult, by Mr. A. H. R. Wilson, on April oth,
1923. Reported where ringed, on January 12th, 1925, by the
ringer. Again released.

A.3,852, ringed as A.3,837, on October 25th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on March r8th, 1924, by the ringer. Again released.
A.3,848, ringed as A.3,837, on November ist, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on April 5th, 1924, by the ringer.

A.3,850, ringed as A.3,837, on March 5th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on January 21st, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
A.5,928, ringed as A.3,837, on March 31st, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on February 3rd, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
A.5,930, ringed as A.3,837, on April Ist, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on March 6th and 9th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
B.9,874, ringed as A.3,837, on October Ist, 1924. Reported where
ringed twenty-four times up to March 30th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

B.4,926, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as a nestling, by Mrs. L. E.
Taylor, on May 25th, 1924. Reported near where ringed, on
March 29th, 1925, by Miss E. Armstrong.

SWALLOW (Hirundo r. vustica).—6,511, ringed at Cheadle, Staffs, as a
nestling, by Mr. J. R. B. Masefield, on June 16th, 1922. Reported
where ringed on March 7th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.

KXINGFISHER (Alcedo a. ispida).—B.4,664, ringed at Eton, Bucks, as a
nestling, by Mr. A. Mayall, on July 2nd, 1924. Reported at
Staines Bridge, Middlesex, on November 7th, 1924, by Miss
Rodgers.

LittLe Ow (Athene n. vidalii).—73,225, ringed at Staunton Grange,
Notts, as an adult, by Miss F. K. Staunton, on May 22nd, 1924.
Reported where ringed, on January 22nd, 1925, by Mr. W. F.
Player.

LONG-EARED Owt (Asio 0. otus).—39,403, ringed at Kinclune, Kin-
goldrum, Forfarshire, as a nestling, by Dr. J. N. D. and Mr. T. L.
Smith, on May 2oth, 1922. Reported at Lintrathen, Kirriemuir,
Forfarshire, in October 1924, by Mr. Wm. Fenton.

MERLIN (Falco c. @salon).—26,354, ringed at Kenfig, Glamorgan, as a
nestling, by Miss C. M. Acland, on June 24th, 1923. Reported
about five miles from where ringed, on April 3rd, 1925, by
Mr. H. E. David. é .

ComMMON Buzzarp (Buteo b. buteo).—102,621, ringed at Ullswater,
Westmorland, as a young bird, by Dr. H. J. Moon, on June gth,
1924. Reported at Mansergh, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland,
in January 1925, by Mr. L. Ardern.

16 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

Sparrow-Hawk (Accipiter ”. nisus).—75,105, ringed at Bradfield,
near Reading, Berks, as a nestling, by Dr. N. H. Joy, on June 25th,
1924. Reported at Ashampstead, Berks, on December roth, 1924,
by Mr. H. L. Simmons. ;
eas ringed at Barrington, Cambs, as a nestling, by Mr. G. W.
Thompson, on July 4th, 1924. Reported near Royston, Herts,
on December 4th, 1924, by Mr. D. Edwards. — ;

HERON (Ardea c. cinerea).—-102,607, ringed at Ambleside, Westmorland,
as a young bird, by Dr. H. J. Moon, in May 1924. Reported near
Dunthwaite Hall, Cockermouth, Cumberland, in March 1925, by
Mr. S. Brown. : Z 3

Matxiarp (Anas p. platyrhyncha).—34,850, ringed at Stranraer, Wig-
townshire, as an adult, by Mr. M. Portal, on February 28th, 1914.
Reported in Vanjarvi Pohjanselka, Sysma Gut Rajala, Finland,
in August 1920 or 1921, by Mr. Toivo Nyberg, per Dr. Ivar
Hortling. Published in Ornes Fennica, No. 1, 1925, P- 22. e
20,501, ringed as 34,850, on March 5th, 1924. Reported at Gie-
thoorn (Overijsel), Holland, on October 25th, 1924, by Mr. T.
Smit, Jnr., and Dr. E. D. Van Oort. :
20,506, ringed as 20,501. Reported at Drumoak, Aberdeenshire,
in October 1924, by Mr. J. Forbes. i

24,797, ringed at Oakmere, Cheshire (hand-reared from eggs of
wild Cheshire birds), by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on July 17th, 1924.
Reported at Market Drayton, Shropshire, in January 1925, by
Mr. J. Norden.

23,655, ringed at Laughton, near Gainsborough, Lincs, as a young
bird, by Mr. F. Meynell, on July 3rd, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on December 18th, 1924, by Mr. Legard.

TEAL (Anas c. crecca).—71,552, ringed at Netherby, Longtown, Cumber-
land, by Mr. Wm. Bell (for Sir Richard Graham, Bart.), on March
31st, 1923. Reported at Tavelsjo, about 35 kilometres N.W. of
Umea, N. Sweden, on September Ist, 1924, by Prof. E. Lonnberg.
71,550, ringed as 71,552. Reported on the Island of Fano, near
Esbjerg, Denmark, on October 21st or 22nd, 1924, by Mr. P.
Jespersen.

71,505, ringed as 71,552. Reported at Wardley Wood, Worsley,
near Manchester, on September 9th, 1924, by Capt. R. M. Nuttall.
These birds were hand-reared from eggs of wild birds in 1922 and
feathers of one wing were cut. On March 31st, 1923, the cut wing-
feathers were pulled and the birds liberated.

CoRMORANT (Phalacrocorax c. carbo).—101,829, ringed at Castle Loch,
Mochrum, Wigtownshire, as a nestling, by Mr. J. G. Gordon, on
_June 14th, 1919. Reported at Loch Cullen, co. Mayo, Ireland,
on February 18th, 1925, by Mr. W. B. Threlfall.

SHAG (Phalacrocovax a. avistolelis)—102,870, ringed at Melledgan,
Scilly Islands, Cornwall, as a nestling, by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on
June 25th, 1924. Reported at Great Porth, Bryher, Scilly Islands,
on February 7th, 1925, by Miss I. Stedeford.

GANNET (Sula bassana).—103,607, ringed at Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire, as
a young bird, by Mr. D. Macdonald, on July 19th, 1924. Reported
at Irvine, Ayrshire, on October 8th, 1924, by Mr. H. McFedries.
103,523, ringed as 103,607. Reported at Portarogie, co. Down,
Ireland, on September 28th, 1924, by Mr. S. Adair.

103,585, ringed as 103,607. Reported near Lamlash, Isle of
Arran, Scotland, on October 2nd, 1924, by Mr. R. A. Little.
103,050, ringed as 103,607, on July 22nd, 1924. Reported near

VOL. XIX. | RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 17

Santofia (Santander), Spain, on October 18th, 1924, by sr. Hijos
de Carlos Albo.
103,850, ringed as 103,607, on July 28th, 1924. Reported at
Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, early in October 1924, by the
ringer. This bird now on Queen’s Park Duck Pond, Glasgow.
103,922, ringed as 103,607, on July 30th, 1924. Reported at
Bangor, co. Down, Ireland, on September 27th, 1924, by Mr. F.
a McDowell. : o
- Woopn-PicEon (Columba p. palumbus).—20,820, ringed at Torrance,
near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young bird, by Mr.]J. Bartholomew,
on April 22nd, 1924. Reported at New Monkland, Lanarkshire,
on September 11th, 1924, by Mr. A. Porter.
74,515, ringed on Scone Estate, Perth, as a nestling, by Lord
Scone, on May 12th, 1924. Reported five miles north of Perth,
on April 17th, 1925, by Mr. John Cameron. 5
76,043, ringed at Haslingfield, Cambs, as a young bird, by Mr. G.
W. Thompson, on September 1oth, 1924. Reported near where
‘ ringed on November 15th, 1924, by Mr. COCO.
STONE-CuRLEW (Burhinus @. edicnemus).—Ringed at Cholsey, Berks,
as a young bird, by Mr. J. F. Madden, on June 9th, 1923. Reported
near Soustons (Landes), France, on October 23rd, 1924, by Mons.

a S. Gratiannette.

— OvystER-CATcHER (Hematopus o. ostralegus).—24,065, tinged on Rock-
cliffe Marsh, Cumberland, as a nestling, by Mr. R. H. Brown, on
July 3rd, 1924. Reported at Humphrey Head, Morecambe Bay,
Lancs, on December 2nd, 1924, by Mr. W. Burrow.

24,068, ringed on Kirkbride Marsh, Cumberland, as a nestling, by
Mr. R. H. Brown, on July roth, 1924. Reported on shore of
Solway Firth, Dumfriesshire, on January 3rd, 1925, by Mr. Wm.
McAndrew.

21,318, ringed at Loch Leven, Kinross, as a young bird, by Mr. W.
Telfer (for Mr. A. H. R. Wilson), on June 24th, 1924. Reported
near Fleetwood, Lanes, on February 7th, 1925, by Mr. W. Curwen.

Lapwine (Vanellus’ vanellus).—28,228, ringed at Aldermaston, Berks,
as a nestling, by Dr. N. H. Joy, on June 2nd, 1913. Reported
near where ringed, on December 31st, 1924, by Mr. E. Blatch.
53,331, ringed at Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young
bird, by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on May 24th, 1922. Reported at
Kilkee, co. Clare, Ireland, late in January 1925, by Mr. J. Hastings.

58,928, ringed as 53,331, on June 11th, 1923. Reported at Armagh

h Head, co. Mayo, Ireland, on December 29th, 1924, by Mr. M. Gilbry.

58,930, ringed as 53,331, on June r2th, 1923. Reported at Swin-
ford, co. Mayo, Ireland, on December 31st, 1924, by Mr. P. Cryan.
Y.2,183, ringed as 53,331, on June 22nd, 1924, Reported at
_ near Glasgow, early in March 1925, by Mr. G. Slorance,

nr.

20,360, ringed at Ullswater, Westmorland, as a young bird, by
Dr. H. J. Moon, on May 17th, 1924. Reported at Penrith,
Cumberland, on December roth, 1924, by Mr. A. N. Hodgson.
Z.1,265, ringed at Gartmore, Stirlingshire, as a young bird, by
Col. P. C. Macfarlane, on June 19th, 1924. Reported at Ennis,
co. Clare, Ireland, on February 17th, 1925, by Mr. E. White.

REDSHANK (Tringa t. totanus).—Z.8,047, tinged at Rusland, Ulverston,
Lancs, as a nestling, by Mr. C. F. Archibald, on June 8th, 1924.
Reported at Cockersand Abbey, about ten miles away, on Novem-
ber 27th, 1924, by Mr. H. S. Greg. :

B

18 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XEX,

CurLew (Numenius a. avquata).—75,01l, ringed near Dalston, Cumber-
land, as a nestling, by Mr. k. H. Brown, on June 3rd, 1924.
Reported at Stranraer, Wigtownshire, on January 12th, 1925, by
Mr. J. Law. _ ;

71,514, ringed at Kinclune, Kingoldrum, Forfarshire, as a young
bird, by Dr. J. N. D. and Mr. T. L. Smith, on. jiine msth, 1924)
Reported at Ballyhaunis, co. Mayo, Ireland, on October 27th,
1924, by Mr. G. S. Salmon. :
21,704, ringed at Callendar, Perthshire, as a young bird, by Col.
P. C. Macfarlane, on July 4th, 1924. Reported at Lixnaw, co.
Kerry, Ireland, on October 9th, 1924, by Mr. A. Parkinson,

Wooncock (Scolopax r. rusticola)—Z.3086, ringed at Breast, Holker,

Cark-in-Cartmel, Lancs, as a young bird, by Col. A. Porritt’s
keeper, on May 21st, 1924. Reported where ringed on January
28th, 1925, by Mr. H. B. Turney.
Z.3,531, Z.3,537, ringed at Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, Lancs, one
young and one adult bird (caught off nest sitting), by Mr. A. C.
Stephenson (for Mr. B. J. Ringrose), on July 8th, 1924. Reported
near Slaidburn, Yorks, and near Ashburton, S. Devon, on October
22nd, 1924, and January 23rd, 1925, by Col. H. L. Darlington and
Major Cooke-Hurle.

Common TERN (Sterna h. hirundo).—L.M.24, ringed at Walney Island,
N. Lancashire, as a young bird, by Mr. H. W. Robinson, on
August 7th, 1924. Reported near Aiguillon-sur-Mer (Vendée),
France, early in October 1924, by Mons. E. Seguin-Jard.

Common GULL (Lavus c. canis).—75,505, ringed at Ardnamurchan,
Argyllshire, as a young bird, by Mr. T. Kerr, on July 7th, 1924.
Reported (found injured) at Tayinloan, Argyllshire, in December
1924, by Mr. E. M. Macalister Hall.

71,397, correction. Reported Vol. XVII., p. 242, as ringed on
Handa Island, should have been near Lochinver, Sutherland.
WeERRING-GULL (Larus a. argentatus).—23,509, ringed at Prail Castle,
Auchmithie, Forfarshire, as a young bird, by Mr. H. G. Watson,
on June 30th, 1924. Reported on the Humber foreshore, on

December 20th, 1924, by Mr. S. J. Rowland.

Lesser BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus f. affinis).—21,182, ringed at
Annet, Scilly Isles, Cornwall, as a young bird, by Mr. H. W.
Robinson, on June 21st, 1923. Reported at Caparica, near Lisbon,
Portugal, on September 28th, 1924, by Senhor Joas Goncalves
Bexiga, per Mr. i @. Gilbert,

24,582, ringed at Foulshaw, Westmorland, as a young bird, by
Mr. H. W. Robinson, on August 9th, 1924. Reported at mouth
of Douro River, Foz do Douro, near Oporto, Portugal, on Novem-
ber 11th, 1924, by Senhor Augusto Victor Campos, per Mr. H.
Westenfeld.

24,405, ringed as 24,582. Reported at Terreiro do Paco, Lisbon,
Portugal, late in February 1925, by Mr. H. E. O. Gilbert.
22,466, ringed at Annet, Scilly Islands, Cornwall, as a nestling, on
July rst, 1924, by Mr. A. W. Boyd. Reported at Lagos (Algarve),
Portugal, on October 26th, 1924, by Senhor José d’ Arbreu Pimenta.
Reported in A Aurora do Lima, December 5th, 1924.

KITTIWAKE GULL (Iissa ft. tridactyla).—67,423, ringed on Farne
Islands, Northumberland, as a young bird, by Mr. A. C. Greg, on
June 28th, 1923. Reported at Horse Island, district of St. Barbe,
Newfoundland, on August 12th, 1924, by Mr. L. Curtis, per .Sz-
John’s Daily News.

VOL. XIX.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 19

RAazorRBILL (Alca torda).—25,068, ringed at Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire, as a
young bird, by Mr. D. Macdonald, on July 26th, 1924. Reported
near Tarbert, Loch Fyne, Argyllshire, early in November 1924,
by Mr. J. McDougall.

GUILLEMOT (Uvia a. albionis).—24,931, ringed at Ailsa Craig, Ayrshire,
as a young bird, by Mr. D. Macdonald, on July 23rd, 1924. Re-
ported at Loch Fyne, Argyllshire, early in January 1925, by Mr.
D. Macfarlane.

25,200, ringed as 24,931, on July 27th, 1924. Keported at co.
Wexford, Ireland, on October 23rd, 1924, by Mr. P. Carey.
25,300, ringed as 24,931, on July 29th, 1924. Reported at Loch
Fyne, Argyllshire, early in November 1924, by Mr. D. Leitch.

Moor-HEn (Gallinula ch. chloropus).—73,283, ringed at Rhifail, Suther-
land, as a young bird, by Mr. A. H. R. Wilson, on June 18th, 1924.
Reported at The Hatchery, Kinbrace, about 25 miles S.E. of where
ringed, on October 2oth, 1924, by Mr. J. G. McNicol.

MARKED ABROAD AND RECOVERED IN GREAT BRITAIN.

STARLING (Sturnus v. vulgaris) —P. Skovgaard, Viborg, Denmark, two

birds ringed at Mélskovgaard, North Denmark, on June Ist, 1920.
One reported at Saltburn, near Middlesburgh, Yorks, on January
8th, 1921, by Mr. G. Hart, and the other at Walney Isle, Lancs,
on April 29th, 1922, by Mr. J. Clark. (See Danske Fugle, 1925,
pp. 22 and 23.)
P. Skovgaard, Viborg, Denmark, ringed at Vindt Molle, Viborg,
Denmark, on May 29th, 1922. Reported at Alves, Forres, Moray-
shire, on March 6th, 1924, by Dr. A. L. Thomson. (See Danske
Fugle, 1925, p. 23.)

WIGEON (Anas penelope)—Museum, Leiden, 13,853, ringed as a
mature bird, at Oost-Kapelle, Province Zeeland, Holland, between
2oth and 30th March, 1923. Reported near Thurles, co.
Tipperary, Ireland, in January 1925, by Mr. W. S. Williams.

BLACK-HEADED GuLL (Larus yr. ridibundus)——Museum, Goteborg,
Sweden, C.2,461, ringed as a young bird, at south point of Oland
in the Baltic, on June 23rd, 1924. Reported at King’s Lynn,
Norfolk, on February 28th, 1925, by Dr. S. H. Long.

ComMOoN GULL (Larus c. canus).—Estonia, Tartu, Orn. 199, ringed on
Island of Filsand, N.W. coast of Oesel, Baltic, as a young bird,
early July 1922. Reported at Haslingden Grane, near Hasling-
den, Lancs, on November 23rd, 1923, by Mr. O. Hartley, per Mr.
A. W. Boyd.

NOTES FROM HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND,
1924.

YeLLow WactalL (Motacilla flava ray1).—Several between
April 24th and May 15th.

WuitE Wacratt (M. a. alba).—A few passed through
between April 24th and May 13th, while a single bird appeared
on September 18th.

CONTINENTAL GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN (Regulus r. regulus).
—Many, presumably of this race, appeared throughout April
and one in May.

FIRE-CRESTED WREN (R. 7. ignicapillus)—A single bird on
May 25th.

RED-BACKED SHRIKE (Lanius c. collurio)—An immature
female on September roth.

PreED FLycCATCHER (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca).—Several
between May 4th and 2oth, and, again, from September 6th
to October 5th, but in smaller numbers.

RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER (M. p. parva).—Single birds
on October 8th and 16th—both were males.

EVERSMANN’S WARBLER (Piylloscopus b. borealis).—A male
on September 27th.

BARRED WARBLER (Sylvia n. nisoria).—On September 27th
a large Warbler with a long tail and noticeably pale back was
beaten out of the hedges several times, but could not be
obtained owing to its skulking habits. Dr. Eagle Clarke, who
was with me at the time, considered it to belong to this species.

NORWEGIAN BLUETHROAT (Luscinia svecica gaetket).—Dr.
Eagle Clarke saw a male on May goth.

Hoopor (Upupa e. epops).—A single bird on May 8th.

MANX SHEARWATER (Puffinus p. puffinus)—A few in May
and one in September.

FULMAR PETREL (F'ulmarus g. glacialis)—One in February
and many throughout May and June.

TuRTLE-DovE (Streptopelia t. turtur)—One on May 27th.

NORTHERN GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius apricarius aibi-
frons).—A large flock on April 18th and roth.

LITTLE GULL (Larus minutus).—A single bird on May ith.

GREAT SKUA (Stercorarius s. skua).—One on January 30th
and two on November 7th.

BLAck GUILLEmoT (Uria g. grylle).—These birds are by no
means uncommon from August to May in each year and must
certainly have been overlooked in the past.

VOL, SLs] NOTES. 21

Little Auk (Alle alle).—Several appeared on January 11th.
Again, I must express my thanks to Dr. W. Eagle Clarke for
his kindness in identifying such specimens as were obtained,

and much valuable help and instruction in the field.
| W. G. WaTSON.

EARLY NESTING OF MAGPIE IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
ALL the Magpies (Pica p. pica) round Barton, Cambridgeshire,
have been noticeably earlier in nesting this year, but one pair
that I had under observation were remarkably so, They
began building between February 22nd and 25th, 1925, and
the exterior of the nest was apparently complete about
March 6th-8th. On April 8th I went up the tree and took the
clutch of eight eggs, which proved to have been sat on for four
or even five days. This places the date of first sitting at
_ April 4th and the laying of the first egg at about March 28th.
. G. W. THOMPSON.

THE CONTINENTAL GOLDFINCH.AS A BRITISH BIRD.

- Tue Practical Handbook records under this species: ‘‘ Immi-
grant Goldfinches are recorded regularly from the east coast
of England at the end of September and early November.
Until actual specimens have been examined, however, the
Continental form cannot be definitely included.”

Some time ago I happened to get into conversation with
A. B. Thompson of H.M.S. “‘Repulse.”” He told me that on
November Ist, 1923, he opened the door of an unused boiler
and out flew a Rook, and it immediately hid itself in the coal !
He went up on deck and found it “‘ swarming with birds.”

The following is the list of birds he remembered seeing :—

- Rook, Hooded-Crow, Starling, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Linnet,
Skylark, Thrush, Blackbird, Robin, Tit, Wren.

I got into communication with Rey. J. W. Evans and Lieut. -
Commander C. E. Morgan, R.N., and the latter kindly gave

“me the following information. He remembered seeing the

birds mentioned in the list, except the Tit and Wren, and
added Sparrow, Jackdaw and Hawk. They all came on board
about 60 or 70 miles from shore between the Tyne and Flam-
borough Head, so that the Goldfinches were evidently on their
way to England. This fits in with the report on East Coast
migration (Brit. Birds, Vol. XVII., p. 262).

The Rooks came on board at about 3 p.m., the smaller birds
all that evening up till about 10 p.m. The Rooks mostly
roosted on the main-mast, and most of them left at r a.m.
The small birds were all over the ship, and many were still
about at 8 a.m. The wind on the rst was easterly and very

22 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

sf ks flew alongside the ship for a long time
eal : ere flying at the rate of about

NorMAN H. Joy.

light.
before they came on board, and w

17 to 18 miles per hour.”

MEALY REDPOLL AT HAMPSTEAD,

ANSWERING an unexpected call on Hampstead Heath on
March 2oth, 1925, I found and watched a Mealy Redpoll
(Carduelis 1. linaria) feeding on the seeds of some small alders
surrounded by noisy children, dogs, etc. The bird—a very
grey one—was doubtless a member of a passing flock, though
I saw no others. I was able to watch the bird for a quarter of
an hour at a distance of a few yards in a good light.

The latest record for this locality that I have been able to
trace is as far back as 1866, in which year Mr. J. E. Harting
saw ‘‘a few on the Heath ”’ (H. Goodchild, citing Harting,
in the Hampstead Scientific Society’s Hampstead Heath, 1913).

BERTRAM LLOYD.

WATER-PIPIT IN DORSET.

On April 4th, 1925, I saw a Pipit on Lodmoor near Weymouth,
which I thought was a Water-Pipit (Anthus s. spinoletta), but
I did not get a very close view. The wind was at the time
cold and strong from S.S.E. and had been easterly for some
days. On April 6th I saw the bird in the same place, and
with strong glasses at close range clearly made out that it was
a Water-Pipit in, I think, the summer plumage. In the
field the bird has a grey appearance and looks much lighter
than the Rock-Pipit, the unmarked pale buffish breast and
broad white eye-stripe being very conspicuous. This, so far
as I know, is the first record of the occurrence of this species
in Dorset. F. L. BLATHWAYT.

RAPID NEST-BUILDING BY SONG-THRUSH.

I bo not know if there are any notes on the length of time
taken to build their nests by Song-Thrushes (Turdus ph.
clarkei), but I watched one building near Diss, Suffolk,
recently. She started about 12 noon on April 16th, and the
nest was complete and fully “‘“mudded’”’ by noon on the
17th. I did not see the birds near the nest again until
the morning of the 20th, when the first egg was laid.

J. H. METHOLD.
INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON FECUNDITY OF SONG-

THRUSH AND BLACKBIRD IN PERTHSHIRE.

DURING 1924, for the purpose of ringing birds, I kept a list of

all nests discovered, where they were, and the number of eggs
in them. |

VOL. XIX. ] NO'TES. 93

On looking over this list I was struck with the tremendous
difference in the size of clutches before and after the heavy
rainfall in the first week of May. I deal with two species only,
as giving enough data to work out an average, t.e. the Song-
Thrush (Turdus ph. clarkei) and the Blackbird (Turdus
mevula).

I am forced to treat the two species as one because in a few
cases my notes are not absolutely clear as to species (between
the two), having not been kept with a view to this note.

I must add that the clutches in every case dealt with were
ascertained to be complete and incubation begun, because I
did not wish to pay unnecessary visits to any nest for ringing
purposes.

The first four months of 1924 were dry, and May, June and
July showed a good rainfall. The rain came during the first
week of May, but its efiect was not shown in fecundity till the
middle of the month and I take the 14th of May as the division
of periods.

During April and the first half of May 42 nests contained
an average of 3.42 eggs, while from May 15th to the month of
August 56 nests contained an average of 4.32 eggs. I add
the weekly rainfall as far as it applies.

January 46 points; February 86 points.

Week ending March Ist... 7 points

” 9 S Sth ... nil

» 59 es rth ... nil

»” Fy < Soi as GE" hy
3 x3 a 29D aa Mm .
.: » April sth A +3
” + 3 wet «oss Bai Ss
” % ix roth ... 6 ;
s * 8 SOT. nes 6
% » May ord aaa IQ...
» ” Pr Toth ws 100 ,,
” ” - SFE van 40 ,,
” 33 ‘3 Gai “sis ae,
” ” ” 31st eee 0 55
i # gate th ... TG ,,
” ” ‘3 2) 7 ss

” ”? ” 2ISt PSs 76 ”
and 3 inches during the next 3 weeks. It will be noted how
dry the weather was for 8 weeks prior to April 2oth, 1924, and
also the splendid rain about May roth.

This year, 1925, I have so far noted 14 nests with complete
clutches averaging 3.8 eggs. A. H. R. WItson.

24 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

BLACKBIRD BROODING ON NEST AND EGGS OF
SONG-THRUSH.

In a plantation in a garden at Cople, in Bedfordshire, I found
on April roth, 1925, a Blackbird (Turdus m. merula) sitting
on a nest some five feet from the ground, in the fork of a
small, ivy-clad elm sapling. To test the close brooding of
the sitting bird I gradually approached and she allowed me
to remain for some time within a foot of the nest. Eventually
she vacated her charge. Looking into the nest I was surprised
to findit was that of a Song-Thrush (T. ph. clarkez) as also the
three typical eggs it contained. I followed up the observation
on the day following and tried not to disturb the sitting bird
further, but she again left the nest. The following day, how-
ever, she had evidently deserted and the eggs were cold.
There was a nest of a Blackbird some fifty yeards distant,
which a short time previously, I understand, had been robbed
of the eggs by mice, but I have no proof that this was one and
the same bird.

Thisis the first instance I have personally known of one bird
deliberately brooding another’snest andeggs. J. S. ELLIOTT.

CURIOUS NESTING-SITE OF REDBREAST.
On April 21st, 1925, I was shown the nest of a Redbreast
(Enthacus r. melophilus) built in rather interesting circum-
stances, and although the versatility of this species in the
matter of nesting-sites is so well known I think that the
instance is worth recording.

The nest was built inside the dressing-room of the Wilming-
ton (Kent) Football Club, and although the hut is filled with
noisy players for some time every Saturday and occasionally
during the week the hen is quite unperturbed and shows no
sign of forsaking her six eggs.

Although a certain amount of support is afforded by a
narrow ledge, the stability of the nest depends mainly upon
a coat hook, around which the birds have accumulated an
extraordinary amount of material, chiefly moss and hay. The
adjacent coat hooks are all in use during matches, but as this
particular team is in the running for their league championship
and the nest is regarded as a sort of mascot, the nest itself is
not likely to be interfered with! The birds have ingress and
egress through a small hole near the roof of the hut.

F,. HowarpD Lancum.

HOMING INSTINCT IN HEDGE-SPARROW.
WHILE trapping birds in Perthshire for ringing purposes I
noticed a Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occidentalis) begin to

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 25

frequent the trap five or six times a day. It seemed a good
opportunity to find out its homing powers, so on April 7th,
1925, I took it and released it in a dense wood half a mile from
home. It was back in the trap two hours later.

On the 8th it returned 1} miles in 2} hours, on the 1oth
3% miles in 2} hours, and on the 14th I released it 2 miles
away and arranged a line of watchers to discover how soon
it reached home. The bird settled tor nearly 9 minutes, then
went straight back, only stopping twice, and covered the
distance in 12 minutes. | A. H.R. WILSON.

BUILDING HABITS OF THE DIPPER.

From March roth to April Ist, 1925, I had under observation
~a pair of Dippers (Cinclus c. gularis) who were then building

on a stone bridge near Strathpeffer, Ross-shire. When

collecting moss off the stones, both birds repeatedly dipped

the moss in the river, swimming with it in their bills until it

was saturated, before conveying it to the nest. Grasses were

inserted dry.

The birds were also most particular about working alter-
nately on the nest. Each appeared to recognize at a glance
the work of the other. Thus, if one arrived at the nest with
material it only inserted it in the nest if the other had
inserted the previous bit. If it arrived before this had
happened it waited for its mate to insert its material before
inserting its own. The birds were under observation for
some hours daily and I never saw the same one insert material
twice running, but frequently saw each waiting its turn.

PATIENCE MACKENZIE.

LITTLE OWLS ATTACKING CAT,
For the last six months I have had a pair of Little Owls
(Athene n. vidalii) under close observation. They live in a
field adjoining my house at Ringwood, Hants.

On March 26th, hearing them making a very loud noise,
I looked with my glasses and saw that they were attacking
my cat, sweeping down at her again and again ; after crouching
down for a moment she ran towards the house across the open
field, and they attacked her all the way.

About five-thirty the next morning I was wakened by the
same loud chattering and saw that the cat was sitting almost
out of the window on the sill, the Owls were flying right in
her face as if trying to knock her off the sill (the room is on
the upper floor of a low thatched cottage and I often hear
them about the thatch at night). The cat came back farther

26 BRITISH BIRDS. YOU. Kix.

into the room but did not leave the window-sill, and for some
moments they continued to swoop at her. In the evening
my husband and I heard them, and they were attacking her
again, and she ran under a chicken house for shelter. She is
a big cat and a good hunter but I think she is leaving their
piece of bank alone to-day. E. G. NASH,

INCREASE OF LITTLE OWL IN NORTH LANCASHIRE.

With reference to the note (Vol. XVIII., p. 267) on “ More
Little Owls in North Lancashire,” these birds are un-
doubtedly spreading rapidly northwards. As far back as
1g2I a pair nested within 200 yards of my house at Flixton
in a cavity in an old oak and on April 2gth I found five eggs,
which I have in my collection. On May 16th I found a second
clutch of four eggs, in the same hole, and these were hatched
and reared. The oak was cut down the following autumn
and I have not seen the birds in the vicinity since.

In early June, 1923, I saw a Little Owl in the Ribble Valley,
near Clitheroe, perched on a fence near the river. As I
approached it I disturbed a brood of Moorhens (Gallinula
chloropus) which began to swim towards the other bank. The
Little Owl dashed over them and picking one of the chicks
from the water with its claw, rapidly disappeared into an
adjoining wood. Wy. E. BARBER.

RARE BIRDS IN ROMNEY MARSH.

I HAD a remarkable walk in Romney Marsh, Kent, on April
6th, 1925, and some of the birds seen seem to deserve a record.
A steady, though not strong, wind had been blowing from
between south and south-east for nearly two days, and there
had been rain on and off all the previous night. It is possible
that this was the cause of the arrival of some unusual visitors.

Near Appledore I saw a flight of eight Grey Geese come
down on to the marsh about g a.m. ; I think they had risen
just before I saw them, but it is possible that they were just
coming in from a long flight. At any rate, they allowed an
unusually close approach before again taking wing. As I
walked towards them they took to the water, and so were
partly hidden by a bank, but although it was raining I had
a good view of their beaks, and could see that all had rather
stout, uniformly pinkish-orange beaks. The general plumage
was decidely pale, suggesting Pink-footed rather then Bean,
and at the time I thought from my recollection that the
colour of the beak was right for the former species too. When
the birds got up I particularly noticed the pale, almost white,

VOL. XIX. |] NOTES. ae

front edge of the wing. They soon settled again. It seems
quite clear from the size and colour of the beak and colour of
the wing that they must have been Grey Lag-Geese (Anser
anser), although the colour of the beak looked to me lighter
than it is depicted on the plate in the Practical Handbook.
When Dr. N. F. Ticehurst wrote his History of the Birds of
Kent he was unable to discover very clear records of the
occurrence of the Grey Lag-Goose in Kent. From time to
time during the past fifteen years, when I have visited Romney
Marsh in winter, I have seen Grey Geese at sufficiently close
quarters to identify them ; Pink-footed (A. brachyrhynchus)
and Bean (A. fabalis) 1 have identified more than once ;
White-tronted (A. albifrons) once; and I have seen large
flocks migrating past Dungeness point, too far off to identity.
This is my first identification of the Grey Lag.

A couple of hours later, after the weather had turned fine,
I put up a Heron that looked unusually dull on the wings as
it flew. It very kindly settled again not far from a Common
Heron (Ardea cinerea), and on settling the contrast in the
colour of the two birds was very marked. At a distance,
with the naked eye, the one looked almost black, the other pale
grey. Through binoculars the dark bird also looked a good
deal smaller, its neck and sides looked very dark, the beak was
a much duller colour (but this, I think, is the case with first-
year Herons), and it squatted in a curious attitude with its
body sloping steeply forward, and the neck at first drawn
straight up, and then gradually depressed. I have seen the
Purple Heron (A. purpurea) in Central Italy, twelve years ago,
but not in company with the grey species. However, I think
there can be no doubt that it was a Purple Heron. While I
was watching it my first Swallow for the season flew into the
field of my glasses! Half a mile further on I saw what must,
I think, have been a second Purple Heron (not the same again);
this was also near one or two Grey Herons, one of them an
exceptionally beautiful bird, in perfect pearl-grey plumage.
In this case I did not think the Purple Heron looked appreci-
ably smaller, but it was further off ; its plumage and general
appearance seemed just the same, and it adopted the same
rather curious attitude when it settled. Ticehurst records
five occurrences of the Purple Heron in Kent, four of them
from Romney Marsh (B. of Kent, pp. 309-10).

I also saw two curious Sandpipers, whose identity must,
I am afraid, remain a little uncertain, though I watched them
for a good time at a distance of perhaps thirty yards. They
were slender and elegant birds, smaller, I think, than Red-

28 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

shanks, though no Redshank happened to go near them; a
party of Ringed Plovers, however, did. Their beaks were
long, straight and dark, and their legs apparently the same.
Certainly neither was red. Their necks and under-parts were
beautifully white, with no trace of a brown patch on the sides.
The wings looked a fairly uniform brown, not very dark.
I had my glasses on them at the moment when they flew up ;
they showed a white patch on the back, rather similar to a
Redshank’s, but not very conspicuous. They were silent.
They settled again some way off, and I could not get any
nearer to them. I think it possible that they were Marsh-
Sandpipers (Tvinga stagnatilis) in winter plumage ; but the
inconspicuousness of the white on the back casts a doubt on
this. It is possible that the white would have seemed more
conspicuous to the naked eye than it did through binoculars,
but there are so many members of the genus 7vimga in the
world, any of which might turn up in England, that I cannot
be sure. ‘ ;

It may be worth adding that I saw a good sized passing
flock of Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax), as well as a single bird
feeding among some Redshanks. And I have never seen such

quantities of Ducks on the marsh in one day. Shoveller —

(Spatula clypeata) and Pintail (Anas acuta) were specially
numerous—most of them, no doubt, birds of passage.
H. G. ALEXANDER.

POSSIBLE WHITE-BILLED DIVER IN MERIONETH.
_My friend, Mr. G. M. Furley, a good ornithologist, has described
to me a bird which he watched on January 14th, 1925, off the
coast of Harlech. It was ’‘a large Diver, almost as big as a
Cormorant,’’ with which he was able to compare it. The bill
was distinctly white, and had a slight up-tilt at the end, while
the upper plumage was very dark—nearly black in fact.
Was this possibly a White-billed Northern Diver (Colymbus
adamsi) 2? The details certainly seem to point to that species.
It has not previously been recorded in Wales, nor, indeed
(according to the Practical Handbook), anywhere in the west.

H. E. Forrest,

GREAT BLACK-HEADED GULL IN HAMPSHIRE.

At the request of Dr. F. G. Penrose I am sending you note of
the fact that at the latter end of November and beginning of
December, 1924, there was a single specimen of the Great
Black -headed Gull (Larus ichthyaétus) in Poole Bay—it mainly
confined itself to the western side of Bournemouth Pier between

a

—

VOL. XIx. | NOTES. 29

that and Durley Chine; it was fairly tame. I had many
opportunities of being within fifty yards of it and it notice-
ably kept to itself; it did not mix with the other Gulls, nor
would it come to be fed as the others on the beach will do.
I tried it with bread but it would not touch it, and the only
food I saw it take was self-caught fish. I saw. it catch sprats
on several occasions. W. PARKINSON CURTIS.

GLAUCOUS GULL. IN KENT.
On March 28th, 1925, I found a dead Glaucous Gull (Larus
hyperboreus) near Brookland, Romney Marsh. Since this
species is so rare on the south coast, only some six or seven
examples being mentioned in The Birds of Kent, the occurrence
seems worth recording. The bird had apparently been shot
and was beyond preservation, but measurements were made
and some of the primaries and also some of the body feathers
were taken. It was an immature bird, apparently in its
second winter, the plumage being very pale and the outer
primaries almost pure white. Dr. N. F. Ticehurst kindly
confirmed the identification. W. H. THORPE.

GLAUCOUS GULL IN MAN,
A GLaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) that had been fre-
quenting Peel shore and harbour (in company with Herring
and Great Black-backed Gulls since the 1gth) came into my
possession on January 22nd, 1925, immediately after being
shot. I made the following note before despatching it to
the Museum in Douglas: “It was a large handsome bird in,
I think, its second winter’s plumage.”’ I’RANK S. GRAVES.

INTERVAL BETWEEN NESTS OF MISTLE-THRUSH.— Mr. R.
H. Brown writes that a clutch of eggs of Turdus v. viscivorus,
twelve days incubated, was destroyed by a cat on April 21st,
1925. Asecond nest was begun the same day and the clutch
of eggs was complete on the 28th. Interval seven days.

EarLy NESTING OF BLACKBIRD IN BERKSHIRE.—Major B.
Van de Weyer informs us that some young Blackbirds
(Lurdus m. merula) left a nest in Eddington Churchyard on
January roth, 1925.

BLACK REDSTART IN INNER HEBRIDES.—A specimen of
Phenicurus 0. gibraltariensis was caught by Mr. R. Leslie
(Scot. Nat., 1924, p. 184) in an exhausted condition on October
28th, 1924, at the Skerryvore Lighthouse (28 miles west of
Mull). The birdis very rarely recorded from west Scotland.

30 BRITISH. BIRDS, [ VOL. XIX.

CucKOO RETURNING TO SAME SUMMER QUARTERS FOR SEVEN
Successive YEARS.—Major B. Van de Weyer writes that the
Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus) with the peculiar broken note
(Vol. XVI., p. 107, XVIIL., p. 30) returned to its summer
quarters in Hungerford Park, Berks, for the seventh year on
April 21st, 1925.

Foop oF MANx SHEARWATER.—Mr. J. L. Auden, writing
on Skomer Island (Pembrokeshire) in the Field (30th October,
1924, p. 678), states that numerous Manx Shearwaters
(Pufiinus p. puffinus) which he handled almost invariably
regurgitated the remains of beetles, ‘“‘ very like the cast of
the Little Owl.”

FULMAR PETRELS AND GANNETS ON THE YORKSHIRE
CuirFs.—In 1924, Fulmars (Fulmarus g. glacialis) nested in
the cliffs south and north of Scarborough, but although they
visited the Whitby cliffs they did not breed there (Nat., 1925,
p. 23). A pair of Gannets (Sula bassana) frequented the
Bempton Cliffs during the summer of 1924 and it is hoped that
they may return and breed next year (é.c., p. 26).

GREENSHANK BREEDING IN ABERDEENSHIRE.—Mr. Seton
Gordon notes (Scot. Nat., 1924, p. 126) that he found a Tringa
nebularia breeding in Aberdeenshire in 1924.

SANDWICH TERN BREEDING IN CLYDE EsTUARY.—Mr.
J. P. Ritchie states (Scot. Nat., 1924, p. 136) that he found
one nest in 1923 and four in 1924 of Sterna sandvicensis in
the Clyde Estuary, where the bird has not been reported
as breeding for the last ten years.

LATE NESTING OF MOORHEN IN DuRHAM.—Mr. R. H.
Brown informs us that his brother observed a brood of young
Gallinula ch. chloropus still in down on October 29th, 1924, on
a pond near the city of Durham.

LETTER.

HOODED CROWS IN THE LONDON DISTRICT.
To the Editors of BririsH Birps.

Sirs,—With reference to Captain Stoneham’s note on the Hooded
Crow (Corvus cornix) observed on Wimbledon Common (Vol. XVIIL.,
p. 302), I should hardly have thought this a very singular occurrence.
In the wintertime I repeatedly observe Hooded Crows at low tide on
the flats of the Thames by Chelsea reach.

A much more uncommon bird in the London district is the Grey
Wagtail (Motacilla c. cinerea) which I have seen from time to time, and
should be interested to hear if other readers of British Birds have ever
noticed it. CLIFFORD BorRER.
April 6th, 1925.

—

AF | it

i i ke NM

The Food of some British Wild Birds : a Study in Economic Ornithology.
By Walter E. Collinge, D.Sc., M.Sc., etc. 2nd revised edition.
Published by the author. Parts I-III. 6s. 3d. per part.

THE first edition of this work was published in 1913. The main
differences in this edition are that it treats of the food of seventy species
and over ten thousand individual examinations as against twenty-nine
species and some three thousand three hundred and fifty examinations,
and that the work done since 1913 has been by the volumetric
instead of the numerical method. The volumetric method by
which the various food contents of the bird are measured and
can. be compared in percentages is certainly more valuable econo-
mically than the numerical method by which the various contents
are counted.

No one who studies this book will dispute the great importance of
the subject, and although Dr. Collinge is to be sincerely congratulated
on the valuable work he has done, it is obvious that periodical state-
aided enquiries on a much larger scale than are possible for one man
are highly necessary. This applies especially to the food of certain
species such as the Starling, which has become so numerous and des-
tructive in certain seasons and districts as to be a serious danger to
agriculture. Yet for a period of three months—April to June—the
Starling is, according to Dr. Collinge, wholly beneficial, consuming
enormous quantities of insects which are exceedingly injurious
economically. This is especially the case when it is feeding
young.

It requires great experience and an elaborate organization to deter-
mine by the examination of stomach-contents whether a bird is
injurious or beneficial economically, and the subject bristles with
difficulties and complications ; but ornithologists could do very useful
work by making detailed records of the food given to nestlings; such
observations should, however, be of a systematic and not of a casual
nature. The enormous quantity of food taken by the young is perhaps
not fully realized. Dr. Collinge states that during its first few days a
young bird consumes more than its own weight of food per day. Thus,
if we took Surrey with say 460,000 acres, and a pair of Starlings to each
four acres and each pair with an average of four young consuming say
an ounce each, we have, as a result of this very rough estimation,
13 tons of food consumed in one day by nestling Starlings in Surrey.
By Dr. Collinge’s analysis of the stomachs of 40 nestlings, 89 per cent.
of this would consist of injurious insects. i

The parts of Dr. Collinge’s book under notice contain a number of
interesting introductory chapters and detailed reports on eight species.
The first edition was in 8vo and this is in 4to with large Margins, and
we cannot help thinking this is a mistake, as it is an inconvenient size
for a work of this nature, while the published price of 6s. 3d. per part
of 32, not very well printed, pages is excessive. There are two plates
from photographs, but these were not really necessary and might have
been omitted if the cost had been considered.

32 BRI'TISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

A Monograph of the Birds of Prey (Order Accipitres), By H. Kirke
Swann, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Coloured and Photographic Plates.
124x310 inches. (Wheldon & Wesley). Part I. 26s. net.
Edition limited to 412 copies.

Mr. Swann has for some years specialized in the diurnal birds of prey,

and in 1920 published a Synoptical List of the Accipitres, of which a

revised edition was issued in 1922. He thus had a basis for this much

more ambitious work, which we are told will be completed in 12 parts.

This first part contains a short introduction and for the rest deals with

most of the Vultures. It also contains four plates in colour by H.

Grénvold and one photogravure. An interesting table is given of

the genera and forms with their numerical distribution in the various

zoo-geographical regions. From this it would appear that the Neo-
tropical region with 170 forms of the total of 692 is the most prolific,
the African with 138 next, and the Palearctic with 110 next.

In nomenclature Mr. Swann has been thorough, giving the original
reference, type designation of the genus and typical locality of the
species, but it seems a pity that these are printed in the very large
type used in the headings. Keys are given for genera but there are no
keys for species. The descriptions are brief and to a considerable
extent Mr. Swann has used Dr. Sharpe’s measurements, which he
appears to have translated from inches to millimetres. In his Synop-
tical List the author acknowledged that a good deal of the systematic
part was taken from Dr. Sharpe’s annotated copy of Volume I. of the
Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum and his interleaved copy
of Gray’s Geneva of Birds, both of which came into Mr. Swann’s possession.

No information is given as to how many specimens have been measured

and often the sexes are not separated. The distribution of each species
is given in some detail and the life history is dealt with, but we should
have expected a fuller range of measurements of the eggs, while in the
Griffon Vulture we should have thought the fact that they sometimes
nest in trees should have been mentioned.

We admire Mr. Swann’s courage in embarking on so large and
difficult a piece of work ; we congratulate him on this first part and
shall look forward with interest to his treatment of the many intricate
problems which will confront him in future parts.

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 2, VoL. XIX., JULY I, 1925.

The Migration of the Woodcock in Europe. By James Schenk 34
Notes on the Courting Display and Nesting of the Eider in the

Tay Estuary. By Henry Boase oa 45
| Notes :-—
Additional Notes from SS (Miss Clemence M.
Acland) . aX Se ae = ye 49
Clutch of Dwarf Eggs of ee (i. J. Easton) -.. aes 50
Large Clutch of Chaffinch’s Eggs (Capt. H. L. Cochrane) ... 50
Grey Wagtails in the London District (A. Holte
Macpherson) fe in ee Sere Ae 51
The Song of the Willow- Warbler (L. iJ, Beeston) . 51
Reed-Warbler Preeding in Cumberland (Dr. H. J. Moon) 52
Alpine Swift in Dorset (Rev. F. L. Blathwayt) 52
Bewick’s Swans in Lancashire (H. W. Robinson) aon 52
/ Incubation Period of Common Sandpiper (Hugh S. Gladstone) 53
Probable Terek Sandpiper in Hampshire (Dr. F. G. Penrose) 53
| Clutch of White Eggs of Curlew (T. G. Powell) 53
/ Black Terns in Scilly (H. W. Robinson) re 54
Buffon’s Skua in the Scilly Isles (H. W. Robinson) 54
Diving Ability of Nestling Moorhen (R. H. Brown) 54

Short Notes :—

| Cuckoo Returning to Same Summer Quarters for Sixth

| Successive Year. Egg-deposition by the Cuckoo. Status

| of the Shoveler in Lancashire. The Great Bustard in
Scotland. ea at as evs wise eee sas 54

Letter :—
Winter Status of the Whimbrel (H. W. Robinson)

On
on

Review :—
Bird Islands of Peru. By Robert Cushman Murphy oa 56
c

Vee

THE MIGRATION OF THE WOODCOCK IN
EUROPE.

(“Der Zug der Waldschnepfe in Europa.”’)
BY
JAMES SCHENK,
(Royal Hungarian Institute of Ornithology.)

ABSTRACT.

[The original paper was published in Aquila, 1924, double vol.
XXX.-XXXI., in Hungarian (pp. 26-74) and in German (pp. 75-120),
the illustrations and the bibliography being printed in the former
version only. The Editors of British Birds have been glad to accept
the author’s suggestion that an English version should be published
in their pages. For reasons of space, however, this was practicable
only in the form of an abstract. The second half of the original paper,
moreover, consists of a general discussion of theoretical questions of
bird-migration, and it was felt that justice could not be done to the
author’s views on these contentious matters by presenting any abbre-
viated form of his argument; the abstract has therefore been almost
entirely confined to the evidence about the migrations of the Woodcock
and to its immediate interpretation. For a fuller statement of the
facts, for further diagrams, for the references to literature, and for the
theoretical dissertation just mentioned, the original source should be
consulted. The author has revised this abstract and is of course
solely responsible for the opinions expressed.—EDs. |
THE available mass of un-coordinated evidence as to the
dates of migration movements was already very great when
Middendorff dealt with the subject in 1855, and it has since
grown so enormous that it is impossible for any single investi-
gator to undertake the task of working it up. Yet it seems,
considering among other things the valuable results obtained
from such material by Cooke in North America, that much
could still be learnt from studies of this kind. The difficulty,
it is suggested, may be overcome if ornithologists will under-
take the compilation of migration monographs dealing with
particular species. Not only migration dates and other
observational evidence should be utilized, but also the records
obtained by the marking method. As far as possible the
evidence should be drawn from the whole range of the species.

It is a monograph on these lines that the writer has here
partially attempted, but he has not found it possible on this
occasion to bring the whole mass of available evidence within
the scope of his study. The Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)
has been chosen because its movements have been well
studied both by observational methods and by marking.
Mention may be made of the observations by Thienemann
in East Prussia and by Weigold on Heligoland, of the studies

vou. xX1x.| MIGRATION OF ‘THE WOODCOCK. 35

by Biitow, and of the investigations into meteorological
factors by Hegyfoky and by Pittet: the collected marking
data, also, have been discussed by Lucanus.

The writer’s own studies of the migration of the Woodcock
in Hungary, of which he has previously published separate
accounts, may be taken as illustrating the value of analyzing
migration dates. In accordance with the principles of
Middendorff, the observations for many years were used to
determine the average dates of the spring arrival of the
Woodcock in each locality for which evidence was available,
and these dates were plotted on a map of the country.
The whole period covered by these average dates was then

Spring arrival of Woodcock in Hungary (pre-war boundaries). Darker
colour indicates later arrival.

divided into three equal divisions, and the map was
coloured in three zones corresponding to the divisions of the
total period in which the local average dates were found to
fall.

The data refer to the pre-war extent of the Hungarian
Kingdom. As the accompanying figure shows, the earliest
zone comprises most of the west, centre, and south of this
region ; the second zone lies to the north and east of the first
and includes the extreme south-east, while the third is a
fringe along the north and north-eastern frontier; the
extreme south-west forms an isolated tract belonging, accord-
ing to its dates, to the second zone. The conclusion is that
the main direction of immigration is from the south-west

36 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

to the north-east, but that the earliest birds traverse the
elevated region near the Adriatic coast without coming under
observation. By reason of this direction of immigration
it happens that the Woodcock arrives much earlier at the
point where the Danube crosses the old western frontier of
Hungary, in about 48° N. lat., than at the point where the
river leaves the erstwhile territory at its south-eastern corner
in about 44° N. lat.

Apart from the immediate deductions which can be drawn,
it is suggested that maps constructed on this basis will ulti-
mately have a further value in enabling future investigators
to determine whether the phenomena of migration remain
constant over long periods of time.

Percentage of Arrival Records in each ‘“ Pentade ’’

I. 31—I. 4
Il. 15—19
Il. 20—24
II. 17—21
III, 22—26

1910] O-1 | O-4 | 1- q o ‘ 9:6) 47

14°23} 6°7

16°7| 146

15°1| 9°6) 8-8

17°0| 148} 11°3

28°7|10°7|} 4-4

21°0/22-4) 13-4

*7| 10-7) 11°8) 11°6

The data relating to the spring migration of Woodcock into
Hungary have been investigated from a meteorological
standpoint by Hegyfoky. He has shown that this movement
is specially favoured by a weather situation in which there
is a depression, or region of lower barometric pressure, over
north-western Europe, i.e. in the neighbourhood of the
British Isles, with an anticyclonic region in the south.

from six to seven hundred arrival records for the area
were available for each of the eight successive years included
in Hegyfoky’s study. Each year was divided up into five-
day periods, or “‘ pentades,” and the percentage of the total
number of records for the year which fell in each such period
was taken as a measure of the magnitude of the movement.
The highest percentage figure in each year was considered
as marking the culminating date of the immigration. The
results are given in the above table,

VoL. XIxX.] MIGRATION OF THE WOODCOCK. 37

The table shows that the culmination may vary, between
one year and another, from the 2nd-6th March “ pentade ”
to the Ist-5th April ‘‘ pentade.’’ The relationship of this
varying culmination date to weather conditions was investl-
gated, and it was found that in each case the culmination
occurred when the above-mentioned favourable weather
situation prevailed.

This conclusion is closely in accord with the findings of
Defandt, who found a similar situation favourable for the
spring immigration of birds into Austria, and of Eagle Clarke,
who found that a situation characterized by a north-westerly
depression over Iceland was favourable for immigration
from the south into the British Isles. The writer regrets
that the records obtained by the Migration Committee of
the British Ornithologists’ Club have not been published in a
form which permits of comparison with the results of con-
tinental observers.

The conclusion of Lucanus that there is normally no close
relationship between weather conditions and the dates of
migration movements is accordingly not accepted. (The
present writer, however, has previously made it clear that
he does not claim that meteorological factors offer any com-
plete explanation of migration phenomena.) In the case in
point the relationship seems to be well proved, and an under-
standing of it makes it possible to foretell both the date and
the magnitude of the main immigration of the species into
Hungary.

The first favourable weather situation (north-westerly
depression) which occurs towards the end of February or in
the beginning of March will be followed by the arrival of
Woodcock on the Adriatic coast and on the plains of the
Drave. If the depression is well developed, lasts for some
days, and moves slowly eastwards or north-eastwards, there
will be a strong immigration which will penetrate also to
the north-eastern and eastern districts of Hungary. With
the passing of the favourable situation the movement will
wane, to increase again when the situation is next renewed ;
should the situation last for some time the main movement
may be completed in a single spell, as happened during ten
days in 1913 which produced more than half of the total
number of records for the season.

The birds, of course, arrive also to some extent during the
intervals when the conditions are less favourable. Weather
conditions are not the only factors at work, and they will
also not affect in identical manner birds coming from different

Th
|

{

ln
(

1913 "9

VOL. XIX.] MIGRATION OF THE WOODCOCK. 39

parts of the winter range
of the Woodcock which
breed in Hungary. But
during the prevalence of
unfavourable conditions
the movement is never
on a great scale, and it
tends to be weak and
belated.

Similar evidence with
regard to the autumn
migration of Woodcock is
lacking for Hungary, but
has been obtained in
other regions, and shows
that a situation marked
by a north-easterly
depression is favourable.
Three exceptionally great
movements observed on
Heligoland, one by Gatke
and two by Weigold, all
took place when there
was a strongly marked
depression over northern
Scandinavia. A_ great
‘rush’? observed by
Thienemann in_ East
Prussia took place when
there was a similar but
more easterly placed de-
pression, and one in East
Friesland when the situa-
tion was midway between
these two. A notable
movement recorded by
Weigold from MHanau
(Central Germany) was
marked by a small de-
pression in the extreme
north and by another
moving over the Baltic
Sea. | Analogous obser-

Weather situations accompanying
autumn “‘rushes’’ of Woodcock vations have also been

observed ou Heligoland. recorded by Pittet.

40 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoOL. XIX.

All the evidence thus goes to show that the combinations of
meteorological factors which create certain weather situations
have a great influence upon migration. It is, however, to be
particularly noted that meteorological influences are effective
only within the limits of the appropriate season: outside
these limits the favourable weather situation occurs without
resulting in any movement. It has therefore to be concluded
that these influences can act only when the bird has been
rendered receptive to them by other factors in the seasonal

S WY,
g #] 9pil dy Wil
ys fy
e “ t YY /
f a / l / JZ
! fA 7 y ’ JK
Baronscourt ZS ares . X YY
2S 7 a — Z 7
S5* Carlisle ; y Fa
gin st Goathland Po il ‘
Co, 7s a, Feet “
g \ } ff wes
~ a “
Ys
S&

Ur a
‘ rap aie
i 7° Milleschau
dae

Movements of marked Woodcock, showing supposed directions of
flight.

cycle of its life. Briefly, the author’s view is that this
receptive state is brought about by the action of an internal
secretion, or hormone, which is probably produced, in the
case of autumn migration, as a result of the abnormal
appetites of the birds and the consequent fattening of their
body tissues.

The results obtained from the marking of Woodcock may
next be considered. All the records showing movement

are given on the accompanying map, those not indicating -

vou. xIx.] MIGRATION OF THE WOODCOCK. 41

noteworthy movement, or indicating only return to the place
of origin, being omitted.

[A table of all the records is also given in the original paper, but
need not be repeated here in addition to the map, more especially as
most of them are British records already published in this country.
The records given in the table number 147, of which 135 are of birds
marked in the British Isles. To these the author might have added
the further 33 records of birds marked in co. Sligo, Ireland—of which
one was recovered in Spain and the remainder in the region of marking
—given by S. R. Douglas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1917, 159. There
is also the curious case of a Woodcock marked in co. Sligo, Ireland, on
12th May, 1914 and recovered in Shetland on 7th July, 1917, as
recorded by W. Eagle Clarke, Irish Nat., 1917, XXVI., 139, and 1918,
XXVII., 15. A Woodcock with a Heligoland ring, of which the
number was unfortunately not noted, was recovered in co. Tyrone,
Ireland, about the beginning of 1924, according to J. A. S. Stendall,
Irish Nat., 1924 XXX., 24. For three new records, vide supra,
p. 18.—EDsS. |

The place of marking is shown as a circle with a black
centre and the place of recovery as a black spot, a connecting
line showing the supposed path of flight. In the case of
the few records of birds marked in winter-quarters and
recovered further north an interrupted line is used for the
same purpose; the fainter dotted lines are hypothetical
extensions.

The connecting lines, in the case of autumn migration,
have been drawn on the assumption that each bird is taking
part in a movement on a wide front and that it sets off from
its summer-quarters in a direction which is approximately
south-west. It is supposed that this direction is maintained
until either an inland station, or the winter locality, or a
coastline is reached. In the last case the coast becomes a
route which is followed until the winter-quarters are attained.
The lines for the few records for spring migration are drawn
on the assumption that the birds at that season proceed
straight to their summer localities. Admittedly there is
no proof that in individual cases these courses have indeed
been followed by the birds, but the assumption is based
upon a general consideration of all the evidence.

The following general conclusions are suggested :—

_ (1) The Woodcock is not a typical migrant, in that many
individuals are resident even in high altitudes.

(2) Both old and young Woodcock return each year to
their native localities.

_ (3) The winter area of migratory Woodcock in Europe
includes Ireland, the south of England, south-western France,

42 BRITISH BIRDS. [Von. XIX.

the three southern peninsulas, the Mediterranean islands,
and probably also Asia Minor and a portion of northern
Africa.

(4) Woodcock from the same summer area often do not
seek the same winter-quarters.

(5) Woodcock from different summer areas often seek the
same winter-quarters.

(6) Emigration in autumn takes place in an approximately
south-west direction and, at its outset, always on a broad
front.

(7) When a migrating Woodcock, after a journey of one,
two or more days, strikes a coastline, it then almost always
follows this as a route to its winter-quarters, which are thus
commonly reached by a wide detour.

(8) The following of coastlines frequently does not lead
the bird to its winter-quarters but in a different and often
opposite direction. Such birds are to be regarded as having
lost their way. Commonly they nevertheless reach their
winter -quarters in a roundabout way, but many must perish.

(9) Thus the Woodcock in autumn migrates partly on a
broad front and partly by following narrow routes. These
routes are always coastlines ; inland there is only movement
on a broad front, and, when on a large scale, this takes the
form either of waves or of greater “‘ rushes.”’

(10) Whether this change from broad front movement to
route migration may also be reversed, or whether the two
forms may alternate several times, is unknown.

(11) Return in spring takes place in a straight line ‘by the
shortest path and thus always as a broad front movement.

From the available evidence in this instance the existence
of only three main routes can be recognised, as follows :—

(A) The Western Coastal Route, as Lucanus calls it, which
begins on the eastern side of the Gulf of Finland and follows
the continental coasts until the winter-quarters in south-
western France are reached.

(B) The West Scandinavian Route, which passes over
Heligoland and the coast of Jutland and thereafter coincides
with the previous route.

(c) The Irish-English Route, which leads from the west
coast of Ireland to Cornwall and there divides into two
branches ; these both join the Western Coastal Route, one

EEE

VoL. XIx.} MIGRATION OF 'THE WOODCOCK. 48

after following the south coast of England and the other by
crossing the Channel direct to Brittany. This route, how-
ever, does not end in south-western France, but continues
to follow the coasts, i.e. those of Spain and of Portugal, and
may well end in north Africa. i

All other possible routes are based only on supposition.
There is, however, very probably an Adriatic-Tunisian Koute,
such as has been clearly shown in the case of Hungarian birds
of other species. ‘

The little evidence which exists on the point—three marking
records—indicates that the spring migration of the Woodcock
takes place always as a broad front movement in which each
bird goes straight to its summer locality. Consequently, as
different birds from the same summer area may have different
winter-quarters, there cannot be a general north-easterly
direction of flight so constant as the usual south-westerly
direction first taken in autumn. This explains differences
in the directions of spring passage at one and the same
station. There is no evidence as to the manner in which
British native Woodcock return from winter-quarters in
Spain and Portugal.

The author desires to draw the attention of British readers
to the opportunities which they undoubtedly have for making
valuable observations upon the migration of the Woodcock.
In the first place, one of the most important questions raised
refers to the existence of the Irish-English Route, as to which
direct observational evidence is desirable. In this regard
mention may be made of two statements in Rodd’s Birds of
Cornwall and the Scilly Isles (1880) : on p. xl. there is quoted
a statement by the Rev. Richard Warner (1809) that Wood-
cock arrive in Cornwall in autumn from the Atlantic, i.e.
from the direction of Ireland ; on p. 112 a similar statement
by a correspondent of Gilbert White is quoted. The scale
and direction of this movement should be determined by
observations for more than one year at Land’s End and on
the Irish coast.

In the second place, concerted observations on a large
scale could advantageously be made of the directions and
dates of the movements of Woodcock in the British Isles ;
for this two years should suffice. Information could at the
same time be collected with regard to such general points
as the numbers of birds taking part, differences between
spring and autumn, and so on.

In the third place, ringing of Woodcock should be carried
out on a large scale for two or three years.

44 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

Nevertheless, this collection of data on a large scale should
be attempted only if someone can at the same time be found
to work out the results. Otherwise the project can lead but
to an increase in the mass of un-coordinated evidence and to
a discrediting of these methods of study.

[The remainder of the original paper is mainly devoted to a discussion
of the theory of migration routes and of the problem of orientation.
According to the author, it is an untenable view that routes are relics
of the Glacial Epoch and that they follow the original paths of dispersal
of the species. He holds that routes correspond to present-day
geographical conditions and include no paleo-geographical elements.
Orientation, he argues, is of two kinds. Primarily, there is a faculty
for taking and maintaining a certain constant general direction, as
shown in broad-front migration in spring and autumn. Secondarily,
there is a faculty for following coastlines, as shown in route migration
in autumn. This last is especially characteristic of the passage of
the untaught and inexperienced young birds on their first autumn
migration. The author believes that, in the case of the Woodcock in
Europe, the maintenance of the constant, approximately south-west
direction of flight is an act based upon individual experience. The
bird knows from experience the warm and cold portions, the so-called
winter and summer portions, of its range; and it migrates with
knowledge of the direction in which the warm region lies—Ebps,]

( 45 )

NOTES ON THE COURTING DISPLAY AND
NESTING OF THE EIDER IN THE TAY
ESTUARY.

BY
HENRY BOASE.

DuRING recent years, the Eider (Somateria m. mollissima) has
shown a tendency to nest in increasing numbers on the east
coast of Scotland. In this paper it is not intended to deal
with this question at length, but it is this increase that makes
the display of the Eider one of the familiar features of the
lower Tay Estuary in spring. a

The display has shown some very definite variation in its
broad lines, and some of these are here described. On
May 2oth, 1922, two males were watched displaying to two
females hidden from view by the shelving bank. The males
were swimming to and fro with head held high and neck stiff.
First one and then the other called a soft crooning note
“coo-roo-uh ” accompanied by an upward jerk of the bill.
Near at hand was a pair, and the male turned towards the
female, bowed and raised the bill with curved neck and rising
on the water, recalling a similar action of the Mallard, but
continued the motion in an upthrow of the bill, giving the
love croon, and finishing with a downward jerk of the bill,
apparently with the final “uh” of the call. Later; two
males were in attendance on one female and she replied to
the display of the males with a double call “ coo-roo”’
while holding the head high and neck stiff, and tossing the
bill at the moment of calling.

On May 5th, 1923, a group of six males and one female was
watched. The males pressed their attentions on the female,
crooning and tossing the bill, jostling one another in their
efforts to attain a favourable position. The female made
reply, extending head and neck in line at a low angle, and
sometimes, when so gesturing, made a rush at the more
importunate males.

On May 17th, 1924, display was going on actively. Some-
times as many as a dozen males were crowding and jostling
round one female, each displaying when he, as it seemed,
caught her attention. The actual motions of the display
were more formal than had been seen hitherto, for the motion
was arrested for an appreciable time with the head held back
and the bill slightly elevated, during which pause the croon
was probably uttered. The recovery was sudden and sharp,

46 BRITISH BIRDS. VOI. Is.

accompanied by an upthrust of the rear portion of the body.
In some instances, it seemed as though the bill was dipped
before the backward swing of the head and neck, but without
the rise on the water already noticed. As is usual with all
duck, individuals rose here and there, beat the wings or
merely stretched themselves and settled again, but this is
frequent at all seasons. The instant of uttering the croon
could not be determined in relation to the posturing, for all
around males were calling, and the notes blended into a
strange moaning. The females swam about actively among
the thronging males, showing no favour to any, and held the
head high, tossing the bill from time to time, and perhaps
calling. Much of the display took place within a yard or two
of the shore and, when so engaged, the birds seemed little
concerned with the presence of a watcher.

It was striking to find, on this same day, quite a number
of Eider making display up on the sand flats, some
distance from the water. The males were fairly active, some
running from group to group, others finding interest where
they stood. One male ran to another male which was
squatting on the sand and made display before it, using the
ordinary form of display described above. Later, it squatted
before the other male, and the two made display to each other
several times, first the one and then the other. Meanwhile,
other males were displaying to females, some of which squatted
and others stood, and the males at times in jealousy made
runs at one another with outstretched neck. The females in
some cases were active, holding the head high on stiffly erected
neck and tossing the bill, which in some cases was opened,
perhaps in calling. The males did not appear to take neces-
sarily the most interest in the females that displayed the
most actively. Sometimes a female would leave a group with
head high and with two or three males in pursuit, only to
turn aside with some other male encountered by chance
and perhaps squat without further interest.

Further inland, on a fresh-water pond, a pair of Eider were
displaying but departed before any details of their performance
could be seen.

The significance of this display so late in May is not quite
clear to the writer. The crooning notes have been heard so
early as February 16th, yet the display is comparatively rare
until May, at least during the afternoon, when all these obser-
vations have been made. The plumage of the males has
seemed peculiarly vivid; their preponderance has been very
great ; and the total numbers engaged considerably in excess

VOL. XIX.] NOTES ON THE EIDER. 47

of the nesting birds, so far as this can be estimated. By the
middle of May the local nesting birds are already incubating,
and while there are always a few late nests each year, yet
these cannot explain the numbers seen in May. At so late
a date it seems somewhat doubtful that these parties can be
passage birds on their way north—it rather suggests that a
large proportion are non-breeding birds indulging in a little
sport—running about on the dry sand flats seems quite
unusual for a duck courtship, Sheld-Duck excepted. There
is, however, no question that these birds depart from the Tay
Estuary before the end of May ; where they go remains un-
certain, some may retire out to sea to spend the summer ;
others may yet go to nest further north.

During the past ten years, it appears from the information
now available, that the Eider as a breeding bird on the Tay
Estuary has increased from about twenty-five pairs in IgI4
to fifty pairs in 191g, and to about eighty pairs in 1923 and
1924—there having been no change in the last two seasons.
Whether these numbers will increase or even be maintained
depends to a large extent upon the measure of protection
which can be afforded to the nesting birds.

In regard to nesting, certain matters have come under notice
in respect of the behaviour of the females during incubation.
It is stated in the British Bird Book (1V., p. 281) that a female
kept in captivity did not leave the eggs during the whole
period of incubation. Some little attention has been given
to this question, and of the Eider nesting in the Tay Estuary
it would appear that the females do leave the nest, particularly
during the earlier period of incubation, for the purpose of
feeding and washing, and for a time at least the female is
accompanied by the male on her return, the latter returning
to the sea after his mate has settled on the nest. Whether
the female leaves the nest every day or more than once each
day has not been determined. It would seem that no fixed
time of day is usual for this interval as birds come and go at
all hours during the earlier period of nesting ; later it would
seem that if the birds go off at all, they do so in the earlier
part of the day, for in the afternoon the nests are almost
invariably occupied. In this connection, another question
has arisen. It has been noticed that on different occasions
a nest already located has, on a later visit, been found with
eggs covered, but deserted. This would seem to suggest that
the female does leave the nest during incubation and that
before leaving the eggs she covers them completely. The
coincidence of the owner of a nest under observation failing

48 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

to return must be somewhat rare. Yet the facts which appear
to be demonstrated are by no means rendered less tenable in
consequence of the few cases observed. Obviously, the
presence of a nest not already located so concealed would be
detected only by the accident of stepping on it (unless the
concealment was very poor), hence the few records of this
nature.

The writer, on one occasion, searched a heather patch from
which a female Eider had just departed of its own accord and
found there the beginning of a nest containing one egg care-
fully covered ; he has also searched the ground where pairs
have alighted (having come in from the sea) but without
success, though at the time of year the presence of the nest
was most likely, From time to time nests have been found
without any covering on the eggs, but it is probable that these
were so left owing to the hurried departure of the sitting bird
when flushed by intruders. When incubation is advanced,
the female, if pushed from the nest, shows little desire to leave
the immediate neighbourhood and returns to the brooding as
soon as the intruder has left.

Twice during recent years recently hatched young have
been found in the nest ; in one case these remained at least
twenty-four hours. The female and her brood do not cross
the moor to the sea during ordinary hours of the day ; on the
flats a family party has been seen walking out to the water’s
edge, but these may have been left stranded by the tide.
During the early days on the sea the brood keeps in shallow
water, feeding in the wash of the tide, if the sea is calm ;
later they betake themselves to the mussel scalps, and, after
a month or so, the young scatter to other feeding ground,
particularly to the rocky coasts to the north and south. The
downy young commonly band together, and a large pack of
thirty to forty may be under the charge of half a dozen females.
The usual brood is five, so that some individuals must desert
their young soon after the family have reached the sea.

During the autumn and early winter the number of males
is again far in excess of the females and immature males, and
the proportions remain fairly constant until March, when
males decrease and females become predominant in numbers.
Later on, as already mentioned, males again become largely
in excess and these depart later. During the summer it is
of course impossible to determine the relative proportions
present, but, for the most part, the numbers in July represent
the approximate number of nesting birds.

ADDITIONAL NOTES FROM GLAMORGANSHIRE.

As a supplement to the “ Field Notes from Glamorgan” by
G. C. S. Ingram and H. Morrey Salmon in BritisH Brrps,
Vols. XVI., XVII. and XVIII., the following additional notes
from the same county may be of value.

Wuite WactaiL (Motacilla a. alba).—A pair was seen on
the shores of Kenfig Pool on April 29th, 1923.

Prep FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca).—A male was
seen at Merthyr Mawr, near Bridgend, on April 30th, 1922,
but it. did not remain.

Bewicx’s Swan (Cygnus 6. bewickii)—The Bewick’s
Swans recorded (Vol. XVI., p. 220, XVII., p. 63, XVIII.,
p. 275) have revisited the same pool on various subsequent
occasions, and in various numbers, both in spring and
autumn. On November 16th, 1924, a party of four, con-
sisting of two adult and two juveniles, were seen on another
pool, not far distant from that on which they were originally
found, This pool is tenanted all the year round by one or
more pairs of Mute Swans, and it was of great interest to
observe a “‘ passage of arms”’ between the visitors and the
rightful tenants, not only as to behaviour but as a comparison
in appearance. A Mute Swan sailed across the pool with its
wings arched over its back and its feathers raised, to all
appearance in anger. At this the party of Bewick’s Swans,
which had been feeding, all straightened up, raising the necks
stiffly to a vertical position, the adults giving vent to a loud
piercing cry. On the Mute Swan swimming between and
separating the adults from the juveniles, these latter also
“ gave tongue,” but in a higher key, the result being a tre-
mendous clamour. The adults did not show any fight, but
the whole party seemed very agitated. On no occasion did
the Bewick’s Swans arch their wings in the manner of the tame
Swans.

Another adult was discovered severely wounded on the
shore among the reeds. A few days later, on again going to
the pool, they had left, but while watching some other species
the Swans appeared flying from the direction of the original
pool. On their catching sight of the observer they gave three
loud yelping cries, circled once round the water, and winged
their way back to Kenfig Pool. On January 24th, 1925, nine

D

50 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

Bewick’s Swans were on Kenfig Pool, the largest party seen,
divided into one pair with one young one, one pair with three,
and one solitary adult. This arrangement was seen by the
fact that when alarmed and swimming out to the centre of
the pool, on each occasion they divided themselves up in this
formation.

Prntatt (Anas acuta).—Two drakes were observed at Hensol
on February 24th, 1923, and two at Kenfig on October 26th,
1924, one an adult male and the other an immature bird.

SMEw (Mergus albellus)—Two Smew, females or possibly
immature males, were seen diving not far from the mouth of
the River Ogmore on February 8th, 1922.

GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia).—One at Hensol, October
25th, 1921, and another on the River Ely near Peterston on
April 13th, 1924.

RED-THROATED DIVER (Colymbus stellatus)—On Decem-
ber 3rd, 1922, and again on December gth, 1923, one was on
Kenfig Pool. On one occasion it came ashore on the sandy
bank in a most ungainly manner and shuffled a little way up
the bank, but after resting awhile it returned to the water.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER (Colymbus tmmer).—One was seen
on Kenfig Pool, January 24th, 1925.

BLACK-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps n. nigricollis).—A pair on
December gth, 1923, on Kenfig Pool.

SLAVONIAN GREBE (P. auritus)—One was on the lake at
Hensol on January 20th, 1924. CLEMENCE M. ACLAND.

CLUTCH OF DWARF EGGS OF LINNET.

A cLutTcH of five eggs of the Linnet (Carduelis c. cannabina)
was found in a gorse bush on Cannon Heath, Kingsclere,
Hants, at the end of May, 1923. Four of the eggs measured
12X9.5 mm., and the fifth 11x 8.5 mm. L. J. EAsTon.

[Dwarf eggs occur from time to time in most species of
birds, but usually one in a set, occasionally two or three,
together with normal eggs. Tatio records a dwarf egg of
Linnet even smaller than those mentioned above, viz.
96.5 mm. Clutches of dwarf eggs are much rarer, but have
occasionally been met with among the Passeres (e.g. Lesser
Redpoll, Blue Tit, etc.), and also in the Accipitres, Stegano-
podes, Rallide, Lari and Galline.—F. C. R. JourRDAIN.]

LARGE CLUTCH OF CHAFFINCH’S EGGS.

On May aist, 1925, at Burley-on-the-Hill, Rutland, I
found a Chaffinch (I*ringilla c. celebs) sitting on seven eggs.

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 51

The nest was situated in a low bramble-bush, in open park
land, and the eggs appeared to be all of the same type and
usual pattern, and the product of one bird.

H. L. COCHRANE.

[Clutches of seven eggs have twice previously been recorded
in Brit. Birds and I have seen two other sets in private
collections. A set of eight was recorded in Vol. XIII., p. 81.—
F.C.R.J.]

GREY WAGTAILS IN THE LONDON DISTRICT.

In reply to Mr. Borrer’s enquiry (antea, p. 30), the Grey Wag-
tail (Motacilla c. cinerea) has for very many years been a fairly
regular visitor to Hyde Park, where I have seen it by the
Serpentine in every month from August to February, both
included. I have also noticed it in Kensington Gardens, both
by the Long Water and the Round Pond. It occurs most
frequently in October.

During the first two and a half years of the war, I was on
early morning duty as a special constable at an electric power
station in Wood Lane, Shepherd’s Bush. It was the most
unattractive spot imaginable, yet it was visited on many
occasions in autumn and winter by Grey Wagtails. They
invariably appeared with the first streak of dawn, diving
down almost perpendicularly out of the darkness on to the
edge of a small tank at the foot of a water-cooling tower.

The Grey Wagtail is a regular autumn and winter visitor
to the reservoirs at Barnes, where I have known it occasionally
to stay into March. I have also once seen it in Hammersmith.

I have little knowledge of St. James’s or Regent’s Parks.
There are various records of the occurrence of the Grey
Wagtail in the former; and it visits the latter, for on
October 4th, 1886, the keeper of the Western Aviary in the
Zoological Gardens showed me two which he had recently
caught there and which he said came there from the Regent’s
Canal; and on November 24th, 1907, I saw a Grey Wagtail
alight on a rock in the sea lions’ enclosure.

A. HOLTE MACPHERSON.

THE SONG OF THE WILLOW-WARBLER.

In the spring of 1909 I went out for some weeks at daybreak
to note the opening calls and song of different birds. One
morning when listening to a Willow-Warbler (Ph. ¢. trochilus)
immediately over my head I noticed that between each period

52 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VoL. XIx.

of song the bird made a low sound, several times repeated, of
“vip ”’ about as often and as loud as one could whisper it.
I have heard this many times since but have found no
reference to it in any account I have read of this bird.
1. J. BEESTON.

REED-WARBLER BREEDING IN CUMBERLAND.

Reports of the Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus s. scirpaceus)
nesting in the northern counties of England are rare enough
to justify me in reporting a nest containing five eggs at
Greystoke, near Penrith, Cumberland, on June 15th, 1925.
H. J. Moon:

ALPINE SWIFT IN DORSET.

TuE Rev. S. E. V. Filleul of Sandford, near Wareham, informs
me that on May 25th, 1925, he and his keeper saw an Alpine
Swift (Apus m. melba) hawking for may-flies in company with
Common Swifts over the River Frome near Moreton. The
bird constantly passed quite close to them and the pure white
throat and under-parts were very conspicuous. The keeper
saw it again on May 26th. This appears to be the first Dorset
record. F. L. BLATHWAYT.

BEWICK’S SWANS IN LANCASHIRE.

ABout 8.15 on the morning of January 29th, 1925, a skein of
Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus b. bewickit) flew over Lancaster,
heading north-east, and flying in a string about 100 yards in
the air. On an electric train passing under them, a most
extraordinary thing happened, for they scattered and fell half
their height towards it, performing the most astonishing
evolutions in the air like those of Plover when alarmed. I
have seen wild Geese do this many times when dropping out
of the sky to alight, but never heard of wild Swans performing
such aérial “ stunts,” although I have spent days and nights
watching Bewick’s Swans in the Hebrides. The whiteness of
their plumage and the twisting of their long necks made the
performance a much more spectacular one than that per-
formed by Geese, and the cause of their panic was probably a
big electric spark from the electric train.

In the Lancs. and Cheshire Fauna Survey Report for 1922-3
Mr. T. A. Coward remarks that in the early months of 1922
numbers frequented the reservoirs of the Lancashire and
Yorkshire border, some being noted close to Oldham and two
being killed at Greenfield. The largest herd he had a note of
contained sixteen.

VOL. S=x.] NOTES. 53

Mr. F. W. Holder informed me that on December 2oth,
1913, he got within a few yards of five at Ainsdale, near South-
port, which were in company with a gaggle of Pink-footed
Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus), one being shot a day or two
later.

In 1908 one was shot with a rifle off Naze Point on the
Ribble by a Mr. Orr. H. W. ROBINSON.

INCUBATION PERIOD OF COMMON SANDPIPER.

In the nest of a Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos) in
Dumfries-shire the fourth egg was laid between Io a.m. and
I2 noon on May 15th, 1925. The first egg chipped at 6 p.m.
on June 6th. All were hatched at 10 a.m. on June 7th.
Chipping therefore began after 21 days and 6 hours incuba-
tion, and all were hatched within 22 days.
HuGH S. GLADSTONE.

(Cf. previous notes on this subject, Vol. VI., p. 86 and
VII., p. 146.—Ebs.]

PROBABLE TEREK SANDPIPER IN HAMPSHIRE.

THERE can be very little doubt, I think, that a bird which I
saw in Christchurch Harbour on May 16th, 1925, was a Terek
Sandpiper (Terekia cinerea). It was about a hundred yards
distant from where I stood and was feeding near some Dunlins
and Ringed Plover. It was distinctly larger than these, but
not so large as a Redshank, shaped very like a Common
Sandpiper except that it was longer on its legs, not dumpy
like a Dunlin. In colour it was grey (like the winter plumage
of a Knot) on the upper parts, neck and breast greyish, belly
white ; beak medium length, as long as a Dunlin’s or longer,
but with the end definitely turned upwards. My daughters
and I all saw it and watched it for some time through
binoculars. I’. G. PENROSE.

CLUTCH OF WHITE -EGGS OF CURLEW.

On April 26th, 1925, I found on a moor near S. Molton, Devon,
a nest of the Common Curlew (Numenius a. arquata) con-
taining four white eggs. They were not of as pure a white as
those (say) of a Turtle Dove, but they could only be described
as ‘‘ white eggs’’—creamy-white—and unspotted save for
faint markings on the larger end of one. I noticed the bird
did not leave her eggs till I was within twenty or thirty yards,
though I had been within a hundred yards of the nest and in
full view for several minutes. T. G. PowELL.

54 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VoL. XIx.

BLACK TERNS IN SCILLY.

DurRING the week, April 12th—18th, 1925, I am informed, a
pair of Black Terns (Chlidonias niger) frequented the pool of
Porthhellic, St. Mary’s, Scilly. H. W. ROBINSON.

BUFFON’S SKUA IN THE SCILLY ISLES.

On May 26th, 1925, whilst about three miles east of the Scilly
Isles, I saw what I believe is the first record of Buffon’s Skua
(Stercorarius longicaudus) for these islands. It was a fine
specimen and held its tail quite straight like that of a Sparrow-
Hawk when flying into the wind, but curved downwards when
flying across the wind. H. W. ROBINSON.

DIVING ABILITY OF NESTLING MOORHEN.

A NESTLING Moorhen (Gallinula ch. chloropus), about twelve
days old, when flushed from the edge of a pond swam under
water for several yards, then dived to the bottom where it
remained submerged for two minutes, seven seconds. It then
came to the surface to extrude its head and bill and was
caught and ringed. When released it swam under water for
some yards, came to the surface for a moment to extrude its
bill, then dived and was submerged for exactly four minutes
before it rose to the surface to breathe. The depth of the
water was one foot. R. H. Brown.

CucKOO RETURNING TO SAME SUMMER QUARTERS FOR THE
SIXTH SUCCESSIVE YEAR.—With reference to his previous
notes (Vol. XVI. p. 190; XVIL,p: 23), Mr. T. LS) Dooly
writes that the same Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus), readily
identified by its peculiar call, has again returned to Formby,
Lancashire, in 1925.

EGG-DEPOSITION BY THE CucKoo.—Mr. G. R. Humphreys
describes (Irish Nat., 1924, pp. 118-121) how he watched a
Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus) glide down to the nest of a Meadow-
Pipit. Having arrived on the ground she moved to the nest
with head lowered and outstretched, and, having settled
herself upon it, depressed her tail which was afterwards
raised to the normal position when she backed out and flew
away. [Irom the moment she alighted on the ground to the
time she left was forty seconds. The nest, which had not
previously been inspected, was found to contain only the
Cuckoo’s egg, which was warm. It could not be observed
if the Cuckoo picked up an egg from the nest or carried one
away.

VOL, XIX,] NOTES. 55

STATUS OF THE SHOVELER IN LANCASHIRE.—Mr. T. L. 5.
Dooly informs us that he saw a male Shoveler (Spatula
clypeata) on Down Holland Moss, near Formby, on May 16th,
1925. From the date this was quite possibly a breeding bird.
We believe that the Shoveler nests regularly in the county
but definite records seem to be lacking and we should be glad
of more information on the point.

THE GREAT BUSTARD IN SCOTLAND.—To the Scottish
Naturalist (1924, pp. 173-183), Mr. H. S. Gladstone contributes
a very useful article on this subject. From this it would
appear that the only reference to Otis tarda breeding in
Scotland is the often quoted one by Hector Boethius, who in
1526 stated that it bred in ‘“ Merchia”’ (approximately
Berwick and Haddington). This is not confirmed by any
subsequent writer and no bones of the bird have been found.

The only records of the occurrence of stragglers during the
last fifty years are given as follows: March 29th, 1876, adult
female, Stronsay, Orkney (doubtless same as that quoted for
1886 in Vert. Fauna Orkney, see also Pract. Handbook, I1.,
p. 816); February 8th, 1892, female, Stronsay (shot on
adjoining farm to that for 1876 and now in Royal Scottish
Museum) ; June 20th, 1895, female, washed up on Ayrshire
coast at Irvine ; January 4th, 1924, immature female cap-
tured Sanday, Orkneys (vide antea, p. 175), and now in Royal
Scottish Museum.

LETTER.
WINTER STATUS OF THE WHIMBREL.

To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

Strs,—In reply to Mr. Glegg’s letter (Vol. XVIII., p. 320), my reason
for saying that though Whimbrel in winter are uncommon, their occur-
tance is hardly worth recording, applies only locally, and lies in the fact
that one or more Whimbrel, practically every winter, for the past four-
teen years, have been captured in the flight nets in the district, together
with Bar-tailed Godwits, Oyster-catchers and other Waders, and became
so regular that I failed to make a note of them. The only specified
dates, besides the one I have already mentioned, is when something else
was recorded on the same date, and these dates are November 26th,
1918, and February 24th, 1923, when single birds were seen in the
estuary of the Kent, Westmorland.

The period when Whimbrel are caught in the flight nets is the dark
_of the moon coming between the end of November and the beginning
/ of December, and the same period January-February. During the

past four winters other Waders, hitherto unknown on the coast except

on the autumn migration and rare even then, have been captured in

mid-winter in these flight nets. : H. W. Ropinson.
| LANCASTER.

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ASSISTED BY JUSH

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 3, VoL. XIX., AUGUST I, 1925.

—_—_ PAGE
Field-Notes from Cumberland, 1924. By R. H. Brown ma 58
The Nestlings of some Rare British Birds. By H. F. Witherby 68
Notes :—
Dwarf Eggs of Yellow-Bunting (J. H. Owen) ... a . 71
Spotted Flycatcher and Wren — in same Caries
(Charles E. Alford) ... He oss 71

Marsh-Warbler Breeding in North Bien (R.1 Ve i Page) eo. yp
Mistie-Thrush Nesting on a Spout (Dr. W. Henry Dobie) ... 72
Clutches of Dwarf Eggs of Song-Thrush (N. F. Ticehurst) ... 72

Multiple Nest-building by Blackbird ( (John L. Hawkins) ... 72
Cuckoo Entering Nesting-Box and Two Cuckoos =e mB | in
same Nest (F. Howard Lancum) ... bes 73
Early Laying of Cuckoo in Perthshire (Charles G. Connell) .. 74
Short-eared Owl Breeding in Yorkshire (W. S. Medlicott) ... 74
Osprey in Yorkshire (W. S. Medlicott) .. sae 3H rr 75
White-fronted Goose in full Moult in aan in ‘aie Gi k.
Burkitt) . ee ine 15% ie ret . te 75
Manx Besenteat itis Laying in the ee in cai (HL W.
Robinson) vx = =a ae 76
Fledging-Period of Oyster- Sanehes (R. H. Sees ask ae 76
Lapwing Perching on Telegraph Wire (J. H. Owen) ... ae 76
Spotted Redshank in Kent (J. P. Hardiman) ... < wey ra,
Rapid Nest-building by Moor-hen (I. N. Roberts) ... se FE i
Letters :-—
Status of the Shoveler in ge aaa ig W. nae and W. +
Ashford) es 78
The Migration of the W ikea (H G. - Alexander and W. H.
W orkman) its as <a ‘ 78
Review :—
British Bivds. By Archibald Thorburn ie ie = 80

E

( 0e9
FIELD-NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND, 1924.

BY
R, H, BROWN.

CARRION-CROW (Corvus c. corone).—These birds were breeding
early this year. On April 7th I found a nest of five eggs and
another on the 8th. In 1923 a pair nested in an oak tree
in a field behind my house and reared four young. The same
nest was used this spring, a fresh lining added and four young
hatched, which were destroyed by a neighbouring farmer.
When the nest is built in a fir-tree it is usual for the nest-
lining to contain some of the bark-fibre from the tree. Of
nineteen nests found this year (and visited, when necessary,
until the clutches were complete) two had clutches of two
eggs, three clutches of three eggs, three four eggs and the rest
five eggs.

The nestlings are brooded during the day until they are
five or six days old and during the night until nine or ten days
old. It is whilst the young are fledging that the adults are
most demonstrative, and if the nest is visited during this
period they frequently circle in the air above the tree,
repeatedly calling, and now and again alighting in a neigh-
bouring tree, but the young rarely answer them and the
adults do not lose all wariness but keep a respectable distance
away from the intruder. These fledged youngsters have a
strong, musty odour.

Rook (C. f. frugilegus)—On December 18th, 1923, I was
watching a flock of Rooks scattered about a grass-field when
my attention was attracted by a male courting a female.
Suddenly from further afield two Rooks came flying and
alighting beside the male attacked him. The female joined
in, to the male’s assistance, I think, and the four engaged in
a general mélée.

On January 7th I noticed a flock of Rooks ina field. Many
were courting, others were sitting together in pairs, now and
then fondling bills. One pair, the female opened her beak
and the male placed his inside, disgorging some worms from
his pouch into her mouth.

Courtship was first observed this autumn on November 3rd,
a male, with drooping wings and expanded tail, bowing to a
female, she acknowledging his attentions by a slight bow now
and again.

On August 14th I surprised five Rooks feeding off a dead
rabbit and the same day had an excellent view of a Rook
flying away with a mushroom,

VoL, xIx.] NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND. 59

GoLpFINcH (Carduelis c. britannicus).—This spring I
watched four pairs nest-building. The female did all the
building and lining of the nest, the male’s duties consisting
in accompanying her for nesting materials. They left and
returned together and whilst the female was busy at the nest
the male kept guard from a near-by branch, indulged in song,
or occasionally visited the nest to see how the work was
progressing or in order to copulate. Once or twice a male
was seen to pick up nesting material, toy with it, and then
drop it. When the nest was being lined the male spent most
of his time singing and did not accompany the female so often
on her journeys for material. The males gave most song
during the period of nest-building and egg-laying, and by the
end of the first week of incubation, which was performed
entirely by the females, song had practically ceased. The
last few days the young were in the nest, song again became
vigorous, whilst if the eggs or young were destroyed the male
was singing vigorously the following day.

The female was called off the eggs each morning for about
twenty minutes and usually she was called away to feed, but
sometimes the male fed her at the nest.

The second brood of a pair which nested in my garden
left the nest on August 29th. From the 26th onwards the
male was singing, and on the 28th he was so engaged when
‘the female alighted in the tree beside him. He attempted
-coition but she would not allow him and flew away. After
-an interval he followed her.

On May 18th I observed three Goldfinches in a tree, two
‘males and a female The males were flying at each other,
‘then falling to the ground with locked claws, uttering all the
‘time a loud, harsh, call-note. The female appeared oblivious
‘of their presence.

In this neighbourhood the autumn flocks have usually split
‘up into parties of four to six birds by the turn of the year,
but occasionally flocks may be seen during January and
February. Thus a flock of twenty-five birds near Linstock
on January 15th, 1917, and of fifteen near Dalston on
February 4th.

LESSER REDPOLL (C. linaria cabaret).—A nest examined on
May 15th was lined entirely with wool.

TREE-SPARROW (Passer m. montanus).—Within a ten-mile
‘adius of Carlisle I found this species in five different localities.
\bout the middle of June I discovered three pairs frequenting
t line of trees, and a week later saw another pair in a second
ocality. On June 16th in a third locality I saw a male

60 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL, XIX,

feeding a female, and in another neighbourhood found a pair
breeding in a hole in a barn wall. The male was singing on
May 22nd but the young were not heard in the nest until the
first week of July. In the fifth locality four pairs nested—one
in a knot-hole in an oak tree reared one brood, the others in
holes in a barn wall, and each reared two broods. On July znd
I got one young one, which was fledged, out of the nest in the
knot-hole and judging by touch there were only two more.
Of those that nested in the barn wall, one pair were building
on May 7th. Both sexes had nesting material but only one
entered the hole while I watched them, the other dropped its
material. Both sexes assisted in feeding the young, which
from hatching until they left the nest kept up an intermittent
chirping, audible twelve yards away. The first brood was
heard on June 5th and last on June 18th. Another brood
was in the nest from August 9th until 22nd, and the last was
hatched on August 23rd and left the nest on September 6th.
Thus the fledging-period appears to be thirteen to fourteen
days. At this locality on October 26th I picked up a dead
Tree-Sparrow in perfect plumage.

On October 21st I saw a Tree-Sparrow amongst some House-
Sparrows about four miles north-west of Brampton.

YELLOW BuntTinG (Emberiza c. citrinella) —On April 6th I
saw a hen building, and another nest which was begun on
April 17th held one egg on the 24th. A third nest held three
eggs on April 2oth.

During August I watched two pairs feeding their young on
crane flies (Tipula paludosa).

Waite Wacrtalt (Motacilla a. alba).—On October 7th three
White Wagtails were about my grounds, and at times being
with an adult Pied Wagtail were easily distinguished.

PreD FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca).—For three
consecutive years I found a pair nesting in the same branch-
hole at a height of thirty feet from the ground. The male
was very pugnacious and would drive away any Chaffinches
or Tits which tried to alight in the tree. I could not find
them nesting there this year. In another locality I flushed
a pair out of an oak tree on May 4th. On two subsequent
visits I failed to find the birds, but on May 18th they were
building in the same tree. Only the female carried nesting
material, the male accompanying her on her journeys and
singing whilst she was in the nest-hole. On May 24th the
nest held three eggs and on the 28th the female was sitting
on six. The female was the only bird found incubating and
the young, four in number, hatched on June roth, incubation-

vo. x1x.] NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND. 61

period thirteen days, and flew from the nest on June 24th,
fledging-period fourteen days. The two eggs were left in the
nest. When the young were nine days old I timed the adults
feeding them for one hour, during which the female fed them
seven times, the male five times. The feces were carried
away and dropped. In this tree a pair of Blue-Tits and of
Tree-Creepers also nested. About a mile below this site two
pairs of Pied Flycatchers nested and on June 29th both males
were seen, each feeding a solitary fledgling. One male was
flycatching just above the surface of the water.

Woop-WarBLER (Phylloscopus s. sibilatrix).—On May 27th
I was watching a Wood-Warbler singing, when presently it
began gathering nesting material off the ground, and having
secured a beakful it hovered for a few seconds above the
nesting-site before descending. The nest had apparently
just been begun on this day, and on June 2nd it held two eggs.

WHITETHROAT (Sylvia c. communis).—This species un-
doubtedly rears two broods at times, even in the north. Thus
near Silloth on July 29th, 1918, I found a nest containing
two newly-hatched young and one egg. Other late dates are
July oth, 1917, nest of two newly-hatched young, and July
12th, 1922, nest of four young about six days old.

MIstLE-THRUSH (Turdus v. viscivorus).—On August 30th I
listened to two Mistle-Thrushes singing, and on October 2nd
and gth one was singing in my garden.

A nest which I had under observation, practically all the
incubation, which lasted fourteen days, was done by the
female, the male only assisting for about an hour each day.
The fledging-period was fifteen days and both sexes fed the
young. This nest was the birds’ third attempt to rear a
brood and whenever I visited it the female attacked me,
hitting me in the face with her wings. This she did when the
nest held eggs and when it held young.

REDBREAST (Evithacus rubecula melophilus).—The courtship
of the Redbreast appears to be carried on intermittently from
October onwards. In the first stage the male and female
meet on the boundary of their respective territories and the
male, with head thrown back, sings to the female. Then
usually the female flies back into her territory and the male
returns into his. Sometimes the. female enters the male’s
territory or vice-versa and the action proceeds as above. On
November 12th I was watching two Redbreasts, presumably
male and female. The male, with head thrown back, sang for
some time to the female. When he had finished the female
uttered a few low notes then flew away. The courtship in

62 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL XIx.

the second stage appears to be carried on irrespective of the
boundaries of the territories and the male usually follows the
female about, or two males may pursue one female. The
male sings a little, the female listening attentively, the two
birds separated by a few inches. Then she moves on, he
follows, and when she stops he once more bursts into song.
Occasionally they may fondle beaks. On January 3rd I was
walking along a lane when two Redbreasts came flying over
the hedge-top, and after a slight scuffle on the ground flew to
thehedge. One began singing, with neck slightly outstretched
and drooping wings, the other listening attentively with
bowed head. When the former had finished, the latter sang
a couple of bars, then flew away pursued by the other.

A male was seen displaying to a female on February 18th.
With tail held almost vertical he slowly moved his head from
side to side, singing vigorously all the time. The display
lasted for several minutes, terminated by the female flying
away, he pursuing her.

WREN (Troglodytes t. troglodytes) —On November 5th two
Wrens were about my garden, the male singing vigorously to
the female and following her about. On one occasion he
flew to a post and with extended horizontal wings pivoted in
a half-circle, singing all the time. Two Wrens were observed
pursuing each other about the garden on November 13th.
One flew into a bush, the other alighted on the ground at its
base. The one in the bush burst forth into vigorous song,.
the other listening attentively. When the first Wren had
ceased the other sang, a song as loud and vigorous as the
former’s.

DIPPER (Cinclus c. gularis).—In a nest of five eggs, four
hatched on April 16th, the other the next day, but this young
one disappeared and the four young flew on May 5th, giving
a fledging-period of nineteen days.

Dippers will use the same nest year after year, relining it
for each clutch of eggs. The lining, usually oak or beech
leaves, the birds obtain, I think, from the stream bottom, as
the leaves are generally very wet when first placed in the nest.

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco sylvatica).—The following notes
deal with the fledging-period of the Tawny Owl. Observa-
tions on the first nest ceased through my leaving the
district :—

1921. Old nest of Carrion-Crow.—April 8th : Owl flushed
off three eggs, one well chipped and the nestling calling inside.
April 12th : Two nestlings out and the other egg well chipped.
Heard the young when I reached the tree. April 19th :

VOL. XIx.] NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND. 63

Flushed an adult off the three young, which are different
sizes, the two larger birds beginning to fledge. Nest very
dirty with feces and held two headless long-tailed field-mice.
April 26th: Climbed to the nest. When half-way up the
tree an adult attacked me, striking my left ear with its talons
and drawing blood. Just as I reached the nest it again
attacked, butting me in the small of the back. After this
it flew to a neighbouring tree and hooted. Only two nestlings,
one considerably larger than the other, and resenting my
presence with a “‘clicking’”’ noise. The nestlings are fledging
rapidly and are practically feathered on the mantle and
beginning on the head and breast, whilst the flight-feathers
are growing out of the quills.

1923. Nest in a hollow tree.—April 25th: Flushed an
Owl off three nestlings, all different sizes, the smallest still
in down, the others have the quills of the flight-feathers
appearing. Judge the largest to be eleven days old, the
smallest seven days. Three headless long-tailed field-mice
inthenest. May 3rd: Nestlings feathering well on the mantle
and starting on the head and breast. Two rats, headless, for
food. May 8th: Three young still in the nest which held
the remains of a Blackbird and a Song-Thrush. May roth:
Still three young, practically feathered, but the legs are still
in down. A headless rabbit in the nest. May 20th: Only
the youngest Owl in the nest, and by the 23rd this one had
flown. The fledging-period was thus thirty-four to thirty-
six days.

1924. Nest in hollow tree.—April 20th : Owl put off three
young, which are different sizes, the two larger ones have
their eves open and the quills of the flight-feathers appearing.
The other is still in down and eyes shut. Take them to be
eleven, nine and seven days old respectively. Two young
rabbits, headless, in the nest. April 25th: Visited the nest-
ling Owls and found an adult brooding them. They are
feathering on the mantle and head, and the wing-feathers are
growing out of the quills, but the two older nestlings are
considerably larger then the other. I took this youngest
Owl in order to hand-rear it. The nest held the remains of
a black water-vole and a Song-Thrush. May 4th: Two
young feathering rapidly, feathered on the mantle, head, face,
and breast, and the wing-feathers growing. The older bird
has its tail-feathers almost fully developed, the other just
starting its tail-feathers. May 11th: As I climbed to the
nest an adult attacked me twice, on each occasion striking
the back of my head with its talons. The young were sitting

64 BRITISH BIRDS. (vol. XIX.

on a branch near the tree top and the older bird flew down to
the ground and was replaced in the tree. Both Owls fledged
except for a little down about the eyes and the legs, which are
stillin down. The hand-reared Ow] was in juvenile plumage
(legs in down) by May 18th, and allowing the others two more
days for fledging and the fledging-period of the three was
thirty-two to thirty-five days.

The hand-reared Owl’s legs were not feathered until June
15th, by which date the mantle was in winter plumage and
the head and breast assuming winter plumage. The nestling
Owl has the mouth inside a pale flesh-colour, the tongue with
two light brown marks. The eyelids are pink and are still
this colour when fledged.

On April 11th I surprised a Tawny Owl out of an ivy-clad
tree, and climbing to the branch the bird had flown irom I
found the remains of a Song-Thrush and the still warm body
of arabbit. The head of the rabbit was skinned, but there
were no signs of the fur, and the tongue and front of the skull
were gone.

CoMMON BuzzarpD (Buteo b. buteo).—In 1923 I found a
pair nesting in an oak tree in a wood. The nest was placed
some distance along an outspreading branch. On June 27th.
it heldthree eggs. On July 8th there were two young about
a week old, and these flew from the nest on August 11th,
when I visited it, so that the fledgling-period was about
six weeks. By the time the young left the nest-it was
flattened out, and beside it was a platform where the food
was evidently placed. There was a little down about the
nest when it held eggs and young. The Buzzards nested in
the same tree this year. I was unable to visit the wood
until June 21st, and on climbing the tree found the nest near
the top and in a branch-fork against the stem. It had been
robbed. There was a little down in the nest-cup and the
rim was decorated with fresh larch twigs, although the wood
consisted of oak and ash trees.

In 1922 a pair nested on a rock ledge beside a mountain-
ash. On May 22nd the nest held three young, two larger
than the other, clad in a greyish down. Cere yellow, rest of
the bill black, tip horn-colour. Legs and feet yellow, claws
grey. Inside mouth flesh-colour, tongue with two lateral
blue-grey spots at the base and one at the tip. The nest-
rim was decorated with fresh mountain-ash twigs and held
two perfect field-voles. On June 8th there were still three
young, and the locality was not visited again until August
28th, when five Buzzards were seen soaring round, so it is

vol. x1x.] NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND. 65

probable that the three young were safely reared. In 1923
the locality was not visited, but this year a visit was paid
on April 12th and the nest was being built not far from the
1922 site. When next visited on June 20th it had been
robbed: Near it was an unlined nest of the Common Wren.
There were several castings of beetles’ wings about the
Buzzard’s nest.

A third nest found this year was in an adjacent county,
but as I was able to pay several visits to it I give the observa-
tions here. On May 2oth the nest, on a rock ledge below a
mountain-ash, held two young, two days old, and one chipped
egg, the young one calling inside. The nest-rim, as usual,
was decorated, this one with fresh mountain-ash twigs, and
also held the perfect bodies of four field-voles and one shrew-
mouse. On June gth there were only two young, covered
with a coarse greyish down, the quills of the flight-feathers
appearing. Near the nest was the putrefying carcase of
an ewe on which the young were being fed. Both young
were opening their beaks a lot ; one always drew back when
I approached it with my hand. As I did not know whether
I should be able to visit them again I ringed them. On
June 22nd the nest held one young one, grown considerably
since my last visit. There were no signs of the other, either
in the nest or under the rock ledge. The nestling had the
flight-feathers practically developed and the tail-feathers
were about two-thirds out, the mantle was feathered and
the upper-breast beginning, the rest stillin down. A perfect
Sky-Lark, 7.e., not headless or plucked, and two pellets, the
larger measuring 1# in. by #in., were inthe nest. The pellets
consisted mainly of vole-fur, but one contained the legs and
feet of a Meadow-Pipit. The nest was visited for the last
time on July 6th. The young Buzzard was resting on its
tarsi, and as I drew level with the nest it rose to its feet
and essayed its first flight. Rising into the wind it made a
semicircular glide and alighted on the cliff-side. Flushed
from here it made another semicircular flight and again
alighted on the cliff-side. Put up once more it flew across
the stream and pitched into a bed of rushes, where it was left.
The fledging-period was thus forty days. The nest held the
remains of a Meadow-Pipit and a Wood-Pigeon, but was
not decorated with fresh twigs as it had been on my
previous visits. I never at any time saw any down about
the nest.

At times the Buzzard will hover in one place, with wings
held horizontally, like a Kestrel. One day I was watching

66 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

three Buzzards hovering, and two were hovering with half-
closed wings, remaining for some time in one position.

SHELD-Duck (Tadorna tadorna).—On July 8th I was on
one of the Solway Marshes, and approaching the banks of a
small stream noticed a pair of Sheld-Ducks flying restlessly
round and round a certain portion of the stream, uttering
all the time a low-pitched “‘urk, urk.’’ On reaching the
bank side I found on the water a brood of eight or nine
Sheld-Ducks, which on my appearance began spreading out,
moving upstream and first one and then another dived and
swam under water. In diving their feet hit the surface
with considerable force. As I followed them upstream
they continued diving and began swimming past me under
water so that presently all were making for the estuary.
The water was too opaque to see how the young progressed
underneath it, but they swam a distance of yess -five to
thirty yards under water.

OYSTER-CATCHER (Hematopus o. ostralegus)—Like most
Waders, these birds make several nesting-hollows on the
marsh, and the one that is used for breeding purposes is often
lined with sheep’s dung. Where there are only two eggs
a stone is sometimes pulled into the nest. For the first
two or three days after hatching the young do not go far
from the nest and remain together. If handled, on being
released, they usually run off and take fresh hiding. As they
grow older they learn to remain in the same place even if
handled. When fledged, and before they can fly, they will
often run off after being handled. The adults do not appear
to brood the young after they are three or four days old.
When the nests are placed on the marsh edge, adjoining
the mudflats, as soon as the tide retreats the young are driven
on to the mudflats and hide close up beside the marsh edge
with their backs to the estuary. When hidden in this manner
they are no doubt less liable to be trodden on by the marsh
cattle and are perhaps safer from human intruders.

LAND-RAIL (Crex crex).—On June 19th my neighbour,
Mr. Blacklock, was scything the grass in an orchard. Hap-
pening to glance back he saw a Land-Rail sitting on the
ground. The bird running away, he found she had been
sitting on a nest of fourteen eggs, which he had scythed over
without noticing and, owing to the eggs lying in a depression,
none were broken. He finished mowing the grass and
cocked it the same day and fortunately the Land-Rail did
not desert, although the nest was now exposed and only
six yards from the cottage. As I did not know how long

voL. xIx.] NOTES FROM CUMBERLAND. 67

the eggs had been incubated I visited the nest daily. The
bird used to brood the eggs until one was five or six yards
away, then would swiftly run away. The same bird, the
female I think, was always put off the eggs, and the male
was néver seen, even when the young were out. A Land-
Rail was heard craking in this orchard until the first or
second week in June, but certainly after the nest was found
I never heard the craking in the orchard.

At 6 p.m. on June 30th one nestling was hatched. On
July 1st at 6 a.m. there were seven nestlings. The female
ran two or three feet from the nest and then faced me, making
a ‘clicking ’’ noise by snapping her bill, and at times, with
half-opened wings, uttered a high-pitched crooning note
with her bill closed. Beside the nest were the remains of
tour eggs. At noon these eggshells had disappeared and
the female was brooding nine nestlings a few feet from the
nest. The nestlings were replaced in the nest and two more
eggs were seen to be chipped. At 6 p.m. there were only two
eggs in the nest, which I broke and found infertile. The
female was found brooding the twelve nestlings under the
shelter of a hay-cock. She ran away from them and, facing
me, performed as already described. As the hay was to
be lifted this evening I placed the nestlings for safety in
the hedge-bottom. Later in the evening the female was
seen running backwards and forwards across the road and
presently two nestlings emerged from the grass and ran
across the road. Looking about the grass I found the rest
of the chicks and carried them into a neighbouring pasture-
field. As they all hatched within twenty-four hours it
fo that incubation did not begin until the clutch was
aid,

( 68 )
‘THE NESTLINGS OF SOME RARE BRITISH BIRDS.

BY
H. F. WITHERBY.

DuRING a visit to central Spain this summer, my wife and I
were able to find a certain number of nestlings of birds on
the British list, which were not described or were imperfectly
described in the Practical Handbook. 1 took detailed notes
on the spot and preserved in alcohol specimens of each, and
these are now in the Natural History Museum. Many were
collected on the estate at Rincon (Province Avila) of our
friend the Spanish ornithologist Senor Don Augusto Gil
Lletget, to whom our grateful thanks are due for much kind
help and generous hospitality.
It seems not out of place to append two notes correcting
and amplifying what I wrote in the Handbook under “ Field-

Characters ’”’ regarding the songs of the Orphean and Rufous

Warbler.

ORPHEAN WARBLER.—VOI. I., p. 363.* Very little of the song
is like the Blackcap and this is softer and not heard at
any distance. The distinguishing phrase of the song is
loud and not very musical, very difficult to syllabilize,
and is not really satisfactorily expressed by “ chee-uvvy-
uvvy-uvvy.” This is heard constantly and can be
distinguished at a considerable distance.

Rurous WARBLER.—Vol. I., p. 387. This song is somewhat
disjointed, composed of short phrases of clear, lark-like
notes which form its distinctive characteristic.

NESTLINGS.

GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus o. oriolus).—Vol. I., p. 40. Down,
buffish-white, rather short but fairly plentiful ; distribu-
tion, outer and inner supra-orbital, occipital, spinal,
humeral, ulnar, femoral and ventral.j Mouth, inside
bright pink, no spots; externally, gape-flanges whitish.
N.B.—Feathers beginning to grow. Rincon, near Cande-
leda (Avila), Spain. June 7th, 1925.

SERIN (Sevinus canarius serinus).—Vol.1., p. 71. Down, pale
grey, longish but rather scanty; distribution, inner
supra-orbital, occipital, spinal, humeral, ulnar, femoral,
crural and ventral (very short on ventral tract). Mouth,

* References to volume and page in the Practical Handbook where
the species is described.

+ This description is in agreement with that given by Mr. Colling-

wood Ingram, who described the down of the nestling Golden Oriole
in The Ibis, 1920, p. 876.

VOL. XIX.] NESTLINGS OF BRITISH BIRDS, 69

inside bright pink, no spots; externally, gape-flanges
pink, edges of mandibles greenish-yellow. N.B.—About
two days old. Guadalupe (Caceres), Spain. May 2oth,
1925.

Rock-BuntTinG (Emberiza cia cia)—vVol. 1., p. 124. Down,
smoke-grey, long and fairly plentiful ; distribution, inner
supra-orbital, occipital, humeral, ulnar, spinal, femoral,
crural and ventral. Mouth, inside yellowish-pink, no
spots; externally, gape-flanges whitish. N.B.—Just
hatched. Puerto del Pico, Sierra de Gredos (Avila),
Spain. June 13th, 1925.

Woop-Lark (Lullula arborea).—Vol. I., p. 160 and Vol. II.,
p. 891. Down, darkish smoke-grey, darkest on supra-
orbital and occipital tracts, long and fairly plentiful ;
distribution, inner supra-orbital, occipital, humeral, ulnar,
spinal, femoral and ventral (short and scanty). N.B.—
The spinal tract single at its caudal end, divides into a
Y shape about the middle of the back. Mouth, inside
deep yellow, round black spot at tip and two very small
black spots at each side of middle of tongue ; externally,
gape-flanges yellowish-ivory-white. N.B.—Just hatched.
Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila), Spain. May 30th, 1925.

WoopcHAT SHRIKE (Lanius senator senator). Vol. I., p. 268.
Down, whitish, very short and very scanty and scarcely
noticeable with naked eye; distribution, ulnar -and
ventral. Mouth, inside orange, no spots; externally,
gape-flanges yellow. N.B.—One or two days old. Skin
yellowish, no feathers yet sprouting.* Rincon, near
Candeleda (Avila), Spain. May 26th, 1925.

ORPHEAN WARBLER (Sylvia hortensis hortensis).—Vol. 1., p. 361.
No down, skin rather dark flesh-colour. Mouth, inside
orange-yellow, two oblong dark (blackish) lateral spots
at base of tongue and two smaller and paler ones at tip ;
externally, gape-flanges greenish-yellow. N.B.—About
two days old. An older—feathered—bird had the gape-
flanges yellowish-white and not greenish as the younger

* Mr. Collingwood Ingram (¢.c., p. 879), states that white down has
been noticed to appear between the feathers on the wings and in apteria
on several parts of the body. He also states that down has been
noticed on the ventral tract in Lanius colluvio at all events when as
much as four days old. Unfortunately, the many other nests I found
of Woodchat contained either eggs or feathered young and I was able
to examine only the one unfeathered brood. Of. the Red-backed
Shrike I have also examined only one brood (one or two days old) and
in these I could find no down at all. It seems possible that there is
individual variation in these birds in which the down is so poorly
developed.

70 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL, XIX.

ones. Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila), Spain. June 14th,
1925.

ets WARBLER (Sylvia cantillans cantilans).—Vol. L,
p. 380. No down. Mouth, inside orange, no spots ;
externally, gape-flanges yellowish-white. N.B.—Feathers
partly grown. Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila), Spain.
May 24th, 1925.

BEE-EATER (Merops apiaster)—Vol. II, p. 20. No down,
skin rather bright pink-flesh. Mouth, inside flesh, no
spots; externally, gape-flanges very small and inconspicu-
ous, dull yellowish ; bill straight, grey. N.B.—Two or
three days old, back of tarsus rather flattened and “ heel ”
with a soft flat pad. Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila),
Spain. June 16th, 1925.

Hoopor (Upupa epops epops).—Vol. II1., p. 23. Down, white,
fairly long but rather scanty ; distribution, outer and
inner supra-orbital, occipital, humeral (long), ulnar (very
short), spinal, femoral, crural, ventral (very short), and
a caudal tuft. Mouth, inside bright pink, no spots; ex-
ternally, gape-flanges large, thick and very conspicuous,
waxy-white. Bill straight and rather thick, dark bluish-
slate. N.B.—Feathers just beginning to grow. In the
description in the Handbook, from a feathered skin, down
on the outer supra-orbital tract was omitted. A small
roughened “‘ pad”’ at back of tarsal joint. The marked
difference in the gape-flanges of the Hoopoe and Bee-
Eater, both birds nesting in dark holes, is worthy of note.
Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila), Spain. May 27th, 1925.

LeEssER KESTREL (Falco naumanni naumanm).—Vol. IL.,
p. 125. Down (c) is white not buffish as in Common
Kestrel, so that older birds with this second longer down
are easily distinguishable from young of the Common
Kestrel in the same stage. N.B.—Claws white, not dark
as in young of Common Kestrel. Arenas (Avila), Spain.
Female parent caught and identified June 16th, 1925.

MarsH-HARRIER (Circus eruginosus).—Vol. II., p. 148. A bird
just hatched may be described, as it differs somewhat
from the description of the same down given in the
Handbook. Base of neck all round, back between wings
and upper surface of wings pinkish-buff and a faint buff
tinge down centre of lower back and rump; _ buffish
round eyes; eyelids blackish, rest of down white, con-
spicuously so on crown. Bill, upper mandible black ;
lower mandible, cere and gape pink-flesh ; feet pinkish-
yellow. N.B.—One day old. Hatched under a hen.
Rincon, near Candeleda (Avila), Spain. June 17th, 1925.

DWARF EGGS OF YELLOW BUNTING.
On May 2oth, 1925, near Felsted, Essex, I found a Yellow
Bunting (Emberiza c. citrinella) sitting on one diminutive egg,
not as large as a pea; a few days later she was still sitting
on this one small egg. I took the egg as a curio; it was yolk-
less, very thick shelled and well marked. A few days ago the
same bird had another nest and was sitting on another diminu-
tive egg, the nest being only a few yards from the previous
one. To-night, June 24th, I took the egg as she had been
sitting on it nearly a week to my knowledge. This again was
volkless. It differed from the first by being much longer,
less well-marked, and the shell rather fragile. J. H. OWEN.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER AND WREN NESTING IN
SAME CAVITY,

I HAVE just been shown rather an interesting example of
combined nesting. The nests, one of a Spotted Flycatcher
(Muscicapa s. striata), the other of a Wren (Troglodytes 1.
troglodytes), were built in the trunk of a live holly, about
seven feet from the ground, where broken branches have
left two decayed holes, one immediately above the other,
each giving access to a common cavity within. The diameter
of both holes is about four inches. On the “ ground floor ”’
is a normal Wren’s nest, with the usual small opening in the
centre of the lower hole; immediately above, and woven into
the roof of the Wren’s nest, is the Flycatcher’s nest, about
level with the upper hole.

The occupants had flown when I saw the nests, but I am
told that both birds were incubating at the same time, and
both broods successfully reared. CHARLES E. ALFORD.

(Competition between hole-breeding birds (such as Tits,
Robins, Redstarts, Flycatchers, etc.) for nesting -sites is generally
keen and occasionally results in nests of different species being
placed in close proximity. For instances of Spotted Fly-
catchers building on nests (mostly old ones) of other birds
see Brit. Birds, Vol XI., p. 87.—Eps.]

MARSH-WARBLER BREEDING IN NORTH DORSET.
A PAIR of Marsh-Warblers (Acrocephalus palustris) had their
nest in the Yeo valley between Sherborne and Bradford Abbas
this year (1925). The nest, found on June 21st, was sus-
pended by “basket handles’’ to small reeds and nettles
growing at the side of a ditch in a grass-field by the River

72 BRITISH BIRDS. [Vou. XIx.

Yeo. It contained five typical eggs. The song of the bird,
heard on this date near the nest, differed widely from that of
the Reed-Warbler.

The Rev. F. L. Blathwayt recorded (Brit. B., XI., p. 44)
Marsh-Warblers breeding in the same district in 1897, but
this is, so far as I know, the only other record for north
Dorset. R. V. PAYNE.

MISTLE-THRUSH NESTING ON A SPOUT.

A LADY whom I was visiting on the outskirts of the city of
Chester on May 24th, 1925, drew my attention to a nest
containing two young birds placed on the top of a spout about
a yard from her window. While we watched, a Mistle-Thrush
(Turdus v. viscivorus) flew up and fed the young. The spout
has a wide ornamental top known as a “ rain-water head,”
over which is a covering of iron or zinc. This formed a
platform for the nest, which was completely protected from
rain by the projecting roof of the house about eight inches
above. W. HENRY DOBIE.

[While nests of the Mistle-Thrush on stone walls and rocky
ledges are not uncommon in hilly districts, those placed on
buildings are much less frequent. Mr. S. G. Cummings found
one in the gable of a ruined cottage, Mr. G. A. B. Dewar has
recorded one on a projecting beam under the eaves of a house ;
inside sheds (L. R. W. Loyd and N. F. Ticehurst); house
front behind advertizing letters (Birds of The Isle of Man, |
p. 3), etc. Cf. summary in Bvt. B., VIL, p. 74.—F-.C.R.J.]

CLUTCHES OF DWARF EGGS OF SONG-THRUSH.
As it appears from Mr. Jourdain’s note (antea, p. 50) that
clutches of dwarf eggs are but very rarely met with, it may be
worth putting on record the two following clutches of Song-
Thrush (Turdus ph. clarket). They were both found in the
same brickyard at Clayhythe, near Cambridge, and the eggs,
except in size, were perfectly normal. The first, of five eggs,
was found on May 8th, 1894, and two of the eggs measure
20.5 by 17:1 and 2145 by 17.1 mm.+ the other three were
perfectly uniform in size with these two, but I have not got
their measurements. The second clutch, of four eggs, was
found on May toth, 1902, and these measure 22 by 17.75
22.5 by 17.9, 22.5 by 18.25 and 23.4 by 1&3 mm. The average
of normal eggs as given in the Practical Handbook is 30.7 by
22.0 Tin, N. F. TIicEHURST.

MULTIPLE NEST-BUILDING BY BLACKBIRD.

AT Coombe End, Whitchurch, Oxfordshire, the residence of
Lady Godlee, there are three ladders under cover, placed

VOL. XIX. ] NOTES. 73

against a wall in the stable-yard. Between the rungs of one
of these a Blackbird (Turdus m. merula) has built this summer
(r925) nine nests and laid the foundation of a tenth. Six of
these are completed and lined and three others are well
advanced, but the building seems to have ceased now. In
none of the nests has any egg been laid and I understand only
one Blackbird has been noticed at work. The whole series

SERIES OF NESTS BUILT BY BLACKBIRD.

of nests appears to be interwoven between the rungs so that
one nest could not be removed without disturbing and dis-
arranging the adjoining ones. The photograph shows Six
of the nests. Joun L. HAWKINS.

(Cf. Br. B., XIII., p. 108. Multiple nest-building has also
been recorded of the Chaffinch (Vol. IV., p. 307), Redbreast
(V., p. 132), Song-Thrush (XII., p. 68) and Redstart COLL,
p. 68).—F.C.R.J.]

CUCKOO ENTERING NESTING-BOX AND TWO
CUCKOOS LAYING IN SAME NEST.
THE nest of a Pied Wagtail (Motacilla a. yarrellit) was built
in a nesting-box hanging on the wall of a garden in South
Essex, and when first noticed (on May 30th, 1925) contained
two of the Wagtail’s eggs. On May 31st it contained three.
By the morning of June rst four eggs had been deposited by
the Wagtail, and about 4.30 p.m. the same day a Cuckoo’s
egg was added, the latter being removed by the gardener
the same evening. On the morning of June 2nd the nest
contained five Wagtail’s eggs, but between 2 and 4 p.m.
a second Cuckoo’s egg, of an entirely different type and
obviously laid by a different bird, was deposited. On June 3rd
the Wagtail laid its sixth egg, and when I inspected the nest on
June 13th it still contained the six Wagtail’s eggs in additior
to the one laid by the second Cuckoo. It is of interest to
note that neither Cuckoo removed any of the fosterer’s eggs.

F

74 BRI'LISH BIRDS. (VOL. xIx.

On the date last mentioned I took the measurements of the
nesting-box, and was astonished to find that the entrance
hole was only 2} in. by 1,% in. The outside measurements
of the box were 74 in. by 5 in. by 43 in., and the wood of which
the box was made was # in. thick. There is no evidence as
to the behaviour of the second Cuckoo, but there is no doubt
whatever that the first entered the box to lay, as the
gardener (who is an experienced naturalist) saw the bird’s
head protruding from the entrance hole, and shortly afterwards
—to use his own expression—saw it squeeze out and fly away.

It is of added interest to note that, in my opinion, the egg
laid by the first Cuckoo was by the same bird responsible for
the egg recorded by me for April 26th last year (Vol. XVIII,
p. 50), although in this case the nest selected was a Hedge-
Sparrow’s. The two sites are less than 100 yards apart.

Although I am aware that there are several cases on record
of two Cuckoos using the same nest, it may be worth while
adding that on June 17th I found the nest of a Hedge-
Sparrow (Prunella m. occidentalis) containing two Cuckoos’
eggs of entirely different types, and obviously laid by different
Cuckoos. The larger egg is of the greyish “‘ Wagtail ” type,
and the smaller a reddish egg very like a certain type of.
Tree-Pipit’s. Two Hedge-Sparrow’s eggs completed the set.

F. HowarpD LANcuM.

EARLY LAYING OF CUCKOO IN PERTHSHIRE:

In British Birds, Vol. XVIII, p. 78, there are collected
several records dealing with instances of Cuckoos (Cuculus c.
canorus) laying early in the year in various parts of England,
and on the following page Mr. Stanley Pershouse cited two
cases in the county of Kirkcudbright. There do not appear
to be any instances for the more northerly counties of Scotland,
and I therefore put the following on record.

On May 15th, 1925, at St. Fillans (central Perthshire), a
friend (Mr. E, A. Armstrong) told’‘me he had that day found
a Hedge-Sparrow’s nest with an egg, which, from his descrip-
tion, I had no doubt was that of a Cuckoo. The following day
we visited the nest, which was in a quick-set hedge by a public
highway, and found the young Cuckoo and two Hedge-
Sparrows hatched. With an incubation period of 12-13
days this makes the date of laying the 3rd—4th of May, which
appears early for this part. CHARLES G. CONNELL.

SHORT-EARED OWL BREEDING IN YORKSHIRE.

A SHORT-EARED Owl (Asio f. flammeus) nested on the Whitby
Moors in May, 1925, three young being successfully reared

VOL. XIX.] N OTES. 75

out of four eggs laid; the other egg being addled. In the
nest when found were four shrew mice and one short-tailed
field-vole, all untouched, and on another occasion the feathers
of a Common Snipe (Capella gallinago). |W. S. MEDLICOTT.

OSPREY IN YORKSHIRE.
AN Osprey (Pandion halietus) visited my farm at Goathland
on May gth, 1925. It stayed two hours, 9.30-11.30 a.m.,
then went north. It came within fifty feet of me, and spent
the time soaring over the becks in small circles, apparently

looking for fish. It was much mobbed by Starlings.
W. S. MEDLICOTT.

WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE IN FULL MOULT IN
IRELAND IN JUNE.

On June 18th, 1925, Mrs. Laverton, residing on a yacht
anchored between Horse Island and the shore of the south
end of lower (i.e. northern) Lough Erne, County Fermanagh,
saw two wild Geese swim past. While she prepared to investi-
gate the phenomenon, Mr. Quigley of Horse Island went after
the Geese in a boat. The birds dived freely, but one being
cornered took to the shore and was caught in bushes. It
was quite unable to fly owing to its moulted condition.

The bird was kept with great attention inside a small
enclosure only netted a yard high. The companion has
since been seen more than once, but there is a big rush bed
on a neighbouring island where it could be secure from
observation. Ina short time the bird fed freely in presence
of observers, especially in the evening. It was first described
and then sent on June 29th to Mr. Witherby, who will further
comment on the case. I may note that local people say a
flock of Geese lit near an island on May 15th.

Wild Geese have no feeding-grounds near here nor do I
know of any White-Fronted Geese in captivity, though
tamed Grey Lag-Geese have been for years at the Earl of
Belmore’s, seven miles away. Jj. FL Busser.

[This bird was sent to me alive, and after examining it I
presented it on behalf of Mr. Quigley to the London Zoological
Society. The bird was a White-fronted Goose (Anser a.
albifrons) evidently in its first summer (i.e. hatched in 1924)
since it had a small amount of white on the fore-head, few
black feathers on the under-parts and its wing-coverts had
narrower and more rounded tips than those of the adult.
The bill was rather pale orange-yellow with a pinkish cutting
edge and the nail was marked with black at the tip. There
was a good deal of moult all over the body, but the tail-

76 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

feathers were not moulting, although the upper tail-coverts
were. All the primaries and secondaries were of even growth,
about a quarter their full length and all with sheaths, showing
that they had all dropped at the same time or nearly so. The
greater coverts and the feathers of the bastard-wing were all
absent. The median coverts had two gaps of three or four
feathers each and probably they were about to be all dropped,
but in the lesser coverts new feathers were growing here and
there and evidently those would not be shed together.

The fact that two White-fronted Geese remained in Ireland
and moulted at this time of year is, I think, of considerable
interest, and I am greatly indebted to Mr. Burkitt and Mr.
Quigley for sending the bird for my examination.—H.F.W.]

MANX SHEARWATERS LAYING IN THE OPEN IN
SCHALY.

ON the island of the Gugh, Isles of Scilly, part of which has
recently been cultivated, several eggs of the Manx Shearwater
(Puffinus p. puffinus) have, this year, been found deposited in the
open and on ground devoid of any cover but very short grass.

In another part o: this island there is a colony nesting in
the peaty soil, but where these eggs were found the ground
is so extremely hard that the birds probably could not burrow
into it, so laid their eggs on the bare turf. H.W. ROBINSON.

FLEDGING-PERIOD OF OYSTER-CATCHER:

On June 13th, 1925, I caught and ringed a nestling Oyster-
Catcher (Hematopus o. ostralegus) whose age was estimated
at ten days. It was caught again on July 2nd and was in
full juvenile plumage, so that the fledging-period was approxi-
mately twenty-nine days. Rk. H. Brown.

(Dr. J. M. Dewar has noted (By. B., XIII., p. 207) that the
young Oyster-Catchers are attended and fed by the parents
for at least five weeks after hatching. B. Hantzsch estimates
the fledging-period at about four weeks.—F.C.R.J.]

LAPWING PERCHING ON TELEGRAPH WIRE.
My colleague, Mr. E. R. St. A. Davies, reported to me on
June 8th, 1925, that as he was cycling to school at Felsted,
Essex, he saw a Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) perching on the
telegraph wires by the roadside. As he was getting level
with it, it fluttered down into the field, so he thought it was
damaged and got off his cycle to look at it. On getting over
the hedge he was surprised to find that it was all right and
had three, at least, young among the peas in the field. I think
this occurrence, on the authority of so trustworthy an observer,
is worth putting on record. J. H. Owen.

“I
ba |

VOL. XIX. | NO'TES.

SPOTTED REDSHANK IN KENT.
Own June 12th, 1925, on the sands at Littlestone, Dungeness,
when bird-watching with a friend, Mr. C. H. Payne, we had
good views of a pair of Spotted Redshanks (Tringa erythropus).
We were using x 12 and x9 binoculars, and a x 100 telescope.
We watched the birds, which were in full summer plumage,
for halfan hour or more. They were silent. J. P. HARDIMAN.

RAPID NEST-BUILDING BY MOOR-HEN.

ON the Mere at Scarborough are pleasure boats which are
owned by the Corporation, and let out on hire during the
summer months. On the Mere are also a goodly number of
Coots, Moor-Hens and other waterfowl. On’ the night of

NEST OF MOOR-HEN IN BOAT.
(Photographed by T. N. Roberts.)

Friday, June 12th, 1925, the boat attendant took the boats
to their moorings as usual, and on the following morning,
June 13th, on bringing the boats to the landing-stage, noticed
that a Moor-Hen (Gallinula ch. chloropus) had—during the
night—built a nest and in it laid an egg in the bow of one of
the boats. The photograph shows the bow of boat with the
egg and nest. T. N. RoBerts,

—

fe LETTERS af

L; IE)

STATUS OF THE SHOVELER IN LANCASHIRE.
To the Editors of BRITISH BirDs.

Sirs,—With reference to the request for information about the
nesting of the Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) in Lancashire (antea, p. 55),
the following published records should be noted.

So long ago as November, 1917, Mr. T. A. Coward wrote in the
Lanc. & Ches. Naturalist, p. 245 :—

“Mr. F. W. Holder informs me that the Shoveler nests at no great

‘ distance from Southport and that on April 30th some of the nests

“were destroyed by floods.”

Again in the same journal in September, 1918, Mr. Coward wrote :—

‘‘Near Southport a bird nested on the top of a haystack.
“(HOW EL}

These notes were republished in the fourth and fifth Annual Reports
of the Lanc. & Ches. Fauna Committee.

Formby (where a male Shoveler was seen by Mr. Dooly) and South-
port are only half-a-dozen miles apart; evidently the bird has been
well established in the district for some time.

Also in British Birds, Vol. XVIII., p. 58, I recorded that Shovelers
were nesting in plenty in 1923 on a Lancashire moss at the head of
Morecambe Bay. A. W. Boyp.
NORTHWICH, CHESHIRE.

To the Editors of BritisH BiRDs.

Sirs,—With reference to the note under this heading (supra, p. 55),
a few pairs of Shovelers have nested regularly in one locality since
1g2t and perhaps before. I saw three nests with eggs in 1923. The
place is probably known to Lancashire naturalists, from whom further
and fuller information might be obtained. W. J. ASHFORD

THE MIGRATION OF THE WOODCOCK.
To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

Sirs,—The summary of Dr. Schenk’s article on this subject is of
great interest. I should like to be allowed to refer to one or two points.

First, Dr. Schenk asks British observers for evidence of the Irish-
English route, followed, he believes, in autumn. The following
observation may be of some interest in this connection. I was staying
at the Lizard at the end of December, 1913. An anti-cyclone spread
its influence over the British Islands during the last three days of the
year, centred, if my memory is not at fault, over Ireland. On the
30th and 31st there were north-east winds with bright sunshine and
frost in the shade all day in south-west Cornwall. I believe the frost
in Ireland was more severe. On the morning of the 31st the fields
above the Lizard lighthouse were covered with flocks of Lapwings
(V. vanellus) and Golden Plover (Ch. apricavius). Flocks were still
arriving during the morning and they came over sea from the west.
I also put up a Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) from a little stream in a
cove a little way to the west of the lighthouse. It is possible that it,
too, had come from the west. At the time I thought the strange

VOL. XIX.] LETTERS. 79

direction of the flight of the Plovers must be due to the abnormal
weather conditions; no doubt to some degree it was so; but this
“‘ weather migration ’’ is easier to understand if the birds were following
a regular autumn line of flight. ;

I suppose one criticism that an English observer is inclined to make
of Dr. Sehenk’s “ conclusions” is that they afford no explanation of
the great passage of Woodcock across the North Sea in the autumn.
If the routes followed are coast lines, why do not all Scandinavian
birds keep down the coasts of Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium
and France? It might be understandable if only those that reached
the southern capes of Norway struck out south-west across the sea.
But there is plenty of evidence—some, at least, in the case of Wood-
cock—that many birds leave the continental coast further south and
cross the North Sea without being able, at the time of departure, to
see the land they are making for. Again, how do birds that have
reached the south-west of Ireland know the direction they must take
to reach Cornwall? I have myself seen Passerine birds—Wagtails
and Finches—flying south across the Bay of Biscay, nearly parallel to
the French coast, apparently making a direct flight from Ireland to
Spain. It may be that particular species follow fairly well-developed
routes. My own observations, so far as they go, tend to show, on the
one hand, remarkable fidelity to certain places and routes for migra-
tion, and, on the other, an almost endless variety of routes and directions
followed by the same species.

It is, I think, rather too convenient and simple to say that birds
found migrating off the regular routes are “ lost’’; though, of course,
it may be so. May one suggest that the inherited instinct (if it is an
inherited instinct) varies greatly in intensity ? That is to say, some
birds of a species (e.g. Woodcock) may undertake long annual journeys,
following without error the routes that have served many generations ;
others go less far, and with less certainty as to the route followed, some
going only rather generally south or west—or even, occasionally, quite
in the wrong direction, whilst some may perish far out at sea; whilst
yet others never go more than a few miles from their place of birth.
This would allow for many gradations between those that migrate
with unerring instinct and those that are completely “ lost.”

H. G. ALEXANDER.

To the Editors of BritisH Brrps.

Sirs,—With reference to the interesting article on this subject,
Dr. Schenk states on page 41 that a Woodcock with a Heligoland ring
of which the number was unfortunately not noted was recovered in
Co. Tyrone, Ireland. If Dr. Schenk will turn to pages 44 and 45 of
the Ivish Naturalist, Vol. XXXIII., he will find full particulars of this
Woodcock, including the number of the ring, in a note by me. The
number was Heligoland 24311, and the bird was ringed on Heligoland
on April 29th, 1923. It was recovered at Baronscourt, Co. Tyrone,
on December 31st, 1923. W. H. WorkKMAN.

REVIEWS

British Birds. Written and illustrated by Archibald Thorburn, F.Z.S.
Vol. I. (Longmans). 48 Coloured Plates. 16s. net,

In this new edition of Mr. Thorburn’s well-known work the size is
octavo instead of quarto and the plates are entirely different. In the
original quarto work some six or so species were grouped on each plate
with a background covering the whole surface, while in the present
octavo edition each plate has usually two species grouped to make a
little picture with a sufficient white margin. Although the figures
the birds are rather smailer we certainly hke this new arrangeme
better. On the other hand the colouring does not seem quite so true
nor the attitude of the birds always so good as in the first edition.
Mr. Thorburn invariably chooses the richest coloured and most perfect
adult specimen to depict. This is often idealised to such an extent
that the feathers are unnaturally perfect, but the result is a bright and
beautiful picture.

It is not perhaps fair to judge the book from the point of view of
utility, but nevertheless it may be said that just as beautiful, ifnot such
brilliant, plates could have been painted of birds in juvenile and other
little known plumages. Everyone, for instance, knows an adult cock
Blackbird, but many beginners have difficulty in distinguishing the
hen and Mr. Thorburn’s figure of her will not help them. Similarly,
everyone knows an adult Robin, but to many the juvenile of even so
common a bird is unknown—no figure is here given of it. Two adult
Goldfinches are depicted, but what a pity not to have made one of
them a young bird. Mr. Thorburn’s book would certainly have been
far more useful to the general public had it included figures of the
commoner birds in their less well-known plumages and omitted, if
necessary, some of the great rarities. In any case if the latter are to
be included they should be depicted in plumages most likely to be
seen in the British Islands and not adult summer males as the Blue-
throats, or adult males as the Red-breasted Flycatcher.

British subspecies are barely mentioned, and even such an interesting
and distinct bird as the St. Kilda Wren is passed over in a sentence and
not figured. To devote a plate to the Wall-Creeper and Alpir
Accentor and omit the St. Kilda Wren is certainly not fair to th-
British avifauna. In nomenclature the author has followed Saunders’s
Manual, now a quarter of a century old, and many of the names will
be unknown to the rising generation.

But as a whole this edition of Mr. Thorburn’s work is much to be
admired. It is well produced and beautifully bound and certainly
well worth the published price. It is to be completed in four volumes,
the second being promised this autumn and the remaining two in the
spring and autumn of 1926.

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~ FAT

CoNTENTS OF NUMBER 4, VOL. XIX., SEPTEMBER I, 1925.

————— PAGE
On the Nesting of the Avocet in the Camargue. By William E.

Glegg (Plate 2) ... ad nan eos : 82
The Absence of ‘‘ Courtship ”’ in the Avocet. By I. S: cinciae. 88
Notes :—

Variety of Coloration of Eggs of Tree- pees oes RS B.

Masefield) ioe 95
Pied Wagtail Laying Four eae in ed a Nest. (W. J.

Ashford) ree 95
Status of Marsh- and Willow Tit in Denbiahuwhins nicl Pem-

brokeshire (Major W. M. Congreve) ... Sale 95
Willow-Tit Breeding in Cumberland (T. L. Jahnston) eas 96
Chiffchaff Singing on the Wing (Sydney G. Poock) nae 97
Multiple Nest-building by Blackbird (Walter Duncan) ae 97
Some Results and Methods of Marking Wheatears (J. F.

Thomas) aes ae Re were pt _ le 98
Incubation- and Fledging-Period of House-Martin (Rev.

F. C. R. Jourdain) ... ue is ‘te ‘st iis 99
Green Woodpecker in Ayrshire (E. Richmond Paton) ee 99
Wrynecks in S. Devon (M. Stuart Curtler) ; ope 99
Young Cuckoo Fed by Several Birds (A. Pingdeastis) pas 100
Food of Tawny Owl (C. F. D. Sperling) ... nee 100
Large Clutch of Barn-Owls’ Eggs (G. W. Thonpsoit) oT 100
Kestrel and House-Sparrow Using the Same Nest ae W.

Thompson) eae a ‘ IOI
Great Northern Divers off West Colist of Teka in july

(G. R. Humphreys) ... aes IOI
Breeding of the Curlew in Gufondshics etsy. FL oe

Jourdain) sh ae i Ae eee 102
Pomatorhine Skuas in Cavouiy enshire (R. M. Garnett) ... 102

Letter :—

Concerning the Robin (Sydney G. Poock) ... ee sat 103

Review :—

Notes on the Birds of Cley, Norfolk. By the late H. Y. Pashley 103

G

ON THE NESTING OF THE AVOCET IN THE
CAMARGUE.

BY
WILLIAM E, GLEGG,

(PLATE 2.)

THE Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) is one of the birds of the
Camargue which justifies the statements made regarding it
by different text-books. Jaubert et Barthélemy-Lapom-
meraye (Richesses Ornithologiques du Midi de la France, 1859,
p. 485) state of this species, ‘* elle se reproduit, en assez grand
nombre, vers le bas de la Camargue.’’ Dr. Eagle Clarke
(Ibis, April, 1895) states that he did not find this an abundant
species in this district in the spring of 1894, which was a dry
season, about seven pairs being found breeding on a small
island in the Etang de Consécaniére. Dr. Clarke formed the
opinion that the bird must be a late breeder in the district as
the first eggs were found on May 28th. It will be seen that
our experiences do not confirm this. Mr. Ingram (fveld,
September, 1908) was also successful in finding a nesting
colony of this beautiful wader on one of the islands on the
western halt of the Etang du Valcarés. My companion and
I were no less successful during our visit to this district during
May and June, 1924. The fact that the Avocet should be
thus found nesting in the Camargue has raised questions in
my mind in regard to other species, as the Pratincole and
Black-winged Stilt, which I am especially anxious to find.
If the Avocet could be so easily discovered, why should not
the species referred to have been found with equal readiness
On the other hand our success with the Gull-billed Tern
suggests that the ground may not have been completely
explored and that the district may be worth another visit.
Our first view of the Avocet was obtained on May roth,
1924, when we saw a number on the Etang du Valcarés
feeding in association with the Flamingos. On the following
day on the islands in this étang, already described in my
previous articles on the birds of this locality, we found a large
nesting colony of this attractive wader. Thus we have
evidence that this species has remained faithful to broadly
the same district for thirty years at least. It is impossible
to say definitely whether these birds have increased or
decreased during this time, but it cannot be denied that thev
are now quite numerous, even if the colony under considera-
tion should be the only one. If the birds of the Camargue

British Birds, Vol. XIX.. Pl. 2.

APPROACHING NEST.

AVOCET :
(Photographed by W.

Glegg.)

lon

you. XIx.| NESTING OF THE AVOCET. 83

are subjected to as much molestation as has been suggested,
how comes it that a bird with such habits as the Avocet
survives in such numbers. Incidentally, the writer may say
that nowhere has he been in a locality so deserted by human
beings as these islands of the great lagoon. There seems to be
no reason why even the Flamingos should not have nested
as successfully as other species.

We found very many nests of the Avocet on these two
islands, all on the mud below what would be the high-water
level in winter. We found none among the vegetation with
which these islands are more or less covered. The nests,
which varied very much in the amount of material used,
contained either three or four eggs. The Avocet proved to
be the most difficult subject to photograph of the different
species on which I exposed’plates. As a result of my obser-
vations I do not think that this was the result of timidity.
I incline to the opinion that the eggs of this species may be
less susceptible to the fierce rays of the sun than the other
species, At any rate the Camargue Avocets do not sit as
closely. I put up the tent on an Avocet, for the first time on
May 22nd, but the owner only twice came to the nest and for
very brief periods. I made no attempt to expose plates. I
renewed operations on the same nest on the following day,
during the course of which the birds paid three brief visits to
the nest, and the tent was put on another nest but with no
greater success. A statement from Richesses Ornithologiques
du Midi de la France, p. 485, supports my experiences. The
authors, speaking of this species, say “‘ La temelle
et ne les couve pas assidiment ; elle fait, a cet égard, comme
la plupart des oiseaux de mer qui laissent au soleil, pendant
la plus grande partie de la journée, le soin de les réchauffer et
ne reviennent que le soir, 4 moins que le ciel se couvre et
menace d’un orage.”’

[ renewed attentions on the Avocets on May 27th, the tent
having been in position from the previous evening. I found
one egg chipped and the youngster could be heard calling
loudly. The eggs were very muddy. The stage of the incuba-
tion made all the difference, for the beautiful wader was soon
back to her nest and photography was easy. The long,

delicate bill was often open as though the heat of the sun was
} having some effect and the bird seemed to pant. I renewed
my observations on this nest on the following day. One
} voung bird had hatched out and another did so while I was
jin the tent. The first youngster was rapidly gaining strength
and, responding to the call of the parents, which were some

(38015 “a “an 49 peydvwojoyd)
*LODOAV AHL HO ISUN

(33915 “a AN Ag paydvssoj047)
“INVd OL GHAWHES GUld AHL GNV NadO N

4L40 SVM TTld AHL : LHOOAV

86 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

distance away, was able to get over the edge of the nest. One
of the adults then came close to the nest and led away the
young bird. It could be seen that the second youngster was
also responding to the call of the parents, so I struck my tent.
It is not easy to describe all that one witnesses on such
occasions, but I was deeply impressed by the ready response
of these newly hatched birds to the voice of their parents ;
surely this is one of the most wonderful and beautiful pro-
visions of nature.

On May 2oth I tried vet another nest, but with no better
result than with the first two. It may be well to add that in
no case were any of these nests deserted. On one occasion
I had five nests under observation from the hide, and, in the

PAF Boe. eS BP has
AVOCET: RISING AWAY FROM INTRUDER.
(Photographed by W. E. Glegg.)

case of one pair, both birds were noticed to take part in the
incubation duties. One Avocet approached the sitting bird,
both chuckled for some time and then the change was effected.
Apart from the young birds which I saw hatch out,
I saw only one, and yet dozens must have emerged from
the egg. I can only suppose that the chicks take to the thick
vegetation immediately they have strength. The actions of
the adults, which were always about, indicated that young
must be in proximity. The attempts of the parents to lead
away the intruder are very interesting to watch, the bird will
fly just over the mud with the legs stretched downwards. At
times the feet come to the ground and the movement develops
into a combination of flying and running. My experiences of
the Avocet, confined to Holland and the Camargue, are that

VOL. XIX.] NESTING OF THE AVOCET. 87

it is a bold bird at the nesting ground; but the Dutch birds
were bolder than those of France, as I have known one of the
former fly straight at me much as a Great Skua will do. The
probable reason is that the Dutch birds are much more
accustomed to the presence of people than the French. oe

Dr. Eagle Clarke (Ibis, October, 1898) states that this species
was still present in its haunts in the delta on September 23rd,
1896. Col. H. W. Madoc permits me to say that, during his
visit to the South of France with Mr. T. A. Coward, he saw

AVOCET : FLYING DIRECTLY AT INTRUDER.
(Photographed by W. E. Glegg.)

a single Avocet at the N.W. corner of the Etang du Valcarés,
on September 22nd, 1924.

Since the above was written I have made another visit to
the Camargue during June, 1925, and further exploration of the
islands of the Etang du Valcarés showed that this handsome
species is much more numerous than I had imagined. It may
be described as a numerous breeder along the southern shores
of this étang. Unfortunately, the Avocet makes its nest on
the bare mud, which is liable to be covered by the water with
a change of wind, and I found many eggs which had been
destroyed in this manner.

( 88 )

THE ABSENCE OF “COURTSHIP” IN ‘THE
AVOCET.
BY

i S: HUEY.

WHILE on a visit to the island of Texel in March and April,
1924, I had, together with other members of our party,
numerous opportunities of watching the Avocet (Recurvi-
vostva avosetta) throughout the early part of its reproductive
cycle. I was not unnaturally interested to see what form of
courtship this exquisite bird might show; and my interest
was the keener for the statement made by Jourdain (1912),
in Kirkman’s British Bird Book, to the effect that “ very little
has been recorded of their courting actions.’

I paid two visits to the island. One, with Dr. van Oordt
of Utrecht, from March 28th to 31st; the other, with Dr.
T. G. Longstaff, Messrs. J. D. Brown, F. A. Montague and
A. N. T. Rankin, from April 12th to 20th; some members
of this party stayed on until April 28th.

During the first visit numerous Avocets were to be seen,
including about 100 at one of their chief nesting-grounds,
Prins Hendrik Polder, as well as scattered birds near Oude-
schild and Waalenburg ; but none were as yet to be found
on another neighbouring nesting-ground at Petters (near
Hoorn). Indications of some but not all of the birds being
paired up were seen, together with a certain amount of
quarrelling. By the time of our second visit the breeding-
place at Petters was occupied, and about fifty to sixty birds
remained at Prins Hendrik Polder. Egg laying began about
April 21st, and one or two full clutches were deposited before
the last of the party left. Our observations therefore covered,
for some birds, the whole gamut of the pre-incubatory “ court-
ship ’’ period. One or more of us on almost every day
devoted some considerable time to watching the birds. At
Prins Hendrik Polder the colony were in a peculiarly favour -
able position for observation from a neighbouring dyke. It
may, therefore, be supposed that we have succeeded in filling
the gap concerning courtship habits which till now existed in
the record of the bird’s life history.

We have done so; but the result is wholly unexpected.
The Avocet has no courtship! There are no songs or
aerial displays; no posturing by the male; no mutual

voL. XIx.] AVOCET—“COURTSHIP” ABSENCE. 89

ceremonies ; no special courtship-notes.* There is some
hostility and fighting ; a peculiar action by the female which
is a symbol of readiness to pair, followed by an excited action
on the part of the male; and a special post-pairing action
by both birds ; but of courtship in any accepted sense none
whatever.

The hostility was visible in some birds at the end of March,
but more generally noticeable later. It is, however, never
pronounced. One bird runs or flutters at another, who runs
or flies off. Occasionally both flutter up into the air, but I
have never seen actual contact. The species is, indeed, a
singularly peaceable one. The sexes are so extremely similar
that it is impossible to pronounce on the sex of the quarrelsome
birds with certainty f ; but from what I have seen, I should
say that they are usually males, and that the usual cause of

INVITATORY ATTITUDE ADOPTED BY THE FEMALE AVOCET.

hostility is the approach of an unmated male to a mated
pair. I should not be at all surprised, however, if similar
quarrels between mated and unmated females also occurred.

During the latter part of our second visit, however, another
piece of sexual behaviour was frequent. The performers,
as witnessed by us, were always standing in shallow water
close to the nesting-places. One bird, which turned out
invariably to be the female, put down her neck (in a rather
ugly pose) so that the head was flat on the water. This
turned out to be a symbol of readiness for coition (see figure).

* Naumann states that the note he gives as “ tliuh”’ is peculiar
to the breeding male; my experience, however, is that it is given by
both sexes, and has no special sexual significance. Jourdain, in
Witherby’s Handbook (1919), states that there is a special note of the
male’s, given only when on the ground. This escaped us.

+ The males average slightly larger than the females, but the
largest females are considerably larger than the smallest males
(Witherby’s Handbook). There is a very slight sexual difference in
colour during the winter, but none in the breeding-season.

90 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

The male almost invariably came up, and usually executed a
curious little dance (the iemale remaining the while in the
strange, rigid attitude just mentioned)—running round the
hen’s stern from one flank to the other, several times, making
a good deal of splash in the process. He then con-
summated the act of pairing; and then there followed, on
every occasion witnessed, a remarkable piece of post-nuptial
ceremonial. In its usual form it was as follows. The cock
jumped down to one side of the hen (so far as observed, always
to the left side) with half-spread wings ;.in so doing, one
wing would come to lie over her back, and in this position
both birds ran forward together for several yards through
the shallow water. The effect was charming, and reminded
me forcibly of the little run made by MacHeath and Polly in
the “ Beggar’s Opera’”’ at the refrain “over the hills and
far away ” in their duet. Usually the hen would stop before
the cock, slip from under his wing, and leave him to run a
few yards further. Occasionally the cock’s wing would not
embrace the hen, and the two would run separately side by
side; or occasionally the hen would not, or would hardly,
run at all. The run is noted as “apparently. part of the
ritual of pairing’’ by Jourdain (loc. cit.) ; but he states
that the female runs after the male, which is in my experience
unusual.

Coition was never seen except where prefaced by the special
pose on the part of the hen, nor was any ceremonial or display-
action of the cock’s seen except (1) on response to this, and
(2) after coition itself.

* * * * * * * * *

This is undoubtedly a very remarkable state of affairs.
It was emphasized for us by the fact that we were chiefly
engaged on Texel in the study of the courtships of other
waders (Limicole), and notably of the Black-tailed Godwit
(Limosa limosa) and Oystercatcher (Hematopus ostralegus)
(see forthcoming papers now in press in the Jbis). Besides
these, the Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Redshank (Tringa
totanus), Ruff (Philomachus pugnax), Kentish Plover (Chara-
drius alexandrinus) and Ringed Plover (Ch. hiaticula) were
all common. Every one of these species was showing a
characteristic and elaborate form of courtship. With the
exception of the Ruff, in all the species mentioned. the male
not only goes through regular courtship posturings on the
ground, but in addition has a special aerial display with song
or special call (although this, in the Oystercatcher, 1s much
reduced in importance). Courtship exists, indeed, on the

vol. XIX.) AVOCET—“COURTSHIP” ABSENCE. 91

whole in a highly-developed form in the group; and, what
is more, the type of courtship is as much a specific character
as that of the plumage or the skeleton.

How are we to account for the absence of courtship in the
Avocet ? I do not think it is possible to answer the question
except in a speculative and rather vague manner, by reference
to what for a better term we must call “ temperament.
The most various observers of birds in nature have been
struck with the difference in temperament between different
species. However, the term, and the type of thought of which
it is the expression, have hardly found their way into the
literature and ideas of general biology (as opposed to ornitho-
logy)—with a few honourable exceptions, of which J. D.
Watson, the ‘‘ behaviourist,”’ in his studies of the Sooty and
Noddy Terns (1907), may be especially cited. He found that
these two closely-related species, both nesting on the same
islet, were extremely different as regards temperament, the
one being for instance sluggish, placid, and on the whole
peaceable, the other restless, noisy and quarrelsome. Nor
could he relate this difference to any cause residing in different
mode of life. Cf. also E. Howard (’07—14) Vol. 2, p. 80. “* Ex-
travagant antics . . . are surely sufficient reason for
assigning to the actor a different level in an emotional state
from one whose movements attract but little attention .. .”
ete,

The Avocet possesses, as already indicated, a very placid
“temperament.” It is a colonial nester, and very little
quarrelsome even as regards the limited nesting-areas within
the colony. Its fights due to jealousy are, as above stated,
never very serious or whole-hearted. It is, at this time of
its life-history, not at all noisy and not shy. It is adapted
rather narrowly to a very special method of obtaining food ;
and in places where this mode of existence is possible, there
appear to be more than enough available nesting-sites ; thus
a violent “ territorial instinct ’” on the part of the males is
not required.

It would thus seem that, with this temperament, the state
of emotional tension accompanying the early breeding-season
does not normally overflow into action, except as hostility to
intruders of the same sex, and even then not very actively.
The intrinsic sexual rhythms of the female thus come directly
into play. The symbolization of readiness to pair by an atti-
tude similar to that adopted in pairing is interesting and found
in other birds—prominently, e.g., in the Crested Grebe (Hux-
ley, 1914). This appears to be the only thing which rouses the

92 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

male to the higher levels of excitement, as shown by his
strange running from side to side before the act. The post-
nuptial run is very curious, but does not stand alone, a number
of diverse species also showing some sort of ceremonial pos¢
coitum.

This interpretation, if true, would clearly support the view
that “‘ courtship ”’ displays arise immediately from the excited
state of the unsatisfied male bird (or of both sexes in species
with mutual displays), as urged, I believe rightly, by Howard,
E. Selous and various other writers. It might be supposed
that it was highly antagonistic to any view claiming a biolo-
gical function for “ courtship.’’ This, however, need not be
so. The physiological stimulus to present displays and the
evolutionary origin of displays in general in the past may
tightly be sought in the bird’s excited state. But this gives
no explanation of the details of elaborate courtships such as
those, e.g. of Ruffed Grouse or Grebe, nor of the origin of
features of structure and colour which are displayed solely
in courtship. For the origin of these, a modified form of the
sexual selection theory is necessary, and does not meet with
any formidable difficulties. Thus the biologically accidental
and the biologically significant are interwoven in courtship,
and in some cases the one, in others the other may be pre-
dominant.

It is clear from what has been said, and from the further
fact of its showing a negligible seasonal change, that the
colour of the Avocet cannot be supposed to have any parti-
cular epigamic significance. As the bird is colonial and does
not appear to have many natural enemies, the colour may be
presumed to be in general recognitional, or possibly without
biological significance. With reference to the great similarity
between cock and hen, it is worth noting that both share
equally in incubation and care of the young.

One final point deserves mention. The Avocet is noted by
all observers as being very solicitous for its eggs and young.
Both birds fly overhead calling when the nest is approached ;
and after the young are hatched, danger to these is met by
the most elaborate “ injury-feigning,”’ again on the part of
both sexes (Jourdain, Joc. cit., Howard, op. cit., Vol. 1,
p. 32, etc.). Howard lays considerable stress upon the resem -
blance between the attitudes adopted during “ injury-
feigning ”’ and those seen in sexual excitement. My experience
with the Purple Sandpiper in Spitsbergen led me to doubt the
validity of the generalization for that species; and in the
Avocet it is certainly not true, since these attitudes described

VOL. XIxX.] AVOCET—“COURTSHIP” ABSENCE. 93

‘

during the “ injury-feigning ’” have no resemblance to those
seen in relation to coition, and there are no ordinary courtship
actions. Furthermore, on Howard’s own showing, the resem-
blance between the two types of actions is usually not marked
within one species ; and almost all the examples he gives are
between the “ injury-feigning ”’ of one species and the display
of another, and vice versa. In the Lesser Whitethroat the
two types of action are fairly similar, but still not identical.

The same facts as those mentioned above for display appear
to hold good also for “ injury-feigning “—viz., that In origin
it was a direct expression of great excitement, though in some
species it appears to remain on this “ accidental ” level, but
that in others it has come to have definite biological significance
and been’ elaborated by natural selection to a new level of
complexity, e.g., the Eider Duck usually nests on small
islands on which there are no toxes. Nevertheless, when
flushed from the nest, the duck almost invariably shuffles
away on foot with wings drooped. It is a singularly poor
“ feigning of injury ’’ and would hardly deceive a fox—though
a miainland-nesting bird has been seen thus shuffling along
with a fox in pursuit. However, when foxes reach the islands
across the ice in winter and are present when the Eiders
return to breed, the results are disastrous, the island being
finally almost or quite abandoned by the birds. The chiet
existing enemies ot the eggs are the Skuas and larger Gulls ;
and these do not attack the adult duck, and so could not very
well be lured away from the nest by the performance. On
the other hand the Purple Sandpiper which nests on the
mainland tundra has an “ injury-feigning’’ performance
which must be hard to beat for elaboration. The bird gives
the impression of being seriously damaged ; it may continue
to lure the intruder away for several hundred yards ; and it
the intruder does not follow, the bird may come back to
within a few yards or even feet and repeat the performance.
Whereas in the first case the present significance (biologically)
seems nil (although it is conceivable that at some earlier
time, if the birds nested in other surroundings, it might have
been of value), in the second there is no doubt in my mind of
its real importance in luring enemies away from the eggs or
young.

To sum up, we may say (1) that “ injury feigning ” is never
deliberate feigning, (2) that the actions in many cases, especi-
ally the less elaborate ones, have very little resemblance to
those of an injured bird. Faute de mieux, however, I continue
to use the term for the present, but in inverted commas.

94 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIx.

I would also hazard the opinion that some species of birds
have more varied channels than others for the expression of
emotion ; and that in a number of species, consequently, the
channels for expressing sexual emotion, anger, and solicitude
for the young are identical or similar ;* while in others they
are quite dissimilar.

It is in any event remarkable that in regard to “ injury-
feigning ’’ the Avocet is one of the most spectacular of birds,
while its courtship is so negligible. It would be interesting to
know whether this is correlated with a special exposure of the
young to danger {rom natural enemies.

In regard to food, Dr. G. J. van Oordt informs me that he
believes a staple of the diet of the Avocet to consist of Coro-
phium longicorne, a crustacean which lives in holes in the mud,
irom which protude its long antenne. If so, perhaps the
peculiar form of the bill is largely to detect and seize these
tell-tale members.

Dr. T. G. Longstaff tells me that he has repeatedly seen
them swing their bill in their characteristic scythe-fashion
only just below the surface of water several inches deep, as
well as deeper, just over the mud. This would capture quite
different organisms.

In conclusion, I would like to thank all the members of the
party for their kindness in putting their experiences and
notes at my disposal, and my various Dutch friends, and in
particular Dr. van Oordt and Dr. van Tienhoven of the
Dutch Society for the Preservation of Natural Monuments,
for their kindness and the numerous facilities so readily
accorded us.

; * For jealousy and sexual emotion, they appear to be identical
in the Oystercatcher. See evidence in paper on that species now in
press for the Jbis.

LITERATURE CITED.

Howard, E. (1907-1914). The British Warblers (London).

Huxley, J. S. (1914). The Courtship of the Great Crested Grebe. Proc.
LOO SOC, 194, 401.

Huxley, J. S. (1923). The Courtship Activities of the Red-throated
Diver. |. inn. Soc. (Zools) i355 253.

Jourdain, F. C. R. (1912) in The British Bird Book (ed. F. B. Kirkman),
Vol. III., p. 417 (Edinburgh, Jack, 1910-1913).

Watson, J. B. (1907). Behaviour of Noddy and Sooty Terns. Carneg.
Inst. Publ., 103, 187-255.

Witherby, H. F. (ed.), 1919-1924. A Practical Handbook of British
Birds (London).

VARIETY OF COLORATION OF EGGS OF TREE-
SPARROW.

FoR many years the majority of my bird nesting-boxes have
been occupied by the Tree-Sparrow (Passer m. monianus), and
the variety of colouring of the eggs of this bird is remarkable.
Perhaps the average colour of the eggs may be described as
rufous-brown with specks and streaks of a darker shade, but
in every clutch there is invariably one egg of grey-white or
very light-brown colour, speckled, and streaked. This
summer (1925) ! have had one whole clutch of five eggs
almost pure white, which is, I believe, very unusual, and
another clutch of the same number of eggs of a very dark
reddish-brown with one, as usual, much lighter than the
others. Joun R. B. MASEFIELD.

PIED WAGTAIL LAYING FOUR TIMES IN THE
SAME NEST.
In the latter part of May, 1925, a birds-nesting lad showed
me two sets of eggs (a “four” and a “ five ’’) of the Pied
Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii), which he had taken—with
an interval between, of course, and from the same _ nest
in an ivy-covered wall in Dorsetshire. On going to
the site I was surprised to see the bird leave the nest,
which, on examination, contained another clutch of four
eggs. These I told the lad to leave untouched, and allow the
bird to hatch and rear her young without further disturbance.
I was unable to visit the nest again until a month later, when
I heard that the young had hatched safely and left the nest.
I again examined the nest, which now held two fresh Wagtails’
eggs and a Cuckoo’s; the latter I took and unfortunately
the Wagtail deserted. There is no doubt that all the four
clutches, which were of the same type, were laid by the same
bird. W. J. ASHFORD.

STATUS OF MARSH- AND WILLOW-TIT IN
DENBIGHSHIRE AND PEMBROKESHIRE.
THE Practical Handbook under British Marsh-Tit, “ distribu-
tion ’’ (Vol. I., p. 243), states: ‘‘ In northern parts of North
Wales probably only accidental ’’; however, I have no hesita-
tion in stating that this species breeds in the Vale of Clwvd,

96 BRITISH BIRDs. [ VOL. XIX.

North Denbighshire. Although I have not obtained specimens
of the birds themselves, I have found nests as {ollows:
(A) Behind a piece of loose bark of a growing oak tree : (B) in.
a wall of loosely put together limestone. I have {ound no
trace of the bird-made nesting holes of the Willow-Tit (Parus
atricapillus kleinschmidtt) in Denbighshire. As regards
Pembrokeshire, I have no hesitation in stating that both
species breed. My iriend, Mr. James Wynne, late of
Pembroke, gave me his egg-collection some years ago and
the data as regards some sets of Marsh-Tit eggs appears to
me conclusive. All eggs were from nests in natural holes
of solid, growing trees—all near Pembroke. As regards
Willow-Tit, I once found a nest, which I attribute to this
species, near Haverfordwest. It was in an extremely rotten
three-foot high willow stump standing on swampy ground.
The entrance hole was neat and round and obviously bird-
made. I did not examine the nest materials because it
contained young, and I also did not realise the particular
interest of my find. W. M. CONGREVE.
(It will be noted that the above notes are based on observa-
tions on nesting habits and breeding places and not on records
of the birds themselves. The theory that the Willow-Tit
is responsible for the Woodpecker-like holes cut out in soft ©
wood by the birds themselves has, however, been recently —
confirmed by examination of birds caught on the nest.—EDs. }

WILLOW-TIT BREEDING IN CUMBERLAND.
In view of the absence of any breeding records of the Willow- —
Tit (Parus atricapillus kleinschnidtt) for Cumberland, the
following note may be of interest.

I was asked by Major W. M. Congreve in the spring of
1924, to endeavour to work out the status of this species and
the Marsh-Tit (P. palustris dressert).in the neighbourhood of
Carlisle, but did not locate a nest of either species until this —
year, when I had two nests of the Willow-Tit under close _
observation. The first was situated in a rotten willow tree,
the nesting-hole being about two feet from the ground, the
entrance hole about the size of half-a-crown, the depth of
the hole about six inches, with a nest cavity at the bottcm.
The excavated chips were lying at the foot of the tree. The -
nest was composed of rabbit fur, a small quantity of willow-
down, wood chips, and narrow strips of birch-bark up to
two inches in length with a complete absence of moss. This
nest contained eight eggs on May 3rd; the hen was then sitting
and I caught and carefully examined her. The male was —

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 97

on a tree close at hand, the light buff edge of his secondaries
being very conspicuous.

The second nest was in a rotten birch, the nesting-hole
being about 18 inches from the ground and in size and depth
similar to the first one; the excavated chips were lying on the
ground below the hole. The nest was composed of the same
materials as the first, with again a complete absence of moss.

I visited this nest on various occasions, and the time from
the commencement of excavation until the final egg was laid
was thirty days. During the laying period the eggs were,
covered when the hen was not on the nest.

This nest contained eight eggs on May 9th; the hen was
caught and sent to Mr. H. F. Witherby, who pronounced it
to be an undoubted Willow-Tit.

As to the presence of the Marsh-Tit in Cumberland, I can
at present produce no evidence. T. L. JOHNSTON.

[I have a specimen of the Marsh-Tit from Alston, Cumberland,
taken by Mr. G. Bolam in January, 1913.—H.F.W.]

CHIFFCHAFF SINGING ON THE WING.

On April r1th, 1925, in Wormley Wood, Herts, I sawa Chiffchaft
(Phylloscopus c. collybita) chasing another one on the wing. At
the same time one of them was singing. SYDNEY G. Poock.

MULTIPLE NEST-BUILDING BY BLACKBIRD.

With reference to Mr. Hawkins’s note (antea, p. 72) on multiple
nest-building by the Blackbird (Turdus m. merula), in April,
1925, | found a similar instance on the ledge running round the
interior of a cow-shed near Dumfries. Six nests were completely
finished and lined, while a platform of moss and other building

_ substances extended for about two feet beyond the sixth nest.

In one of them the Blackbird (which had evidently built
all the six nests) brought out a family of four nestlings, which
my brother and I ringed when they were about to fly.

WALTER DUNCAN.

(The habit of multiple nest -building has now been recorded
in the case of five species, viz. Blackbird, Song-Thrush, Robin,
Redstart and Chaffinch, but an analysis of the records shows
that none of these cases have occurred when the birds have
been breeding under purely natural conditions, but invariably
when in contact with objects constructed by man, such as the
rungs of a ladder, or the spaces between the rafters inside a
shed. It is evident that the intelligence of the bird is incapable
of coping with the situation, and that they fail to distinguish
between sites close at hand which are exactly similar in

H

98 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

character. Even in meadow and moorland nest-sites many
birds take advantage of some prominent object as a guide to
the nesting-place.—F.C.R.J.|

SOME RESULTS AND METHODS OF MARKING
WHEATEARS.

Ir may be worth putting on record that I have had further
evidence of the return of a Wheatear (Znanthe @. cenanthe)
to the place where it was hatched, and also a curious instance
of its deserting both nest and territory. The facts are as
follows :—Ring A 2,918 was put on a nestling Wheatear near
Seaford, Sussex, on May 18th, 1923. The same bird, a
female, was caught on May 17th, 1925, sitting on eggs half a
mile from where she was hatched. She deserted the nest and
on June 3rd, 1925, was caught again on a fresh nest two miles
away. This time she did not desert, and fromthe great
difference in the size of the nestlings, when I went to ring
them, I should say that she started incubation aiter the first
or second egg was laid.

I should like to suggest that of all the smaller summer
migrants the Wheatear is one of the most suitable for an
intensive study by the marking method, for one is not likely
to mix up the parent birds of two different nests as is possible
with Swallows and more than probable with House-Martins.
Then again, so far as my experience goes, and I have ringed
275 Wheatears, of which 10 per cent. were adults, they never
desert if caught on young and seldom if caught on eggs.

The easiest holes in which to catch the adults are those that
go in about a foot, for the bird when in the hole will get out of
reach if it can (even so, I have caught one or two simply by
leaving an open palm for it to settle on). The female should
be caught on the young when the latter are one or two days
old, for then she covers them most of the time. The males
are a more difficult problem ; probably they could be caught
with a spring net trap when the young are several days old.

Summarizing the results already published in British Birds,
and including the case mentioned above, three nestlings and
one adult marked in Lancashire and Sussex returned to the
same place the following year or the year after (vide Vol. XII.,
p. 155; Vol. X.,p.6n; Vol. XVIIL, p. 187). Twomestiiies:
one marked in Lancashire, the other in Yorkshire, were
recovered the following September near the River Gironde,
SW. Brance (tie Vol. VIL sp- 1m = Vol AIX. aan A
nestling marked at Seaford, Sussex, was found six weeks later
on the north coast of Kent (vide Vol. XVIL., p. 79).

J. F. THomAs.

VOL, XIx.] NOTES. 99

INCUBATION- AND FLEDGING-PERIOD OF THE
HOUSE-MARTIN.

THE incubation-period of the House-Martin (Delichon uw.
urbica) is estimated by Mr. W. Evans as fifteen to sixteen
days and by Mr. R. H. Brown as fourteen to fifteen days,
the fledging-period at nineteen to twenty-one days (R. H.
Brown). The combined totals therefore range from thirty-
three to thirty-seven days. , ;

On June rith, 1925, a pair of House-Martins appeared in
the morning at an old nest under the verandah of my house.
By the evening of that day appreciable progress had been
made in building. By June 18th the nest was finished and
I could feel an egg, but without damage to the entrance it
was not possible to ascertain whether others had been laid,
as I suspected.

The young remained in the nest till the morning of August
7th, when they all left, and since that time the nest has not
been revisited.

On the supposition that only one egg had been laid on
June 18th, the full clutch (four) would have been completed
on the 21st, and the combined incubation- and fledging-periods
extended to forty-seven days, ten days longer than the
maximum as previously estimated. As the nest is a solitary
one and the dates were noted at the time no mistake is possible,
but we all noticed that the young appeared to remain in the
nest for an unusually long time. F, C. R. JOURDAIN.

GREEN WOODPECKER IN AYRSHIRE.

Wuitst walking’ up the wooded sides of the Girvan Water
in the policies of Blairquhan on July rgth, 1925, I heard the
unmistakable cry of the Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis).
Had I been anywhere in the south, where this bird is well
known to me, the laughing cry would have passed without
note, and it is a pity that there was no ornithologist with me
at the time to corroborate. The Green Woodpecker, of
course, is rare in south-west Scotland. The Girvan valley,
however, is eminently suitable for the tastes of the species.
E. RICHMOND Paton.

WRYNECKS IN S. DEVON.
ON June 17th, 1925, I found, for the first time, one or two
pairs of Wrynecks (Jynx t. torquilla)—possibly more—at
Branscombe, between Beer and Sidmouth, S. Devon.
It has always been regarded as a rare bird, even on migra-
tion, anywhere in south Devon. Capt. L. R. W. Loyd told

100 BRI'LISH BIRDS. [VOL, X1X.

me that it was a new bird to Branscombe, and the records of
breeding in Devon are very few and far between.
M. Stuart CURTLER.

YOUNG CUCKOO FED BY SEVERAL BIRDS.

A YOUNG Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus), which can fly well, has,
during the past week (July 21st, 1925) in my garden at
Hawkhurst, Kent, been assiduously fed by two Pied Wagtails
(Motacilla a. yarrellu) and two Hedge-Sparrows (Prunella m.
occidentalis), and on occasions by a filth bird, which I have
not seen, but from a description appears to have been a
Blue Vit,

Often while a Hedge-Sparrow is feeding the Cuckoo the
Wagtail stands by and immediately after feeds it too and
vice versa. Once while the Hedge-Sparrow was feeding it the
Wagtail jumped on the Cuckoo’s back and the moment the
other (the Hedge-Sparrow) issued its ration, stood on the
head of the Cuckoo and bent over and did the same.

I do not know which are the rightful foster parents in
this case. A. HARDCASTLE.

FOOD OF TAWNY OWL.

WitTH reference to my note on the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco
sylvatica) preying on a Little Grebe (Vol. XVII., p. 250), I
should like to report that the young Tawny Owls this year
have dropped beneath the tree where they are perched
remains of the following animals, besides quantities of pellets
of mouse fur and beetles’ wings: Water rat; brown rat;
young Pheasants, twice, one bird about a fortnight old, the
other, a fortnight later, about a month old, both half eaten ;
feathers of young Jackdaw; feathers of Great Spotted
Woodpecker, young Sparrows and a young Starling.

C.F. .D. SPBREING.

LARGE CLUTCH OF BARN-OWLS’ EGGS.

On May 5th, 1925, I found the nest of a Barn-Owl (Tyto a.
alba) under the floor-boards of a ruined house in Lode Fen,
Cambridgeshire. It was ten feet from the hole from which
the old birds escaped, and contained two newly hatched
young ones, and two eggs, one of which was chipping. By
May 26th, when I next visited the nest, the young had dis-
appeared. I searched the house for a second nest as the
two old birds were still about, but I was unsuccessful. On
July 2nd I again explored the house, and I found a second
nest containing two newly hatched young ones and seven

VOL, XIX.] NOTES. 101

eggs; there had been no eggs here before, as it was an open
site on the floor of the attic. I never saw more than two
birds, and I do not think this was the product of two hen
birds. I believe, from subsequent observation, that the eggs
were laid at intervals of four days. G, W. THOMPSON.

(Although the ordinary clutch of Barn-Owl ranges from
four to six, there are three recorded instances of clutches of
nine ; three of ten and two of eleven. Some of these cases will
be found recorded with details in Vol. VII., p. 18.—F.C.R.J.|

KESTREL AND HOUSE-SPARROW USING THE SAME
NEST.

On May 7th, 1925, I found three eggs of a Kestrel (L’alco ¢.
tinnunculus) in a recently renovated Magpie’s nest in
Cambridgeshire. On June 5th there were five eggs, three of
which were chipping. In the side of the dome was the nest
of a House-Sparrow (Passer d. domesticus) with three eggs,
built so that the back of the nest, which was small for a
Sparrow’s, could actually be touched from the inside (just
where the top of the mud lining joined the dome). There was
a cock Sparrow hopping on the dome.

On June roth I had almost climbed to the nest, which was
45 feet up in an elm, when I saw the cock Sparrow hopping
about on the dome, and regarding the five young Kestrels,
now thirteen days old, with interest rather than fear. I
expected to find the three eggs still in the Sparrow’s nest,
which was intact, but they had been removed, whether by a
boy or not I cannot say.

It is to be noticed that the nest was built and the eggs
laid actually while the hen Kestrel was sitting on her own
eggs, within less than a foot. G. W. THOMPSON.

(It is not very unusual for House-Sparrows (and occasionally
also Tree-Sparrows) to make use of Magpies’ nests as breeding -
places in England, but it must be very unusual to find a
Kestrel and a Sparrow incubating simultaneously. In Spain
the Spanish Sparrow (P. hispaniolensis) frequently breeds
in occupied nests of the Black Kite and the Stork.—F.C.R. J.]

GREAT NORTHERN DIVERS OFF WEST COAST OF
IRELAND IN JULY.

ALTHOUGH the Great Northern Diver (Colymbus immer) has

been met with off the coat of Ireland on more than one

occasion in July, the following occurrence is worth recording.

On July 15th, 1925, I observed two large Divers in Clew

102 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

Bay, co. Mayo, at some distance. Closer examination
revealed four birds, and with the aid of binoculars they
were seen to be Great Northern Divers. Three of the birds
appeared to be in full breeding plumage whilst the fourth
was in plumage similar to first winter. They moved about
in pairs and while watching them, the pair, of which both
birds were in breeding plumage, swam nearer inshore. I
now noticed that the sides of the head and neck of each of
these birds were somewhat mottled, which was explained
by the presence of grey feathers intermixed with the dark
ones, this being due perhaps to an early assumption of
winter plumage. G. R. HUMPHREYS.

BREEDING OF THE CURLEW IN OXFORDSHIRE.

For some years past Curlew (Numenius a. arquata) have been
observed in spring at Otmoor, a low lying expanse of rough
pasture about five miles north-east of Oxford. Thus, on
April 28th, 1921, the calls of a pair were heard here by Mr.
B, W. Tucker, Mr, C: J, Prine and miyseli, “In x923, aie
J. F. Madden recorded a pair on March 17th and Mr. R. J.
Clough met with one on May 26th, 1924. (See Report of the
Oxf. Ornith. Society, 1915-1922 and 1923-1924.) During
the present season Curlew have been reported from Otmoor
by Messrs. Clough, Dobson and Sellar on numerous occasions
from April 27th onward, and on June 8th, 1925, accompanied
by Mr. R. Dobson, I paid a visit to the ground where we had
heard the birds before. They were calling excitedly and
one bird was observed to settle once or twice at a spot some
200 yards distant. Walking directly towards it we came
within a yard or two of the nest, which contained a nestling
still quite wet and the remains of the shells of two eggs.
Another nestling, fully dried, was crouching on the ground
among the long grass about 2 ft. 6 in. away. We satisfied
ourselves that at least three Curlew, probably four, were
present. This is the first recorded instance of the nesting
of the Curlew in Oxfordshire, the nearest known breeding
places being in Wilts, Hants and Surrey.

F, C. R. JOURDAIN.

POMATORHINE SKUAS IN CARNARVONSHIRE.

Ir may be worth recording that on May 31st, 1925, after
several days of high winds from S. and W., nine Pomathorhine
Skuas (Stercorarius pomatorhinus) came close in to the shore
at Criccieth, N. Wales.

VOU, XIx.] NOTES. 105

The species was new to me, but the distinctive tail struck
one immediately. I was able to look at the birds both with
binoculars and telescope as they came to rest on the sea. I
believe I am correct in saying they were all adults and of the
light variety, but the sea was very rough at the time and

observation somewhat difficult in consequence.
R. M. GARNETT.

LETTER.

CONCERNING THE ROBIN.
To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

Sirs,—Mr. J. P. Burkitt in his series of articles on “‘ A Study of
the Robin by means of Marked Birds’”’ (Vol. XVII., p. 294, Vol.
XVIII., pp. 97 and 250) does not appear to refer to the peculiar sounds
uttered by either bird or both of a pair of birds when one is feeding the
other.

This year (1925) I have been paying particular attention to the Robin
(Evithacus rubecula melophilus) and have had a number of pairs under
observation. For several weeks this spring I noticed that a particular
area of a wood was occupied by a pair of Robins (from the behaviour
of the birds J concluded that it was the same pair all along, although
I have no proof of this) and I was surprised at the apparent delay in
commencing nesting operations (v. Vol. XVIII., p. 102). Whenever
I saw the birds they were busy hunting for food for themselves, and
frequently one of them, presumably the cock, would fly to the other
with a morsel of food (v. Vol. XVIII., p. 256). Immediately before
placing the food in the other bird’s bill a peculiar sound was
uttered (which may be likened to that of a human kiss). It would be
interesting to know (1) whether the sound is uttered by both birds,
or by the cock only, or hen only; (2) whether other species of birds
utter the sound under similar circumstances, or whether it is peculiar
to the Robin. SYDNEY G. Poock.

REVIEW.

Notes on the Birds of Cley, Norfolk. By the late H. N. Pashley. Being
Notes on the Bird Life of Cley extracted from Diaries between
1887 and 1924, with a List of the Birds and a Chapter of
Reminiscences. 8vo. (H. F. & G. Witherby.) 7s. 6d. net.

A REALLY original book on birds is exceptional nowadays, but this
little volume of jottings, from the pen of one who had almost unrivalled
opportunity of studying Norfolk bird-life during the past forty years,
is something quite out of the ordinary.

The book is divided into four parts. In an excellent ‘‘ foreword ”
Dr. B. B. Riviere has well caught the spirit of the old naturalist and
his book. He is, however, mistaken in saying ‘‘ about the year 1884
he opened the little shop in which he lived up to the time of his death,”’

as Pashley lived for many years in the quaint old “customs-house”’
near by.

104 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

In the second part Pashley gives a few of his early recollections ;
some of his descriptions of the old-time gunners are delightful, such
as that of old Moy who used to take the eggs of the “‘ Clinker ”’ (Avocet)
on Salthouse Marshes when a lad.

The actual “ diary” itself follows, and space only permits one to
say here that it seems unlikely that it will fall to the lot of any other
man to form such a remarkable ornithological record again.

The volume concludes with an annotated list of the birds of the
Cley district, and this is perhaps the most important part of the book
to the ornithologist pure and simple, since it forms a valuable appendage
to Stevenson’s Birds of Norfolk. The status of many species has altered
since the days of Stevenson and Southwell, and Pashley’s notes on the
Sand-Grouse, Shore-Lark, Bluethroat, Bearded Tit, Sandwich Tern
and many others should be carefully compared with the standard
work.

It must, however, be borne in mind that Pashley did very little
actual field-work himself, so that it is not always safe to accept the
records of extremely rare birds ‘‘ seen’’ by the local men, who may in
some instances have made mistakes.

Of the Nutcracker, for instance, he notes; ‘‘ I have known of three
in this district,’’ but it is significant that the bird is not even mentioned
in his diary. It might have been mentioned that the Twite, like the
Mealy Redpoll and Lapland Bunting, is entirely absent some seasons,
and we believe the only Cirl Buntings Pashley actually received from
Cley were two obtained in the bushes in the autumn of 1904. The
Bearded Tit nested in Cley Marshes in the spring of 1914, the nest
being found with young.

No mention is made of the breeding of the Roseate Tern at Blakeney.
A photograph in the Tyvansactions Norfolk &c. Natwyralists’ Socvety
(1921-22, page 304) is obviously merely the nest of a Common Tern,
but competent observers have assured us that both Roseate and
Arctic Terns have bred at “ the Point ”’ in recent years.

It only remains to add that the book is well printed, and has an
excellent frontispiece of the author; and a careful study shows that
with the exception of a few obvious misprints the book has been well
edited and the dates carefully checked.

The kindness and perspicacity of the Duchess of Bedford is respon-
sible for the publication of this book, and it will always be a matter of
regret that Pashley should have “ passed on ”’ without having had the

pleasure of seeing the result of his life’s work in print. CAD ME:
iny
2 a -
: sh MUges.
QD = Sop,
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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 5, VOL. XIX., OCTOBER I, 1925.

ae PAG!
Some Ecological Aspects of British Ornithology. By W. H.
Thorpe, B.A., M.B.0.U. ... ad 106
A Study of the Robin by Means of Marked Birds (Fourth Paper)
By J. P. Burkitt ae ae =i: nae 120
Notes on the Nesting of the Great Spotted W Nee By
J. H. Owen “pr rE aft ane Are a 125
Notes :—
Rose-coloured Pastor in the Isle of Wight (J. M. Goodall) 129
Wood-Lark in Perthshire (H. A. Gilbert) ... sek coe I2
Wood-Lark Nesting in North Lincolnshire (W. S. Medlicott) 129
Water-Pipit in Essex (A. Smith) aan : a af 130
Roosting Habits of the Tree-Creeper (R. W. Hale) Arf tes 130
Pied Flycatcher in East Ross-shire (H. A. Gilbert)... aa 131
Early Arrival of Fieldfares in Norfolk (M. Stuart Curtler) ... 131
Swallow’s Nest on a Lantern (Rev. Edward A. Armstrong) 131
Alpine Swifts in Kent (H. M. Wallis) Pa ae bay 132
Wryneck in Devonshire (Lewis R. W. Loyd) oo oe, ERS
Short-eared Owl Nesting in Suffolk (H. A. Gilbert) ers 133
Hobby Nesting in Buckinghamshire rs ig H. L. Cochrane
R.N.) Soy ae 42 135
Fledging Period af ‘Gelifien Eagle (H. Zs G ilbert Ph) ays ae 133
Increase of Fulmars in Caithness (H. A. Gilbert) ... aw 6 ea
Black-tailed Godwit in Cumberland (M. McKerrow) : 134
Black-headed Gull Nesting in Scilly Isles (H. W. Babiana) 134
Letter :—
Large Number of Rose-coloured Starlings Ringed in Hungary
(James Schenk)... ats eee pas te eras ae 135
Reviews :—
A Comparative Hand List of the Birds of hepa and the British
Isles. By Masa U. Hachisuka a : 135

Notes on Sussex Ornithology. Being sets hen the Diaries
(1845-1869) of Robert Nathaniel Dennis. Selected and
edited by W. H. Mullens and N. F. Ticehurst ... pi 136

I

( 106 )

SOME ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF BRITISH
ORNITHOLOGY.

BY

W. FH. RHORPE, B.A., Mee Or,

CONSIDERING the amount of time and energy which has been
devoted to the study of the birds of the British Isles in the
field, by naturalists throughout the length and breadth of the
land, our ignorance on many points of bird distribution is
still much greater than might be expected.

Of the innumerable faunal publications on the birds of these
Islands, by far the greater number have dealt with the birds
of quite arbitrarily chosen areas, often embracing many
different types of habitat and, while valuable as far as they
go, give but an inkling of the relative frequency of the species
on different types of land. One has only to glance at the
British List to realise one’s ignorance of the ‘‘ why ”’ of the
distribution of many British forms. The Hobby, Merlin,
Wood-Lark and Yellow Wagtail are cases that occur to one’s
mind.

Ecology has now become a recognized means of approach
to the study of Botany and in this field the concepts of asso-
ciation and succession, the two {undamental ideas of Ecology,
have already proved most fertile. Yet it was not until the
last few years of last century that any definite ecological work
was accomplished, although types of vegetation had long been
vaguely recognized. Some objection may be raised to the
use of the word Ecology for birds, perhaps owing to the large
number of new terms invented by the plant ecologist. Many
of these are, however, not required when dealing with birds.

It is natural that the first ecological work should deal with
plants, for in this field the factors controlling distribution and
growth are less complex and more capable of experimental
demonstration.

Animal ecology on the other hand is a much more difficult
study on account of the vastly greater number of species and
the much greater complexity of the interrelations of animals.
The unattainable ideal is that the investigation of plant
ecology should be virtually complete before commencing the
study of animal ecology, since the whole of the animal life of
the world is directly or indirectly dependent on the plant
world. To wait for this is however impossible, for, to quote
Tansley, ‘“we have not yet approached a complete knowledge

—

VOL. xis, BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 107

of the Ecology of any single species of plant.” In the same
way the study of bird ecology would be a much simpler matter
if we had a detailed knowledge of the life histories and inter-
relations of the multitudinous species of terrestial Inverte-
brates,

By far the greater part of the work in animal ecology so far
accomplished has been carried out in the U.S.A., and American
naturalists such as Adams, Forbes and Shelford, to mention
only a few, have been pioneers with regard to both vertebrate
and invertebrate animals. It is in the field of Marine Biology
that perhaps the greatest amount of ecological work has been
done in Great Britain, but even here associational Ecology
is as yet in its infancy.

Ecology, in a broad sense the study of the organism in
relation to its environment, can be roughly divided into three
branches, as follows :—

(t) The study of an individual of a species.

(2) The study of a group of taxonomically related animals,
such as the individuals of a species or a group of closely
related species.

(3) The study of an association of interacting animals in
relation to their organic or inorganic environment.

With regard to the study of individual birds or individuals
of a species, comparatively little has yet been done except at
the breeding season, although there is much good ecological
observation scattered in various guises throughout the litera-
ture of British birds. Mr. J. P. Burkitt has shown what there
is to be done in this way in his recent detailed study of the
Robin, and Dewar’s study of the Oystercatcher is another
noteworthy example.

Succession is one of the concepts typical of Ecology. The

changes in fauna due to the activity of man are known to
everyone and it would seem are in the main due to indirect
action. An interesting example of this is that of the change
in feeding grounds of Herons at Belfast Lough recorded by
W. E. Praeger. Owing to the cutting of a straight channel
for the river at the mouth of the Lough, the mud-banks
covered with Zostera were transformed into banks of firm
sand. The sea-grass no longer flourished, with the result that
-sand-eels (Ammodytes), which apparently formed the main
food of the Herons, also disappeared. With the disappear-
-ance of the sand-eels the Herons and other birds took to other
‘feeding grounds, and thus the chain of events continued, for
‘mo one can say where such an effect will end.

108 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIx.

Other cases of succession in the bird world are discussed by
Ritchie with particular reference to the influence of man.
There is, however, need for a great deal more observation on
these lines, for it is easy to theorize but difficult to prove what
is really the primary factor in the change. In the case cited
above there might have been so many other factors, each
having its effect on the distribution of the birds. A well
known and more definite case, which has already been quoted
in detail by more than one recent writer, is that mentioned by
Ritchie in his Influence of Man on the Animal Life of Scotland.
In this instance the encouragement of a breeding colony of
Black-headed Gulls by man resulted in a complete change
of the vegetation from heather moor through coarse grassland
to a flora of rushes ; this in its turn causing a corresponding
change in the fauna, both vertebrate and invertebrate.
With the raiding of the colony and the consequent departure
of the Gulls the reverse process took place, finally resulting
in the re-establishment ot the original tvpe of vegetation and
fauna.

In the way of accurate estimation of numbers of birds
practically nothing has yet been done in England although
Collinge and others have indicated the need for it. In the
U.S.A. there have been several estimations of bird population,
notably those under Prof. S. A. Forbes, in connection with the
State of Illinois Biological Survey.

Forbes’s method is for two observers to travel in line across
country, choosing as far as possible representative tracts for
survey. A distance of thirty yards is kept between the two
and all birds flushed on a strip 50 yards in width or flying
across within 100 yards in front are carefully noted. Dis-
tances travelled on each of the various types of land are noted
and the numbers and species of birds peculiar to each type of
land are noticed. He lays great stress on the tabulation of
records so as to make results available for consolidation in
various ways. Forbes’s results are interesting, but one doubts
if the work has yet been done on a sufficiently large scale to
give reliable results. It is obvious that a method such as this
is only practicable on fairly open country and that a large
number of observations must be made before the resulting
tables are of any value, while enumeration and identification
must be complete and accurate.

With regard to breeding birds the work is simpler, and
H. G. Alexander has already suggested a method whereby a
reasonably accurate idea of the numbers of birds breeding
within a limited area can be obtained. Careful and regular

VOL. XIX.] BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 109

observation in one locality is the chief thing in this as in most
other ecological work.

Association is another idea characteristic of the ecological
point of view. The study of associational bird Ecology has
received: a certain amount of attention both in the U.S.A.
and in this country, although the literature is nevertheless
very meagre, and it is this side of the subject that I wish to
deal with here with especial reference to the birds of Great
Britain.

The only attempt to classify the bird associations of Great
Britain, with which I am acquainted, consists of a paper on
the ‘‘ Bird Associations of Scotland ”’ by the late Capt. S. E.
Brock. Brock distinguished eight primary bird associations.
These eight in some respects follow the divisions of the plant
ecologist fairly closely, but in some cases, as is to be expected
where edaphic or soil factors are dominant, differ widely from
them. For instance, there is a close correspondence between
the Arctic-Alpine and moorland formations of the botanist
on the one hand and the ornithologist on the other, while the
varying woodland types of Siliceous and Calcareous soils find
but little correlation in the bird world, although divisions of
this nature would no doubt be much more clearly marked had
we any detailed information as to the quantitative distribu-
tion of our breeding birds. On the whole, however, the effect
of the plant association on bird distribution is undoubtedly
very great, and to quote Brock : “‘ By virtue of environmental
bias and nesting requirements it is probable that the bird
succession follows more immediately the plant succession than
that of the food complex.’’ Chapin has also pointed out how
close is the relation between bird distribution and the plant
communities with regard to tropical Africa, and Gates has
stressed the same point with regard to some of the common
birds of Illinois.

I have attempted an Ecological classification of British
birds adhering, where possible, to the ‘‘ Formations ”’ of the
plant ecologist, and in this respect differing to a slight extent
from Brock. It will be noted that the grouping holds good
in the breeding season only, for in spring the associations are
more clearly marked than at any other time. The breeding
habitats form the natural starting place and having once
marked out these the autumnal and winter aspects of the
associations can be more effectively studied. In this classifi-
cation I have not attempted to mention every species which
is to be found in each association but only those most charac-
teristic of their respective associations. It is of course

110 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

obvious that many species occur in two or more associations,
and there are some birds such as the Wren and Robin which
are extraordinarily widely spread and are to be found in almost
every association. The Ecology of such birds is of excep-
tional interest, for we are in many cases very ignorant of the
secret of their success. Nevertheless, their distribution is
frequently looked upon as of little interest and is too often
passed over in text books with some such phrase as “‘ common
in suitable localities.”’

It must be borne in mind that the classification is intended
only as a general outline of the bird distribution of the British
Isles ; I do not pretend to possess the knowledge necessary
to describe all the various associations in detail, in their
various aspects ; to acquire such a knowledge would be the
work of a generation of field-naturalists.

It is of course obvious that grouping somewhat on the
following lines has in a vague way been the basis of the field-
naturalist’s outlook for generations, and the rough classifica-
tion into Moorland, Woodland, Field, Aquatic and Sea-Shore
birds was recognized even before the scientific study of
Ornithology came into being.

ARCTIC ALPINE ASSOCIATIONS.

ALPINE ASSOCIATION.—This is a small and very definite
association confined to the mountain tops of the north, and
closely corresponding to the Arctic-Alpine Associations of the
botanist. There are three birds which are quite characteristic
of this association and are found in no other : namely Dotterel,
Ptarmigan and Snow-Bunting. The Dotterel is particularly
associated with the community known as Rhacomitrum Heath ;
the moss Rhaconutrum lanuginosum being — particularly
favoured for nesting purposes, in this country at any rate.
The Snow-Bunting is more dependent directly upon the
geological formation and on the nature of weathering of the
rock.

The SuB-ALPINE ASSOCIATION recognized by Brock may

perhaps be equally well considered as the high ground asso- ~

ciation of the Moorland Group. When compared with the
plant associations it seems to fall more naturally into the
latter group.

Birds such as Golden Eagle, Peregrine, Raven and Buzzard,
dependent largely on cliffs for nesting purposes, I have placed
separately under Inland Cliff Association. From a food point
of view, however, they should be included in the Moorland
Associations.

VOL. xIx.| BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. - 111

MOORLAND ASSOCIATIONS.

UpLanp Moor AssociATIONS.—This comprises the highest
areas of moorland and contains birds such as Red Grouse,
Wheatear, Meadow-Pipit, Ring-Ouzel, Golden Plover, Merlin,
etc. This is equivalent to the upland heath of Vaccinium
and Calluna in dry situations and Cotton Grass and Scirpus
moor of the wetter Jand. In the upland moor there 1S
apparently but little correspondence between the bird-fauna
and the botanical subdivisions of wet and dry, but in the case
of the lowland moor these are very marked, although it is
hard to draw a line between upland and lowland moor and
the division, from a bird point of view alone, is perhaps
unsound.

The Heath Association is the climatic climax on high
exposed moors in north and west, but in south is succeeded by
birch and pine and sometimes oakwood, consequently in those
districts the woodland bird associations are the natural climax.

LowLanD Moor AssocIATION.—This association may be
roughly regarded as moor and heath-land from 1,000 ft. nearly
to sea-level and includes the southern heath community of
sandy soils. The association, as is to be expected, is richer
both in individual species and in numbers and shows marked
variation in its damp and dry aspects, the damper parts being
considerably richer in bird-fauna. In the dry part the bird-
fauna merges imperceptibly into that of the Upland Moor
Association. The wetter parts bear a much bigger nesting
population merging into that of Fen Association. Birds such
as the Short-eared Owl and Hen-Harrier, and in places the
Common Gull, Dunnn and Teal may be mentioned.

In the wet districts there is an important breeding popula-
tion merging into that of the Fen Association. Of the
Limicole, Curlew, Snipe and Redshank are found; while in
the north, Whimbrel, Dunlin and Greenshank also find a
place. Among the Lavi the Lesser Black-backed, Black-
headed and Common Gulls, and the Great and Arctic Skuas
must be mentioned, the last three being characteristic of the
northern aspect of the association only. These latter tend
to form Colonies equivalent to the consociations of the
botanist. Among the ducks, Wigeon, Teal and Common
Scoter occur and the Montagu’s Harrier must be mentioned.

From the dry moor the succession is scrub of gorse, haw-
‘thorn, etc., leading to the climax of various tvpes of woodland.

With the growth of gorse the Linnet becomes dominant and
where present the Black Grouse reaches its climax. In the
north Capercaillie, Lesser Redpoll, Twite and Nightjar appear

112 BRITISH BIRDS, | VOL. XIX.

with the advent of birch-oakwood or sub-spontaneous pine.
{In the south the Meadow-Pipit, Yellow Bunting, Wninchat and
Stonechat are frequent, locally the Dartford Warbler, Cirl
Bunting and Woodlark, while with the coming of the bushes
we get the advance guard of the host of small Passerine birds
which depend on busnes for nesting sites; the ever-present
Wren here reaches its climax, and the Hedge-Sparrow, Robin,
Long-tailed Tit, and the Finches, which latter may be said to
attain their dominance in scrub-land proper, or in its man-
made modern representative, namely the hedgerow.

This leads us naturally to the woodlands and these had
best be considered next, leaving the remaining types of scrub-
land for consideration in connection with the various types of
grassland with which they are associated. Brock has already
described a succession from heath to larch plantation in
Scotland.

WOODLAND ASSOCIATIONS.

The different types of woodland are naturally and easily
divided into coniferous and deciduous, and this primary
division holds good for birds in a very marked way. The
Scots pine, as its name implies a native of Scotland, became
extinct in England in prehistoric times but was re-introduced
in the 17th and 18th centuries and became established,
producing the pure sub-spontaneous pine-woods found on
the poor sandy soils of the Greensand and Wealden
formations of the south of England.

PINE-woop AssocIATION.—The bird community of the
northern pine-wood is very definite and may be distinguished
by the following birds : Crested Tit, Goldcrest, Siskin, Cross-
bill (the Scottish form is said to have a partiality for larch),
Capercaillie, Black Grouse, Long-eared Owl and Sparrow-
Hawk. The more open pine-wood heath is preferred by the
Lesser Redpoll and perhaps the Crossbill.

The sub-spontaneous pine-wood community of the south
is similar, but more restricted, the distinctive birds being the
Crossbill and Black Grouse, where present, and the Goldcrest,
the Long-eared Owl and Sparrow-Hawk. Of the other birds
found in this community, the Tits for example, it is difficult
to say that any save the Coal-Tit shows a marked preference
for pine-wood.

With regard to the different types of DEcriDUOUS FOREST
it is difficult to separate them satisfactorily on a bird-basis,
at any rate in the present state of our knowledge (or rather
lack of knowledge) of the relative density of bird-distribution.

VOL. XIX. | BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 113

The main factor governing the irequency of small birds is the
presence or absence of undergrowth depending largely on the
closeness or otherwise of the “‘ canopy.”

The oak is the dominant tree in most of the deciduous
woodland on clays and loams and the finer sandy soils, and
the usual form, known as ‘‘ Coppice with Standards,” is,
owing to its open canopy, particularly favourable for small
birds. A wood such as this has iour distinct strata of bird-
life, that of (1) tree-tops, (2) boles, (3) bushes, (4) ground-
vegetation. It is not necessary here to give the long list of
birds to be found in a typical British oak-wood ; there are,
however, one or two birds which need mention. The bird-
fauna of a wood depends not only on the closeness of the
canopy but also on the stage of the coppicing. A wood
recently coppiced has a big fauna of small insectivorous birds
such as the various Warblers, Nightingale, Spotted Flycatcher,
etc., but as the growth of the coppice nears completion the
small bird-fauna becomes very much reduced till it may
approximate to that of a wood in close canopy and contain
perhaps only Wren and Robin, which birds seem more or less
indifferent of the state of the undergrowth. Here is a well
marked succession following that of the vegetation and one
which when worked out would doubtless repay investigation.

The birds which occur in the highest stratum are less
affected by the state of the canopy except in so far as the
shape of the trees is affected, this in its turn affecting possible
nesting sites. The Green Woodpecker may be mentioned,
however, as a bird which prefers an open type of woodland,
while the Great Spotted is more a bird of closed woods.
The Woodcock is an example of a bird with distinct preference
for oakwood of the damper type.

The bird-fauna of the other types of woodland is governed
by the same general factors as the last.

The pure beechwood of the chalk is characterised by lack
of undergrowth and consequent paucity of small birds. The
Honey-Buzzard is an example of a former British breeding
bird said to be particularly partial to beech. In the Alder-
Willow Wood Association of damp clay soils the Marsh- and
Willow-Tit attain their chief centre of distribution, a pre-
ference which although not very marked is hardly explainable
on a food basis. In this connection the Goosander also may
perhaps be mentioned as a bird occurring in the more northern
aspect of the Association. Of the other more restricted types
of woodland fauna in Great Britain the Ash Consociation of
Limestone soils and the Highland Birchwood type deserve

114 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. XIX.

mention although it seems doubtful how far they can be
separated on ornithological grounds.

It is obvious the alteration produced by man on the wood-
lands has had a great effect on the bird-life, but it is difficult
to estimate accurately the conditions of former times owing
to the fact that hardly any examples of virgin deciduous
forest now occur in the British Isles.

GRASSLAND ASSOCIATION.

Four types of grassland may be distinguished. Of these
types the general bird association is fairly constant, local
variations being influenced by altitude and water content of
the soil.

(1) Hill Pasture. High-lying grass-land of Siliceous soils.

General Association of Lark, Meadow-Pipit, Wheatear,
Curlew and Lapwing with damp community indicated by
Snipe.

(2) Low-lying grass-land on Clays and Loams.

This association is mainly artificial and this possibly accounts
for some of its peculiarities, namely the absence of Wheatear
and Curlew and presence of Corn-Bunting, Corn-crake and
Partridge ; the frequency of the first two especially being
affected by the relative proportions of pasture and meadow.

The damp community is richer in species, containing in
addition Yellow Wagtail and Redshank.

(3) Calcareous grass-land. Limestone. Chalk.

(4) Sandy grass-land.

These two types can be largely characterised by the presence
of Wheatear, Corn-Bunting, Short-eared Owl and Stone-
Curlew. The Red-legged Partridge is more particularly
characteristic of type 4.

The absence of the Stone-Curlew from the greater part of
the grass-land on the Carboniferous Limestone is presumably
due mainly to geographical position and not to ecological
considerations.

ARABLE LAND ASSOCIATION,

The power of adaptation to the somewhat unnatural
conditions of arable land, though occasionally found in many
birds, is confined to comparatively few species as a general
rule. The effect of crop-rotation on numbers and species
would seem to be a promising line for future observation.
Here again there is a difference correlated with water-content
of the soil; Lark, Partridge and Corn-Bunting being more
typical of the dry, and Lapwing and Yellow Wagtail of the
wetter ground.

"Ac TT

a

Re

VOL. XIX.] BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 115

Of the scrub association by which clay and loam grass-
land passes to the Oakwood Community, there is very little
now left, although examples can be seen in the English grass
commons which still remain and afford nesting-sites for the
greater number of Passerine birds. The scrub is mainly
composed of hawthorn, blackthorn, gorse and bramble, and
the bird-fauna chiefly depends on the proportions and stages
of growth of these four; the Turtle-Dove favouring black-
thorn and whitethorn, the Linnet gorse and bramble, and so
on. It is no doubt this community which has directly given
rise to the man-made community of the Hedgerow.

DRAINAGE SYSTEM ASSOCIATIONS.

Brock has used this term and from the bird point of view
it seems more concise and satisfactory than the term Fresh-
water Aquatic Formation already in use by plant-ecologists.

RIVER ASSOCIATIONS.

MOUNTAIN STREAM.-—This may be distinguished by three
birds: namely, Dipper, Common Sandpiper and Grey Wag-
tail. The reason for the restricted habitat of the Dipper is
hard to see. The need for clear water doubtless has some-
thing to do with the distribution, but this does not seem
sufficient to account for all the facts; it is to a certain extent
the counterpart of the Ring-Ouzel in the High Moorland
Association.

River.—tThe bird-fauna of the slower flowing stream and
river lacks the Dipper, but contains other species of Wagtail,
Kingfisher, Snipe, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Mallard, Shoveler,
Gadwall and Garganey. When the base line of erosion is
reached and the rate of flow becomes slower still, we get the
development of

REED SwamP.—This implies the characteristic bird-fauna
of Sedge- and Reed-Warblers and Reed-Bunting ; and Little
Grebe, Water-Rail, Moorhen and Coot in their respective
strata. With the formation of large areas of reed-swamp the
typical Broadland Association is reached, containing in
addition Bearded Tit, Bittern and Great Crested Grebe.

The succession from Reed-Swamp is via Fen and Fen-Carr
to Alder-Willow Wood already mentioned.

FEN AssocrIATION.—This reaches its greatest development
in East Anglia and has a fairly definite association of birds, of
which Montagu’s Harrier, Short-eared Owl and Grasshopper-
Warbler are among the most typical.

116 BRITISH BIRDS. [vou, xIx.

LAKES.—Brock in dealing with the Scottish Lochs dis-
tinguishes four different types which I think hold good for
Great Britain as a whole.

(1) Peaty Loch of the Moors, generally poor in bird_-life.

(2) Lowland Loch with fen type of vegetation and bird-
fauna.

(3) Deep Loch of Highland Valley with distinctive bird-
fauna, including Common Sandpiper, Red- and _ Black-
throated Divers and Goosander.

(4) Sea-Loch typified by Merganser, Oystercatcher and
Common Gull.

MARITIME ASSOCIATIONS.

In the case of sea-birds the dependence on the geological
formation is obviously very close and the breeding habits may
be divided into three main divisions of Rocky Coast, Sand and
Shingle, Salt-Marsh.

Rocky Coast.—Cliffs with ledges and flat topped stacks.
Sea not receding from base. This of course is the association
of Guillemot, Kittiwake, Razorbill, Cormorant and Shag, with
the Fulmar occurring in the north. The habitat localization
is very great, the Guillemot preferring open ledges, the Razor-
bill crevices and clefts. Each species thus tends to form
separate societies (consociations) within the main association.
The community as a whole is dependent mainly on igneous
rocks, especially basalt, which weather in the necessary way.
These strict limitations seem quite sufficient to account for
the extraordinary crowding of the birds on suitable ledges,
although the law of territory, with all that it implies, is
apparently operative. In the case of the Terns and some of
the Gulls, however, which are less exacting in their require-
ments,this alone seems insufficient to account for the gregarious
breeding habits and it is interesting to speculate as to what
biological end the gregarious instinct may serve during the
breeding-season and to compare it with that of a bird such as
the Rook among Passeres, or the Lesser Kestrel among the
Accipitres, where the nesting-habits certainly cannot be
explained on grounds of scarcity of nesting-sites and food-
supply. Mutual protection may account to a certain extent
for the gregarious habit, but it is difficult to believe that this
can have any very potent influence under present-day
conditions.

The Twite is another example of a tendency towards gre-
garious habit not easily explainable. Herrick, referring to the
Herring-Gull, thinks the gregarious habit is due merely to the

VOL. XIx.] BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 117

attempt to satisfy a strong social instinct, and Pycraft has
supposed that the development of a social instinct is of direct
value in the struggle for existence.

On coasts which do not fulfil all the conditions necessary
for the establishment of the above association we get the
occurrence of the cliff-breeding Corvide: the Peregrine and
Kestrel ; Herring- and Black-backed Gulls and the Cormorant
and Shag; the last two comparing in nesting preferences to
Guillemot and Razorbill. Where the rock is sufficiently soit
colonies of Sand-Martin occur.

TurRF-TOPPED CLIFFS AND IsLANDs.—This habitat forms
the chief breeding-ground of Puffin, Manx Shearwater and
Sheldrake as burrowers ; and Eider and Merganser as ground-
nesters; while the Oystercatcher is also typical. On the
mainland and on large islands there is a landward succession
leading to the association of Lowland Moor, Scrub or Grass-
land, as the case may be.

SAND AND SHINGLE.—In this group the Common Tern and
Black-headed Gull are birds with little habitat specialization,
nesting equally freely on shingle, sand-dune and salt-marsh.
Other birds in the association show a preference, in some cases
slight, in others strong, for certain types of substratum.
Thus on rocky beach and coarse shingle the Arctic and Roseate
Terns are more frequent ; Kentish Plover and Stone-Curlew
also find a place where they occur. On the fine shingle the
Little Tern is more typical, while with the sand and sand-dunes
the Ring Plover and Sandwich Tern reach their optimum
conditions. With the Dunes we get Sheldrake, Eider, Stock-
Dove with Wheatear, Lark and Meadow-Pipit among the
Passeres. With the landward bush-growth there is the
commencement of the scrub-land association as mentioned
above. Brock gives a typical succession of this sort in some
detail.

SALT Marsu.—-This is not a very definite association from
a bird point of view, at any rate in Britain. The bird-fauna
consists of a few birds which are more naturally considered in
the adjacent habitats of Moorland or Sand and Single.

ASSOCIATION OF INLAND CLIFFS AND BUILDINGS.

In the Inland Cliff Association may be placed those birds,
apart from sea-birds proper, which depend almost entirely on
cliffs for breeding purposes. Golden Eagle, Peregrine and
Raven are three birds, otherwise most characteristic of the
Arctic-Alpine and Moorland formations, which are now
very dependent on the presence of cliffs; although in other

118 BRITISH BIRDS. | von. XIX.

districts, such as the Steppes of Asia, such birds may make
shitt with other nesting-sites. Among birds less exclusively
dependent on this habitat may be mentioned the Jackdaw
and Kestrel.

The distribution and frequency of the Sand-Martin must
have been largely affected by man by reason of the birds’
dependence on soft cliffs and banks.

It is in this association that man has had by far the greatest
influence on the bird population, not only by the erection of
buildings and consequent provision of nesting sites, but also
by quarrying and other similar activities. One point worthy
of note is the way in which many birds now common members
of the Association of Buildings, have almost completely
forsaken their original habitat in favour of the man-made
alternative. .

A description of the bird communities of buildings is of
course unnecessary. The members of the association differ
greatly in their dependence on the habitat, ranging from birds
such as House-Sparrow and Swallow, which are now almost
inseparable from it, to occasional members like the Nuthatch.
In most cases the change of habit has been, as one would
expect, from the natural associations of cliffs and trees, but
the Pied Wagtail is a case in which the change seems to have
been considerably greater.

This concludes our survey of the habitat localization of
British birds at the breeding-season. It will be seen that
five of the seven bird formations correspond in a general way
to the botanical associations. In the case of Arctic-Alpine
and Moorland Associations the correspondence is very close,
and in all probability more detailed observation on ecological
lines will reveal closer correlation between bird-distribution
and some of the more restricted types of deciduous forest.
I do not of course suggest that the close relation between bird
and plant associations in a formation such as the Arctic-
Alpine is entirely due to dependence on the vegetation ; the
influence of climatic factors is no doubt to some extent direct,
but morphological specialization in birds is not sufficient to
account for the restriction of habitat of such highly organised
creatures. In many cases great variation between summer
and winter habitat shows that the food supply is not the
limiting factor.

It will be obvious that there are many omissions and rough
generalizations in the foregoing review. I have purposely
not attempted to go into any great detail; that can wait till
we have more observation on definitely ecological lines.

VOL. XIx.] BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY. 119

Again, every ornithologist knows how dangerous it is to
dogmatize with regard to bird-habits, there are always bound
to be exceptions to every generalization. For these reasons
it is of course not to be expected that vertebrate animal
communities should be as distinct as those in the plant world ;
and it must be remembered that even the plant communities
are seldom sharply delimited. '

I have appended a list of a few papers dealing with various
aspects of ornithology on more or less ecological lines in order
to make more widely known some of the not very accessible
literature on the subject. The list in no way pretends to be
exhaustive.

ALEXANDER, C. J. & H. G. 1909. Brit. Birds, Vol. II., p. 322.
‘Ona Plan of Mapping Migratory Birds in their Nesting Arcas.”’
ALEXANDER, H.G. 1914. Brit. Birds, Vol. VIII., p. 184.
‘A Practical Study of Bird Ecology.”

Brock, S. E. tg10. Zoologist, p. 401.
“ The Willow Wrens of a Lothian Wood.”
1914. Brit. Birds, Vol. VIIL., p. 30.
“ The Ecological Relations of Bird Distribution.”
1921. The Scottish Naturalist, pp. 11-21 and 49-58.
“ Bird Associations in Scotland.”’

Burkitt, J. P. 1924. Brit. Birds, Vols. XVII. and XVIII.

“ Movements of the Robin Studied by Means of Marked Birds.”
Dewar, J. M. 1915. Zoologist, pp. 281, 340, 376, 426, 458.

“ The Relation of the Oystercatcher to its Natural Environment.”
PRAEGER, W.E. 1920. Ecology, Vol. I., p. 41.

“ A Note on the Ecology of Herons.”’
Rowan, W. 1914. Brit. Birds, Vol. VIIIL., p. 250.

“The Blakeney Point Ternery.”’
CHAPIN, J. P. American Naturalist, Vol. LVII., p. 106.

“ Ecological Aspects of Bird Distribution in Tropical Africa.’’
Cooke, WeEtts W. 1915. Washington D.C. Dept. Agr. Bulletin,

No. 187.
“ Preliminary Census of the Birds of the United States.”’

Forbes, S. A. Illinois State Lab. Nat. Hist. Bulletin, Vol. VII., p. 305 ;
Vol. IX., p. 373; Vol. XIV., pp. 187 and 397.
“ An Ornithological Cross Section of Illinois in Autumn.”’
‘* The Midsummer Bird Life of Illinois.’’
“On the Numbers and Distribution of Illinois Land Birds of the
Open Country in Summer.”’

Gates, F. c; 1911. Wilson Bulletin, Vol. XXIII., No. 74, p. 1.
Summer Bird Life in the Vicinity of Havana, Il., in its Relation
to the Prominent Plant Associations.”’

Herrick, B. Hi. 1912. Proc. 7th Inter. Zoo. Congress, Vol. XIV., p. 156.
Organization of the Gull Community.”

JODD, S. D. 1902. U.S. Dep. Ag. Div. Biol. Survey Bulletin, No. 17
The Birds of a Maryland Farm.’’ :

( 12073

A STUDY OF THE ROBIN BY MEANS OF
MARKED BIRDS.
(FOURTH PAPER.)*
BY
J. P. BURKITT.

I HAVE been able to continue watching my Robins (Evithacus
ry. melophilus) for a further six months, from December atst,
1924, to June, 1925. The result corroborates the conclusions
which I tabulated in my last paper (XVIII., p. 250). Before
proceeding further I wish to make clear one point which my
tabulated conclusions may not have quite brought out.
It is that though there is a certain wandering of females and
young birds for varying periods (as described) from June to
October, yet normally every Robin holds territory in the
remainder of the year.

I am now dealing with an area containing fourteen to
fifteen pairs and four mateless males. Of this lot eleven
pairs plus four mateless males, or twenty-six birds, are the
occupants of an area, at the end of the breeding season 1925,
which same area held twenty-four single birds at the end
of my last year, December 1924. It is thus to be noted that
notwithstanding the changes which regularly take place
amongst all except male parents, yet there is a practically
constant number of birds holding territory in a given area,
whether in the breeding season or at the end of the year. I
previously mentioned that in 1924 an area which held twenty
birds in the breeding season held nineteen at December.

The existence each breeding season of a proportion of
mateless males (see table below) is to be noted in any con-
sideration of the question of population. This compulsory
matelessness for a part or the whole of the season appears to
occur in many species. I have shown in the /vish Naturalisit
how in various species the inability to secure a female seems
to provide us with much more song than we should otherwise
have, and how in the case of the Common Whitethroat{
(Sylvia c. communis) it is the cause also of multiple cocks’
nests with their curious adornment. (I may remark by the

* For previous papers see Vol. XVII., pp. 294-303; Vol. XVIII.,
PPp- 97-103 and 250-257.

+ Vol. XXVIII... p.07;, Vol, XXX. pp. Land 123.5 Volk KS;
Pp. 007.

f£ Vol, SXVilk, pe ua.

VOL. SIs. STUDY OF THE ROBIN. RZ

way that the late broods of the Whitethroat are due to a
female finally occupying one of these nests and not to second
broods, as I have seen assumed.) ae

My first tabulated proposition (A, p. 250, Vol. XVIII.)
that a male (provided he has bred) normally retains the
whole or a part of his territory permanently is amply supported
by the table below, see note 2. But of course tenancy must
come to an end some time. I made the comment (on p. 251)
that just possibly I might go further and say that all males,
once they have held any territory, persist there ; but this
does not appear to be the case. The males which have held
a territory through the breeding season, even though mateless,
do appear to persist, but males which have only acquired
territory since the last breeding season may not persist.
The movement of such males is, however, a comparatively
small matter compared with that of females.

The following is the movement among such males for
spring, 1925 :—

One male (58) arrived in the second half of January and
left again in the middle of March. One male (51) which
had only been resident from the end of October to mid-
November returned in the second half of February. A
male (41), resident since its adolescence in July last, left
early in May but reappeared on August 26th in the same site.
Another male (52) which was resident since November 11th
_ last was apparently displaced at the end of April by a new
male (68). (These males are assumed to be of that sex, but
with practical certainty, judging by their song and conduct.)

The following describes my known female movement for
spring, 1925 :—

Of twelve parents seven were newcomers. The other five
had been resident in my area in winter. Of these five, three
had held territories bordering those of the males with which
they mated, and the territories were joined up. The other
two had held territory near at hand to the males’ but not
bordering. These two females thus vacated their winter
territory and might be classed with the seven newcomers.
Further, two winter residents which were probably females
left me before the middle of February.

The times of forming pairs were as follows :—

The five resident females made the earliest pairs, namely
between January roth and 24th. Another pair was
also formed in January, making altogether six pairs in that
month. There were two pairs formed in February; four
pairs in March; one pair in the first week of April. This

K

122 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIX.

shows the gradual pairing as a result of the spring movement
of females, some moving out, others moving in (similar
to that for 1924, see Vol. XVIII., pp. 97, 98). I omit any
record of temporary females on passage. In these two years
the maximum movement of my own resident females was
in January, while the maximum pairing due to incoming,
as distinct from resident, females was in March.

I referred on p. 101, Vol. XVIII., to excursions by males
into strange territory in the mating season of {rom 120 to
200 yards. I particularly noted one of such visits this year
where a bird (55 F.?) was found on January 5th visiting
in the ground of a male (44) over 200 yards away and quite
out of sight; while on January 31st I found the reverse,
namely 44 in the ground of 55. 55, which was probably
a iemale, disappeared altogether a tew days later, having
meanwhile been seen out of its territory. These excursions
by males probably go to much greater length, as I have had
frequent instances in several mating seasons of what appear
to be absences of males trom their territory of from one to
ten days, the shorter periods being the commonest. In a
few cases the male on his reappearance has had a female
companion.

I have noticed that a female for some days in the early
stages of pairing with a male (both their territories being
within my observation) may repeatedly make returns to her
own territory ; and their intimacy may not for a fortnight
be sufficient to tolerate feeding together at the same board.

These observations suggest the possibility that a male
making excursions may spend his absence in a female’s
territory. é

A detached incident about territory may be worth recording,
where about mid-November two birds, occupying territories
on the opposite hedges of a field about 120 yards apart,
exchanged places. One and probably both were females.
The doubtful one left in the New Year.

SONG.

Anything further which I have observed ve female song
corroborates my proposition I (Vol. XVIII., p. 250). For
example, bird 49, which turned out to be a female, was
heard to sing a bar on October 25th and again to sing a bar
on November 30th on the excitement due to a neighbour
trespassing, but that was the total song observed {rom her.
It must be remembered, as I have said in a previous paper,
that the rare occasions of female song with me have been

VOL. XIX. | STUDY OF THE ROBIN. 125

mostly on occasions of hostility. It is quite incorrect to
assume that it necessarily means courtship with the visitor.
Neither is it correct to assume that when one Robin perches
close under another which is singing on a tree, that the former
is a female to which the latter is singing. Nor again, that
one Robin swaying its head from side to side facing another
in the well-known attitude is courtship. In my experience
with marked birds these several attitudes were, I think, in
all cases hostility. The Robin just under the singing one
is being worked up to bursting point of animosity against
the singer. (I have often seen the same with Thrushes.)
I mention these points because I have seen the reverse
recently assumed.

The cessation of Robin (male) song this summer may be
compared with my previous notes for other years.

It was as follows: Very little song in the last week of
May; by June rst less than one-fourth of my males were
giving any song; by June 21st all song had ceased. The
prompt resuscitation of Robin spring song (as distinct from
weak winter song) about the New Year was again corroborated
this season (see Vol. XVII., p. 302). And this song may be
made in spite of unpleasant weather.

TABLE III.

To JUNE 1925, OMITTING THOSE BIRDS (MOSTLY FEMALES, SEE
Nore 2) WHOSE DISAPPEARANCE HAS ALREADY BEEN NOTED IN
PREVIOUS TABLES—SEE VOL. XVIII., pp. 102 AND 257.

No. First
and sex | noticed Date — Mate (Mate ores
where | in occu- | Marked os ic sia
known pation EDAD | 884 5eeS
2M _ -/10/22 | 10 34 34
9M _ 14/1/23 | I4 36 66
and
ano-
ther
5 ee _ 4/2/23 | Not} 19 Not seen since 24/7/24.
mar
ked
16M —_— 9/6/23 | 15 Not | Not} Extant, but not watched.
mar-}| ex-
ked | am-
ined
18 M — 30/7/23 |Born| 14 67
19 M 2/7/23 9/9/23 |Born| 11 64
20M_ | 8/8/23| 12/9/23 |Born| 27 27
21M?! 8/8/23] 16/9/23 |Born|None| — | Lost a foot. Not seen since
12/24,
22M? — 22/9/23 | — |None |None sade
26 M — 26/10/23 | — | 37 |None
27-5 5/11/23 | 16/11/23 | — | 20 20
432 M 28/10/23 3/2/24 | — | 35 — | Not seen since 14/6/24.
34 F 3/2/24| 1/3/24 | — | 2 2 ;

124

BRITISH BIRDS.

Notes.

Not seen since 1/12/24,
Not seen since 27/7/24.

Not seen since 14/6/24.
Absent between early May and
26/8/25.

Pairing not verified by knowing
nest.

Not seen since 24/1/25.
Not seen since 18/1/25.

Not seen between 15/11/24 and
25/2/25.

Apparently displaced by 68 on
28/4/25.

Not seen since 5/2/25.

On border, history uncertain.
Ditto.

Not seen since 16/3/25.

On border, history uncertain.

On border, history uncertain,

All except those marked + are extant at June 1925; the males keeping

No, 32 is the only known male parent (except 17) which has disappeared

No. First Mat
and sex | noticed Date a ae at
where in occu- | Marked 1923 | 1924| 1925
known pation 9 a
135 F 16/2/24. 3/3/24| — | 32 =
137 2 4/3/24| 12/3/24) — | 26 | —
38 M 19/3/24 | 28/3/24| — | 40 | 65
39 M 19/3/24| 19/5/24| — | Not} 49
matr-
ked
t40 F -/4/24| 22/5/24 | — | 38
41 M? 17/7/24 | 24/7/24| — |Born|None
43 F -/7/24| 26/8/24| — |Born}] 45
44 M 23/8/24.| 30/8/24) — Bore 62
45 M 22/6/24| 31/8/24] — Born 43
T47 R7pLoy24n| Bx/mox24) | ——— || |
TS an es OV 24 ee er / ea
49 F 23/10/24 | 2/1/24) — | — | 39
50 F 14/10/24) 7/11/24) — | — | 54
51 M? | 27/10/24 | 15/11/24 | — — |None
$52 M? | xrxr/11/24 | 15/11/24] — — —
53 M 23/11/24 | 13/12/24 | — — | 60
54 M 11/11/24 | 13/12/24 | — — | 50
ila) | ey Seyevh| Dayaey Vi |) || ||
56 M Ao Ave s25 0 | 5,
a7 Lf 2S) fe / 26a ee ||
+58 M? 18/1/25 7/2/25} — — —
59 M =/1/25 | 20/2/25| — | — | 63
60 F 12/2/25 | 28/2/25} — — | 53
61 F — 3/3/25 | — — | Not
mar-
ked
62 F Ve |) REURYES || SU Nf, BIEL
63 F 23/2 /25N lO) 3/250) — ail) a5 9)
64 F 8/a/25n|) (20/3/2510 a) er)
65 F 20/3/25 26/3/25 | — | — | 38
66 F 3/4/25 | 15/4/25| — | — |] 9
67 F 20/3/25 10/5/25 | — — | 18
68 M? 28/4/25| 25/5/25| — — |None
Notes: 1
to site where first noticed,
2
since study began. See p. 251, Vol. XVIII.
3. No. 39 in my first table, Vol. XVIII., p. 103, should be a male.
4.

The sexes queried are almost certain to be correct, but there was no

pairing to verify.

[VOL. XIX.

( 125 )

NOTES ON THE NESTING OF THE GREAT
SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
BY
J. H. OWEN.

DuRING the last few years the Great Spotted Woodpecker
(Dryobates major anglicus) has become decidedly more plentiful
in this part of Essex. When I first came to Felsted in May,
1907, I very seldom saw one, but now there is at least one
pair in most of the woods, and several pairs in trees in the
open as well. As evidence that they are fairly common now
I may say that I have several times known one of a pair killed
by Sparrow-Hawks, and the survivor had a mate again in a
very short time, even if the partnership was broken in the
spring.

In the woods the nests are either in oak or poplar ; in the
fields I have seen nests in elm, pollard-willow, apple, ash and
walnut. Once or twice I have gone to considerable trouble
to make observations on this bird, but in 1925, having found
a nest a bare seven feet from the ground in a dead poplar,
I determined to attempt to do so on a more elaborate scale.
With the help of a boy I built an observation hut six
feet from the nest-hole and hoped to get photographs and
notes. Unfortunately, I could not be at the nest at the best
time for the first purpose (before 11 a.m.), but the notes were
very easy to get and extremely interesting. The hole was a
bad one for photography, as the birds had bored a second
hole, a few inches below the entrance, into the nest cavity
and the wood between the two had broken away ; hence,
whenever a bird came to feed the young it got more or less
into this hole and out of the light, so that the black parts of
the plumage do not come out at all well. Another point
against successful photography was that this pair of birds
seemed unusually nervous, and consequently their movements
were very quick and uncertain. These birds nest much
earlier than the Green Woodpecker and have often hatched
before the latter have finished laying. The Green Wood-
pecker will use a hole in successive years if the site is not
taken by other birds, such as Starlings, Sparrows or Great
Tits, but will seldom go back to it another year if it happens
to be unoccupied. Yet a nest-hole I found in 1907 was again
occupied by Green Woodpeckers in 1918, although in the
intermediate ‘years it was occupied by Starlings and empty
in 1917. The stock of Starlings was cut down by the big

126 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

frost in 1917 and many of the sites usually occupied by them
were empty for a year or two. Hence probably the re-occupa-
tion of the hole by the Woodpeckers. My experience of
Great Spotted Woodpeckers is that they seldom use a hole
more than two years in succession, but then use another tree
for one year, returning to the old tree in the fourth year,
when they use the original boring or make a fresh one; the
latter is the more usual proceeding in a poplar, but not in a
harder wood like oak or elm. ;

Without enlarging the hole it is impossible to get definite
facts about the incubation-period, although the cavity is very
shallow compared with that of the Green or even the Lesser
Spotted Woodpecker in decayed wood. I am led to think
that it is approximately sixteen days; as the bird, however,
does not wait until all the eggs are laid before beginning
incubation this may well be wrong. In several of the nests
I have watched, some of the young have le{t the nests two or
three days before the last. My observations on this point
go back to 1911. In the two nests to which I paid any
attention this year some of the young left before the others.

With regard to the parts taken by the sexes in incubation
my notes are quite inconclusive. I can only say that I have
never put the male off the eggs, nor seen him relieve the
female. He frequently comes up to the neighbourhood of
the nest, but I have never seen him enter the hole. During
incubation the hen seems to have fixed feeding times, one of
which is between noon and I p.m. (summer time), and
another is between 7 and 8 p.m. ; other times I am unable to
speak about, as I am not free to watch before 11.30 a.m.

The nestling-period is about three weeks in duration.

There seems to be very little brooding done in the daytime
after the first few days after hatching, and my impression
is that this is solely the duty of the hen.

How long after leaving the nest the old birds attend to the
young it is difficult to say, or when they drive them from the
wood. One can find them in the wood with the old ones in
close attendance for three weeks at any rate. They are birds
that give the alarm note, “ keek”’ or “ cheek,” on very little
provocation at any time of the year, but particularly from
March to August.

From a very early age the young are very talkative in the
nest ; this is so with the Green Woodpecker also. At first
the noise cannot be likened to anything ; the nearest simile
is to a tight-fitting, rather rusty pair of scissors being worked

ce a)

fairly rapidly. Later it becomes “ cue-cue-cue ” repeated

VoL. XIx.] GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 127

rapidly, at first loudly and then dying away only to be taken
up again. As the young begin to fledge the cry changes to
‘“ queek -queek, queek-cue-cue-cue-cue.”’ By the time they are
ready to leave the nest the “ queek ’’ has developed into the
“keek ”’ of the old birds. This note expresses a good many
things in its variation of tone by the old birds, alarm, call, etc.

They have other very interesting notes, however, which are
only heard during close observation at a nest.

The birds, whether the nest has a hide near it or not, often
alight in a tree near-by before going to the nest-tree ; they
are very wary, extremely keen of sight and hearing, and
this is merely one of their precautions. If the two happen
to alight in the tree together there is usually a short conversa-
tion before one precedes the other to the nest. I have many
times attempted to get this low-toned conversation down, but
never yet succeeded to my satisfaction. Sometimes the two
birds alight on the nest-tree together, or so close together
that the first has not had time to get to the hole. In this case
the cock always sent the hen first by invariably using the
same note ‘‘too-ut,”” repeated two and sometimes three
times. I have seen this happen when the male was hardly a
foot from the hole when the hen alighted quite eight feet above
him, and she immediately backed down to the hole and fed.
In these circumstances the hen hurried over the delivery ot
her supply of food and left without searching the nest for
feeces or, at the later period when she could reach the young
from outside, entering the nest-hole. Both the birds helped
in keeping the nest clean. The sac was carried to a distance
and dropped. The bird then wiped its bill up and down a
branch before proceeding to hunt for more food. If nervous
birds are kept so long from entering the nest-hole that the
young break the sac, the old one mixes the excrement with
sawdust to get it away. In the later stages of feeding, when -
the young one pokes its head out of the entrance to see the
food, it iseasy to see that the old bird turns the bill sideways
while the young one’s is opened along it. I think that the
food is pushed forward with the tongue by the old bird and
sucked by the young one. If there is more food left, the old
bird turns its head away from the hole and works the food
up with the tongue and a movement of the lower mandible.
It then waits and looks to see if there is any undigested matter

.in the gape of the youngster. If there is, this is picked out
and swallowed. Once or twice a young bird threw up such
large pellets of this undigested material that the old one had
quite a difficulty in disposing of it ; twice I saw three gulps

128 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

needed before the pellet was properly swallowed. I should
very much have liked to examine one or two of these to
compare them with similar pellets from the Spotted Fly-
catcher (Muscicapa s. striata) and Red-backed Shrike (Lanius
c. collurio), of which I have handled a large number, but I
never saw a youngster eject one except when the parent was
at the hole. The food brought was of infinite variety,
and it consisted partly of winged insects of several kinds
and vastly different sizes ; partly of caterpillars taken from
the foliage of the oak trees and undergrowth ; a large part was
made up of larve of boring insects and boring caterpillars.
I also saw woodlice brought. It may be mere accident, but
the cock on the whole brought much larger stuff than the
hen. I was greatly interested in his method of bringing large
caterpillars when he had more than one. These were held
across his bill with the ends projecting, squirming, on either
side, the first one being right at the back of the bill; how did
he pick up the second and third when the first was in position ?
In one case both birds handled, if one can use the term here,
the catch carefully ; this was when they got hold of a goat-
moth caterpillar. They seemed both to dislike this beast
very much and held it very lightly in the extreme tip of the
bill. As soon as it was delivered they promptly wiped the
bill several times on the bark outside the nest-hole and
seemed very glad to be rid of it. Perhaps this caterpillar
tastes as bad as it smells.

The number of meals worked out at about twenty to the
hour at the nest where I had a hide. Sometimes it went
considerably higher and it fell as low as sixteen. As they
seldom brought less than three insects at a time, and only so
few when these were big, this really means a lot more food
than it seems at first sight. They very rarely brought single
insects except in the case of the goat-moth and some of the
big boring larva. Sometimes the birds took half-an-hour
off, probably to teed themselves, but the greater activity
displayed immediately afterwards brought the hour’s total
pretty well up to the average. At other times one of the
birds would take halt-an-hour off, and in this case the bird,
male or female, that continued feeding kept on as usual and
did not hurry. These intervals of absence were almost
exactly thirty minutes. If something happened to upset a
bird in the least when on the way to the nest it never kept
the food long, but soon swallowed it. Each of them seemed
able to give the alarm note whether it was carrying food or
not.

ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR IN THE ISLE OF WIGHT.
On June 26th, 1925, a fine male Rose-coloured Pastor (Pastor
voseus) was brought to me alive for identification. It was
in beautiful plumage, quite unharmed, and had been captured
in a garden at Bembridge under a net placed over raspberry
canes.

On the next morning, prior to returning the bird to the
owner of the garden where taken, I placed in the cage, in
which I had accommodated it during the night, the following
items of diet:—12 or 14 raisins; 5 small earth worms
(washed and alive) ; 10 or 12 woodlice (alive) ; quantities
(comparatively) of ripe apple and cold roast lamb—lean
and fat—cut up fine; every scrap of which the bird
devoured with great relish !

According to Kelsall and Munn (Birds of Hampshire,
pp. 79-80) there are four (possibly only three) previous
occurrences of the bird recorded for the Isle of Wight.

J. M. GOODALL.

WOOD-LARK IN PERTHSHIRE.

On June 17th, 1925, I saw a Wood-Lark (Lullula a. arborea)
near Dunkeld. There is some very suitable ground for the
species to the north of the town, where I saw it ; but unfor-
tunately, being a common bird at my home in Herefordshire,
I paid but little attention to it. H. A. GILBERT.

WOOD-LARK NESTING IN NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE.
THERE is a certain district in North Lincolnshire so perfectly
suited to the requirements of the Wood-Lark (Lullula a.
arborea), that I used to search this place regularly for several
years previous to 1922 on purpose for them. The only Wood-
Larks I had seen in North Lincolnshire up to 1922 were at
another spot some fi teen miles distant, viz. one on March 31st,
Ig1g, and another on exactly the same spot on April 26th,
1921; both passing birds.

On May 28th, 1922, while motoring in the first-mentioned
district, I saw a Wood-Lark flying some distance from the
road and after watching for an hour or two found the nest
containing young birds.

I had no opportunity of visiting this place again until
May 18th, 1925. Very soon after arriving at the site I saw

130 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

two Wood-Larks feeding on the ground and watched them
for a long time, but they apparently had no nest, though they
behaved as if they might be going to have one shortly.

While watching these two another appeared and, after a
few minutes’ sitting on the branch of a Scots fir, dropped <n to
the ground. I went to the spot and flushed her off her nest
containing one egg.

This locality is the most northerly in the British Isles that
I know of for nesting, and it would be very interesting to
know of any authentic instances of its breeding in Yorkshire,
Lancashire, Cumberland and the Lake district at the present
time. Howard Saunders mentions these places as irregular
breeding localities. W. S. MEDLICOTT.

WATER-PIPIT IN ESSEX.

On November 27th, 1923, I came across a Water-Pipit (Anthus
s. spinoletta) in a muddy creek that leads out to the marshes
in the vicinity of Leigh. Rock- and Meadow-Pipits were at
hand for comparison if required, but to my mind there is no
need for confusion with the former, or for that matter with its
Scandinavian race. The eye stripe, showing up as it does the
greyish-brown ear-coverts, is amply sufficient for identifica-
tion. I had the bird under the glasses for the best part of a
half-hour. It acted like a stranger and did not seem to settle
down in search of food. A. SMITH.

ROOSTING HABITS OF TREE-CREEPER.

WITH reference to Mr. W. H. Thorpe’s note on the roosting
habits of the Tree-Creeper (Certhia familiaris britannica)
(Vol. XVIII., pp. 20-22), I think that the following notes
may be of interest if only to corroborate this habit.

In the drive of Bishop’s Stortford College there are two
Wellingtonias (Sequoia gigantea), one of which, particularly, is
noted for its soft bark. On March 6th, 1925, a friend drew
my attention to a small cavity some eight feet from the ground
in this tree. The cavity—about 14 ins. deep and 24 ins. in
diameter—was quite new and slightly fouled by droppings.
I was not sure whether this was a “ Creeper-Hole,”’ but on
March 15th we noticed a Tree-Creeper in the cavity. I went
close up to the bird and although its eyes were open it did not
move ; its body was closely huddled in the cavity, but its
head was projecting above with the beak slightly tilted away
from the bark, its tail was flattened against the bark below
the cavity. Thus its back, most of the wings, the tail and
head, were visible.

VOL, XIx.] NO'ES. 131

On March atst I noticed that the cavity was slightly wider
and deeper, while it was more fouled with droppings, showing
that it had been used regularly. At 6.15 p.m. on the same
day I saw the bird roosting again, but this time its head was
almost in the cavity and its body was huddled much closer,
its beak was resting on the edge of the hole.

On March 22nd the hole was distinctly elongated. That
night the bird was unfortunately stroked by torchlight and
after that it deserted the cavity.

I examined the trunk of this tree carefully and found three
other obvious ‘‘ Creeper-Holes,”’ while in the trunk of the
second Seguoia I found five more disused cavities, while there
were several doubtful cavities—mere scrapings in rifts of the
bark. The cavities are not made with any preference for one
side of the tree but are made indiscriminately between four
and eight feet from the ground.

It is surprising that the Tree-Creeper should trouble to make
‘a special roosting cavity, as there are any amount of seemingly
suitable crannies in other trees, and at any rate the bird could
enlarge one of the rifts in the Wellingtonia’s bark with less
trouble, and this would include room for its head and tail.

k. W. Have,

PIED FLYCATCHER IN EAST ROSS-SHIRE.

ON May 2tst, 1924, I saw a male and female Pied Flycatcher
(Muscicapa h. hypoleuca) in east Ross-shire. They were
evidently paired, but I failed to find their nest.

H. A. GILBERT.

EARLY ARRIVAL OF FIELDFARES IN NORFOLK.

ON August roth, 1925, I watched a flock of Fieldfares circling
fairly low in the air over a field in mid-Norfolk. This
is surely an early date. There were quite a number of them,
and they once uttered one of their characteristic notes.

M. STUART CURTLER.

SWALLOW’S NEST ON A LANTERN.

In June, 1925, I discovered the nest of a Swallow (Hirundo r.
yustica) in an unusual situation. It was built on a metal
lantern hanging before the front door of a house near Doncas-
ter. The nest was perfectly round and was secured at the
edge to the chain by which the lantern was suspended. The
young were successfully reared. EDWARD A. ARMSTRONG.

[ef. Vol. ., p. 354; Vol. II., p. 208.—Eps,]

132 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

ALPINE SWIFTS IN KENT.
WHEN in Norfolk recently I came upon the record of an
incursion of Alpine Swifts (Apus m. melba) during May, 1916.

Miss Margaret Barclay, of Hanworth Hall, Norfolk (eldest
daughter of Col. H. A. Barclay, himself an ornithologist, and
herself, of recent years, a keen watcher of birds), was during
the war nursing at Hythe and lodged in a lofty house, the end
of a row, overlooking the town and Channel. Among other
lodgers was a Mr. O. B. Hake.

One evening in May, 1916, Miss Barclay on reaching her
room heard a sound of scraping and fluttering against the
glass of her open window, and found three very large brown
Swifts with white undersides flattened against the lowest
pane of glass. She gave them their liberty, noticing their
““hugeness,” their white undersurfaces, how bulky they
seemed in the hand, and when they flew their wide spread of
wing.

Her fellow-lodger, Mr. Hake, found six of the same sort of
bird in his room the same night. At my request the lady
has written to Mr. Hake, who endorses her story, adding very
little except that he remembers their size and brown backs
and white underparts. He is not an ornithologist.

I may say that in the hall at Hanworth is a well-stuffed
Alpine Swift (history unknown).

Miss Barclay was unaware of the value of her record at the
time, nor knew that there was such a bird, having taken no
especial notice of birds until after the war.

On her return home from nursing she recognised that the
birds which had invaded her room at Hythe (Kent) were
exactly like her father’s Alpine Swift, having been brown
above, not sooty, and white beneath. Also that their size,
bulk and spread of wing exceeded any Swifts she had seen
then, or since. H. M. WALLIs.

WRYNECK IN DEVONSHIRE.

WitH reference to Mr. Curtler’s note on the above (antea,
p- 99)—I refrained from communicating with British Birds
until I was in a position to offe1 something more definite than
could be disclosed during your correspondent’s visit of a few
hours. I can now state definitely that there was only one
pair of Wrynecks in this district and that they reared a brood
in a hole formerly occupied by a Starling. I have no reason
to doubt, from information received, that a pair bred last
year within 100 yards of the same spot. I can find no previous
record of the species having bred in Devonshire.

Lewis R. W. Loyp.

VOL, XIX.] NOTES. 135
SHORT-EARED OWL NESTING IN SUFFOLK.

In May, 1925, I found the nest of a Short-eared Owl (Aszo f.
flammeus) in Suffolk. It was situated amongst bracken in
cut-down woodland and contained nine eggs. H. A. GILBERT.

HOBBY NESTING IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.

AFTER an interval of three years, the Hobby (Falco s. subbuteo)
has again appeared in the same oak wood in north Bucking-
hamshire where they bred in 1922. On that occasion, both
the old birds and one of the young family came to a violent
end. In 1925 a pair were shot during the second week of
Mav, and shortly afterwards a second pair arrived, with
every indication of breeding, frequenting an oak tree in
whose upper branches was a Carrion-Crow’s nest from which
the owners had been shot at an earlier date. Three eggs were
laid in the last week of May. The tree, not a very lofty one,
was situated fifty yards in from the S.W. corner of the wood,
which is an extensive one, and the nest was well covered from
above with the leafy foliage. It is to be regretted that these
birds also came to an untimely end. The three eggs, of a
uniformly vellowish-brown mottled pattern and more oval
in shape than those of the Kestrel, were lying on a layer of
small twigs, no attempt having been made to line the nest

previous to laying, they being then about ten days’ set.
It should be stated that within one hundred yards of the
nesting tree, Pheasant rearing was proceeding on a large scale.
L. COCHRANE.

FLEDGING PERIOD OF GOLDEN EAGLE.

A GOLDEN EAGLE’s nest containing two eggs was reported to
myself and my friend, Arthur Brook, early in May, 1925. At
our request a stalker kept the nest under observation and on
May 24th he discovered—on visiting the nest—that one egg
had already hatched and the other was hatching. Arthur
Brook obtained photographs of the old birds and young at
various stages; and was present when the first Eaglet (a
cock) left the nest on August gth. The remaining Eaglet (a
hen) left the nest on August 11th. This is a period of exactly
eleven weeks.

The cock Eagle was seen to brood the young and was
photographed whilst so engaged. H. A. GILBERT.

(This confirms H. B. Macpherson’s observations.—EDs. ]

154 BRITISH BIRDS. PFO, We.

INCREASE OF FULMARS IN CAITHNESS.

Tue Fulmar Petrel (Fulmarus g. glacialis) has now extended
its breeding area in Caithness to several other ranges of cliffs,
besides Berriedale and Dunnet Head. I saw them in 1925
on Duncansby Head and St. John’s Point. On the latter,
young were still in the nest in the first halt of August. Accord-

ing to local information, it was first colonized by three pairs
in 1923. H. A. GILBERT.

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT IN CUMBERLAND.

On August 20th, 1925, I saw a Black-tailed Godwit (L. amosa)
at Workington, Cumberland. As this is the first occasion of
my noting the species I give details.

It was feeding by a pond in company with Lapwings and
Redshanks, its warm brown colour forming a marked contrast
with the latter. Its dark wings with white bar and black tail
with white base were both well observed when it took flight.

M. McKErRRow.

BLACK-HEADED GULL NESTING IN THE SCILEY
ISLES:

In Clark and Rodd’s “ Birds of Scilly ”’ (Zoologist, July and
August, 1996) it is stated that ““ Though it has several times
been seen in the summer months, there is no record of its
having nested for the last sixty years,’’ referring to a marginal
note by E. H. Rodd in Montagu’s Dictionary of Birds that this
bird, the Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), bred in Scilly
in 1845. This naturalist writes also of two nests on St. Mary’s
in 1841. Although I have seen an adult pair or single birds
in Scilly every summer I have spent there, and with Captain
A. W. Boyd, six adults together on the pool of Bryher on
June 30th, 1924, there is no record of the species nesting in
the islands for eighty years, 7.e. since 1845, until this year.
On June 2nd this year I found a nest of this species con-
taining two eggs in the midst of a colony of Common Terns ;
these were still there on June 29th, evidently deserted, but
had gone on July 12th. I saw no trace of the parents on any
of my visits to the island, although I saw a single Black-
headed Gull on St. Mary’s on June 24th, and another off the
eastern islands on July 4th. H. W. RosInson.

LETTERS

LARGE NUMBER OF ROSE-COLOURED STARLINGS RINGED
IN HUNGARY.
To the Editors of BRITISH BirDs.

Srrs,—In the spring of 1925, Hungary was invaded by a great
immigration of Rose-coloured Starlings (Pastor roseus). This
beautiful bird breeds in South Russia, Caucasia, Asia Minor and
Turkestan, and spends the winter in considerable numbers in
British India. Exceptionally, this bird also breeds in Hungary,
when the locusts make their appearance there, as was the case
in 1925. The Royal Hungarian Institute of Ornithology availed
itself of this rare opportunity and had the young birds, which
were hatched in stone-heaps, stone-pits, etc., marked by its officers.
Nearly 2,700 birds were marked, and it is to be hoped that the percen-
tage of returns will be in keeping with this large number. The inscrip-
tion on the rings is ‘‘ Ornith. Kézpont Budapest’’ and a current
number of five ciphers, and is quite sufficient to make correct notifica-
tion possible. Probably the birds will travel along the line—Hungary,
South Russia, Caucasia, Turkestan, India, so that the marked birds
will have to be looked out for in these countries. As all information
touching this subject has great scientific value as a contribution to the
investigation of bird-migration, all nature-lovers are herewith requested
to devote their attention to this important ringing experiment, and
especially to inform any of their friends living on the above-mentioned
line, as well as the local press, so that this first experiment, which we
have only been able to carry out at a great sacrifice, may have the
result we are hoping for. JAMES SCHENK.

REVIEWS.

A Comparative Hand List of the Birds of Japan and the British Isles.
By Masa U. Hachisuka (Cambs. Univ. Press). 10s. 6d. net.

Tuis list will be of some interest to ornithologists of both the countries
concerned, more especially as they are somewhat similarly situated
at the extreme eastern and western ends of the Palearctic region.
The birds found in each country are listed side by side in systematic
order, each with a scientific name and its original reference and a
vernacular name. Abbreviations referring to ‘‘ Breeding,’’ ‘“‘ Excep-
tional visitor ’ and “ Rare visitor ’’ have been added where applicable,
and this part of the work has not been carefully done so far as the
British birds are concerned. The Siskin, for instance, is not marked
breeding while the Brambling is, the Hoopoe is not, the Marsh-Harrier is,
but Montagu’s and the Hen-Harriers are not, and there are a good many
other such instances, while the terms ‘‘ Rare visitor’? and “‘ Excep-
tional visitor ’’ appear to have been used indiscriminately and have
been applied to birds of the same status.

It would have greatly added to the interest of the volume if the
author had made some sort of comparative summary. Mr. Hachisuka
uses 280 genera, and of these there are represented 157 in both countries,
70 in Japan and not in the British Isles,and 53 in the British Isles and

136 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOR. EE.

not in Japan. He allows 500 British forms (four more than we admit
in the Practical Handbook) and of these, thanks largely to our rare
visitors from the east, 109 are the same in both countries; but more
important is the fact that 211 species are represented in both countries
either by the same or different subspecies. There are only eighteen
birds of the same subspecies which breed in both countries, and of these
the Siskin is the only Passerine bird, the others being :—Short-eared
Owl, Long-eared Owl, Golden Eagle (?), Mallard, Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler,
Red-breasted Merganser, Bittern, Kentish Plover (?), Lapwing,
Common Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Woodcock, Black-headed
Gull, Leach’s Petre! and Red-throated Diver. It will be noted that
all of these are birds of such little plasticity that they have either not
evolved subspecific differences or are at the most represented by only
two or three subspecies in the whole of their wide range.

Some of the most notable diversities are to be found in the [ly-
catchers, Warblers, Wheatears, Auks and Game birds.

Notes on Sussex Ornithology. Being extracts from the Diaries (1845-
1869) of Robert Nathaniel Dennis. Selected and Edited by W. H.
Mullens, M.A., LL.B., and N. F. Ticehurst, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S.
(H. F. and G. Witherby, London.) 5s. net.

In these days when the best parts of the Sussex coasts have been ruined,
as regards Ornithology at least, by the erection of hideous bungalows,
it is refreshing to read an account of what such places produced in the
way of birds seventy years ago. Mr. Dennis, when he wrote his journals,
little thought of what was to become of his hunting grounds. There is
no doubt that the erection of these “‘ Bungalow Towns ”’ is gravely
interfering with the bird life of our coasts.

For many years Sussex has been in need of an Ornithological His-
torian, as Borrer’s Birds of Sussex, the only book dealing with the county
as a whole, can never have been considered a complete survey even at
the time of publication. With the appearance of the subject of this
notice we have another greatly needed ‘“ underpinning ”’ of the fabric
which is in urgent need of restoration.

The discovery of these most interesting and important original
Diaries on a bookstall near Covent Garden was a notable find, and
they could not have passed into better hands for abstraction and
publishing than those of the editors, who are to be congratulated on
the successful manner in which they have dealt with them.

It is hardly necessary to pick out individual passages, the whole
book must be read, and there is not a dull entry therein. It may be
mentioned in passing, however, that even seventy years ago local
Sussex specimens fetched large prices, as instance the “ Lapland
Finch,” p. 63. Then as now the Hoopoe was a regular visitor, and the
Bar-tailed Godwit arrived in numbers on the coast even as it does now
in May, that is where it can at present find a portion of coast not over-
run with bathers. Every man’s hand was apparently even then
against the Raven and Peregrine.

This book of 110 pages is printed on good paper in a clear type and
is in every way up to the excellent standard of its publishers. May we
express a hope that its editors will at no distant date produce a
complete ornithological history of this, one of the richest counties of
England as far as birds are concerned. MN

A
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ASSISTED BY

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 6, VoL. XIX., NOVEMBER 2, 1925.

a PAGE
cr on the Summer Habits of the Northern Eider. By Francis
Montague 138
F Scie Notes on the Nesting of the Flamingo and Gull- billed
Tern in the Camargue. By William E. Glegg ee - 145
Notes :—
‘“‘ British Birds ’’ Marking Scheme es 149

Birds’ use of Land- Marks as Guides to Nest ( (Jasper Atkinson) 149
June Migration in the Bay of sie (A. H. N. Wilson and

Charles E. Baker) “i 149
Raven Nesting in a Heronry (A. HH. Machell Cox) ae i 149
Hooded Crow in Monmouthshire (R. C. Banks) « 150
Greenfinch Migrating between Australia and New Zealand

(A. H. N. Wilson) an e Re Sr aa I51
Red-backed Shrike’s Larder (N _ Tracy) 151
Grasshopper-Warbler Nesting in North Lincolnshire “(W. s.

Medlicott) ; ae I51
Unlined Nest of Willow-W arbler vt A. H. “Machel Cox) 152

Early Arrival of Redwings in Devon (W. Walmesley W hite) 152
Great Spotted W oodpecker and Nuthatch in same Tree (A. H.

Machell Cox) ... ‘ 152
Share of Sexes in Incubation of the Great Spotted Woodpecker

(N. Tracy) oe 152
The Incubation- and Fledging-Periods of the Sparrow- -Hawk

(R. H. Brown) -... ak ie 153
Puffin in Bedfordshire (The Duchess of Bedford) mes s 155

Short Notes:
Rose-coloured Starling in Hampshire. Golden Oriole in
Kireudbrightshire. Hawfinch in Scotland. Black-headed
Wagtail seen in Dumfriesshire. Crested Tit in Lanarkshire.
Bean-Geese in Outer Hebrides. Ruddy Sheld-Duck and
Red-creasted Pochard in Midlothian. Red-necked Grebe
in Leicestershire. Albinistic Lapwing in Leicestershire.
Greenshank Nesting in Scottish Lowlands. Grey Phalarope
in Norfolk. Feroe Snipe at Fair Isle. Ivory-Gull in
Yorkshire. Demoiselle Crane in Yorkshire. Late Nest
of Capercaillie in Perthshire. Insect Food of Ptarmigan 155
Letters :—
The Marsh- and Willow-Tits in Cumberland (R. H. Brown) 157
The Song and Courtship of the Robin (R. H. Brown) so | 150
Hobbies in Buckinghamshire (R. E. Coles)... 158
Breeding Habits of the Avocet (Rev. Edward A. Armstrong) 159 |
Reviews :—
A Book about Birds. By E. L. Turner and Robert sags, Sas 160
British Birds, Vol. II. By H. Thorburn se or 160

L

( 138 )

NOTES ON THE SUMMER HABITS OF THE
NORTHERN EIDER.

BY
FRANCIS A. MONTAGUE.

THESE notes are based upon the joint observations of Mr.
C. S. Elton, of the Department of Zoology, Oxtord, and
myself, while members ot the 1924 Oxford Arctic Expedition.
I have to thank Dr. H. A. Baylis, of the British Museum, for
the identification of various parasites. This paper makes no
claim to be a complete, or even original, account of the breeding
habits of the Northern Eider (Somateria mollissima borealis).
It occurred to the writer that observations made by the same
observers in one district, throughout the greater part of a
single summer, might well go into greater detail and give a
more comprehensive account of the matter, than scattered
notes by a number of persons in different areas. Our results,
therefore, are here summarized. It must be understood that
all generalizations made apply only to our own observations.
Our observations included points on the north and west
coasts of Spitsbergen, and on the coasts of North East Land :
we arrived at the end of June, and sailed south trom Green
Harbour, Ice Fjord, early in September. We were thus
enabled to cover the greater part of the Arctic summer.

WEATHER CONDITIONS.

The weather of 1924 was rather worse than the average.
There was a fine sunny spell for about a fortnight, early in
July ; after that, mist and rain predominated, with occasional
high winds, The temperature dropped quickly in the latter
halt of August, and snow fell at intervals, accompanied by
sharper frosts than are usual at that date.

There was, however, no sign that the weather had been
sufficiently unfavourable to prevent any of the Eiders breeding
at all, as often happens in Greenland. There had been fine
weather in June, though the season as a whole was much later
than the average. Conditions varied locally to a surprising
extent. They were generally a great deal worse in North
East Land than elsewhere, but this had no very obvious
effect on the birds breeding there.

ARRIVAL IN SPRING.

I am informed by one who has spent many winters in
Spitsbergen, both as a trapper and in the mines, that in
spring the Eiders usually appear off the coast as soon as the

voL. xIx.] ‘THE NORTHERN EIDER. 139

ice starts breaking up ; an event normally occurring in April
or May. When the break-up comes in March, birds seldom
appear before April. The first birds to arrive are the drakes,
with a few ducks among them ; the mass of the ducks appear
later. At this time the sexes mingle freely round the shore.

We saw no birds of either sex between June 28th and
July 2nd, while crossing the Barent’s Sea.

TIME OF NESTING.

When we first arrived at Green Harbour, on July 2nd, Ice
Fjord was practically free of ice ; but the small inlet of Green
Harbour contained a considerable amount of broken bay-ice,
which drifted out for the most part in the following week.
Where steep, the shores were still fringed with little cliffs of
compressed snow. On a piece of snowy tundra at the head
of the inlet several pairs of Eiders were already sitting on
eggs. About an equal number were not yet breeding, and were
swimming in the open water, accompanied by many of the
drakes from pairs already breeding. The males were in
excess of the females; a typical party would contain about
five drakes to every duck. Wherever she went, an isolated
duck would be followed by two or three drakes. There were
also parties numbering up to twenty or so of unattached
drakes, and pairs of birds which appeared to be mated, but
had not yet started nesting. Mr. Elton noted similar condi-
tions among the Eiders at Gip’s Bay, in June Ig2t.

The courtship seemed to consist entirely of the drakes
swimming round the ducks, spasmodically flinging the head
and neck upwards, simultaneously uttering their well-known
groaning call. This was the condition of affairs up to July 6th.

On Deer Bay Island, King’s Bay, conditions were different.
The bay was almost free of ice, the vegetation of the island
was extremely rich, and the situation probably warmed by
warm winds from off the encircling Blomstrand Glacier. The
majority of the birds were already sitting upon full nests on
the island, and a relatively small number of ducks were
swimming with the mass of the drakes in the open water.
This area was visited on July 7th.

Liefde Bay, on the north coast of Spitsbergen, was reached
on the morning of July 9th. Ice conditions, naturally, were
not so far advanced as at King’s Bay or Ice Fjord. As we
steamed up the coast a large field of loose bay-ice, recently
drifted out of the bay, stretched far out to sea. Within the
bay were many floes drifting out on the ebb, and the shores
were fringed with compressed snow. None the less the

140 BRITISH BIRDS. : [VOL. XIX.

breeding of the Eiders on the islets within the bay was con-
siderably more advanced than further south. Practically
all the ducks were sitting on full nests, and no signs of courtship
were observed. As far as could be judged through glasses
from the deck of the boat, this was also the state of affairs
on the Norways Islands, further westward along the north
coast, passed on July 8th.

The impression gathered was that the Eiders preferred,
where possible, to wait until the fjords were nearly ice free
to breed ; this they could do on the west coast, owing to the
longer open season. Lamont (Yachting in the Arctic Seas,
London, 1876) observed in King’s Bay that they did not
breed on known Eider-holms while these were joined by ice
to the mainland, but waited in nearby open water for the
ice to break. But on the north coast, where a descent of the
pack might cut short the available breeding time, and winter
conditions start earlier, they begin breeding as soon as possible.

Exactly the same conditions are found with the Arctic Tern
(Sterna macrura) occupying similar nesting places.

NESTING HABITS.

There is very considerable variation in the nesting site
selected. While islands are preferred, the birds will occupy
the mainland when these are not present. As mentioned,
they bred on the tundra at Green Harbour ; they also nested
all over the coasts of North East Land, in the absence of ice,
including even the east coast. This is of particular interest
in that that coast is in many years permanently ice-bound,
and is comparatively rarely free of ice for any length of time.

Of actual types of ground, thick vegetation, as found on
Deer Bay Island, was most favoured ; then came the thinner
tundra-vegetation as found on the more northerly islets.
Least favoured of all, and rarely used if any other site was
available, was the bare shingle. This was the typical nesting
site on Low Island, the Foster and Waiigats Islands, and on
the coasts of North East Land. It was notable how on the
island-groups in Liefde Bay an islet bearing tundra vegetation
would be covered with nests, some of them even overflowing
down on to the shingle beach; while a barer islet, separated
only by a hundred yards or so of channel, would be entirely
unoccupied. There did not appear to be any instinct for
the monopolizing and defence of territory while nesting ;
I saw three nests within a square yard on a peculiarly favour-
able spot, and never saw any ill-feeling between birds nesting
together.

VOL, XIX.] THE NORTHERN EIDER. 141

Deer Bay Island was, very roughly, half a mile long by a
quarter across, and rose to an elevation of about sixty feet.
There were hundreds of nests upon it, and not one was more
than a hundred and fifty yards from the shore. The altitude
did not affect them, or the type of ground on the island ;
distance from the sea appeared to be the controlling factor.
As far as I could see, there was a similar coastal belt round
the Norways Islands. The lesser islets, only a few hundred
yards across, were more generally covered by the nesting birds.

On luxuriant vegetation the nest of down is usually in a
natural depression between the clumps ; on tundra a distinct
hollow is scraped out first. On two or three occasions I found
nests composed entirely of fine moss, with no down in their
make-up ; possibly the owners had failed in an earlier attempt
to breed, and being in poor condition had been unable to
supply any more. Nests upon shingle were sometimes
sheltered in driftwood, small portions of which might even
be used for building purposes. These were the only cases
in which we noted any nesting material other than down
being used.

MOVEMENTS AND BEHAVIOUR OF THE DRAKES.

The drakes are the first to arrive off the coast, and soon
repair to the breeding places. Here, for the first fortnight
or so, of July they were in excess of the ducks. A small
proportion—tro per cent. to 15 per cent.—would spend much
time in the earlier stages of brooding sitting a few feet away
from the nest, as though on guard. We did not see them
brood at all; nor did they keep up this watch through the
whole incubation period. The remainder gathered together
into bachelor flocks of as many as a hundred strong on the
surrounding water, and took no more notice of their mates.

In Liefde Bay their numbers began to lessen early in August,
and by the end of the month only an odd drake or two
remained. When we returned to Ice Fjord in the first week
of September, they had all vanished from there too, though
females and young were still numerous.

BEHAVIOUR OF DUCKs.,

The ducks were close sitters, often remaining on the nest
until an intruder was within a yard or two. This boldness
was in part dependent on numbers ; isolated birds left their
nests a great deal sooner. On a few occasions a bird feigned
injury, but this was unusual. As a rule they either walked
quietly off, or flew directly out to sea. Unlike most of the

142 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XIX.

Spitsbergen birds, Mr. A. N. Rankin, our photographer, found
them shy and hard to take actually sitting on the nest.

I never saw a nest in which the eggs had been covered in
down, even when the birds had left unhurriedly. Very
commonly, though, as a duck left her nest hastily, her
“ kick-off ’’ had the effect of folding back the side of the nest
behind her, so that it fell across the eggs, thus partly covering
them. I do not think it could be called a purposive action.

It was also notable that when an Fider left her nest hastily,
she extruded over the eggs a nauseous-smelling liquid, often
taken to serve as a protection. But the only enemies to
Northern Eider eggs, apart from man, are Skua Gulls and
foxes. The latter do not occur on the islands forming the
principal breeding haunts, being very averse to swimming ;
and against the former it is no protection at all. Moreover,
when a disturbed bird left her nest unhurriedly, this ejaculaticn
of fluid did not occur. It is, I think, simply an incidental
result of sudden emotion stimulating the alimentary canal
—a very familiar cause and effect.

CARE OF YOUNG.

Immediately on hatching, the young are led down to the
shore and out into the water; for some days they keep to
the shallows close to the shore. They were not observed to
lead out the newly-hatched young on fresh water, after the
manner of the King Eiders. This difference is due, I fancy,
to the fact that the young Eiders are fed almost exclusively
on marine molluscs. (See section on Food.) To my regret,
I was never able to witness the actual passage of the young
ducklings to water.

In Liefde Bay the young were first seen on the water on
July 23rd; Dr. H. W. Florey noted them off the east coast
of North East Land in the first week of August.

The precise number of young is hard to determine, as the
Spitsbergen breeding places are so harried by trappers and
men from the sealers that it is impossible to say for certain
whether any nest holds a full clutch or not. Presumably
undisturbed broods on North East Land coasts consisted
of six or seven chicks.

After they have been a short time on the water, the care
of the young seems to become almost promiscuous. Single
ducks may be seen escorting as many as sixteen or seventeen
ducklings ; on the other hand, a couple of ducks may be
tully occupied tending two or three youngsters. In some
cases the appearance of things is of a party of ducks indis-
criminately tending a slightly larger party of ducklings.

von. xIx.] THE NORTHERN EIDER. 143

There were several sharp frosts in the latter half of August,
which caused a considerable mortality among the young
Eiders. Remains of them were also found in the stomachs
of Skuas and Glaucous Gulls.

It seems possible that a heavy mortality of young consequent
on these factors might play a part in producing this confusion
of family relationships.

In the first week of September, both on the north and west
coasts, ducks and young were flocking together in the deep
open waters of the bays. In these flocks the young scarcely
outnumbered the old birds ; the mortality among them was
probably unusually heavy in 1924, owing to the late summer
and early cold.

When we left Liefde Bay on September rst, the ice-pack
was a very few miles from the north-east coast, and would
probably have closed down within a week or so. Open water
would, of course, remain for some time longer within a land-
locked bay such as Liefde Bay ; even so, it appeared that the
winter would catch a considerable number of ducklings still
unfitted for migration. We saw no Eiders of either sex on
the Barent’s Sea between September 6th and roth,

ECOLOGICAL RELATIONSHIPS.

It has been said that the Eiders derive protection against
enemies, especially Skuas, from nesting in close relationship
with the Arctic Terns. Observation did not support this
view. Though often nesting on the same islets, they did not
always do so. On Deer Bay Island nesting was in full swing
when only a few isolated pairs of Terns had begun breeding.
An Arctic Skua which is flying above an islet jointly occupied
by the two species is mobbed by the Terns, but I have never
seen one really driven away. Repeatedly I have seen Skuas
settled down sucking the eggs from an Eider nest in the
middle of a Ternery, and noted that they received very little
attention from the Terns while so occupied ; when they tock
wing again, they were swooped at repeatedly. In two or
three cases in which Skuas carried off Eider eggs in their
feet, the attentions of the Terns compelled them to drop
their captures.

I have seen an Eider duck successfully defend her nest
against the attack of a Skua ; judging by the small numbers
of sucked eggs found in a colony, I think only uncovered
nests are raided. From a little distance away, while the
ducks were still undisturbed, I never saw a raid carried out ;
but repeatedly, as soon as our closer approach drove the

144. : BRITISH BIRDS. [vo. XIx.

Eiders from their nests, the Skuas came circling round us.
On one occasion I noticed four of them resting on a spit of
shingle which projected from one end of an Eider-holm. As
I watched, two people appeared on the islet, disturbing the
sitting ducks; at once all four Skuas rose in the air, and,
regardless of the Terns, descended on the uncovered nests.

I do not think the Eiders derive any protection against
Skuas from the Terns. We never saw a Glaucous Gull
raiding nests, though chicks were found in their stomachs ;
probably their slower flight renders them more susceptible
to the attacks of Terns.

Foop.

A large number of stomach examinations were made on
birds of both sexes and all ages. In every case the principal
food was molluscan, and in every case about 70 per cent. to
80 per cent. consisted of a Chiton. Fragments of Maia
were also found, and, less frequently, of Conus.

The food is broken up in the gizzard, and not, as sometimes
stated, in the heavy bill. I have obtained whole Chitons,
and a Conus shell over an inch in length, unbroken, from
the gullets of freshly-killed birds.

Examination of droppings revealed a small but regular
amount of vegetable food ; but only once or twice were the
ducks seen grazing. The grass consumed was Glycera
vilfoidea, which occurs on salt marshes near the coast.

PARASITES.

An Acanthocephaline worm was obtained from the small
intestine of a female Eider shot on Reindeer Peninsula,
Liefde Bay, on July 14th. It was identified by Dr. H. A.
Baylis, of the British Natural History Museum, as Fuilicollis
boiulus (Van Cleave, Ig16).

This parasite has once previously been recorded from an
Eider obtained in Spitsbergen. (N. Kostylev. ‘‘ Sur les
Acanthocephales de l’Eider (S. mollissima L.), Parasitology,
Vol. XIV., p. 372, 1922.) It has also been obtained from
the Murmansk Ccast.

( 145 )

FURTHER NOTES ON THE NESYING OF THE
FLAMINGO AND GULL-BILLED TERN IN
THE CAMARGUE.

BY
WILLIAM E. GLEGG.

As a result of my experiences in 1924 in this district, which
have been described in a series of articles (Vol. XVIII.,
pp. 90, 146, 202, XIX., p. 82), I decided to make another
attempt to obtain information and photographs of the nesting
of the Camargue Flamingos. I arrived at Les Saintes Maries,
where I again made my headquarters, on May 31st, 1925, but
on account of difficulties with the local authorities I was
unable to commence serious observations for a few days.
Fortunately, with the aid of the British Consul at Marseilles
and a letter of introduction from M. Ménégaux, President of
the Société Ornithologique de France, the obstacles were
overcome, and on June 5th I was free to go where I liked. On
this day I set out for the islands of the Etang du Valcarés,
where we had found the eggs of the Flamingo in 1924. The
Flamingos were present in great numbers. I estimated that
a detached flock, which took flight on my approach, contained
some two or three hundred birds, and a comparison of this
flock with the main body, which was stretched out over as
much of the large étang as could be seen, showed that the
total population must be estimated in thousands. On
reaching the island, where we had found the laying of some
two hundred eggs in 1924, I found the nesting ground almost
completely covered by water, in which there was a single
Flamingo’s egg partially submerged. Proceeding to the
island immediately to the north, where we had found the laying
of one hundred eggs in 1924, I found eight, two of which were
partially covered by water, and six were lying within an area
of a few square yards, but only two were sufficiently close
together to be included in the same photograph. There were
other signs of the presence of the Flamingos on this island,
_as there were many of the beautiful feathers scattered about.
Ona subsequent visit I saw another egg on this island, bringing
the total found here to nine. Further islands in this direction
were explored, but no more eggs or any signs of nesting were
seen. Some days later I found that the mud on the more
southerly island was no longer covered by water, the wind
having changed. This disclosed further interesting evidence,

146 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

as I discovered a second egg and, what was more important,
the broken shells of many eggs scattered over the mud. I
have no doubt that I had before me the remains of one of
these remarkable layings which had been deposited in this
season. To a considerable extent my experiences of 1925
were a repetition of those of the preceding season. Further
visits to this étang were devoted to searching the islands and
shores eastwards, but although it may be said that all the
southern portion of this étang and its islands were explored no
further eggs or any signs of nests, old or otherwise, were found.
A few birds were seen feeding on the eastern side of the étang,
but the main body confined its attentions to the Etang de
l’Imperial, by which name the south-west of Valcarés is
known. During the various visits I made to the étang I
always saw the Flamingos in great numbers, but I never saw
anything to make me think that they were nesting. On the
occasion of my last visit, June 16th, all the eggs were in
position as originally found. So far as the conditions were
concerned they appeared to be similar to those of 1924.
There may have been rather more water in the étang, but it
did not make any difference to wading.

Since the publication of my first article on this species, a
contribution to the subject, entitled “ ‘Sur la nidification
des Flamants en Camargue,’ par A. Gibert et A. Ménégaux,”
has appeared in Revue francaise d’Ornithologie (No. IoI,
pp. 67-72). M. Gibert states that an illustration which
accompanies his article represents a view of the Etang
de l’Imperial and that more than 350 nests of the
Flamingo could be counted. This may be the photograph
referred to by Mr. C. Ingram (British Birds, Vol. XVIIL.,
p. 198). M. Gibert claims that this is proof that the
Flamingos nest sometimes in the Camargue, although inter-
mittently and with long lapses of time. Continuing, this
author relates that during the previous two or three years
Flamingos were scarce in the Camargue, and to such a point
that they appeared to have abandoned it, but in 1924 they
were very numerous, so much so that he hoped to find the
nests. Being informed that the Flamingos had built their
nests in the neighbourhood of the Radeau de Redouiére,
which separates the Etangs de Malagroy and de |’Imperial,
some days after, on July 12th, 1924, he visited the place, but
all that he could find were two Flamingos’ eggs, lying on
the mud, no nests being seen. M. Gibert further states that
he was informed by “ le garde-chasse de Bardouine,”’ M. Millet,
who visited the étangs daily, that he often found the eggs of

voL. xIx.] NESTING IN THE CAMARGUE. 147

the Flamingo, but that he had never seen either the nests
or the young. This author concludes by stating that the
two eggs which he found contained the embryos of young
birds. M. Ménégaux relates that in 1914 the number of
Flamingos was very large, and that during a short stay in
the Camargue during Easter, 1914, he saw numerous flights
of this species between le Salin de Giraud et Beauduc, which,
I may explain, is to the south and east of Valcares. He
continues that several people assured him that during the
past winter, which had been very cold, more than 600
“Flamants gris tacheté” had been killed, having been captured
while their feet were imprisoned in the ice. These were the
young ot the previous year, which the inhabitants regarded
as another species, of much greater superiority than the other
from the culinary point of view, This is the extent of the
contribution of M. Ménégaux.

Unfortunately, of what little information we possess
regarding the Camargue Flamingos, some of the most
important is second-hand and does not originate from orni-
thologists ; however, it cannot be overlooked. During one
of my explorations, having consumed all my wine, I was
driven to seek liquid refreshment at a very isolated dwelling
on the shores of Valcarés. I asked the hospitable owner if
she had ever seen the nest of the Flamingo, and with pointed
swiftness the answer came that they did not make a nest but
laid their eggs on the ground. The significance of this remark
is obvious. The idea seems to have taken root that the
Camargue Flamingos were steadily being exterminated as
the results of persecution. That these birds have suffered
by the progress of agriculture and industrialism, and must
eventually disappear if some of the étangs are not reserved
for their benefit, cannot be denied. However, if the results
of my two visits to the district are of any value, there is still
ample seclusion for the Flamingo to rear many young. Mr.
C. Ingram, in a letter (Vol. XVIII., p. 198), writes of these
birds: “‘ Their manner of laying in this haphazard way on
the open ground seems to indicate that the birds have been
so systematically and persistently disturbed that they no
longer attempt serious nidification.”” I do not say that this
may not be so, but I doubt if the evidence, on which to base
such a statement, exists. M. Ménégaux shows that a large
number of young Flamingos were reared in the Camargue as
recently as 1913, and but for the very extraordinary circum-
stances would have survived. Probably conditions have not
altered during the last twelve years.

148 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

The evidence, which we now possess suggests whatever
the cause may be, that it is a habit of the Camargue Flamingos
to drop their eggs on the mud and leave them there. Before
concluding that this habit results from persecution, might it
not be advisable to keep an open mind on the question, remem -
bering how little we know of the habits of this bird as a species.
The usual result of persecution is that the birds disappear
altogether ; that has certainly been the effect on other species.
Do we know that the Flamingo ever nested annually in the
Camargue and also have we evidence of its annual numbers,
say a hundred years ago? My attention has been drawn to
the following statement on this species: in Mr. F. Finn’s
How to know the Indian Waders, p. 72: “in the spring they
are given to casually dropping ie eggs about, without
troubling to sit on them. So that the mere finding of eggs
does not prove that the birds are necessarily breeding in a
given locality.”

Unfortunately, this statement is unsupported, but if this
be true of the Flamingos of India, one must incline to the
idea that this is a habit of the species, and we must look for
some other cause than persecution. Variation in the amount
of food available might well be a cause.

Much observation remains to be done on these Flamingos,
but the task is one which should be undertaken by local
observers.

GULL-BILLED TERN (Gelochelidon n. nilotica).—I am pleased
to say that I found the colony thriving. Probably there were
as many birds as in 1924, but the number of Common Terns
had increased. The question of the sizes of the clutches
engaged my attention, anda search resulted in the finding of
six nests with five eggs and six nests with four eggs. This
fully confirms my experiences of 1924 and suggests that it is
a fixed function of the Gull-billed Terns of the Camargue to
lay large clutches. Two of these clutches of five were photo-
graphed as evidence.. The eggs of No. 1 clutch were all
similar, but one was slightly browner than the others. In
the case of No. 2 clutch the eggs were again similar, but two
had a somewhat darker brown ground than the other three.
My first visit to the colony was made on June 5th, when I
found that quite a number of young had hatched out, but
none were more than a day or two old. During subsequent
visits, with many young about, there was much activity in
the colony and I had plenty of opportunities of observing
feeding. The only food that I saw brought consisted of small
fish.

“ BRITISH BIRDS” MARKING SCHEME.

‘ RINGERS ” are requested to send in to the Editor, not later
than November 30th, their schedules, together with a list
showing the number of each species ringed.

BIRDS’ USE OF LAND-MARKS AS GUIDES TO NEST.

IN connection with Mr. Jourdain’s interesting note (antea,
p. 98) on birds making use of prominent land-marks, I may
perhaps record an experience at Ravenglass. Having photo-
graphed a Ringed Plover (Charadrius h. hiaticula), a Little
Tern (Sterna a. albifrons) and a Common Tern (Sterna h.
hirundo) all I wished to, I emerged from the tent and removed
to a distance of a few feet the most prominent adjacent land-
mark—a branch in one case and the largest stone in others—
to find that the birds on each occasion of their next few visits.
to the nest, returned to the land-mark ; and only located the
eggs with some degree of difficulty. JASPER ATKINSON.

JUNE MIGRATION IN THE BAY OF BISCAY.

ON June 13th, 1925, 4 p.m., in the Bay of Biscay, Lat. 45° 50’ N
Long. 7° 10’ west, we observed at the same time a Red-backed
Shrike (Lantus collurio), probably female, and a Turtle Dove
(Turtur turtur) on board the R.M.S.P. “ Andes.” A light
northerly breeze was blowing and no strong off-shore wind
had blown for a week.
Allowing for errors, this position is at least 150 miles from
the nearest land. A. H. N. WILson.
CHARLES E. BAKER.

RAVEN NESTING IN HERONRY.

IN 1924 a pair of Ravens (Corvus c. corax) nested in the middle
of a Devonshire heronry which shall be nameless. The nest
was in a stout pine at no great height, but the tree is a difficult
one to negotiate.

On April 3rd I watched from a hide which I built in full
view of the birds on the ground, and at this date one or both
of the birds came again and again to the tree and stayed for
intervals of half a minute to three or four minutes. Many
Herons’ nests were only a few yards away, and usually all
birds returning to them were sorely worried by the Ravens.
in the air, but when once they had perched the persecution

150 BRITISH BIRDS, [VOL. XIX.

stopped. I discovered one fresh Heron’s egg with a big hole
and sucked, but, judging from the number of young birds
later on, the Heronry in general appeared to suffer very little.
Some years back a Carrion-Crow (C. c. corone) nested very
close to this spot and was probably a more dangerous neigh-
bour. Once I watched a Raven mount slowly up a very tall
pine to a nest at the extreme top; just as he reached the
edge, a gaunt grey figure arose in a formidable crouching
position, and the Raven started back with a most comical
ejaculation.

The young Ravens were still in the nest and very noisy on
May 6th, and four were reported safely fledged. But at this
stage they are a very easy prey to the gunner, and a fortnight
later I found two of their corpses at the foot of a neighbouring
tree.

This year (1925) the same nest was again used, and a brood
got off undisturbed, but I fear that they must have come to
grief once more. In the second week of July the owner of
the property told me that he had put the birds out of the
same tree and asked me if it was possible they had an occupied
nest at that date. I thought this interesting enough to
investigate, and visited the tree a day or two later with a
friend. Though we saw and heard nothing of the Ravens,
he had come prepared for a climb, and with a rope he made
the ascent. Strangely enough, when he was half way up,
both Ravens suddenly appeared and made a hostile demon-
stration, flying almost at him. They sheered off almost as
quickly as they had come and we saw no more of them. The
nest proved to be quite empty. It was flattened out and
much more “ white washed’”’ than when it contained the
Ravens. I have no doubt that Herons had used it for a
second brood, and my impression is that there used to be a
nest there before the advent of the Ravens. <A curious
feature of the nest was that about three feet above it there
was a slight platform of sticks which, when the young were
in the very exposed nest, undoubtedly sheltered them from
the sun for several hours in the day. I have been informed
of another nest in a tree, only about a mile distant from this,
which was occupied by Ravens this season. There is at least
one good inland cliff in the vicinity which seems to offer
facilities. A. H. MACHELL Cox.

HOODED CROW IN MONMOUTHSHIRE.

A HoopveED Crow (Corvus c. cornix) was shot on October 12th,
1925, near Undy, a hamlet on the right or north bank of the

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 151

Severn. It was feeding with some Rooks (Corvus f. frugilegus),
and was the only one of its kind seen.

The estuary of the Severn at this point is about five miles
wide, and subject to very high tides, which leave large ex-
panses of mud and sand at low water—good feeding ground for
Hooded Crows.

I have been looking out for this bird for many years, and
have made many enquiries, but this is the first I have come
across, and I do not know of any previous record for the
county. R. C. BANKs.

GREENFINCH MIGRATING BETWEEN AUSTRALIA
AND NEW ZEALAND.

On August 30th, 1925, while en route between Wellington,
New Zealand, and Sydney, Australia, and 500 nautical miles
from the latter place, a Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) came on
board at 4.10 p.m.

The Greenfinch is firmly established in both countries, but
is commoner in New Zealand, and the period is, of course,
early spring. A. H. N, Witson.

RED-BACKED -SHRIKE’S LARDER.

My friend, Mr. H. A. Greatorex of Witton, near Norwich,
found an unusually large larder of a Red-backed Shrike
(Lanius c. collurio) this summer. It was situated in a large,
wild garden. A lot of small thorn trees had been cut down
and thrown in a heap on the ground. The heap extended for
several yards and was about two feet high. Fixed on thorns
on the top of the heap and scattered in small groups all over
it were the following :—5 shrew mice ; I large frog; 2 small
birds (apparently young Whitethroats) ; 2 bumble bees; 1
small beetle.

Mr. Greatorex kept a watch on the larder, nearly all of
which was consumed, with the exception of one or two dried
up remains. NW TRACY.

GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER NESTING IN NORTH
LINCOLNSHIRE.

In a certain locality in North Lincolnshire I have for some
years past heard or seen a Grasshopper-Warbler (Locustella n.
nevia) occasionally. .
On May 17th, 1925, at 6 p.m., I saw a small bird flit over
the heather for a few yards and drop into a thick bush. I
watched and in a minute it crept out and sat, still and silent,
in the bottom branches watching me. It then dropped into

152 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoOL. XIx.

long heather under the bush and I had to beat it out in order
to identify it for certain. It had run in the heather four yards
and was undoubtedly a Grasshopper-Warbler.

I returned the next day and tapped the low bushes near
the spot and heard a slight rustle from one ; looking right into
the bottom I saw a small thing like a brown mouse running
on the bottom and the well-hidden nest containing five eggs.

W. S. MEDLICOTT.

UNLINED NEST OF WILLOW-WARBLER.

In 1925 I watched a Willow-Warbler (Phylloscopus t. trochalus)
building its nest in a much frequented spot. It brought off
a brood. The nest had not a single feather in it, though I
examined it minutely. Perhaps this is not really so un-
common as it is in my experience ? A. H. MACHELL Cox.

[Out of hundreds of nests of this species examined, only one
lacked the feather lining. This was in a wood in S.W. Derby-
shire and was built of bracken without a single feather, but
other nests in the same wood were normally built.—F.C.R.J.}

EARLY ARRIVAL OF REDWINGS IN DEVON.

On August 30th, 1925, near Budleigh Salterton, I saw a party
of eight Redwings (Turdus musicus) flying overhead in a
south-westerly direction. They flew low and the evening
sun shone on their red flanks, so there was no mistake. This
is a very unusual date for South Devon.

W. WALMESLEY WHITE.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER AND NUTHATCH
IN SAME TREE.

In 1924 I discovered a Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates
major anglicus) and a Nuthatch (Sita europea affinis) nesting
in the same tree, the holes being in different boughs but only
about fifteen feet apart ; a Blue Tit (Parus ceruleus obscurus)
also occupied an old Woodpecker’s hole between these.

In 1925 both Woodpecker and Nuthatch again brought off
broods from the same holes, and it will be interesting to see
if Mr. Owen’s experience of the habits of the Woodpecker
will be confirmed next year. The tree is an oak.

A. H. MACHELL Cox.

SHARE OF SEXES IN INCUBATION OF THE GREAT
SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

Wirth reference to Mr. J. H. Owen’s article (antea, p. 125) on
the nesting of the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates major

VOL. XIx.] NOTES. 153

anglicus), I see that he says that he does not know if the male
bird takes any part in incubation. A few years ago, In
Hampshire, I spent some time watching a Great Spotted
Woodpecker’s nest, and on several occasions I saw one of the
birds fly up to the tree and settle on the opposite side to the
hole and tap loudly two or three times, when the sitting bird
flew out of the hole and the new arrival worked round the tree
and slipped in and remained for some considerable time.
N. TRACY,

THE INCUBATION- AND FLEDGING-PERIODS OF
THE SPARROW-HAWK.

Two nests of the Sparrow-Hawk (Accipiter n. nisus) were
found when the birds were building them, and as the eggs
were laid, w:th one exception on alternate days, they were
marked with the date of laying in order to discover in what
order they hatched. Each clutch consisted of four eggs, but
in one the fourth was infertile ; in each the first egg laid was
the third to hatch, in one nest about forty-six hours, in the
other about twenty-six hours, after the second and third eggs
laid had hatched. The second and third eggs hatched on the
same day, but unfortunately it was not discovered which egg
hatched first.

PAIR NO. r. INCUBATION BEGAN ON MAY 18ru.

| Incuba- |
“ : Young :
Egg ‘ : tion s Fledging-
Non Laid. Chipped. Hatched. Bariodk: — Partod.
Days. Days.
Se a Gee G | ee es ees ee Se eee ee

I | May 13 June 22 June 24 37 July 21 27

2 ate ™5 ” 20 ” 22 35 ” 2r .

3 17 20 ” 22 35 yp | ee 29

4 20 Infertile

Some information was obtained regarding the chipping-
period of these eggs, but it was only determined approximately,
as In every case when the nest was visited the eggs had been
chipped a few hours and the nestlings hatched two or three
hours. On June 20th at 6 p.m. eggs Nos. 2 and 3 were
chipped, eggs Nos. 1 and 4 unchipped. At 10.45 a.m. on
June 22nd both these nestlings were out, the down on one
still wet ; the chipping-period was about forty hours. Egg
No. I was chipped at 10.45 a.m. on June 22nd and hatched
on June 24th at 9.15 a.m., chipping-period under forty-six
hours.

M

154 BRITISH BIRDS. VOR, XX,
PAIR NO, 2. INCUBATION BEGAN ON JUNE 4ru.
ise ee Young Fledging
ste) Laid, Chipped. Hatched, F left the Period, ,
No Period t ine
Days nest. ays:
I May 31 July 6 July 7 33 August 4 28
2 June 2 ? 93 2 » 4 29
3 »” ao ? ” 6 32 ? 4 29
4 5 6 Jpullye ne 32 3 4 27

On July 6th at 9 a.m. eggs Nos. 2 and 3 were almost hatched
and egg No. I had been chipped for several hours ; six hours
later the two nestlings were out. At noon on July 7th the
nestling had just emerged from egg No. 1, the chipping-period
being considerably over twenty-seven hours; also egg No. 4
was well chipped, and hatched the next day.

Another nest was found when it held one egg ; other four
eggs were laid but unfortunately none were marked with the
date of laying. One nestling was hatched a day before the
next two, and in the table below it is assumed this nestling
hatched from egg No. 4 and that eggs Nos. 2 and 3 hatched
on the same day, followed by eggs Nos. rand 5. This assump-
tion is strengthened by the fact that when incubation began
on May 14th egg No. I was six days old and egg No. 2 four
days old.

PAIR NO. 3. INCUBATION BEGAN ON MAY 141TH.
Ee mueu bee Young Fledging-
88 Laid. Chipped, | Hatched, left the Period.
No. Period, si ahs
Days. nest. ays.
I May 8 June 16 June 18 35 July 12 24
2 es HO: ? ¥ 16 33 ‘pee 26
3 yy ee ? x 16 33 . 12 26
4 yok ? be eee. 32 ye 27
5 ; 16 June 18 “ 20 35 Disappeared |by June
29th

The exact chipping-period of egg No. 5 was discovered.
On June 18th at 10 p.m. it was just beginning to chip, and at
12.45 p.m. on June 20th the nestling emerged from the egg,
the chipping-period being thirty-eight and three-quarter hours.

With regard to the fledging-period, in each case the whole
brood flew from the nest-tree on the dates mentioned, and
although one or two young in each brood were not fully
feathered it was not possible to differentiate these from the

VOL. XIx,] NOTES. 155

rest, hence the fledging-period is based on the dates when the
eggs hatched and when the brood left the nest-tree.
R. H. BRown.

[For previous notes on incubation-period see Zoologist 1894,
P. 341; 1910, p. 11, and B.B, VIII., p. 193; XV., p. 74, etc.
For fledging period see Zoologist 1909, p. 466; I9gI0, p. II.—
F Cok. T,|

PUFFIN IN BEDFORDSHIRE.

THE remains of a young Puffin (Fratercula arctica) which had
been partially eaten by rats were found in Woburn Park on
September 23rd, 1925. The weather had been very stormy.

M. BEDFORD.

ROSE-COLOURED STARLING IN HAMmpsHIRE.—Mr. A. P.
Martin states (Field, Aug. 20th, 1925, p. 338) that he watched
a Pastor roseus in Hampshire (locality not mentioned) on
August 9th, 1925.

GOLDEN ORIOLE IN KIRCUDBRIGHTSHIRE.—Mr. R. L.
Tait states (Scot. Nal., 1925, p. I00) that a dead Oriolus
oriolus was picked up at Gatehouse on May 6th, 1925.

HAWFINCH IN SCOTLAND.—In an article on this subject
(Scot. Nat., 1925, pp. 39-45) Mr. J. Kirke Nash traces the
history of the Hawfinch (Cozcothraustes c. coccothraustes) in
Scotland, and in this we note some omissions, notably the
breeding records from Dum‘riesshire (see H. S. Gladstone,
Birds of Dumfriesshire and Notes on the Birds of Dumfriesshire).
At the end of the article Mr. Kirke Nash describes his experi-
ences in 1g21 in East Lothian, where he found the Hawfinch
breeding.

BLACK-HEADED WAGTAIL SEEN IN DUMFRIESSHIRE.—Mr. W.
Stewart records (Scot. Nat., 1925, p. 107) that a Wagtail with
a jet-black head and brilliant yellow breast was watched by
him and his son in good light and at short distance with the
assistance of powerful binoculars on June 14th, 1925, in
Upper Nithsdale, a short distance up the Spango Water.
That this was an adult example of Motacilla flava feldegg
there can be no reasonable doubt. The bird has never been
recorded for Scotland before and only four or five times in
England.

CRESTED TIT IN LANARKSHIRE.—Mr. W. Stewart (Scot.
Nat., 1925, p. 46) states that a Crested Tit (Parus cristatus)

156 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

came several times in February, 1925, to some fat meat hung
out for birds at Airdrie.

BEAN-GEESE IN OUTER HEBRIDES.—Mr. G. Beveridge states
(Scot. Nat., 1925, p. 58) that two Geese shot on February 28th,
1925, at Lochmaddy, North Uist, have been identified by
him, as well as by Mr. P. D. Malloch of Perth, who stuffed
them, as Bean-Geese (Anser fabalis). This is only the second
authentic occurrence of this species in the Outer Hebrides.

Ruppy SHELD-DuUCK AND RED-CRESTED POCHARD IN
MIDLOTHIAN.—Messrs. D. Hamilton and J. K. Nash state
(Scot. Nat., 1925, p. 68) that a single example of Casarca
ferruginea frequented Duddingston Loch, near Edinburgh,
from October, 1924, to March 29th, 1925. The bird, which
was strong in flight and wary, appeared to be a wild one. On
the same loch Mr. C. G. Connell (¢.c. p. 21) identified a Red-
crested Pochard (Netta rufina) on December 21st, 1924, and
this was subsequently confirmed by Mr. Kirke Nash on the
28th.

RED-NECKED GREBE IN LEICESTERSHIRE.—Mr. W. H.
Barrow informs us that a male Podiceps g. griseigena was
picked up alive on the outskirts of Leicester early in March,
1924. It is now in the Leicester Museum.

ALBINISTIC LAPWING IN LEICESTERSHIRE.—Mr. W. H.
Barrow writes that a Vanellus vanellus was picked up at
Wanlip on January 2nd, 1925, having the parts normally
black coloured red-brown, while the green portions of the
plumage are cream. He suggests that it may be the same
bird as seen by Mr. J. S. Elliott in Bedfordshire in February,
1924 (Vol. XVIII., p. 304).

GREENSHANK NESTING IN Scottish LowLanps.—The
Editors of the Scottish Naturalist announce (1925, p. 107) that
they learn from a reliable source that the Greenshank (Tringa
mebularia) nested in 1925 and probably in 1924 on high
ground in the Lowlands. The 1925 nest was unfortunately
deserted owing to interference by sheep or shepherds, and
one of the eggs has been examined by the Editors, who state
that this is the first record of the nesting of the Greenshank
south of the Perthshire Highlands, though rumours of its
having done so have been current for several years.

GREY PHALAROPE IN NorroLrk.—Miss F. Collins writes
that she watched a Phalaropus fulicarius on a pond between
Salthouse and Sheringham on September roth and 2oth, 1925.

VOL.’ XIX.] NOTES. Lay

F2RoE Snipe at Farr Is-e.—Surgeon Rear-Admiral J. H
Stenhouse records the occurrence of a specimen of this race
of the Snipe (Capella g. faeroeensis) shot at Fair Isle on
December 24th, 1923, and now in the Royal Scottish Museum
(Scot. Nat., 1925, p. 58).

Ivory-GULL IN YORKSHIRE.—Mr. F. Snowdon records
(Nat., 1925, p. 149) that a Pagophila eburnea, which was much
emaciated and tame, was seen in Whitby Harbour on March
2nd, 1925, and watched for five days. It was eventually
caught on March 7th and died in captivity. The bird proved
to be a male in first winter plumage,

DEMOISELLE CRANE IN YORKSHIRE.—An adult female
Anthropoides virgo is recorded by Mr. F. Snowdon (Nat., 1925,
p. 148) as having been shot at Robin Hood’s Bay on July 5th,
1924. It will be remembered that Dr. B. B. Riviere watched
a Demoiselle Crane in north Norfolk cn June 17th, 1924
(Brit. B., Vol. XVIIL., p. 83), and it is of course possible that
the Yorkshire bird was the same individual.

LATE NEsT OF CAPERCAILLIE IN PERTHSHIRE.—Lord Scone
‘informs us that a Capercaillie (Tetrao wu. urogallus) hatched
out a clutch of seven eggs at Lynedoch, Almondbank, 350 ft.
above sea-level, during the last week of July, 1925. The eggs
would have therefore been laid at the end of June. J. G.
Millais states that on high ground some birds do not nest till
June, but information on the subject is very scanty.

InsEcT Foop oF PTarmMIGAN.—Mr. P. H. Grimshaw has
found in the crops of two Ptarmigan (Lagopus m. muillaist),
shot in Ross-shire, large numbers of the remains of a species
of Crane I'ly (Tipula). (Scot. Nat., 1925, p. 69.)

LETTERS.

THE MARSH- AND WILLOW-TIT IN CUMBERLAND.
To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

_ Strs,—The only method of establishing the identity of these species
is to have specimens examined by some competent authority as Mr.
T. L. Johnston has done in the case of the Willow-Tit (antea, pp. 96-97) ;
identification based solely on breeding-habits is not sufficient, as the
following record proves. From 1916 onwards there are various
references in my diaries to ‘‘ black-capped Tits,’”’ but to which species
they relate I could not say. The heads of these Tits are invariably
described as * jet-black ”’ (like the black crown of a male Blackcap) and
the alarm-note, when heard, as a ‘“‘ loud and penetrating ‘ tay-tay-tay.’ ”
In one locality where these Tits exist (and no Woodpeckers have been
seen or heard) several drilled holes have been found in dead alder and
willow stumps, but no nest found in them.

158 BRITISH BIRDS. [Vou. XIX.

In this same locality on June 2nd, 1923, a nest of five Tits was found
about four inches inside a natural hole in an alder, and the hole showed
no signs of having been worked. Both adults were seen, described in
my diary as having ‘‘ jet-black crowns, alarm-note of ‘ tay-tay-tay.’ ’
After the young had flown the nest was examined and consisted entirely
of matted hair-lining. That this case is not exceptional is proved by
Mr. Heatley Noble’s account (Vol. VII., p. 198) of Tits which, caught
on nests in natural holes and drilled holes, were examined by Dr.
Hartert and all classified as Marsh-Tits. R. H. Brown.

(Further evidence with regard to the respective nesting habits of the
two species is of course still desirable, but we are unable to accept
Mr. Brown’s inferences. He proves that the Marsh-Tit nests in his
district-of Cumberland and his evidence suggests that the Willow-Tit
does also. He produces no evidence, however, that the drilled holes
were in fact the work of Marsh-Tits. Heatley Noble’s evidence, to
which Mr. Brown refers, consists of one bird obtained from a drilled
hole and proved to be a Marsh-Tit, but it was not taken by himself, nor
did he see the hole or describe the nest.—EDs. ]

THE SONG AND COURTSHIP OF THE ROBIN.
To the Editors of BRiTIsH Brrps.

Sirs,—Mr. J. P. Burkitt in his fourth paper on the Robin (aniea,
pp. 120-124) has some remarks on the above subject, and as he states
that “‘ I mention these points because I have seen the reverse recently
assumed,” it would appear he is referring to my notes on the Robim
(antea, pp. 61-62). He says :—

(1) ‘‘ The rare occasions of female song with me have been mostly
on occasions of hostility. It is quite incorrect to assume that it neces-
sarily means courtship with the visitor.’’ This may generally be so,
but of the two instances I gave of presumed female song, that of
November 12th appeared, from the behaviour of the birds, to be
courtship.

(2) ‘“‘ Neither is it correct to assume that when one Robin perches
close under another which is singing on a tree, that the former is a
female to which the latter is singing.’”’ I agree with this statement
and the deduction that it is hostility, having seen several instances
of it myself, and my few notes on courtship are not based on this
assumption.

(3) ‘““ Nor again, that one Robin swaying its head from side to side
facing another in the well-known attitude is courtship.’ This may
be so, but in the case I gave the bird was also singing vigorously all
the time and this, together with the behaviour of both birds and the
season (mid-February), made me conclude it was courtship.

rR BROWN.

HOBBIES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
To the Editors of British Birps.

Srrs,—Capt. H. L. Cochrane writes ‘‘ It is to be regretted that these
birds also came to an untimely end,’ a sentiment with which I feel sure
most people willagree. But the occurrence in the North Buckingham-
shire oak wood, I contend, calls for something stronger than mere
expressions of regret. I should like to utter a protest against the
wanton slaughter of these seven Hobbies. Why were they shot ?
We are given to understand that the reasons for their death were

ee

VOL, XIX.] LETTERS. 159

because ‘‘ Within one hundred yards of the nesting tree, Pheasant rearing
was proceeding on a large scale,’’ but we are not told that the Pheasants
had suffered from the Falcons. The two pairs of Hobbies which
arrived this May seem to have been shot at sight, immediately after
their arrival, a time of year when they are not likely to trouble the
rearing field, as the Hobby is one of the latest of nesters, the young not
being hatched usually till well on in July. But does the Hobby
trouble the rearing field ? Our best observers say it seldom if ever
does, for this Falcon is chiefly insectivorous, feeding also on small
birds. Here is my experience of a pair I had under close observation.
These birds bred for eight seasons in succession in the same wood, and
I found that the castings and remains of quairy taken consisted
entirely of sinall birds, Pipits, Larks, etc., and once I found the remains
of a Swift, but never was there evidence of any game bird having been
killed. The present-day keeper is, as a rule, possessed of most accurate
knowledge, but it has to be remembered that he has but one object in
view, the preservation of game birds, anything which may affect them
he deals with, and he can scarcely be blamed for this attitude if his
employer has not taken the trouble to give him definite instructions
with regard to the preservation of certain species.

It is to be hoped that the owner of the estate in question will regulate
the proceedings of his keepers and prevent a recurrence of the slaughter
of our most beautiful Falcon. R.-E, Cotes:
October 12th, 1925.

BREEDING HABITS OF THE AVOCET.
To the Editors of British Brirps.

Srrs,—lI am surprised to find that Prof. Huxley in his most interesting
article on the Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) (antea, p. 88), lays so much
emphasis on the peaceable temperament of the bird. When in June,
1923, Mr. J. D. Clarke and I visited and photographed the Avocets on
the Prins Hendrik Polder we were both struck by their quarrelsome
nature. I find in my notes of the 17th of June the following: ‘‘ Avocets
are quarrelsome and have quite serious ‘scraps.’ They try to hit
with the legs and feet. Ihave seen them ‘ stoop’ at feeding Redshanks
(Tvinga totanus) and try to strike them with their feet as they passed
over.” And again: “ The old birds are intolerant of other species,
especially near their young, and will drive Redshanks away.” Also,
as I recorded in British Birds (Vol. XVII., p. 404), I have twice
observed Avocets chasing Spoonbills.

During my visit, although there were some nests with eggs and
many young about, I observed no “injury feigning,’ and whereas
Prof. Huxley found the bird “ not at all noisy,’’ I noticed a considerable
clamour. No doubt the different months in which we observed the
birds may account for the difference in the records.

As regards the feeding habits, my observations agree with those of
Dr. Longstaff, and in common with other recorders I remarked the
solicitude of the old birds for the young. Epwarp A. ARMSTRONG,

A Book About Birds. By E. L. Turner and Robert Gurney. (C.
Arthur Pearson Ltd.) 3s. 6d. net.

In this unpretentious little book of less than 120 pages the authors
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habits and characteristics of birds. It is intended primarily for the
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NY LoF ————= = SS ae
22 oe. ConTENTS OF NUMBER 7, VoL. XIX., DECEMBER I, 1925.
; oa ——— PAGE
ub Udtne Courtship of the Teal. By Henry Boase... duis it 162
+ ¢ xecovery of Marked Birds tes x es “htc ee 165
r M&XNotes :—

OQ a Large Raven Roost (R. Graham) see “ee 175
Migratory Thrushes in North Ayrshire (E. Richmond Paton) 175
Song-Thrushes’ Nests Converted by Blackbird and Hedge-

Sparrow (A. W. Boyd) 3 wae $s 176
Swift Brooding Young House-Sparrows (Joseph H. Symes) 177
Roller in Inverness-shire (C. W. Mackworth-Praed) T77
Hen-Harrier in Monmouthshire (R. C. Banks) 177
Goldeneyes and other Ducks on Cheshire Meres in Summer

(A. W. Boyd) 178

Short Notes :—_
Crossbills in Berkshire. Shore-Lark in Kent. White Wag-

tail Breeding with Pied in Shropshire. Black Redstart in

Kent. Aipine Swift in Kent. Little Owl Breeding in

Yorkshire. Hen-Harrier in Devon. Polygamy in the

Sparrow-Hawk. Variety of Lapwing.—Correction ane 179

Letter :—

The Marsh- and Willow-Tits in Cumberland (H.G. Alexander) 181
Reviews :—

Spusbergen Papers. Vol. J. ... ‘ 18%

Report of the Oxford Ornithological Society on the Birds | of
Oxfordshire, Berkshive and Buckinghamshire, 1923- aie

Edited by the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain and B. W. Tucker . 182
The London Naturalist. The Journal of the London Natural

History Society for the year 192 4 une ae a Ree 183
Bird-Song : A Manual for Field-Naturalists on the Songs and

Notes of some British Birds. By Stanley Morris ... 183
The Pocket Book of British Birds. By Richard Kearton inet

Howard Bentham a we 184
Woodcuis of British Birds. By I iE. Fitch Daglish oes ~ 54

N

( 162 )
THE COURTSHIP OF THE TEAL.
BY
HENRY BOASE.

THE display of the Teal (Amas c. crecca) has an appealing
daintiness about it; there is more grace and less of the
bizarre in the performance than in the case of the other
species the writer has watched. There appears also to be
more dependence on the colour effect in the plumage, particu-
larly the display of the contrasting areas of black and
gamboge-yellow of the tail.

As in other cases there is a tendency for the more formal
display to become almost a game or tournament, for a number
of males take part in a water dance where the interest appears
to le more in one another than in attracting by direct appeal
one or other of the watching females. When several females
are present, generally one becomes the centre of interest
while the others receive no attention. The males swim
round her in procession (the female meanwhile preening with
an air of complete detachment), turning now this way, now
that, spinning round and so reversing the direction of motion,
now one, now another, making the formal display, not neces-
sarily to the female—indeed, more often to a rival male.
Or the female herself may take the lead when the males
follow her, not in line but on either side, endeavouring as it
were to keep well in view and take the opportunity to make
formal display when the female turns aside towards one or
other of the pursuing males. Sooner or later the procession
breaks up in confusion and males display to one another or
ardent rivals spar.

The formal display opens in the manner of the Mallard, the
bill being dipped as the bird rises on the water exposing
the breast. The tip of the bill is drawn up the centre of the
breast with arched neck, the bird settling once more on the
water, and the act finishes with a momentary pause with
the bill somewhat raised and the neck more or less extended.
This particular form was seen early in the spring, in March,
when a group of Teal were playing on a small patch of open
water among the ice on a hill loch. Later on, in mid-April,
the display was somewhat different in detail. Most noticeable
‘also was the greater “ spring ”’ of the performance. So rapid
was it that although seen twenty times in ten minutes or so,
it proved almost impossible to determine with certainty
the details of the closing movement, where it appeared,
instead of the neck being extended, it was retracted, the

VoL. xIx.] COURTSHIP OF THE TEAL. 163

head swinging back as the neck shortened and ending with
the bill inclined upwards, while the final motion became an
upthrust of the hind portion of the body, recalling vaguely
the similar action of Goldeneye. In some cases, the neck
was stretched out with the head in line almost immediately
after the finish described, but this was not clearly part of the
ritual, though suggesting perhaps a connecting link to the
first form described.

There was still another and quite distinct form of display
given, and this was much more prominent on the occasion of
watching in March. It followed almost in every case imme-
diately after the display already described and consisted of
what might be termed a sudden spasm, when the bird is
transformed in an instant from a normal swimming attitude
to a posture with stiff upright neck, bill held level or rather
depressed, the head feathers erected, giving the head an
apparent increase in size, tail erected and appearing pointed,
all just for one tense moment, and then return to normal.

There is also a quieter side to the Teal’s courtship, perhaps
it may be, in fact, the time of actual selection, and those
formal games in open water may be merely jousting with
rivals attracted to a mated female. This indeed was seen
at the April watching and the male took every opportunity
of attacking the intruders by threats and rushes.

In the quiet days of early spring, in the shelter of the short
sedges just showing green or among the grass tufts on the
flooded bog, little groups of Teal coquette in peace. A female
preens in an unconcerned way, and a gay male swims by,
pauses, glances back, and gives a gentle shake to his tail.
He turns about and paddles by again, pretending that the
female at hand is of no interest, stretches himself deliberately
and turns his head from side to side so that the sun gleams
on his burnished crown, settles again with an air of pleased
conceit, and glances back with a view of measuring the
impression. Perhaps it is favourable and he turns about to
give that ceremonial bow which opens the first display,
acted slowly, however—no haste and almost always that
self-satisfied wriggle of the tail as he settles again. Some-
times the tail is jerked up, just flicked, and then he takes
another turn to and fro, watching the female first with the
one eye and then with the other, preferring, it would seem,
a position with his tail towards her, possibly because he
realises in quite a vague way that the patches of black and
gamboge-yellow form a striking portion of his delicately
pencilled plumage.

164 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

The female may go on preening, having no interest in the
passers-by : she may dart at the male as though to drive
him away or she may elect to go with him. Perhaps it was
all show after all and no romance in that back glance of the
male, just stretching his neck in the hope of seeing something
edible, yet it seems so natural and amusing to watch! Pro-
bably in most cases the first male is joined by others and the
game becomes more elaborate, ending perhaps by the party
going out into open water where the formal display or dance
is held.

In connection with the courtship, a bobbing motion of the
head and neck is sometimes used. It seems as it were a mode
of address of the male to the female, and is used by the mated
bird when he is pottering around feeding with his mate apart
from the parties which may be displaying or resting. This
action was also seen when a rival had exerted himself to rob
a male of his mate and was attacked by the injured party.
The female decided to test matters and departed, followed
instantly by the contestants, and after a turn up and down
the loch, returned to the same patch of open water and was
there rejoined by one of the males (which, of course, could
not be determined) who bobbed vigorously as he approached
her,

Teal at times show great excitement, plunging and splashing,
darting hither and thither, diving completely at times,
without any definite reason for this behaviour so far as
observation can determine. This habit has seemed more
common from July onwards and does not appear to be
connected with the display. A similar behaviour has been
seen in the case of Mallard and Shoveler but, as in the case of
Teal, the cause remains uncertain.

( 165 )

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

RAVEN (Corvus c. corax).—23,442, ringed at Glen Afton,
Ayrshire, as a young bird, by Mr. D. MacWatt (for Mr.
E. Richmond Paton), on April 16th, 1924. Reported at
Letterick Hill, Dunscore, Dumfriesshire, in May, 1925,
by Mr. John Dryden.

CARRION-CROW (Corvus c. corone).—72,867, ringed at Burton,
Cheshire, as a nestling, by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on May 4th,
1924. Reportcd at Soultcn, near Wem, Shropshire, in
May, 1925, by Mr. W. Ashton, per the ringer.
71,754, ringed at Malvern, Worcestershire, as a nestling,
by Mr. P. E. A. Morshead, on May 16th, 1924. Reported
at Bank Farm, West Malvern, on May 2oth, 1925, bv
Mr. Stephen Ballard.

Rook (Corvus f. frugilegus).—75,838, ringed near Huddles-
ceugh Hall, Cumberland, as a nestling, by Mr. R. H.
Brown, on April 30th, 1925. Reported at Alston,
Cumberland, on July r2th, 1925, by Mr. J. Fawcett.

STARLING (Sturnus v. vulgaris) —56,861, ringed at Strath-
blane, Stirlingshire, as a nestling, by Col. P. C. Macfarlane,
on May 16th, 1923. Reported at Campsie, Lanarkshire,
on May 31st, 1925, by Mr. G. Griffiths. The ring only
was found in a Tawny Owl’s nest.

A.5,526, ringed at Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire,
as a young bird, by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on May 17th,
1923. Reported at Balmore, West Stirlingshire, in
June, 1925, by Mr. W. Lennox.

Z.1,430, ringed at Eton, Bucks, as a bird of the year,
by Mr. A. Mayall, on August 27th, 1923. Reported at
Petworth, Sussex, on June 30th, 1925, by Mr. S. C.
Walker.

56,112, ringed at Cheadle, Staffs, as an adult, by Mr.
J. R. B. Masefield, on March 4th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on May 21st, 1925, by the ringer.

54,440, ringed at Bluntisham, St. Ives, Hunts, as a
nestling, by the Rev. E. Peake, on May 26th, 1924.
Reported where ringed on April 3rd, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

54,431, ringed as 54,440. Reported near where ringed,
on June 5th, 1925, by the ringer.

GREENFINCH (Chloris c. chloris)—C.7,557, ringed at Torrance,
near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a nestling, by Mr. J.

166

BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

Bartholomew, on May 26th, 1925. Reported at Burn-
bank, Lanarkshire, on September 30th, 1925, by Mr. G.
Paton per Cage Birds. Again released.

A.g9,356, ringed near Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult,
by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on February 28th, 1924. Reported
where ringed in March, 1924, and February, 1925, by the
ringer. Re-ringed B.9,064.

B.3,697, ringed as A.g,356, on January roth, 1925.
Reported where ringed, on July 5th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

LINNET (Carduelis c. cannabina).—C.1,044, ringed at Pyrford,

Surrey, as a nestling, by Mrs. L. E. Taylor, on July 2oth,
1924. Reported at Dover, Kent, late in April, 1925, by
Mr. 1. LE: Bratt.

CHAFFINCH (Fringilla c. calebs)—A.2,004, ringed at Gt.

Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult, by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on
February Ist, 1923. Reported where ringed on February
13th, 1923, and August 15th, 1924, by the ringer. Again
released.

A.2,033, ringed as A.2,004, on March Ist, 1923. Reported
where ringed, twice in March, 1923, and on March 8th,
1925, by the ringer. Again released.

A.2,043, ringed as A.2,004, on March 8th, 1923. Re-
ported where ringed on March 24th and December 4th,
1923, January 28th, 1924, and February goth, 1925, by
the ringer. Again released.

B.3,690, ringed as A.2,004, on November 2gth, 1924.
Reported where ringed five times in March, 1925, by the
ringer. Again released.

YELLOW Buntine (Emberiza c. citrinella).—A.2,008, ringed

near Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult, by Mr. A. W.
Boyd, on February 8th, 1923. Reported where ringed
on February 26th, 1923, and February gth, 1924, by the
ringer, and near where ringed on April 17th, 1925, by
Mr. J. Moore, per the ringer.

A.2,026, ringed as A.2,008, on February 26th, 1923.
Reported where ringed, on February 27th, and four times
in March, 1923, and on March 6th, 1924. Again released.
A.2,036, ringed as A.2,008, on March 2nd, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on February 25th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

A.4,368, ringed as A.2,008, on May 29th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on January 6th and July 4th, 1925, by the
ringer. Again released.

vol. Xtx.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 167

A.g,299, ringed as A.2,008, on February Ist, 1924.
Reported where ringed twice in February, 1924, and on
July 4th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.

B.9,087, ringed as A.2,008, on February 24th, 1925.
Reported where ringed on March 5th and July gth, 1925,
by the ringer. Again released.

B.g,121, ringed as A.2,008, on February 28th, 1925.
Reported where ringed, on July 8th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

B.9,175, ringed as A.2,008, on March roth, 1925. Re-
ported where ringed, on July 5th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

B.9,183, ringed as A.2,008, on March 11th, 1925. Re-
ported where ringed, on July 16th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

MistLE-THRUSH (Turdus v. viscivorus).—56,754, ringed at
Theale, near Reading, Berks, as a_ nestling, by Dr.
N. H. Joy, on May 2nd, 1924. Reported where ringed,
on June 18th, 1925, by the ringer.

SonG-THRUSH (Turdus ph. clarket).—7,171, ringed at Torrance,
near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young bird, by Mr. J.
Bartholomew, on June 13th, 1922. Reported at Drum-
chapel, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, early in May, 1925,
by Mr. G. Watt.

55,278, ringed as 7,171, on May 8th, 1923. Reported
at Cadder, near Glasgow, in May, 1925, by Mr. W. Heaney.
A.5,648, ringed as 7,171, on June Ist, 1923. Reported
where ringed, early in July, 1925, by the ringer.
B.8,209, ringed as 7,171, on June 15th, 1924. Reported
at Canonbie, Dumfriesshire, on July 22nd, 1925, by
Mr. J. Wightman.

57,726, ringed near Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult,
by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on March 2nd, 1924. Reported near
where ringed, on April 17th, 1925, by Mr. J. Moore, per
the ringer. ;

Z.8,280, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as a nestling, by
Mrs. L. E. Taylor, on May 25th, 1924. Reported near
where ringed, on May 25th, 1925, by the ringer. Found
dead in nesting hole of Little Owl.

Z.1,490, ringed at Streatham, London, S.W., as a young
bird, by Mr. J. F. Mitchell, on July 7th, 1924. Reported
where ringed, in July, 1925, by Mrs. I. Meyer.

BLACKBIRD (Turdus m. merula).—56,057, ringed at Bradfield,
near Reading, Berks, as a nestling, by Dr. N. H. Joy,

168 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. XIX.

on May 20th, 1923. Reported at Pangbourne, Berks,
on June 23rd, 1925, by Mr. H. W. Conway.
Z.1,183, ringed at Salcombe Regis, near Sidmouth,
Devon, as an immature bird, by Mr. P. E. A. Morshead,
on August 27th, 1923. Reported at Sidg rd, Sidmouth,
on September 21st, 1925, by Mr. John Wattley.
Z.3,586, ringed at Malvern, Worcestershire, as an adult,
by Mr. P. E. A. Morshead, on June 3rd, 1924. Reported
where ringed, on June 4th, 1925, by the ringer. Again
released.
Z.2,430, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as an adult, by Mr.
W. P. G. Taylor, on April 4th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on May 21st, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
Z.2,091, ringed near Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as a nest-
ling, by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on May 14th, 1924. Reported
where ringed, on January 16th, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.
Y.5,211, ringed as Z.2,091, on May 21st, 1925. Reported
where ringed, on October 4th, 1925, by Mr. R. Palmer,
per the ringer.
Z.1,452, ringed at Fairburn, near Ferrybridge, Yorks,
as a young bird, by Mr. W. G. Bramley, on May 2oth,
1924. Reported at Haxby Moor, near York, in March,
1925, by Mr. J. Anderson.
Y.2,598, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as a young bird, by
Mrs. L. E. Taylor, on July roth, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on April 30th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
Z.7,438, ringed at Newlands, Kirkmahoe, Dumfries-
shire, as an adult, by Mr. W. Duncan, on August 27th,
1924. Reported where ringed, on July 27th, 1925, by
the ringer.
Y.7,960, ringed on Scone Estate, Perth, as a nestling,
by Lord Scone, on May 16th, 1925. Reported at
Anstruther, Fifeshire, on July ist, 1925, by Mr. J.
Readdie.
75,169, ringed at Hutton Forest, near Penrith, Cumber-
land, by Dr. H. J. Moon, on May 5th, 1925. Reported
at Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland, in July, 1925, by
Mr. E. Johnstone.

WHEATEAR (Cinanthe @. cnanthe)—A.2,918, ringed at
Seaford, Sussex, as a nestling (female) on May 18th, 1923.
Reported half a mile away, sitting on eggs, on May r7th,
1925. Deserted nest and on June 3rd, 1925, was caught
again on fresh nest two miles away (vide antea,
Vol) XD, ip. 98):

VoL. XIx.} RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 169

A.5,944, ringed as A.2,918, on May 20th, 1923. Caught
brooding young in next valley, a quarter of a mile away,
on May 2oth, 1925, by the ringer.

REDBREAST (Evithacus r. melophilus).—P.W.34, ringed at
Streatham, London, S.W., as an adult, by Mr. F. J.
Mitchell, on October 2nd, 1921. Reported where ringed
on October 22nd, 1g21, June 24th, 1922, September 4th
(re-ringed A.8,203) and October 18th, 1923, by the ringer,
and April, 1925, by Mrs. Macgregor.

B.2,593, ringed at Pyrford, Surrey, as an adult, by Mr.
W. P. G. Taylor, on April 8th, 1924. Reported where
ringed, on November 17th, 1924, by the ringer. Again
released.

A.6,207, ringed at Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire, as a
nestling, by Mr. T. Kerr, on June 23rd, 1923. Reported
where ringed, late in June, 1925, by Mr. H. C. Waterston.
8,524, ringed at Hindhead, Surrey, as a nestling, by Mr.
and Mrs. R. O. Blyth, on June 6th, 1923. Reported at
Haselmere, Surrey, early in May, 1925.

C.4,110, ringed at Cairnsmore, Newton Stewart, Wigtown-
shire, as an adult, by the Duchess of Bedford, on Novem-
ber 18th, 1924. Reported where ringed, on September
2nd, 1925, by the ringer and Mr. H. K. Smith. Again
released.

B.3,940, ringed at Malvern, Worcestershire, as an adult,
by Mr. P. E. A. Morshead, on February 12th, 1925.
Reported near where ringed on May 8th, 1925, by the
ringer.

A.2,003, ringed near Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult,
by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on January 27th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on February 14th and March oth, 1924,
by the ringer. Again released.

A.2,006, ringed as A.2,003, on February 3rd, 1923.
Reported where ringed, several times in March and
November, 1923, January, February and October, 1924,
and February and March, 1925, by the ringer. Again
released.

A.g,282, ringed as A.2,003, on November 27th, 1923.
Reported where ringed, on December 2nd, 1923, and
March the 2nd and 8th, 1924, by the ringer. Again
released.

B.3,663, ringed as A.2,003, on August roth, 1924. Re-
ported where ringed several times in August, September,
October and November, 1924, and on February 28th,
1925, by the ringer. Again released.

170 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIx.

B.3,609, ringed as A.2,003, on August 16th, 1924. Re-
ported where ringed, on October 5th, 1924, and March 8th,
1925, by the ringer. Again released.

B.3,610, ringed as A.2,003, on August 16th, 1924. Re-
ported where ringed, on November 15th, 1924, and
February 15th, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
B.3,632, ringed as A.2,003, as a young bird of the year,
on August 21st, 1924. Reported where ringed, twice
September and twice October, 1924, and on October gth,
1925, by the ringer. ‘Again released.

HEDGE-SPARROW (Prunella m. occidentalis) —B.2,599, ringed
at Pyrford, Surrey, as an adult, by Mr. W. P. G. Taylor,
on April r1th, 1924. Reported where ringed, on
February 2nd, 1925, by the ringer.

J.S.58, ringed at Rusland, Ulverston, Lancs, as a nest-
ling, by Mr. C. F. Archibald, on May 17th, 1924. Re-
ported where ringed on September 30th, 1925, by the
ringer.

B.5,177, ringed at Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire,
as a young bird, by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on May 24th,
1924. Reported where ringed, on May roth, 1925 (some
time dead), by the ringer.

A.2,001, ringed at Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult,
by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on January 26th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on February 2nd and September 28th, 1923,
and December 8th, 1924, by the ringer. Again released.
A.2,053, ringed as A.2,001, on March 12th, 1923. Re-
ported twice November and once December, 1924, and
January Ist, 1925, by the ringer. Again released.
A.9,229, ringed as_A.2,001, on August 14th, 1923. Re-
ported where ringed on November 24th, 1924, by the
ringer. Again released.

A.9,273, ringed as A.2,001, on October 22nd, 1923. Re-
ported where ringed on April 20th, 1925, by the ringer.
B.3,612, ringed as A.2,001, on August 17th, 1924. Re-
ported where ringed on October 3rd, 1925, by the ringer.
Again released.

SWALLOW (Hirundo r. rustica).—7,358, ringed at Southport,

Lancs, as a nestling, by Mr. F. W. Holder, on June 2oth,
1922. Reported at Aiguillon-sur-Mer (Vendée), France,
on August 19th, 1925, by Mons. E. Seguin Jard.
5,943, ringed at Fovant, Wilts., as a young bird, by Dr.
R. C. C. Clay, on June 21st, 1922. Reported at Chil-
mark, Salisbury, Wilts., on May 27th, 1925, by Mr. D.
Gething.

voL. xix.) RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 171

Martin (Delichon u. urbica).—B.4,537, ringed at Tarfside,
Glen Esk, Forfarshire, as a young bird, by Mr. H. G.
Watson, on July goth, 1924. Reported near where
ringed (dead in an empty nest), on July 16th, 1925, by
the ringer.

C.3,089, ringed as B.4,537, on July 18th, 1924. Reported
near where ringed, on June gth, 1925, by Mr. J. Crowe,
per the ringer.
C.3,372, ringed at Cairncross, Glen Esk, Forfarshire, as
a young bird, by Mr. H. G. Watson, on July 25th, 1924.
Reported near where ringed on June 8th, 1925, by Miss
H. B. Mill.

C.3,371, ringed as C.3,372. Reported where ringed, on
July 17th, 1925, by the ringer. Bird found dead in a
nest at same end of house where ringed.

D.3,470, ringed at Bredon, Worcestershire, as a nestling,
by Mr. A. Mayall, on August 14th, 1925. Reported at
Saint Vincent de Paul (Gironde), France, on September
28th, 1925, by Mons. Massé.

PEREGRINE Fatcon (Falco p. peregrinus).—102,612, ringed
at Patterdale, Westmorland, as a young bird, by Dr. H.
J. Moon, on May 29th, 1923. Reported in Perthshire,
in April or May, 1925.

KESTREL (Falco t. tinnunculus).—74,583, ringed at Binley,
near Coventry, as a nestling, by Messrs. F. Dipple and
T. Greaves, on June 27th, 1924. Reported at Lichfield,
Staffs, on April roth, 1925, by Mr. G. Grass.

SPARROW-HAWK (Accipiter n. mnisus).—21,360, ringed at
Craigallian, Dumbartonshire, as a young bird, by Mr. D.
Macdonald, on June 26th, 1923. Reported on Aivthrey
Castle Estate, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, on June 27th,
1925, by Mr. D. London.

HERON (Ardea c. cinerea).—23,366, ringed at Flowerdale,

Gairloch, Ross-shire, as a nestling, by Lord Scone, on
June 25th, 1924. Reported at Achansheen, Ross-shire,
on April 29th, 1925, by Mr. H. Mackay.
104,007, ringed at Floriston, Cumberland, as a nestling,
by Mr. R. H. Brown, on May oth, 1925. Reported near
Ferryhill, co. Durham, on June 24th, 1925, by Mr. F.
Carruthers.

MALLARD (Anas p. platyrhyncha).—20,504, ringed at Leswalt,
Stranraer, Wigtownshire, as an adult, by Mr. M. Portal,

on March 5th, 1924. Reported where ringed, on Feb-
ruary 17th, 1925, by the ringer.

172 BRITISH BIRDS, [ VOL, XIX.

TEAL (Anas c. crecca).—71,065, ringed at Netherby, Longtown,
Cumberland, as an adult (hand-reared), by Mr. Wm.
Bell (for Sir Richard Graham), on March 31st, 1923.
Reported at Randers Fjord, east coast of Jutland, Den-
mark, on September 21st or 22nd, 1925, by Hofjaeger-
mester Bruun of Stenalt, per Dr. E. Lehn Schioler.
76,205, ringed as 71,665, on March 20th, 1925. Reported
at Windermere, Cumberland, on August Ist, 1925, by
Mr. F. H. Cloudsdale, per Mr. A. Astley.

76,399, ringed as 71,665, on April 1st, 1925. Reported at
Brugh Marsh, Solway Firth, on September 5th, 1925, by
Mr. R. Graham.

76,416, ringed as 71,665, on April Ist, 1925. Reported
near Lunden, Schleswig Holstein (about 5 kms. from west
coast, west of Tonning), on July 3rd, 1925, by Dr. Drost.

GANNET (Sula bassana).—102,675, ringed at Ailsa Craig,
Ayrshire, as a young bird, by Mr. D. Macdonald, on
July 11th, 1923. Reported in North Sea, about 50 miles
west of The Helder, N. Holland, on April 30th, 1925, by
Mr. AD eS Pigs.

102,735, ringed as 102,675, on July 15th, 1923. Reported
at Blackwaterfoot, Isle of Arran, in January, 1925, by
Mr: J. Currie,

103,839, ringed as 102,675, on July 28th, 1924. Reported
at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on September 3rd, 1925,
by Mr. W. H. Balls.

103,836, ringed as 102,675, on July 28th, 1924. Reported
at Ballycastle, co. Antrim, Ireland, on September 7th,
1924, by Capt. G. Robinson.

Woop-PiGEon (Columba p. palumbus).—71,475, ringed at
Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a young bird,
by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on June 15th, 1922. Reported
where ringed, on August 28th, 1925, by the ringer.
74,022, ringed as 71,475, on July 24th, 1923. Reported
where ringed, on October roth, 1925, by the ringer.
74,027, ringed as 71,475, on May ioth, 1924. Reported
near where ringed, in May, 1925, by Mr. D. Dow.
75,044, ringed at Barton, Cambs., as a young bird, by
Mr. G. W. Thompson, on August 26th, 1924. Reported
near Clare, Suffolk, in April, 1925, by Mr. J. Goodchild.

TuRTLE-DovE (Streptopelia t. turtur)—72,945, ringed near
Gt. Budworth, Cheshire, as an adult or bird of the year,
by Mr. A. W. Boyd, on August 19th, 1924. Reported
within fifteen yards of where ringed, on July 8th, 1925,

VoL. XIX.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 178

by the ringer. Again released. The bird was presumably
nesting a few hundred yards away.

OysTER-CATCHER (Haematopus o. ostralegus).—24,716, ringed
at Collmeallie, Glen Esk, Forfarshire, as a young bird, by
Mr. H. G. Watson, on July 2nd, 1925. Reported at
Dalgety Bay, Fifeshire, on August 29th, 1925, by Mr.
R. Gillespie.

Lapwine (Vanellus vanellus).—20,347, ringed at Ullswater,
Westmorland, as a young bird, by Dr. H. J. Moon, on
May, 17th, 1924. Reported at Clifton, near Penrith,
Cumberland, in April, 1925, by Mr. H. Robinson. _
58,910, ringed at Torrance, near Glasgow, Stirlingshire,
as a young bird, by Mr. R. Dingwall (for Mr. J.
Bartholomew), on June 22nd, 1923. Reported near
Bearsden, Glasgow, on September 2nd, 1925, by Mr. H.
A. Macdonald.

SANDPIPER (Tringa hypoleucos).—Z.1,049, ringed near Loch
Ardnahoe, Isle of Islay, as a young bird, by Mr. T. Kerr,
on June 16th, 1923. Reported at Danzé, near Vendéme
(Loir et Cher), France, late in April, 1925, by Mons. M.
Poulet.

CuURLEW (Numentus a. arquata).—22,331, ringed at Ullswater,

Westmorland, as a young bird, by Dr. H. J. Moon, in
May, 1924. Reported near Dacre, Cumberland, on
April 28th, 1925, by Master R. Coates, per the ringer.
71,327, ringed at Rusland, Ulverston, Lancs, as a nestling,
by Mr. C. F. Archibald, on May 17th, 1925. Reported
at Walney Island, Lancs, in September, 1925, by Mr. G.
Neave.
25,412, ringed at Aberfoyle, Perthshire, as a young bird,
by Mr. J. Bartholomew, on June 11th, 1925. Reported
2 miles from Dumbarton Castle (east), on the Clyde, on
August Ist, 1925, by Mr. Wm. Downer.

Woopcock (Scolopax yr. rusticola)—Z.6,102, ringed on
Buchanan Castle Estate, Glasgow, Stirlingshire, as a
young bird, by Mr. R. A. Stewart, on May 16th, 1924.
Reported near where ringed, in November, 1924, by Mr.
G. A. Mitchell.

SANDWICH TERN (Sterna s. sandvicensis).—96,017, ringed at
Farne Islands, Northumberland, as a nestling, by Miss
N. H. Greg, on July 8th, 1919. Reported at mouth of
Berg River, 80 miles north of Cape Town, South Africa,
in August, 1925, by Mr. E. Leonard Gill.

174 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus f. affinis)—37,815,
ringed at Foulshaw, Westmorland, as a young bird, by
Mr. H. W. Robinson, on July 12th, 1920. Reported
near Silverdale Station, N. Lancs, on May 8th, 1925, by
Mr. Fitzjames, per the ringer.

37,808, ringed as 37,815. Reported at Aldingham,
Morcambe Bay, Lancs, early in June, 1925, by Mr. W. J.
Kerry.

39,860, ringed as 37,815, on July 12th, 1922. Reported at
Garston, Lancs, on July 31st, 1925, by Mr. T. Tushingham.
21,905, ringed at Annet, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall, as a
young bird, by Mr. H. W. Robinson, on June 24th, 1924.
Reported at Puerto de Santa Maria, near Jerez de la
Frontera, Spain, early in March, 1925, by Capt. J. de
Torres.

24,512, ringed at Gugh, Isles of Scilly, as a young bird,
by Mr. H. W. Robinson, on July 8th, 1924. Reported
at Aiguillon-sur-Mer (Vendée), France, on May gth, 1925,
by Mons. E. Seguin Jard.

22,072, ringed at Gugh, Isles of Scilly, as a nestling, by
Mr. A. W. Boyd, on July ist, 1924. Reported at St.
Brevin, mouth of Loire, France, on July 20th, 1925, by
Mons. A. Moliard.

GUILLEMOT (Ura a. alb:onis).—22,962, ringed at Ailsa Craig,
Ayrshire, as a young bird, by Mr. D. Macdonald, on
July 15th, 1923. Reported at Beer, Devon, on May gth,
1925, by Mr. W. H. Lang.

25,194, ringed as 22,962, on July 27th, 1924. Reported
on Rothesay beach, Bute, N.B., in May, 1925, by Mr. G.
R. Metrustry.

MARKED ABROAD AND RECOVERED IN ENGLAND.

LaPpwinG (Vanellus vanellus)—Museum, Géteborg, Sweden,
2,302C, ringed as a young bird, on Oland in the Baltic,
in June, 1924. Reported at Covenham, near Louth,
Lincs, in January, 1925, by Mr. C. 5. Carter. (See
Naturalist, 1925, p. 119.)

Correction.—BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus r. nidibundus).—
Estonia, Tartu, Onn. 196, Ikeported Vol AUIS, peo;
as Common Gull, should have been Black-headed Gull,
as was proved by the foot of the bird obtained and kindly
forwarded by Mr. A. W. Boyd.

A LARGE RAVEN ROOST.
WHILST on a visit to the Westmorland Pennines on June 28th,
1925, accompanied by Mr. E. Blezard, we traversed a dale
which terminated in a long series of limestone crags. From
these we disturbed three Ravens (Corvus corax), and an
examination of the place disclosed a large amount of droppings
and loose feathers scattered the whole length of the rocks,
unmistakably the product of this species. This evidence,
coupled with the secluded nature of the locality, suggested
to us an habitual roosting haunt of these birds, and deter-
mined us to again visit these crags on some future occasion.

This we were able to do on September 28th, 1925. When
we reached the vicinity of the crags in the late afternoon,
approaching them from an adjoining fell top, we disturbed
in the first instance three Ravens, but on gaining higher
ground we observed several others flying about the limestone
scar and dale sides, and soon had ten under observation.
Still proceeding towards the crags we noticed other Ravens
to be leaving the dale head and joining this first party, until
we were able to count seventeen birds.

Ravens continued to pass down the dale, singly or in pairs,
until our number had reached twenty-three, and finally a party
of four joined these, making a total of twenty-seven Ravens.

The flight of these twenty-seven birds when gathered
together can only be described as winged confusion, birds
flying in every direction, some lifting high in the air above
their fellows, others almost hugging the crags and valley
sides, whilst several flew low over the fell in our direction, but
all seemed reluctant to leave the dale head, only gradually
drifting down towards the foot of the valley as we approached
at the opposite end.

Most, if not all, of the birds were calling during the forty-
five minutes or so which we had them under observation.

R. GRAHAM.
(See note on this subject by the late E. B. Dunlop (Trans.
Carlisle Nat. Hist. Soc., VII., p. 2 (1923) ).—Ebs.]

MIGRATORY THRUSHES IN NORTH AYRSHIRE.

ON October 7th, 1922, I was able to record what proved to
be the first example of Turdus philomelus hebridensis noted
out of the Hebrides (Vol. XVII., pp. 165-6)

176 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL, KIX.

Each autumn I have taken careful notice of all Thrushes.
which appear to be on migration. Matters are simplified in
this district, which is from 500 feet to 1,000 feet elevation, by
the fact that the resident Thrushes (7. ph. clarket) leave the
uplands towards the end of September and early in October. —
On the appearance of frost and severe weather, the remnant
entirely disappear.

This year, on September 17th, I noticed small parties of
Thrushes frequenting a young fir wood, and made up my
mind to obtain a specimen. It was not without difficulty
that I did so, as they were very wild and flew a great distance:
when they once left cover.

The one which I obtained proved to be of the Comment
race (T. ph. philomelus) ; this was kindly verified for me by
Mr. Witherby. It was a female.

A single bird, which I noted had “very dark spots on
breast and dark red-brown feet,’’ was seen on October 4th,
and another specimen of the Continental Thrush was shot
in a small cover 800 feet above sea-level on the gth of the
same month. This bird was by itself.

The interesting point of this record is that the Redwings.
did not arrive here until October 4th, when I saw just two:
odd birds. It was not until the frost set in with northerly
wind in the second week of October that the Redwings were
really noticeable: on the 14th I saw quite a number. The
first Fieldfare, incidentally, arrived on October 6th, another
odd bird was seen on the gth, and two or three on the 14th.

So we see that the Continental Thrushes were on migration
nearly three weeks before the Redwings and the Fieldfares.

E. RicHMoND PaToNn.

(Cf. Early records of Fieldfave and Redwing, antea, pp. 131

and 152.—EDs. |

SONG-THRUSHES’ NESTS CONVERTED BY
BLACKBIRD AND HEDGE-SPARROW.

On February 28th, 1925, I saw a nest of a Song-Thrush
(Turdus philomelus clarket) built on a wood-pile in a garden
at Great Budworth, Cheshire, from which the young flew
about the end of April; on May 15th, I was told that a
Blackbird (Turvdus m. merula) was sitting there and found
that it had lined the nest with hay and laid two eggs. I
recorded an exactly similar case in British Birds, Vol. XVII...
p. 85, which occurred in 1923 in the same garden—the nest
in that year being in an elder three or four yards distant
from the wood-pile.

7

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 177

Another Blackbird this year also lined and occupied a
Song-Thrush’s nest from which the young had flown, the
young Blackbirds leaving the nest early in June. This was
in a hedge about a mile and a half from that previously
mentioned.

On April 22nd, 1925, in a thorn hedge at Great Budworth,
I saw a nest of a Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella modularis occi-
dentalis) with young, which had been built inside the cup
of a Song-Thrush’s nest of last year; the Hedge-Sparrow's
nest which was normal and complete did not quite fill up the
old nest. There were plenty of suitable sites within a few
feet of it. There was no question of the nest having been
tampered with. A. W. Boyp.

SWIFT BROODING YOUNG HOUSE-SPARROWS.

I HAVE two pairs of Swifts (Apus a. apus) breeding in the
attic of my house at Martock, Somerset. On June 15th,
1925, I went into the attic and found one Swift sitting on
two eggs, while on the other side of the attic another was
sitting on the nest of a House Sparrow (Passer d. domesticus)
brooding three fully-fledged young Sparrows.

Jos—EPH H. SYMEs.

ROLLER IN INVERNESS-SHIRE.

A ROLLER (Coracias garrulus) was seen by Col. Stephenson
Clarke and myself on September 15th, 1925, and almost every
day afterwards for three weeks, at Fasnakyle in Glen Affric,
18 miles from Beauly, Inverness-shire. It lived on the trees
and fence posts in front of the house and was relatively tame,
z.e. would allow one to approach within 30 yards. It fed
almost exclusively on the big blue-black dung beetles and it
always took them in flight. It had a favourite ant-heap
where it used to sit at times and there was a quantity of
disgorged beetle-wings, etc., on the top of it. During the
time the bird was at Fasnakyle there was one heavy storm
as well as two or three sharp frosts, but it appeared to be in
perfect condition. To meet with a Roller in a deer-forest was
certainly an unusual experience. C. W. MACKWORTH-PRAED.

HEN-HARRIER IN MONMOUTHSHIRE.

AN immature female Hen-Harrier (Circus cyaneus) was shot
on October roth, 1925, on the flat land near the mouth of
the River Wye.
I am not aware of any recent record of this bird in the
county, but there is a well-preserved skin of an adult male
te)

178 BRITISH BIRDS. [vOR. XIX:

in the Newport Museum which was in a collection of birds
at Tredegar Park, near Newport (the seat of Lord Tredegar,
the largest landowner in the county), formed early in the last
century. The bird is labelled “ Mon. 1826,” but the month
and locality are not given. k. C, BANKS.

GOLDENEYES AND OTHER DUCKS ON CHESHIRE
MERES IN SUMMER.

THROUGHOUT the summer of 1924, Goldeneyes (Bucephala c.
clangula) were always to be seen on Marbury Mere, near
Northwich, as recorded in British Birds, Vol. XVIIL., p. 194.
Two pairs ‘summered there in 1925.

On May Ist, there were still seven birds on the mere, five on
May 5th, and on May gth two drakes and two ducks in pairs.
These four did not seem to be in any way crippled and I saw
them all flying strongly. One drake was younger than the
other, which was a fine old bird, appearing through a telescope
to be fully mature and without any trace of brownish feathers
among the green of the head, though this could certainly not be
decided without handling the bird. I first noticed that the
younger drake was changing into eclipse on June 9th; by
July 1st both were very much less white, and by July 5th they
appeared at a distance to be practically similar to the ducks
except for their greater size, rather more white on the wing
and a trace of the white facial spot on one of them. One of
the ducks disappeared for some time during the summer and
we had faint hopes that it might be nesting, but on June 25th
I found it on Witton Flashes, a mile away, and all four were
together on the mere on July 5th.

In October the drakes acquired their full plumage again ;
on the roth I first noticed that one had resumed the ‘white
facial spot and was much whiter on the wing than it had been ;
by the 24th newcomers had arrived and there were ten or
more on the mere—one drake at least being in full plumage.

Common Scoters (Oidemia n. migra) again turned up in
small numbers: on June 20th a duck or immature drake
on the mere; from September 5th to 7th an adult drake
on Witton Flashes, and from September 26th to October 4th
from one to three on the mere, though the presence of these
last and of a Pintail Duck (Anas a. acuta) on September 26th
may possibly be accounted for by high winds.

An adult drake Scayp (Nyvroca m. marila) spent its time
between Marbury Mere and Witton Flashes from June gth
to July 5th, but it was not till October 25th that another—
an immature drake or duck—appeared.

VOL, XIX. ] NOTES. 179

Sheld-ducks (Tadorna tadorna) occurred twice—one on
May 5th and two on October 3rd.

Pochards (Nyroca f. ferina) as usual were present in July in
small numbers on Marbury Mere and Rostherne Mere, but
showed no signs of nesting ; on July 5th we saw a drake on
a pool in Delamere Forest and it is quite possible that its
duck may have been sitting somewhere near by.

Wigeon (Anas penelope) did not arrive at Marbury Mere
till the end of September ; the only Wigeon seen during the
summer was an adult drake on Rostherne Mere on June 13th.

A. W. Boyp.

CROSSBILLS IN BERKSHIRE.—Dr. N. H. Joy reports that he
saw about a dozen Loxia c. curvirostra at Ascot, on October
rgth, 1925.

SHORE-LARK IN KENtT.—Miss A. V. Stone informs us that
she watched a single Evemophila alpestris on October 22nd,
1925, on the shore of Pegwell Bay, at the same spot at which
she saw the small flock in January, 1923 (Vol. XVI., p. 282).

Wuite WaGTAIL BREEDING WITH PIED IN SHROPSHIRE.—
Miss Frances Pitt records (Nat., 1925, p. 166) that a White
Wagtail (Motacilla a. alba) paired with a Pied Wagtail (MM. a.
yvarrellii) and nested on her house at Bridgnorth in 1925.
Miss Pitt has kindly given us (7m Jit.) some supplementary
evidence which she allows us to quote. The bird identified
as a White Wagtail was the female. Miss Pitt had this bird
under observation from April until the beginning of September
and examined it with binoculars at a few yards’ range. She
had the previous year photographed and seen many White
Wagtails in Norway and though she saw some females as:
pale on the mantle as this Shropshire bird many were darker.
It was paler than any female Pied Wagtail she had ever seen
and was noticeably pale even to people only casually interested
in birds. We have given this evidence at length because a
first year female Pied Wagtail can often very easily be con-
fused with a female White Wagtail and so cause mistakes to
be made. Miss Pitt’s evidence for the degree of paleness of
the mantle shows, we think, that no such mistake was made
in this case.

BLack REDsTART IN KENT.—Miss A. V. Stone writes she
saw a female or immature male Phenicurus ochrurus
gibraliariensis at Littlestone on November 4th, 1925.

ALPINE SWIFT IN KENT.—The late Mr. Michael J. Nicoll
stated (/veld, 11. VI. 25) that when he wrote he had just been

180 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

watching an Alpine Swift (Apus melba) flying over a field
opposite his house. The note in The Field gives neither date
nor place, but Mr. Nicoll subsequently informed us that the
bird was seen during the week preceding publication at
Potman’s Heath, Wittersham.

LITTLE OWL BREEDING IN YORKSHIRE.—Mr. R. Fortune
states (Nat., 1925, p. 344) that a pair of Athene n. vidalit reared
a brood in 1925 on the banks of the River Wharfe between
Harewood and Pool.

HEN-HARRIER IN DEvon.—Mr. Stephen Renshaw records
(Field, 23. VII. 25) that he saw a male Circus cyaneus on
Welsford Moor, near Hartland, on July 11th, 1925.

POLYGAMY IN THE SPARROW-HAwkK.—Mr. J. Hughes
Onslow contributes an interesting note on this subject to the
Scott. Nat., 1925, p. 95. He states that on May 23rd, 1925,
he visited a nesting site at Barr, Ayrshire, when two birds,
apparently hens, flew from the nest. Two days later a female
was trapped at a feeding place in the vicinity and a second
female shot from the nest. The cock was very wary and
eluded all efforts to kill him. On examination the nest
proved to contain eight eggs, arranged in two rows of four,
all slightly incubated. Both hens showed incubation patches.
It is satisfactory to note that both hens were dissected, so
that no confusion as to the sex is possible.

The Field of May 24th, 1923, p. 756, contained a note of
a somewhat similar case in which a cock and two hen Sparrow-
Hawks were shot from a nest in Tweeddale, which contained
ten eggs, while one of the hens was about to lay another egg.
(Cf. Brat. Bs XVIL., p, 288-9).

Cases of polygamy among the Accipitres seem to fall under
two heads: (a) those in which one nest is shared by the two
hens, of which we have now two records in the case of Accipiter
n. nisus and one in the case of the Kestrel (falco t. tinnunculus),
and (b) those in which one male is in attendance on two females
with separate nests, but at no great distance apart. This
has occurred both in the case of Montagu’s Harrier (Circus
pygargus) and the Hen-Harrier (C. cyaneus). The subject
is an extremely interesting one, but the accumulation of
reliable data is necessarily a very slow process.—F.C.R. J.

VARIETY OF LAPWING.—Correction.—Mr. J. S. Elliott
informs us that the date of the Lapwing he recorded in
Vol. XVIII., p. 304, which was referred to on page 156 of
the present volume, was unfortunately given as February,
1924, instead of 1925.

( 181 )
LETTER.

THE MARSH- AND WILLOW-TITS IN CUMBERLAND.
To the Editors of BririsH Brrps.

Srrs,—Will you allow me to add to the editorial note appended to Mr.
R. H. Brown’s letter on this subject ? Mr. Brown writes : “ The only
method of establishing the identity of these species is to have specimens
examined by some competent authority.” If by this he means only
that it is dangerous to state positively that a bird seen in the field, even
at quite close quarters, is one or the other, I am inclined to agree with
him. Although I generally feel pretty confident of the identity of a
silent black-headed Tit seen at close quarters, I am always glad to have
the vindication of the distinctive call-notes. These, I can assure
Mr. Brown, are absolutely reliable. If he has any difficulty in
working out the two sets of call-notes, I would advise him to spend
his next holiday in the Alps, and there study the notes and song, first
of the black-headed Tit of the high pine-woods (above 1,500 metres)
and then of the black-headed Tit of the low deciduous woods (below
1,000 metres). My brother and I first worked out the two sets of notes
in England, but subsequently we found our conclusions fully confirmed
by experience in countries where the range of the two species does not
overlap. I believe a good many British ornithologists are entirely
familiar with the two sets of notes.

In recent years I have spent parts of several summers in Cumberland,
chiefly near the Solway (Allonby and Maryport district), and also in
the Lake District. I have not yet certainly identified a Marsh-Tit,
though I rather thought I heard one in the upper part of Borrowdale
this summer. The Willow-Tit I have observed several times near
Maryport. Comparing Cumberland with most parts of England that
I know, however, I should describe both species as scarce. Perhaps
I have not visited the wooded districts enough for this opinion to
have much value. H. G, ALEXANDER.

REVIEWS.

Spitsbergen Papers. Vol. I. (Oxford University Press.) 30s. net.

Tuts is a collection of papers contributed to various publications as
the result of the 1921 Oxford University Expedition to Spitsbergen.
The articles being reprinted as they originally appeared are of different
‘“ formats,’’ but they have been bound together serviceably and are
provided with a Contents as well as a Preface in which the various
expeditions, which have been made of recent years from Oxford to
Spitsbergen, are briefly particularized. A second and final volume
is promised later with the remaining papers of the 1921 and those of
the 1922, 1923 and 1924 expeditions. The volume contains the fol-
lowing papers on birds :—By F. C. R. Jourdain, ‘‘ The Birds of Spits-
bergen and Bear Island ”’ (bis) ; ‘‘ The Breeding Habits of the Barnacle
Goose ’”’ (Auk); ‘“‘ Birds of Spitsbergen ”’ (Trans. Ox. Jv. Sci. Club); by
le S. Huxley, “Courtship Activities in the Red-throated Diver”
(Linnean Soc. Journal) ; and three articles which appeared in British
Birds (Vols. XV. and XVI.). Besides these there are two interesting
papers on Ecology, which should undoubtedly be consulted by orni-
thologists. The volume as a whole shows what very excellent work was
done in many departments of Zoology by this party of students, many
of them young, and all of them keen and enterprising.

182 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIx.

Report of the Oxford Ornithological Society on the Bivds of Oxfordshire,
Berkshive and Buckinghamshire, 1923-1924. Edited by the Rev.
F. C. R. Jourdain and B. W. Tucker. Oxford, Holywell Press,

To25n0 3S.

WE are glad to see that the Oxford Ornithological Society has been
able to issue its second report within a year of its first. In these days
of high printing costs, the publication of anything more than a formal
report of proceedings is an anxious undertaking for most local Natural
History Societies. The present one brings the status of the birds of
the three counties dealt with up to date to the end of 1924, so that in
future presumably single years will be able to be dealt with. We are
glad to note that, unlike the former report, the observations for both
years have been entered together under each species, though the
records for each county have been rightly kept separate. The report
contains many observations of purely local interest, which will be
invaluable later on, as the status of species changes with the changing
conditions of population and agriculture, etc. Of those of more general
interest, that have not already been noticed in our pages, the following
are the most important :—

Goldfinch (Carduelis c. britannica).—Apparently scarce enough in
Bucks to warrant the recording of single nests. Increase noted about
Wendover. i

Cirl-Bunting (Embeviza civlus)—Breeding in small numbers on the
Berkshire Downs in both years.

Wood-Lark (Luillula a. arborea).—A nest found on June 5th, 1924, at
Boars Hill, Berks, a new locality.

Blue-headed Wagtail (Mo acilla f. flava)—A male seen at Reading
Sewage Farm, Berks, April 25th, 1924.

Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus).—A pair seen near the junction of
the Thames and Wytham branch (Berks), April 18th, 1924.

Waxwing (Bombycilla g. gayvrulus)—One at Cumnor Hill, Oxon,
January 26th, 1924.

Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus).—One killed by a cat at Wolvercote,
Oxon, October 29th, 1923.

Redstart (Phenicurus ph. phaenicurus).—Stated to be so scarce now in
Berkshire as to warrant the recording of nesting pairs.

Hoopoe (Upupa e. epops).—One shot at Tadmarton, Oxon, September
28th, 1923. One seen Hungerford Park, Berks, April 19th, and a
pair “in Oxfordshire,’ May 2oth, 1924.

Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canovus).—Fostered by Blackbirds (Turdus m.
merula) in Oxford in 1923 and at Ascot, Berks, in 1924.

Hobby (Falco s. subbuteo)—More numerous than usual in 1923, Berks,
and one pair nested in Oxon in 1924.

White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons).—Considerable numbers in the

_ flooded Thames Valley in January and February, 1924.

Smew (Mergus albellus)—Several at Tring and on Weston Turville
Reservoir, Bucks, in January and February, 1924.

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax).—Two at Reading Sewage Farm, April 25th,
1924, and three, Langley Sewage Farm, Bucks, September 13th,
1924.

Great Snipe (Gallinago media).—A bird probably of this species shot at
Chimney, Oxon, December 6th, 1924.

Land-Rail (Cvex crex).—A nest with eggs was mown out near Somerton,
Oxon, in 1921, and at Aston, Oxon, in 1924, while birds were heard
in the county in 1922.

VOU, SEx.] REVIEWS. 183

The London Naturalist. The Journal of the London Natural History
Society for the Yeay 1924. London, 1925. 35.

Tue Journal of the London Natural History Society for 1924 contains
several interesting articles on birds that will be useful to future workers
of districts in and around the metropolis. Mr. A. Holte Macpherson
has a summary of his notes on Birds in London for the years 1922, 1923
and 1924. It is written in diary form and is quite a revelation of what
can be found in London by persistent observation. His most interesting
records are perhaps those of the nesting of the Tufted Duck on the
Serpentine in 1924 and of the Great Spotted W oodpecker in the grounds
of Holland House in 1922 and in those of Chiswick House in 1923.
Mr. R. W. Pethen has compiled a useful list of seventy-three species
seen on or about the Walthamstow Reservoirs, giving details of the
occurrences of the less common species. Most or all of these have
already been recorded in our pages. The Report of the Ornithological
Section (pp. 37-39) consists of a long list of miscellaneous observations,
mostly records of passage migrants and winter visitors.

Bivd-Song: A Manual for Field-Naturalists on the Songs and Notes
of some British Birds. By Stanley Morris. London (H. F. &
G. Witherby). 1925. 6s. net.

Tue title of this book leads one to expect something rather more than
it contains. Perhaps it would have been better to give it a less ambi-
tious title, such as ‘‘ Notes on Bird-Song in Sussex.’’ The author has
evidently kept careful records of his observations of the songs and
notes of birds in the Lewes and Chichester districts, and this book is
the result. Little has been written, even in general text-books on
British birds, on the subject of bird-song, and so the author is something
of a pioneer. Nevertheless, he does not seem to be aware of what
has been written in recent times; the writings of Mr. Eliot Howard,
Professor Garstang, Mr. J. P. Burkitt, and Kirkman’s British Bird Book
seem to be unknown to him, and there can be little doubt that, if he
had read them, his own observations might have been turned to better
account, and several errors might have been averted.

The book as a whole shows very little recognition of the individual
variation of habit among birds. Song-periods are far more liable to
individual variation, and to the influence of such factors as weather
(frost, wind and drought) and nesting activities, than one would
suppose from reading Mr. Morris’s book. In the useful table at the
end of the book it might have been better to give dotted lines for some
of the intermittent and subdued song of early autumn. I must also
take exception to Mr. Morris’s description of the subdued song often
heard in September and October from many species as ‘‘ rehearsed ”’
song ; he gives little evidence for his idea that it is commonly produced
by young birds, and my own observations tend to the opposite view.
I think in a good many cases he would have done better to begin his
song-periods from, say, September or October, rather than from
January. Several common species are in full song by the end of Novem-
ber, and later interruptions are apparently due only to the weather.
One would have liked a good deal more of such illustrative incidents as
the number of successive ‘‘ cuckooings ’’ of a Cuckoo, and the duration
of certain Larks’ songs ; but occasionally, as in the cases of the Wood-
lark and Blackbird, scanty observation is made the basis for over-
bold generalizations. The Flycatcher, Hawfinch, Tree-Creeper and
Lesser Redpoll are much more frequent and regular songsters than

184 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

Mr. Morris seems to recognize. The first song described under Marsh-
Tit appears to be the Willow-Tit’s song. The present reviewer is not
convinced that the attempt to reduce bird-notes to syllabic form is
practically useful. It is, I believe, generally true that a teacher must
try to lead a pupil from the known to the unknown. “ A little bit
of bread and no cheese ’’ is fairly suggestive, but ‘‘ che-che-che-chip ”’
is hardly suggestive at all. Finally, I do not find Mr. Morris’s dis-
cussion of the significance of song at all convincing.

This book cannot be recommended as a wholly reliable guide even
in the somewhat limited field attempted, but it should be valuable for
comparison to any who are investigating the subject for themselves.

One or two points may be noted that are outside the general purpose
of the book; Mr. Morris has noted three distinct types of Meadow-
Pipit in spring in the Lewes marshes, but I would suggest that the
third type is really the Water-Pipit (4. s. spinoletta). He also gives
two occurrences of A. s. littovalis near Lewes (March, 1899, and March,
1905), and a record of a Common Sandpiper wintering near Lewes
(1903-4). H.G.A.

The Pocket Book of British Birds. By Richard Kearton and Howard
Bentham. (Cassell.) Illustrated. 64% 4 inches. 6s. net.

Tuis is a useful little work giving a good deal of essential information
regarding most of the British species, omitting great rarities. The
authors have treated the birds binomially and have not entered into
the question of subspecies, which was a wise decision in a book designed
for the beginner. The information given is arranged under the
headings Description, Distribution, Habits, Food, Nest, Eggs, Notes.
The book is illustrated with a large number of photographs, but
although some of these are useful, many are too small to be of any real
assistance.

Woodcuts of British Birds. By E. Fitch Daglish. With descriptions
by the Artist. (Benn.) 25s. net.

THESE engravings are not likely to appeal to the bird-lover for they
are neither life-like in form nor accurate in detail. Most of the birds
depicted can be identified, but the ornithologist would call many of
them caricatures. Since the engravings are all labelled with the name
of the bird we must assume that Mr. Daglish intends them to be taken
as serious portraits and not merely as artistic studies. We do not
venture here to criticize them from the latter point of view and we
will only say that we are perhaps too old-fashioned to be able to
appreciate any artistic merit in such studies—for instance, as those
of the Stonechat, Wren, Dipper or Puffin.

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NORMAN F. TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U.

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 8, VoL. XIX., JANUARY I, 1926:

PAGE
An Historical Review of the Laws, Orders and Customs anciently
used for the Preservation of Swans in England. By N. F.
Ticehurst, M.A., F.R.c.S., Eng: - ... GANTISH MOSS 186
Obituary :— ; > Sa.
Michael John Nicoll tea aya wag G. Bowen ane PF \,206
Notes :—
Autumn Movements of Birds in East Suffolk Chenier * EB:
Alford) ... re er ie sia a : 209
Long-tailed Titmouse Laying before Completion of Nest
(Raymond Carlyon-Britton) ... a el : nee 209
Black Redstarts in Suffolk (Charles E. Alford) ae Ses 210
Black Redstart in Yorkshire (W. S. Medlicott) a bes 210

Black Redstarts in Wigtownshire (The Duchess of Bedford) 210

Common Buzzards and Peregrine Falcon in Surrey (Howard

Bentham) ae a3 aaa aie aes ee 08 211
Status of the Golden Eagle in Ireland (Rev. F.C. R. Jourdain) 211
Garganey in Anglesey (H. E. Forrest) ... < =" ek 212
Status of the Shoveler in Cumberland (E. Blezard) ... are 212
Pochard and Tufted Duck Breeding in Anglesey (H. E.

Forrest) ... Ae <a eae ee a ae ¥e 212
Gannets in Shropshire (H. E. Forrest) ... =e se i SNS
Unusual Nest of Turtle-Dove (Raymond Carlyon-Britton) ... 213
Spotted Redshanks in Surrey (Howard Bentham) ... oa 214

Short Notes -—

Shore-Larks on Holy Island. Black Redstart in Hampshire.
Little Owl in Lancashire. Ruddy Sheld-Duck and Red-
crested Pochard in Midlothian. Albino Snipe in Merioneth 214

Letter :—

Courtship of the Teal (Col. H. A. F. Magrath) ... = Poe 215
Review :—
In Praise of Birds. By Charles E, Raven, p.p. ae a4 216

P

( 186 )

AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE LAWS,
ORDERS AND CUSTOMS ANCIENTLY USED FOR
THE PRESERVATION OF SWANS IN ENGLAND.
BY
NE. TICBHURST (OBE MACS ERGs. ENG:

ALTHOUGH the fact that the Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) was
formerly kept under strict regulations in England receives
brief mention in most books on British birds, the laws, orders
and ancient customs, as they were termed, that governed
their possession and care, hedging that valued privilege around
with a number of unique and curious formalities, have been
but lightly dealt with at the hands of British ornithologists.
Very brief and sketchy outlines of the 1524 Witham ordinances
are given by Yarrell (B.B., IV., pp. 330-331) and by Gurney
(Early Annals of Ornithology, pp. 111-112), and Mr. Harting
has briefly summarized a few of the clauses in the Orders of
1632, but with these exceptions, no more than two or three
other writers mention them at all; yet it is to them one must
turn to gain any insight into the details of one of the most
interesting experiments in combined Bird Protection and
Aviculture that England has produced.

Hitherto, it has been the antiquarians who have paid
most attention to this subject, and eight different codes
of Orders have been reproduced in their journals or in books
of an antiquarian character. These, which are all referred
to later on, are all out of the beaten track for ornithologists
and the articles take, as I have experienced, a good deal of
finding. They were all published between 1745 and 1850, so
that nothing in the least comprehensive has appeared for over
seventy years, and no attempt has ever been made to
compare the various sets or to trace them to their origins.

While the subject is no doubt of great interest to the anti-
quary, it is surely not less so to the ornithologist, so that, as
I have been able to collect copies of these ancient Orders
from no less than seventeen different sources, it seems worth
while to try and put them into chronological order and note
the chief steps in their evolution. This must necessarily be
the foundation of a proper understanding and study of the
measures our ancestors took for the preservation of this bird.

Up to the reign of Edward IV., though the Swan had for
centuries held the proud position of a royal bird, there was
no statute law that regulated the ownership of them or made
any provision for their preservation. In 1482 an Act was

VOL. XIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. — 187

passed that confined their possession to persons owning
freehold lands and tenements of five marks annual value
above all yearly charges and provided for the seizure of those
belonging to persons not having such qualification. In 1494

a statute for the preservation of Pheasants, Partridges, Hawks

and Swans enacted, amongst other things, that the stealing
of Swans’ eggs should be punishable with imprisonment for
a year and a day and a fine at the King’s will, half of it going
to the King and half to the owner of the Swans.

Such other regulations as were observed by those who
kept Swans were either of the nature of unwritten laws, or, if
written, they have not come down to us. Be this as it may,
there can be no doubt that many of the formalities and regula-
tions that afterwards became codified into the orders or
ordinances were slowly evolved in the distant past and had
their origin as customs that gradually became habitually
followed as being convenient for the avoidance of disputes.
Customs sanctified by long years of usage were always held
in great respect in medieval times and we find in the later
codes that full provision is made for the due observance of
such ancient customs, even though only locally prevalent,
where the circumstances to which they were applicable were
not provided for in the ordinances themselves. Other
regulations, particularly those that were specially concerned
with the preservation of Swans and carried a penalty for
their infringement, perhaps arose in the same way, but even-
tually were made authoritative by decisions given by the
commissioners and justices in Courts of Swan-mote. In this
way a code of regulations was gradually evolved in every
district where Swans were extensively kept and, though no
doubt all followed very much the same lines, there would be
variations, large or small, between the codes of different
districts.

The earliest, locally applicable, code of ordinances that has
come down to us is the one printed by Sir Joseph Banks in
Archeologia in 1812 (Vol. XVI., p. 153, et seq.) from a copy
made in 1570. It was drawn up at a Court of Swan-mote
held at Lincoln on May 24th, 1524, and applied to the river
Witham in that county. It differs considerably from the later
codes that applied to larger areas and so for the sake of
comparison is worth reprinting :—

“1524. 1. These are the Ordinances made the 24th:day of May, in
the 15th year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King Henry
the 8th, by the Lord Sr. C’tofer Wylluby, Sir Edward Dimock,

Mr. Goderycke, Robert Barret, Pryor of Bardney, Mr. Cheston,
Mr. Penyngton, and other Justices of the Peaceand Commissioners,

BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

appointed by our Sovereign Lord the King, for the confirmation”
and preservation of his Highness’ game of Swans, and Signets
of his stream of Witham, within his county of Lincoln, with all
other cryckes, or syckes, or diches, that do ascend, or descend,
to, or from the said stream of Witham, viz. :—from a Breges,
called Boston Breges, unto the head of the said stream, with all
other moats, pounds and diches, within the said County, within
the compass of the said stream, and in parties of Kesteven, of
whose grounds soever they be, either Lords Spiritual, or Tem-
poral, or other of the King’s subjects, of what degree soever they
be of : and also for the keeping of the game of his Lords Spiritual]
and Temporal, and other of his subjects that have swans and
signets on the same stream, or waters, and the liberties thereof,
or franchises of the same; and also for conservation of fishing,
or fowling with any nets, or dogs, or for laying of any dunings,
or oyes, or nets, or for setting of lime-twigs, or any other engine
of the same stream, or waters, or within the liberties of the
same, or for making of fish-garths, or for making of pits or
pounds for steping of hemp or flax, in the same stream or waters,
wherby the stream or waters may be corrupted, otherwise than,
as appointed by law, or statutes of this realm.

. Imprimis it is ordained, and by our law made, in the Sessions

kept at Lincoln, the day and year above said, for our Sovereign
Lord the King, and by the King’s Jury there sworn, according
to the law of this realm, that no person or persons having swans
or signets, on or upon the said streams or water, or the liberties
of the same, shall appoint or set no Swannerd for to row for him,
or them, without the assent of the King’s Swannerd, or his
Deputy, in pain thereof for every such person as doth offend, for
every time, to forfeit unto the King or Deputy the sum of xls.

. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that if the King’s

Swannerd doth mislike of the said Swannerd at any time, that
then it shall be lawful for the King’s Swannerd for to discharge
him, and put him out presently, without any warning, and the
King’s Swannerd for to appoint one for to row for his masters,
and the same Swannerd for to have the same fees that the other
should have had, so that the King’s Swannerd let his master
know what was the cause of the same ; and if the said Swannerd
will take no discharge of the King’s Swannerd but will row still,
he shall have no fees for the same, for the other shall have the
fees, and for every day that he doth row, after his discharge he
shall pay unto the King or his Deputy the sum of 6s. 8d.

. Itemitis ordained, and by our law made, that the King’s Swan-

nerd, nor the Company, shall not go a rowing for to mark no
signets, before the Monday after the feast of St. John the
Baptist,* in every year, and for every signet that is marked
before that day, by the King’s, or any other Swannerd, forfeit
unto the King, for every swan so marked, or his Deputy, before
that day, 3s. 4d.

. Item itis ordained,and by our law made, that the King’s Swan-

nerd, or his Deputy, shall give warning unto the rest of the
Swanners, when that he, or his Deputy, go a rowing, and what
day and place they shall meet him or them, for to go a markinge,
or foredrawing of any other swans, or signets, at any time

* 7.€. June 25th to July 1st.

VOL. XIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. = 189

“e 6.

within the year, when the King’s Swannerd will, in pain for
every Swannerd which maketh his default for the same, to
forfeit to the King 6s. 8d, ;

Item it is ordained, and by our law made that the King’s Swan-
nerd, or his Deputy, shall keep one swan book with all the
marks of the swans, in the same book, and that he shall not
inroll no new merke, for no person, without the owner of the
merke have freehold, according to the statute, and not without
the counsell of two or three of the company beside, and he shall
look that the mark shall not hurt no other mark in the book,
and that the King’s Swannerd shall not give or sell to no person,
or persons, any mark that is within his book, whether there be
swans of the same mark or no, without it be the heir or next of
kin, in pain for every default, the King’s Swannerd to forfeit
unto the King or his Deputy, xls.

. Item it is ordered, and by our law made, that there shall no Swan-

nerd keep, or carry any swan book, but the King’s Swannerd
or his Deputy, for every time that any Swannerd doth keep
any swan book, or doth show it to any person or persons, without
the King’s book, in pain for every time, to forfeit unto the King,
or his Deputy, xls.

“8. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that the King’s Swan-

nerd, or his Deputy, shall have a book of the name of every
Swannerd, and his masters, and so shall inroll in the same book
every swan that is marked, and of what mark, and who is the
owner of the swan mark, and that no Swannerd shall row for no
masters, than his named within the same book, and that no
Swannerd have no more masters than three or four at most, in
pain to forfeit unto the King, or his Deputy, for every master
that he doth claim more than four, 3s. 4d.

. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that if the King’s Swan-

nerd, or his Company, meet with any swans that hath young,
and no Swannerd for them, and the mark in the book, then the
Company shall have one, and mark the rest after the sire and
dam, but if their mark be not in the King’s book, then all the
signets shall be seized for the King, and if the Company find any
flying swans, after the time of marking, it shall be seized unto
the King, paying them that take them their duty, as of custom
it hath been paid in any wise notwithstanding.

“to. Item it is ord:ined, and by our law made, that after the King’s

etre

““

Lan

Swannerd, and his Company, meet with any swans blounder
mark, or double mark, they shall be seized for the King, until
the Company have tried it; but if they have young they shall
be marked for the King, and the swanners shall not depart from
the swan, until it be tried who hath the right unto her, and if
they cannot try who owns her, the King’s Swannerd shall set
the King’s mark on her, and that every Swannerd shall fulfill
all these articles, in pain for every default to forfeit unto the
King or his Deputy xls.

. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, thatafter the King’s

Swannerd and his Company begin to mark, that there shall
no Swannerd depart away, or put by any swans from marking,
unto the time the King’s Swannerd have done, in paid for every
default, to forfeit unto the King 6s. 8d.

12. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that there shall no

swannerd take any swans for his masters, after the time of

190

BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

marking, nor before the King’s Swannerd, or his Deputy, and
one other Swannerd or else two or three Swanners and one or
two other men that is owner of swans with them, in pain, for
every swan that he takes up without the order, he or she that
taketh them up to forfeit to the King or his Deputy xls.

‘13, Item it is ordained, and by our law made,that all Swanners shall

have free power to go into all waters, ponds, moats, fenns or
marshes, for to bread or feed, in what corporation or liberty
soever it be, Lords spiritual or temporal, or any other of the
King’s subjects, without hurt or trouble, of the same swans or
breaking of their nests, or stealing of their eggs, or killing them

with bow, or gun, or dog, or any other engine, by day, or by

night, in pain to every man, of what degree soever, for every
such default to forfeit unto the King or his Deputy 51.

‘‘r4. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that there shall no

fisher, or other man that hath any ground butting on any water,
or stream, where swans may breed, or of custom have bred, shall
mow, shear, or cut any thackets, reed or grass, within 40 feet
of the swan’s nest, or within 4o feet of the stream, on pain for
every such default, to forfeit unto the King or his Deputy xls.

“15. Itemitis ordained, and by our law made, that the King’s Swan-

nerd of the stream of Witham, shall have free power and liberty
to go with two or three of the company, into any river, ponds,
or moats, within the County of Lincoln, or not, for to look for
swans, so that he or they give knowledge unto the King’s Swan-
nerd of the same country, or waters without let or trouble of
any of the King’s subjects, in any wise notwithstanding.

“16. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that there shall no

manner of person or persons, hawk, nor hunt, fish with dogs,
or set nets, or snares, or engines, for no fish, or fowl, in the day
time or shoot in hand gun, or crossbow, between the feast of
Phillip and James, and the feast of Lammas,* in pain for every
such default, to forfeit unto the King or his Deputy, the thing
that is set, and in money the sum of 6s. 8d.

“17. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that there shall no

hemp or flax be steeped in any running water, nor within 40 feet
of the water, nor any other filthy thing be thrown in the running
waters, wherby the waters may be corrupt, nor no man to
encroach on the running water, whereby the waters may be
hurt, by any kind of means, in pain of every such default, to
forfeit unto the King or his Deputy xl1s.

“18. Item it is ordained, and by our law made, that the King’s Swan-

nerd or his Deputy, shall have full power and strength, for to
view and search for all such offences, at all times, as he thinks
meet for the same, and for such faults as is within these presents,
and made by our law, found by them or any other person, that
doth complain unto them of the same, it shall be lawful for the
King’s Swannerd to seize, and strain for the forfeitures of the
same, and keep it to the King’s use; and if any person or
persons do present the same offence unto the King’s Swannerd,
he shall have the one moiety, the King or his Deputy the other
moiety.

“And also we do command all other the King’s Officers, and
all other person or persons that are the King’s true and faithful

* May ist to August Ist.

vor. xIx.} SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. = 191

subjects, for to help and aid the said King’s Swannerd, for to
take and strain the said forfeitures for the King’s use, or his
Deputy, at peril.”

(The spelling of the above has no doubt for the most part been
modernized.)

The variation in these local codes, especially as regards
the penalties exacted for their infringement, must have been
a source of considerable confusion and difficulty in cases
that occurred where the jurisdiction of one area marched
with that of another and so we find a few years later a beginning
was made to consolidate the ordinances and make them apply
to larger areas. Thus, during the reign of Edward VI.
(1547-53) a set of orders was issued by proclamation (undated)
of the privy council to apply to the whole district under the
_ jurisdiction of the deputy swan-master of what may be termed
the Fenland area. This was undoubtedly the largest and
most important area in the whole of England where Swans
were kept, and the orders were made to apply to the whole
of the counties of Northamptonshire, Huntingdonshire,
Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire.

This set of orders is in the form of a broadsheet (15? by 13
inches) printed in Gothie letter and must be of very consider-
able rarity. The only copy that I have heard of is preserved
amongst the Cecil papers (223/17a.) at Hatfield and is endorsed
in Lord Burghley’s writing ‘‘ For the Swans.’’ It forms the
basis of all the subsequent proclamations and differs con-
siderably from the foregoing, so that it will be necessary to
give it in full. This I am enabled to do from a transcript
made ior me by the Hatfield Librarian by permission of the
Marquis of Salisbury. What is no doubt the same proclama-
tion has been printed in Archeologia (t.c.) by Sir Joseph
Banks, but this is professedly a copy of a manuscript copy
made in 1570. It contains, besides numerous slight variations
in the text, nearly, if not all, evidently due to errors in copying,
two additional notes (rather than clauses) based on the Acts
of 22 Edward IV. and 11 Henry VII. referred to above.
These are not present in the original proclamation and by
their form are almost certainly additions, applicable but
unauthorized.

PROCLAMATION OF 1547-53.
[The numbers of the clauses have been added to facilitate reference ;
they represent the order of the same ones in the later proclamations. ]
‘ This is the ordinance for the conservation and kepyng of the
Kynges Swanes and Sygnetes, and of his lordes spirituall and
temporall, and of his comons wythin the counties of Lyncolne,

192 BRITISH BIRDS. [yvor, xR

Northampto’, and Huntington and Ca’brige and the liberties and
fraunchyse of the same. And for the co’servacion of fish and foule
wyth the assizing of al maner of nettes wythin the sayde counties and
liberties of the same.

[§xo] ‘‘ Fyrst It is ordeyned and statuted that every person havyng
any Swannes shall begynne yerly to marke or cause to be marked
the same upon the Monday next after Trinitie Sundaye, and no
person afore but after as the company may, so that the maister
of the kynges game of swannes or his deputies be there present :
and if any person or persones take upon hym or them in markynge
to the contrary, to forfeyte to the kynge xls. _

[§x1] ‘Item it is ordeyned that no person nor persons being Swanherds
nor other, shall go on markynge wythout the mayster of the
kynges game of Swannes or his deputy be present, with vj or
iiij of the company of Swanherdes upon payne to forfeyte to the
kynges grace xl.s.

[§14] ‘‘ Item it is ordeyned that no person take up no sygnet nor
sygnets unmarked, nor make no sale of them, but yf the kynges
Swanherde or his deputy with iiij other Swanherdes next
adioynynge be presente or have knowledge of the same upon
peyne to forfeyte to the kynges grace xL.s.

[$15] ‘Item it is ordeyned that the Swanherde of the duchy of La’caster
wythin the sayd counties nor wythin the lybertyes and franches
of the same, nor no other person for hym nor by hym shall
make no sale nor take up no Swanes nor marke the’ wythin the
sayd duchy wythoute the kynges Swanherde or hys deputy be
present, upon peyne to forfeyt to the kynges grace xl.s. And
in like wyse it is ordeined that the kynges Swanherde of the
forsayde counties nor his deputie, shal not entre in to the seyd
douchy to take up any Swanes or signettes nor them to marke
wyth oute the Swanherd of the duchy be present, upon peyne
to forfeyte to the kynges grace x Ls.

[$16] ‘‘Item it is ordeyned that if any Swannes or signets be found
wythoute the sayde duchye double marked or put out of right
marke, that then it shal be seased for the king and to be delivered
to the master of the kyngs game of Swannes or to his deputy,
and so to remayne to it be proved by iiij or vj sufficient Swan-
herdes, to whom the sayd Swannes or signetes belonge or apper-
tayne, so that the knowledge of the same be hadde by the sayd
Swanherddes after the sayd delyvery afore the sessyons of
Swannes than next to be kepte within the county, where it shall
happe the sayde Swannes or signettes to be seased and delivered
in fourme afore sayde. And yf so be the property of the same
Swannes or signetes cannot be knowne by the saide sessions, that
then the kynge to be assured of the value of the same Swannes
and sygnettes.

{§7] ‘Item it is ordeyned that yf any person or persons wylfully put
any Swannes from their nestes, whereso ever they brede, or els
take up and destroie, or beare away the egges or egge of the
sayde Swannes to forfeit for every defaute and presented in the
sessions of Swannes to the kynges grace xiljs and iiijd.

[$17] “‘ Item it is ordeyned that no man shal make sale of no whyte
Swannes nor make delyvery of them wythout the master of the
game or hys deputie be present with iiij or vj Swanherdes next
adioyning, under pain of xl.s. wherof shal be to the fynder
vjs. viijd. and the residew to the kynge.

VoL. xIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. = 193

[§12] “Item it is ordeyned that no person or persons hunt in fene
[fence] tyme or in ani haunt cf Swannes wyth dogs from the
feast of Ester to the sonday after Trinite sondaye, upon peyne
for every tyme so doing vjs. viijd.

[§13] ‘‘ Item it is ordeyned that if any person set any snares or any
maner of Ingynnes to take bittors or Swannes betwixt the feast
of Ester and lam’as, he or they to forfeit for every tyme so setting
ani such Ingins vjs. viijd.

({§18] ‘Item it is ordeyned that no person nor persons shal ley no net
nor nettes, nor dragge with net nor nettes wythin the common
stremes, waters nor marisses upon the day tyme, from the feast
of the Invencion of the holy crosse unto the feast of lammas*
upon peyne as often as they be found in faute and prese’ted in
the sessions of Swannes before the kynges Justices xx s. to
forfeyte to the kynges grace.

[S19] ‘‘Item it is ordeined that every Swa’herd, intendyng to kepe any
Swans or signetes, that they shal kepe the’ in a penor pit wythin
xx foote of the com’e streme or els wythin xx foote of the kynges
high way so that the kinges subiectes passyng by, may have the
syght of the sayde Swannes, upon peyne of x1.s.

({§22] ‘‘Item it is ordeyned that there shalbe no forfet of whyte Swanes
nor grey Swafies nor sygnettes, but only to the kynges grace as
wel wythin the fraunches and liberties as without and as often
as any person sease and delyver the sayde Swaiis to any other
perso’ but only to the master of the game or to the kyngs use,
he to forfet to the kynges grace vjs. viijd.

{§23] ‘Item it is ordeyned that no maner of person nor persons shal
ley nor set nettes named trameles nor nettes called drayes, no1
dray wyth no net from the xvj day next before the feast of
saynt Marke the evangelist unto the xvj day next enouyng the
same feast.t That is to wit wythin the com’e streames waters
fennes and marshes in the county of Lyncolne, Northampton,
Huntington and Cambrydge, nor wythin the Ile of Ely upon
peyne of xl.s.

{§24] ‘Item it is ordeyned that no man shall take no gray Swannes
nor whyte Swaiis fleyng, but that he shal wythin i1ij dayes next
aiter the sayd takyng, delyver it or them to the master of the
kynges Swannes or to hys deputy to the kynges use, and the
taker to have for hys takyng viij d.

{§25] ‘‘Item it is ordeined that no maner of person of what estate,
degree, or condycyon he be havyng any game of Swajies of hys
owne, shalbe no Swanherde nor keper of none other mens Swafes
upon peyne of x L.s.

[$26] ‘‘Item it is ordeyned that no Swanherd, nor fisher, nor fowler
shall not vexe nor trouble another swa’herd, fysher, nor fowler
by waye of accion or other wyse but only afore the kynges
Justyce of hys sessions of Swanes upon peyne of forfeytyng to
the kynges grace xiij s. iiij d. .

God save the kynge.”’

In Hunter’s South Yorkshire, 1828, L., p- 157, is to be found
a set of orders, which it is stated was made in the court of

* May 3rd to August Ist.
t April 9th to May 11th.

194. BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

‘ swain-mote ’’* of the manor of Hatfield for the keeping and
preservation of Swans on Hatfield Chase. No hint is given of
the date and the spelling has been completely modernized.
It consists of the first six clauses of the preceeding proclama-
tion (§{10, §11, §14, §15, §16 and §17), from which it has
evidently been adapted, for in §15 where the proclamation
speaks of “ the Swanherde of the duchy of Lacaster wythin
the sayd counties ”’ the present set has “ the swanherd of the
Duchy of Lancaster within the counties of York, Lincoln,”
etc. Apart from this there are a few very slight differences
in wording, probably due to errors in transcription, while in
the same way the penalty “ xls.” at the end of each clause
has been mis-read and put down as “ ten pounds.”’

In the sixth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1563-4)
this proclamation was re-issued, and its scope enlarged so as
to include in addition the county of Rutland; but beyond
differences in spelling, and the alterations rendered necessary
by the different sex of the reigning monarch, this revised
‘edition is word for word identical with the earlier one. It
was also a Gothic letter Broadsheet and was “ Imprinted at
London in Powles Churchyarde by Rycharde JUGGE and
John Gaywood, printers to the Queenes Maiestie. Cum
privilegio Regice Maiestatis.”’

Both this and the next proclamation have been reprinted
in a thick folio volume containing “all such Proclamations
as were published during the Reigne of the late Queen
Elizabeth, collected together by the industry of Humfrey
Dyson, of the City of London, Publique Notary, 1618.”
It is evidently of considerable rarity, as a copy from the late
Marquis of Ripon’s library sold in London on June 12th,
1925, for 3,500 guineas. Copies may be seen at the British
Museum (4663) and at the Bodleian (F.c. 11).

In the twenty-seventh year (1584-5), a further step towards
unifying the ordinances and enlarging their scope was taken
by the issue of a revised set of orders. This was again a
Broadsheet Proclamation by the Privy Council and was
“ Printed at London for Thomas Woodcoke at the signe of
the black Beare in Paules Church yard.”’ It 1s presumably a
combination of several older sets of ordinances and it applied
to the whole of England. It contains all the clauses, in nearly

* Courts of Swain-mote were Forest Courts, so if the word as used
here is correct it must be presumed that in certain districts they were
competent tribunals for dealing with Swan-law offences. In most
parts of the country this was certainly not so, the only competent
tribunal being the Courts of Swan-mote, which were totally different.

a

———e ee.

VOL. XIx.] SWANS—HISYORICAL REVIEW. 195

the same order as the two earlier proclamations, except §23,
which, being concerned with setting of nets for fish and
having no direct bearing on Swans, is omitted ; but it has in
addition eleven others. There is also a considerable number
of variations in spelling and wording, but none which alter
the sense of the original clauses except in §7, which has been
remodelled and redrafted; §12 and §13 which are slightly
enlarged and in §26, where the penalty has been increased
from a mark to two pounds. In the final paragraph of §15
an obvious slip has been made in drafting, the Queen’s swan-
herd having been substituted for that of the Duchy, which
makes nonsense of it.

This proclamation is simply headed “The Order For
Swannes,” and the following are the new and altered
clauses :-—

[§x] ‘‘First you shall inquire if there be any person that doth possesse
any swan and hath not compounded with the Queenes maiestie
for his marke. That is to say vjs. vujd. for his marke during
his life. If you know any such you shall present them that all
such swannes and signets may be seased for the Queene.

{§2] ‘“‘Also you shall enquire if any person doo possesse any swan or
signet that may not dispend the cleere yeerely value of fiue
markes of freehold (except heire apparent to y® crowne) the’
you shal present him. 22 Ed. IV.

[§3] “Also if amy person or persons doo driue away any swan or
swannes breeding or prouiding to breed be it upon his owne
ground or any other mans ground, he or they so offending shall
suffer one yeeres imprisonment and fine at the Queenes pleasure
ms. Wid. xt.. Hen. 7,

[$4] ‘Item if there be found any Weres upon the Riuers not hauing
any grates before them, it is lawfull for euery owner, swan
maister or Swanherde to pull up or cut down the birth net or
gin of the said Were or Weres.

[$5] ‘Item if any person or persons be found carying any swan hooke
and the same person beeing no swanheard nor accompained with
two swanheards. Every such person shall pay to the Queene
xiijs. ilijd. that is to say iijs. iijd. to him that will informe and
the rest to the Queene.

[§6] ‘‘Item the ancient cvstume of this Realme hath and doth allow
unto euery owner of such ground where any such swan shall
heiry to take one land bird and for the same the Queenes
Maiestie must haue of him that hath the land bird xijd.

[$7] ‘‘Item it is ordayned that if any person or persons doo conuey
away or steale away the Egge or Egges of any swan and the same
duly proued by two sufficient witnesse that then euery such
offender shall pay to the Queene xiijs. iiijd. for euery egge so
taken out of the nest of any swan.

[§8] “‘Item it is ordayned euery owner that hath any swannes shall
pay ilijd. yeerely to the maister of the game for his fee and his
Dinner and Supper free, on the upping day. And if the said
maister of the game faile of the iiijd. then he shall distraine the
game of euery such owner that so doth fail of paiment.

196 BRITISH BIRDS, [VOL. XIx.

[§9] ‘‘Item if there be any pecson or persons that hath swannes that
doth heire upon their seuerall waters and after commeth to the
common river they shall pay a land bird to the Queene and to be
obedient to all swan laws, for diuers such persons doth use it
for collusion to defraud the Queene of her right.

{§12] ‘Item it is ordayned that no person shall hunt any ducks or
any other chase in the water or neere the haunt of Swannes in
fence tyme with any dogges or spaniels from the feast of Easter
to the sonday next after Trinitie sonday, upon peyne for every
tyme so in hunting to forfait vjs. viijd.

{§13] ‘Item it is ordayned that if any person or persons do set any
snares or any manner of nets, lime or engines to take bittors or
Swannes from the feast of Easter to y* Sunday after Lammas,
he or they to forfeit to the Queenes Maiestie for every time so
setting vjs. viijd.

{§20] “Item it is ordayned that if any person do raze out, counterfait
or alter the marke of any swan to the hindryng or losse of any
mans game. And any such offender, duely proued before the
Queenes maiesties Commissioners of Swannes, shall suffe1 one
whole yeeres imprisonment and pay iijli. vjs. viijd. to the
Queene.

{§21] ‘‘Item it is ordayned that the commons, that is to say Dinner
or Supper shall not exceed aboue vjd. or viijd. at the most.
And if any game be found on the River where such Dinner and
Supper is had and the owner of the same game absent nor any
for him, the maister of the game or his deputy to lay vjd. or
viijd. for euery such owner and to be allowed again of euery
game, whose owner is absent.

(§27] ‘Item the maister of the Queenes game shall not take away any
unmarked Swan coupled with any other mans Swan for breaking
of the brood, and when they do heyre the one part of the Signets
to the Queene, and the other to the owner of the marked Swan.

[§29] ‘“‘Itemit is ordayned that if any heire be led with one Swan, the
Swan and the Signets shalbe seazed for the Queene till due
proofe be had whose they are, and whose was the Swan that is
away, be it Cobbe or Peen.

God saue the Queene.”’

[§28 and §30 do not appear until two editions later.]

Blomefield (History of Norfolk, 8vo, I., p. 170) states that
a set of orders was printed in 1598, but of this, unless it be the
above, I have not come across another trace. Mr. J. E.
Harting writes (Zoologist, 1895, p. 372) that he possesses a
manuscript copy, entitled “‘ The Order for Swannes exem-
plified out of the printed Orders for Swannes the xxvjth of
marche 1598,”’ but this is presumably a copy of the 1584
proclamation.

A new and enlarged proclamation was no doubt issued
during the early years cf the reign of James I., but hitherto no
specimen has come to light in a printed form. There are,
however, at least three manuscript copies in existence and
these I have seen. Each is bound up with a roll of Fenland
swan-marks, which are themselves for the most part identical

VOL. XIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. 197

or at any rate copies of the same original and contemporaneous
in date. These are British Museum Additional MS. 6301,
the Bromhead roll at Lincoln (modern copy in the Public
Library) and the roll in the possession of the Rev. H. 5.
Marriott at Wilby, Norfolk.

The relative dates of these and of the two succeeding sets
of orders are rather doubtful; Mr. Bromhead (Archeological
Journal, 1850), ignoring the constant recurrence in his copy
of the word “ King,” by a fallacious argument and a guess
assigns it to the end of the reign of Queen Mary or the
beginning of that of Elizabeth. The most probable date of
the swan-rolls accompanying the Bromhead and Marriott
MSS. is about 1609, that of MS. 6301 about twelve years
later.

The two succeeding sets I am inclined to place a few years
later still, though they do not contain quite so many clauses
as do the MS. ones. I place these first because the hand-
writings of the Marriott MS. and Add: MS. 6301 are those of
early seventeenth century scribes, the dates given in them for
the commencement of upping and the termination of fence-
time are the same as in all the earlier sets, the wording of
§2r and §22 more closely resembles that of the 1584
proclamation, while the absurd error at the end of §15,
already mentioned, is repeated. In the two sets that I
place later this error is corrected, close time is extended
and the upping day is progressively advanced to a later
date.

The three manuscript copies differ from one another, as
would be expected, in spelling and in such slight differences
in wording as occur when documents are copied or taken down
from dictation. Want of care in copying is conspicuous
throughout the Marriott MS. and several clauses are omitted
altogether. Otherwise they are identical in substance and
apart from a few small alterations, due to redrafting and the
necessary substitution of the male for the female gender
wherever the Crown is referred to, the clauses are identical
and in the same order as those in the proclamation of 1584.
At the end six new clauses have been added, as follows :—
(text from Add : MS.6301)

[§31] ‘“‘Itm that noe p’son take uppe any unmarked swannes or
Cignets except he be requested thereunto by a sufficient Company
in the field vppon markinge dayes, nor doe Carry them to the
deputy or other p’sons except he tooke them fiyinge.

[§32] ‘‘Itm that noe man shall serue as deputy for aboue twoe ms

beinge Owners, And that ev’y such deputy before he shall doe
any service therein, doe shewe to his Mes swanheard or his

198 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

deputye and the Companye assembled, his deputation, and
doe pay yearely iiijd. for ye allowance thereof. And y' noe
owner be deputy for another owner.

[$33] ‘“Itm that noe p’son in uppinge tyme shall dep’te from ys
Company to marke any other broode, wttout ye lycense of ye
deputy ; nor put out y* olde swannes before the whole broode
be marked, neither put [out] ye olde swannes before he haue
pulled them in the heads.

[§34] ‘‘Itm that noe p’son shall sett any hingles snares or engines
for foule from Shroue tyde to St. Lukes daye. _

[§35] ‘‘Itm that noe deputye shall sell any swannes or cignets except
the same be his marsters.

[§36] ‘‘Itm if any person by inheritance from their ancestors, after
the death of their predecessors, by sale or exchaunge haue
obtayned any swanne marke, and hath any game of the same,
he shall pay six shillings eight pence for his alienation, and the
due ffees for the enrolment thereof.”

The next edition occurs asa four-page, printed, quarto tract.
It must be of very great rarity and I have no knowledge of
where a copy isto be found. What professes to be a verbatim
copy has been printed by Hone (Every-day Book, II., p. 958),
but the source whence it was obtained is not stated. Its
dated is assigned to 1570, but the evidence for this is not
given and it is manifestly absurd, as is shown by the fact
that in every clause where the Crown is mentioned the word
used is “‘ King ”’ !

In this set is first found the full descriptive title, viz. :—

“ The Order for Swannes both by the Statutes, and by the
Auncient Orders and Customes, used within the
Realme of England.”

The subject matter remains the same and the clauses are
in the same order as in the previous sets up to and including
§27; a new Clause, §28, is then added and asecond one, §30,
after the final one of 1584, the six new clauses of the last set
being dropped. Besides variations in spelling and wording,
six clauses ($6, §8, $10, §11, §21 and §22) contain slight
extensiois or small explanatory additions, but the principal
changes are (a) the upping day (S10) and the end of fence
time (§12), hitherto the Monday and Sunday after Trinity
Sunday respectively, the dates therefore varying between
May 18th and June 21st and May 24th and June 26th, are
advanced to less variable dates, viz. the Monday after
St. Peter’s day (June 30th to July 6th) and Lammas (August
Ist) ; (5) a new offence and penalty are added at the end

of §24. .
The altered and new clauses are as follows :—
[$6] The concluding sentence reads: “‘ and for the same, the Kings

Maiestie-must have of him that hath the Land-bird, Twelve
pence, Be it vpon his owne ground, or any other.”

VoL. xIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. = 199

[§8] Begins : “It is ordained, that euery owner that hath any Swans,
shall pay euery yeare yearly for euery Swan-marke, foure pence,
SiG; Gc,

{§ro] ‘It is ordained, that euery person, hauing any Swans, shal
begin yearly to mark, the Monday next after St. Peters day,
and no person before; but after as conueniently may be, so
that the Master of the Kings Game, or his Deputy, be present.
And if any take vpon him or them, to marke any Swanne or
Cignet, in other manner, to forfeit to the Kings Maiestie for
euery Swan so marked fortie shillings.”

{§1r] Begins: ‘‘ It is ordained, that no person or persons being
Owners, or Deputies, or servants to them, or other,’’ etc., etc.

{§21] Begins: ‘‘ It is ordained, that the Commons (that is to say)
Dinner and Supper, shall not exceed above twelve pence a
man’”’ and ends: ‘‘ the Master of the Game is to pay out eight
pence for him, and he is to distraine the Game of him that
faileth the paiment of it.”

{§22] Ends: “he is to forfeit sixe shillings eight pence; and the
Swannes to be restored vnto the Master of the Game.

{§24] Ends: “ the Taker to haue for his paines eight pence. And if

he faile, and bring him not, he forfeits forty shillings to the
King.”

{§28] ‘‘ Also, any man whatsoever he be, that killeth any Swanne
with dogge, or Spaniels, shall forfeit to the King forty shillings,
the owner of the Dogge to pay it, whether he be there or no.
Also, the Maister of the Swannes, is to have for every White
Swanne and Gray vpping, a penny, and for every Cignet two
pence.” .

(§30] ‘“ Lastly, If there be any other misdemeanour, or offence
committed or done by the owner of any Game, Swan-herd, or
other person whatsoeuer, contrary to any law, ancient custome
or vsage heretofore vsed and allowed, and not before herein
particularly mentioned or expressed, you shal present the same
offence, that reformation may be had, and the offendors
punished, according to the quantitie and qualitie of the seuerall
offences.

Finis.
God Saue the King.”

The next edition, not improbably coincident in date with
the accession of Charles I. (1625), is described (Trans. Arch.
Soc., Ser. I, Vol. I., p. 173) as a black letter pamphlet, and
“seems to have consisted of more than four leaves. It was
printed in full by Mr. George Bowyer in 1847 (Archeologia,
XXXII., pp. 426-8) from a copy from the library at Denham
“Court, Bucks. The present representative of the family
knows nothing of it, and its whereabouts I have been unable
to trace, nor have I heard of another example; but a manu-
script copy, in a contemporary hand on two vellum membranes,
is to be found in British Museum Additional MS. 23732,
differing only in spelling and a few slips from the printed one.
A second, contemporary, MS. copy, word for word identical

200 BRITISH BIRDS. (mom, sere.

with the printed one, is in the possession of Mrs. Thackeray at
Elsing Hall, Norfolk.

This edition is with very few slight alterations in wording a
reprint of the last, but the commencement of upping (§I0) is
further advanced to an absolutely fixed date, August Ist,
and the words “as strays’’ in §1g9 are omitted, so that the
clause applies to all Swans seized by the royalswanherd and
not to strays only.

The next set of orders was published in 1632 in the form of
a small quarto pamphlet, now of considerable rarity. It
consists of eight pages with the following title :—

‘* The/Orders/LaWes and/Ancient CVS/Tomes of Swanns./
caused to be printed by John Witherings/Esquire,
Master and Governour of the Royall Game of Swanns/
and Signets, throughout England/London. Printed by
August Mathewes 1632.’

Of this there is a copy in the British Museum (c. 31, e. 26),

a second is in the possession of Mr. J. E. Harting (Zoologist,
1895, p. 372) and the late Mr. Stephen Tucker, Somerset
Herald, owned a third (fide Harting, Joc. cit.). Yarrell once
had a copy (B.B. IV., p. 334), but this may be the same as
Mr. Harting’s, while another, or a manuscript copy, is bound
up with a roll of Fenland swan-marks, that was in 1863 the
property of the late A. H. Swatman of King’s Lynn (Stevenson,
B. of Norfolk, U11., p. 110), but the present whereabouts of
this [ have not been so successful in finding.

Hitherto, the codes of ordinances had been based to a large
extent on the earlier Fenland ones, but the present one was
derived mainly, if not entirely, from a manuscript set of
Thames orders that was in force prior to 1584. ‘This is plain
from the following introduction with which it begins: ‘‘ The
Lawes Orders & custcmes for Swans, taken forth of a booke
which the Lord of Buckhurst delivered to Edward Clarke of
Lincolnes Inne Esquier, to peruse, An. Eliz. 26. On the
backside of which booke. It was thus entituled Taken out of
an ancient booke remaining with Master Hambden, sometimes
Maister of the Swannes.”’ Lord Buckhurst was Master of the
Swans at the end of the sixteenth century and Edward Clarke
was his deputy for the Thames.

In this set the penal clauses differ in the main but little
from those already detailed, though some are broken up
and re-arranged and the order is entirely different. Then
clauses, for the most part directional in character, are new,
while six (§10, §15, §17, §19, §25 and §26) of those in the
preceding issues do not appear. The differences are so

VOL. XIx.] SWANS —HISTORICAL REVIEW. 201

numerous that it becomes necessary to give the whole code,

except in one or two places, where the clauses are almost

identical, adding such references to the preceding sets as
seem expedient.

(1) [Identical with §2, though differently worded. ]

(2) [Identical with $1, though differently worded.] |

(3) “But if any person hauing no Marke allowed him haue one or
more Swannes giuen him, or haue any Land bird signe marked,
he may keepe them in the common Riuer till the next Vpping
time (without fine) paying the Commons and other charges for
the Vpping.

[The next three clauses are an elaboration of §22.]

(4) ‘“Ifany person hauing Swannes, either within Franchise or without
be attainted, his Swannes are forfeit to the King onely, and not
to any person whatsoeuer. ;

(5) “Also all Swannes that are cleere of Bill, without Marke or signe
marke, are the King’s onely, whether they be pinioned or flying
Swannes.

(6) ‘‘Alsoall stray Swannes which no man can challenge by his Marke,
those are the King’s onely. And they are to be seazed for the
King, and marked on the legge, but are not to be caryed away
the first yeare.

(7) ‘In all common streams and private waters when Cignets are
taken vp, the owner of the Cob must chuse the first Cignet, and
the Pen the next, and so in order. But if there be three, then
the owner of the Grasse where they breed, must haue the third,
for the spoyle of his Grasse: and. must pay the King Twelve
pence for the same Land bird sauing in such places where of
ancient custome they pay lesse, or more, {This is an extension
of §6.]

(8) “If an Heiry be led with one Swanne onely, the halfe of these
Cignets shall be seazed for the King, till proof be made whose
the Swanne was that is away; but are not to be carried away
that yeare.. [cf..§29.]

(9) “The Master of the Game, or his deputy shall yearely, come at
the vsual dayes of marking Swannes in that streame (on pain
of loosing his Fees during his absence). And he shall keepe a
Roll or Standard booke, containing all the vsual marks of that
streame. He shall also keepe a Register booke of the number
of euery mans Swannes, and the place where they are vpt.
And shall likewise bring the booke of the yeere. For which
euery Gamster is to give him yearely, Foure pence. [c¢f. Witham
Ordinances of 1524, Nos. 5, 6 and 8.]

(to) ‘Also the master of the Game, or his Deputy is to hauea penny
for vpping euery white Swanne and two pence for euery Cignet,
and shall haue his dinner and supper and hay or grasse for his
Horse discharged by the Gamsters euery Vpping day, except
in such streames where by ancient custome other composition
is vsed. {[Embodies parts of §28 and §8.]

(11) If any man desire the Master of the Game to enter any notes
in his booke (other than the notes due to be written as afore-
said) or to take any note out of his booke vnder his hand, he is
to pay for the same iiijd.

(12) If any Swanne be vnpinioned, and thereby doe or may fly, the
owner of that Swanne is to pay Four pence. And if any man

Q

202 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIx.

take any flying Swanne or Cignet, he must bring the same to
the Master of the Game or his Deputy, and take for his pains
8d. on paine of Fourtie shillings. [§24 extended and differently
worded. |

(13) [Identical with §r8 in the proclamation of 1584, which is the
same, with a few verbal alterations, as that of 1564.|

(14) ‘If any Swanne be found double marked, imbezeled, or by
unskilfulnesse put out of right marke, the Master of the Game
is to chuse fiue Gamsters (such as are indifferent) to iudge who
hath right to that Swanne. And hee to whom the Swanne bee
adiudged shall pay Four-pence for registering the said imbezeled
or wrong marke. But if those fiue, or the greater number of
them doe not adiudge the said Swanne to one of the Gamsters,
then the Swanne is due to the King. [A modification of §16.]

(15) ‘‘The vsual dayes for vpping of Swannes are not to be altered
without the consent of the greater number of Gamsters of that
streame, and that by Proclamation made in all market Townes
neare the said streame.

(16) ‘‘No person shall go on marking without the Master of the Game,
or his Deputy bee present vpon paine to forfeit Fourtie shillings.
But if by sicknesse or other occasion, hee be absent at the vsual
Vpping dayes, the company may goe on, so that some sworne
Gamster keepe the Register booke, and receiue all the dues, and
deliuer them to him at his comming. [An elaboration of §11.]

(17) [Almost word for word identical with §20, but with the additional
penalty added ‘‘ and for euer be disabled to be a Gamster.’’ |

(18) ‘‘And to the end that at the Vpping-time no Swanne be imbezeled,
it is ordained, that no man draw blood of any Swanne, till the
Master of the Game, or his Deputy haue viewed the said Swanne,
and declared whose the Swanne is.

(19) “No Swanne (other than Cleerebild) is to be marked for the
King on the beake, but only on the legge. For two markes on
the beake are vnlawfull.

(20) ‘‘The Master of the Game may presently sell or carry away
Swannes that are cleerebild, imbezeled (as aforesaid) and all
Swannes forfeit for want of Freehold, or by attaint of the
owner,

(21) “‘And yet neither the Master of the Game, nor any other Gamster
may take away any Swanne which is in broode with any other
mans, or which is coupled, and hath a walke, without the others
consent, for breaking the broods. [§27 modified. ]

(22) ‘‘Itis ordained that Commons, that is to say, dinner and supper
is to be paid daily by euery Banker and Commoner, whether he
be present or absent. But if he be absent the Master of the
Game is to lay it out for him (as likewise all the other dues)
till their next meeting or Vpping. But the said Commons shall
not exceed above Twelve pence a man. And if the Company
will spend more, they are to pay the overplus by the Poll.
{§21 modified. ]

(23) ‘“‘To the end that diet may be had at a reasonable rate and
likewise lodging, the place of taking both, is to be chosen by
the greater number of the Commoners.

(24) “If any person be found carrying a Swanhooke within fourtie
lugg of any streame sauing on the Vpping dayes, and not
accompanied with two swan-herdes, he shall forfeit Thirteen
shillings, foure pence. But vpon the Vpping dayes, every

voL. XIxX.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. = 208

Gamster that caryeth not a Hooke (except such Gentlemen as
for pleasure goe to see their owne Game) shall forfeit eight pence
a day, the one halfe to be for the master of the Game, the other
halfe for the Company. [§5 modified and extended. A Lugg
=20 feet. | f

(25) ‘No person shall take vp any Swanne or Cignet marked or
vnmarked, vnlesse it be done in the presence of two other Swan-
herdes, and that by allowance of the Master of the Game, or
his Deputy, for which allowance hee is to pay Four-pence vpon
paine to forfeit Fourtie shillings. [§14 modified.] :

(26) ‘If any Swan-herdes depart before hee haue made euen with the
Master of the Game, for all dues, hee is to forfeit Twelve-pence :
For which, as for all dues, the Master of the Game, or his Deputy,
may distreine the game: and at the next Vpping may pay
himselfe by distraining and sale of the Game, rendering to the
party the overplus,

(27) [Identical with §9, with slight difference of wording.]

(28) ‘‘Ifany person shall take away the egg or egges of any Swanne :
Euery such offender shall be imprisoned a yeere and a day:
and shall pay Thirteen shillings Four pence for every egg so
taken away. Whereof halfe to the King and half to the Owner
of the Swan. 11 of Henry 7.

(29) [Identical with §3, with slight differences in wording.]

(30) “If any Dogge shall driue any Swanne away from her nest: the
owner of such Dogge shall forfeit Thirteen shillings foure pence.
But if any Dogge shall kill any old Swanne: the owner of such
Dogge shall forfeit to the King Fourtie shillings, whether he be
there or not. [The first half of §28, extended. |

(31) [Identical with §12, slightly differently worded.]

(32) [Identical with §13.]

(33) “Ifthere be any Weares upon the Rivers not hauing grates before
them, whereby the Swannes and Cignets may be defended from
drowning: the owner of such Weare shall forfeit to the King
thirteen shillings foure pence. [§4, modified.]

(34) “All Fisher-men are to assist the Master of the Game or his
Deputy in the execution of their office on the Vpping dayes,
with their boates at the vpper end of their severall waters, vpon
paine of ten shillings for every default. For which service the
Master of the Game shall cause the accustomed Fees to be paid
to the said Fisher-men.

(35) [Identical with §30.]

“At every Swan-heards court, all Offences committed by breach
of these orders, are to be enquired of.

“Note, that the Swan-heard for the Dutchy of Lancaster is to
observe, and see observed, all these orders in his circuite, and
to receive the fees belonging to the Kings Swan-heard.

“Note, that in all forfeitures to the King, a fourth part is due
to him that gives information of the offence.

“Note, that none is to go as Swan-vpper, but those who are
sworne, if Courts be often kept.

Finis.’’
It is a curious and an unaccountable fact that all these

later sets of orders (7.e. after 1603) contain a clause providing
a penalty for the stealing of eggs, etc., under the statute of

204 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

11 Henry VII. and not one of them makes any reference to
the later act of r James I. c.27._ This prescribes a modified
penalty of twenty shillings an egg, or three months’ imprison-
ment, for the same offence and expressly provides by sec. V.
that no person punishable under it should be punished under
an earlier act for any offence covered by both.

The last set of orders was published in 1664 and isa re-issue
with only quite minor differences and modernized spelling
of the previous set of 1632. It is described as a small quarto
pamphlet of six pages, and was reprinted in 1745 from a copy
in the Earl of Oxford’s library, in the Harleian Miscellany
(III., pp. 359-363). It is listed by Lowndes in the Bzblio-
graphers’ Manual, but no other original copy appears to be
known.

It remains to notice briefly a set of ordinances of later date,
that were of local application only. It is given in Poulson’s
History and Antiquities of the Seignory of Holderness, 1840,
I., p. 355, where it is described as the “ Orders and Paynes
of the Court of the Manor of Hempholm to be observed by
Swanners.”’ It is stated to have been made at a Swanherds’
Court held by Mr. W. Bethell, the King’s Swanherd, and
bears the date at the end, June 7th, 1708. It is not quite
clear, however, whether this is the date of the actual drawing
up of the orders, or that of their confirmation by a later
court, but in any case by the preceding context they cannot
have been made earlier than 1679. Although the sets of
orders already given applied to the whole of England, local
swan-mote courts still had power to draw up and proclaim
other codes, so long as they did not alter any of the clauses in
the universally applicable set. This is clear from the letter
that forms a preface to the 1632 and 1664 sets, wherein
John D’Oyley, an ex-swan master for the Thames, writes
“at a Court holden at Burford, in the County of Oxon, about
fifteen years since |7.e. about 1616] by the said Sir Lawrence
Tanfeeld [Chief Baron of the Exchequer] and others, some
new Orders were made which, Sir Lawrence Tanfeeld said,
were warrantable by the Commission, and lawful to be made,
where and when they were fit and necessary for the Preserva-
tion of Swans; yet so, that those particular Orders may be
altered, upon Occasion ; but the ancient Customs, contained
under the Name of Orders, may not.”’

It will be seen that these orders are quite different for the
most part to those already detailed and illustrate how customs
and the details of marking, etc., varied in different parts of
the country.

VoL. XIx.] SWANS—HISTORICAL REVIEW. 205

“ORDERS AND PAYNES OF THE COURT OF THE MANOR OF
HEMPHOLM TO,.BE OBSERVED BY SWANNERS.

‘Every person claiming swans, meet the King’s swanner at Good-
dale House by eight of the clock in the morning at the two general
days of swanning, viz.: the Monday before Midsummer, and the
Monday before Michaelmas and shall further observe such other
days and places as he shall then appoint, in pain that every person
so neglecting to appear either in person or some sufficient person for
him, the sum of two shillings and six-pence.

“If any person shall at any time footmark any youngswans, with
other footmarks than the old to whom they belong, shall forfeit six
shillings and eight pence for each swan. ;

“No swanner shall serve more than one master, in pain of six
shillings and eight pence.

“Tf any person shoot any swan or swans, the person so shooting
shall forfeit for every swan so shot 20 shillings.

“Tf any person shall take up any flying swan, he shall be paid
by the King’s Swanner the sum of r1d., or if he shall refuse to pay
the same, the person that takes him up shall take the said swan to
his own house.

“No person shall take up any swan or swans after the general
days of swanning after Michaelmas, which are not beak marked,
without taking two swanners to himself, to see that right be done,
in pain of 20 shillings.

“Every person shall enter into the swanning book his foot-mark,
as well as his beak-mark, in pain of forfeiting all such swans to the
King.

“Any person in whose ground a swan shall nest, may challenge
any bird, paying unto the King’s Swanner red.

“Tf any person shall pinion a brood of young swans, shall be paid
paid by the owners thereof for every brood so pinioned six pence,
but if the party refuse to pay the same, the party that pinioned the
the same shall take one of the young swans to his own use.

“No person shall beak-mark any young swans before the Monday
next after Michaelmas, in pain of every young swan so beak-marked,
the sum of six shillings and eight pence.

“At a court held the 7th of June, 1708.
“Allowed by Marmaduke Nelson, steward of the said court.”

( 206 )

OBITUARY.
MICHAEL JOHN NICOLL.

WITH the death of Michael John Nicoll at the age of 45, on
October 31st last, there passed prematurely away one of the
best known of the younger school of British ornithologists.
The third son of the Rev. C. A. Nicoll, he was born at Bepton
Rectory, Sussex, in 1880, and spent the whole of his boyhood
at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, whither his parents had moved a few
years later. Being delicate as a child he was educated locally,
and after leaving school passed several years on a farm at
Brightling. At a very early age his innate love of natural
history began to show itself, and it was during these early
years that he began the study of British birds and to form a
collection of skins. This was constantly added to in later
years, in the intervals of other work, whenever he was at home.
In the course of time this collection grew to a considerable
size, all the birds being shot and skinned by himself and nearly
all obtained in Sussex. When, later on, fate decreed that so
much of his life should be spent abroad he disposed of it to the
Dyke Road Museum at Brighton, where it could be permanently
cared for and form the nucleus of a working collection for the
use of students.

His early work obtained. constant encouragement from
Mr. Thomas Parkin, with whom he was always on terms of
cordial friendship, and from the late P. L. Sclater, on whose
recommendation he was elected to membership of the British
Ornithologists’ Union in 1goz2. At the instigation of the latter
he put in several years of good work in the prosectorium of
the Zoological Society, and it was also on Sclater’s recommen-
dation that he obtained his first opportunity of doing pioneer
work outside the British Isles, being invited by the late Lord
Crawford to accompany him as naturalist in his yacht
“ Valhalla.”

In the three voyages undertaken between 1902 and 1906
72,000 miles were covered, and as a result the Natural History
Museum was enriched by the addition of 732 birds, besides
many other natural history specimens, all collected and
prepared by Nicoll or under his direction. The birds collected
and observed were duly described by him in three long papers
that were published in the Jbzs in 1g04 and 1906. An account
of his voyage round the world in 1902-3 formed the subject
of a short paper in the Zoologist for 1904, while a general

VOL. XIX. | OBITUARY. 207

account of all three voyages was published by him in 1908
under the title Three Voyages of a Naturalist, a most fascinat-
ing book of travel and natural history observations, that was
very well received and ran to a second edition.
In 1906 Nicoll obtained an appointment under the Egyptian
Government as second in charge of the Zoological Gardens at
Giza, of which Capt. S. S. Flower was Director. Here, with
the exception of the usual intervals of leave, he spent practi-
cally the rest of his life in a congenial occupation with abun-
dant opportunities for the advancement of the science which
he had made his life's work. In the intervals of the routine
work he devoted his energies to the formation of a representa-
tive collection of the birds of Egypt, which, when he left,
amounted to some 4,000 skins, arranged by him in the museum
attached to the gardens. So long as it remains it will form a
monument to Nicoll’s industry, skill and devotion. He
proposed to make it the foundation of an exhaustive work on
the birds of Egypt and as a stepping stone he brought out in
Ig19, under the auspices of the Government Zoological
Service, a small handbook, designed for the guidance of such
visitors to Egypt as are interested in the birds of the country.
The more scientific side of his work on Egypt’s birds is em-
bodied in his “‘ Contributions to the Ornithology of Egypt ”
that appeared in the /bis; in 1908 on the “ Birds of Lake
Menzaleh ; in 1909 on the “ Birds of the Province of Giza ”’
(3 parts), and in 1912 on the “ Birds of the Wady Natron.”
He was also the author or joint author of several special
reports in the publications of the Egyptian Zoological Service,
notably the “ Wild Birds of the Giza Gardens ”’ (publication
23), as well as in the Cairo Scientific Journal, the Avicultural
Magazine and numerous notes in the Bulletin of the B.O.C.
He left much material in a forward state towards his more
ambitious work on the birds of Egypt and it is to be hoped
that it may be possible for this to be continued by other hands.
On the retirement of Major Flower in 1923, Nicoll succeeded
to the senior post, but only a few months later he was forced
to return home on sick leave and early in the present year
definitely retired. On returning to England he acquired a
home at Wittersham in Kent, where he could devote himself
to sport, the working up of his Egyptian material, and the
study of the native birds that were his first love. It is tragic
to think that his lite there should have been so short : but
marred as it was by frequent attacks of ill-health, borne with
an heroic and cheerful courage that was the admiration of all
his friends, he enjoyed every hour of it, and near by he was

208 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. XEX,

laid to rest, on the slope of a hill overlooking the marsh he
loved so well.

Gifted with a keen eyesight and a musical ear, both of which
he trained from early life and kept in constant practice, Nicoll
was a quite unusually good observer and in consequence had
a wonderful, and at times almost uncanny, facility for the
recognition of unusual birds in the field. Possessed of a keen
sense of humour, he was always a delightful companion, his
keenness, knowledge and skill both as field naturalist and
museum worker ensured him a high place amongst ornitho-
logists of the day, while his kindly unselfishness, straightness
of character and staunchness were the outstanding qualities
that will be sorely missed by the numerous friends he has
left behind him. N. F. TICEHURST.

AUTUMN MOVEMENTS OF BIRDS IN EAST SUFFOLK,

Or the autumn movements in the Southwold district, the
following are perhaps worthy of record: (1) The remarkably
early departure of the Swallows (Hirundo r. rustica) and
House-Martins (Delichon u. urbica) ; (2) the vast influx of
Blackbirds (Turdus m. merula) and Golden-crested Wrens
(Regulus r. [regulus ?}) that made their appearance about the
second week in October.

There has not been a single Swallow or House-Martin in
this district since October 2nd, nor have any, so far as |
know, been seen on pas-age, though in other years both
species are quite plentiful until nearly the end of the month,
with stragglers even in November. Reports from Aldeburgh
and Bungay are similar.

At the time of writing (November roth) the Goldcrest,
which I assume to be the Continental form, literally swarms
everywhere, whilst Blackbirds (chiefly immature males) may
be seen in almost incredible numbers.

Another species unusually abundant this autumn is the
Jay (Garrulus g. |glandarius ?\). On October 14th I saw a
flock of about a dozen flying over an open heath near the sea,
and every covert for miles around appears to be full of them.

CHARLES E. ALFORD.

LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE LAYING BEFORE
COMPLETION OF NEST.

ON May 13th, 1925, I observed a pair of Long-tailed Titmice
(githalos Candains roseus) on Bow Hill, Sussex, both carrying
feathers to line their nest. Upon examination the nest con-
tained two eggs and only a very few feathers in one part of its
interior. Upon a subsequent visit on May 17th, during
the morning, there were five eggs. On June 3rd the nest was
again visited and contained ten eggs. Seven of these were
very much incubated cs not chipping (a period of agen
days from the last egg laid), one much incubated, this eg

being partially buried in the feather lining, and two, w hich
were entirely below the feather lining as ¢ completed, not at all
incubated. The feathers in the lining were counted to see if
the evident great haste with which the nest was built would

210 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL Si,

affect the number used adversely. They numbered 667 as
compared with 1,766 and 1,643 of first-brood nests from the
same district. RAYMOND CARLYON-BRITTON,

[This was evidently a second laying in a hastily constructed
nest. The point of most interest seems to be that the incuba-
tion period was over 13 days from laying of last egg. In the
Practical Handbook the period is “ probably about 12 days.”
W. Evans records 16-17 days from last egg, but was doubtful
as to the correctness of this observation. R. H. Brown
records 14 and 18 days in two cases. It is now fairly obvious
that 12 days is an underestimate and that 14-17 days is nearer
the mark.—F.C.R. J.]

BLACK REDSTARTS IN SUPPOLK,

On the morning of October 21st, 1925, I saw four immature
Redstarts on a lawn adjacent to my garden near Southwold.
In view of the lateness of the season, and the fact that they
were suspiciously dark, I fetched my glasses and at once
satisfied myself that I had before me a family of Black
Redstarts (Phenicurus o. gibraltariensis). In the afternoon
the adult male appeared, his sooty underparts and vivid
white wing-patch placing the matter beyond the realms of
doubt, whilst on the following day his mate also put in an
appearance. They remained here for seven days, during
which period I was able, through holes bored in the wall of
an adjoining shed, and of sufficient diameter to accommodate
my glasses, to study at close range all the six members of this
interesting family, though the two occasions on which I saw
the adult female were limited to only a few moments.
CHARLES E. ALFORD.

BLACK REDSTART IN YORKSHIRE.

On November 6th, 1925, I saw a fine adult male Black Red-
start (Phenicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis) on the moor near
Breckon Howe half-way between Goathland and Sleights, at
about goo feet above sea level. W. S. MEDLICOTT.

BLACK REDSTARTS IN WIGTOWNSHIRE.

Two Black Redstarts were seen by me near the lighthouse on
the Mull of Galloway on November 6th, 1925. They were
tame, and I was able to watch them at close quarters for as
long as I wished. M. BEDFORD.

VOL, XIx.] NOTES. 211

COMMON BUZZARDS AND PEREGRINE FALCON IN
SURREY.

On October 3rd, 1925, I saw a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
passing over Epsom Downs. It flew away in a south-easterly
direction, taking the same course as a bird of this species
which I observed in the same locality on October Ist,
1922.

1 may mention that Mr. E. Leonard Gill recorded a Common
Buzzard seen over Epsom Downs on June 4th, 1922 (Vol. XVI,

: 220),

On Dat 25th, 1925, I noticed a Peregrine Falcon (Falco
p. peregrinus) soaring over Epsom Downs. I was at first
doubtful as to the identity of the bird, but fortunately it
headed straight towards me so that I was able to obtain a
clear view of the light cheeks and moustachial streaks.

HowarD BENTHAM.

STATUS OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN IRELAND.

In Brit. Birds, Vol. 1X., p. 251, Mr. C. J. Carroll gave details
of the extermination of the Golden Eagle (Aguila ch. chrysaétus)
in Ireland, and stated that the last Donegal bird was shot in
the spring of 1915 and the last Mayo bird in November of the
same year. Since that time there have been rumours of the
existence of these birds, but so far no definite proof of their
existence has come to hand. Mr. G. A. French (Field,
August 13th, 1925, p. 303) states that he twice saw an Eagle
in May, 1925, at Glenveagh, co. Donegal, and his boatman
asserted that a pair had nested in the glen two years ago.
He also mentions on hearsay evidence the breeding of
another pair at Glenvier in the same county two years ago,
and one reported as seen in Tyrone in 1924.

Captain W. Ashley Pritt, who was stationed for some years
in the west of Ireland after the war, and knows Galway and
Mayo well, informed me last February that in December,
1923, a Golden Eagle sailed close overhead while he was in
the Eriff valley, between Kylemore and Killeary Bay. There
is an old breeding site of the Golden Eagle in the Eriff valley,
about five or six miles from Leenane, and I well remember
flushing an Eagle from the hillside close to the old eyrie on
April 24th, 1899, though even at that date there was reason
to believe that it was an unmated bird. The reported re-
appearance of this species in its old haunts is interesting, and
it might be worth the while of one of our Irish correspondents

212 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

to investigate the matter, as it is evident that some large
raptorial bird has occurred there during the last three years.
F. C. R. JOURDAIN.

GARGANEY IN ANGLESEY.

Mr. CHARLES OLDHAM writes that he saw two, if not three,
Garganeys (Anas querquedula) on Llyn Penrhyn, near Valley,
Anglesey, on July 26th and again on the 29th, and August 2nd,
1925. The species is rare in Wales, and most of the examples
recorded in my Vertebrate Fauna N. Wales were in Anglesey.

H. E. FORRES.

STATUS OF SHOVELER IN CUMBERLAND.

THE Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) has long been known as a
breeding sdecies along the Cumbrian shores of the Solway.
In recent years it has become more numerous and extended
its breeding area further inland. For several seasons past the
nests of one or two pairs have been found in the vicinity of a
tarn in the Solway area.

From 1922 onward I had constantly noted two pairs in
breeding time frequenting Tarn Wadlyn, ten miles south of
Carlisle. On May 4th, 1925, after raising a male and female
from a pool of water, I flushed a second female from a nest
containing three fresh eggs a short distance from the pool.
On the 11th, not a fleck of down or scrap of nesting material
remained to tell of its existence, and the fate of the eggs could
only be guessed at.

When again at the Shoveler haunt on May 21st, a male on
the pool convinced me by his manner that his mate was
sitting not far away. My search ended when she scuttered
off her nest and six eggs within a stone’s throw of the site of
the first nest.

On May 25th both birds were on the pool. The nest con-
tained ten eggs, which wer» embedded in down and had been
covered with a mass of loose herbage. E, BLEZARD.

POCHARKD AND TUFTED DUCK BREEDING IN
ANGLESEY.

In view of the paucity of data regarding the nesting of the
Pochard (Nyroca f. ferina) and Tufted Duck (N. fuligula) in
North Wales, the following notes are of interest. Mr. Charles
Oldham tells me that he saw a temale Tufted Duck with a

VOL. XIX. ] NOTES. 213

well-grown brood on a pool in the Cors Goch, near Llanbedr
Goch, on July 25th, 1925. Also a female Pochard with two
young, not full-grown but able to fly, on Llyn Maelog, on the
27th. Furthermore, he noted several Pochards with three or
four Tufted Duck on Llyn Coron on the 28th, and on Llyn
Dinam the following day. It is quite likely that some of
these were young birds, since by that date they are often as
big as their parents. I may add that most of the Anglesey
pools are so overgrown with rushes, etc., that any number of
water-fowl can lie hidden. They will only be seen by an
observer who will watch patiently till they emerge into open
water. H. E. ForRREsT.

GANNETS IN SHROPSHIRE.

On October 25th, 1925, two large birds were seen high in the
air at Weeping Cross near Shrewsbury. They appeared to be
fighting, and fell to the ground near the house of Mr. Jabez
Owens. He ran to the spot and captured them alive, though
his hands were wounded in the struggle. The birds proved to
be Gannets (Sula bassana) in the spotted juvenile plumage.
He shut them in a pen until the 27th, and then—since he could
not feed them—he released them. One flew away, and the
other, which had a slightly injured wing, made off half-flying,
half-running. Although the weather at the time was not
rough, there had been high winds just before, and the Gannets
had no doubt been driven inland by them. Unlike some of
the Gulls, which regularly migrate along the Severn Valley,
the Gannet does not occur in Shropshire except when storm-
driven. H. E. FORREsT.

UNUSUAL NEST OF TURTLE-DOVE.

On June 25th, 1925, I put a Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia t.
turtur) off its nest containing two eggs, in Sussex. This
was situated in a low thorn in the midst of a clump of brambles
quite close to a tall hedge-row and trees. Save for perhaps
half-a-dozen small twigs this nest consisted entirely of dried
grass bents, the field having been cut for hay. There was an
abundance of twigs available within a few yards.

RAYMOND CARLYON-BRITTON.

(This is unusual, but the Turtle-Dove occasionally makes
use of other materials than the usual fine twigs. Cf. Zool.,
1907, p. 326, where O. V. Aplin records one nest lined with

214 BRITISH BIRDS. POL. Sarees

buttercup flower stalks gathered when green, and a second
lined with “ squitch ” grass.—F.C.R.J.}

SPOTTED REDSHANKS IN SURREY,

ON the evening of May 27th, 1925, Mr. Richard Kearton and
I observed two Spotted Redshanks (Tvinga erythropus) in a
boggy field near Elstead. The birds flew away after we had
been watching them for about a quarter of an hour, and we
were unable to locate them on the two following days.

We had a close view of both birds and were able to compare
them with some Common Redshanks breeding in an adjoining
field, so that any doubts as to the correctness of our identifica-
tion were quickly dispelled. HowarpD BENTHAM.

SHORE-LaRKs ON Hory Istanp.—Miss B. C. Paterson
writes that on October 25th, 1925, she saw two Evremophila
alpestvis on the coast of Holy Island, Northumberland.

BiLAck REDSTART IN HAMPSHIRE.—Mr. J. P. Hardiman
writes that he watched a female or immature male Pheni-
curus ochrurus gibraltariensis at Christchurch Priory on
November 29th, 1925.

LITTLE OWL IN LANCASHIRE.—Mr, Thomas L. S. Dooly in-
forms us that a Little Owl (Athene noctua mura) was seen by a
friend of his at Formby on November 18th or rgth, 1925.

RUDDY SHELD-DUCK AND RED-CRESTED POCHARD IN
MIDLOTHIAN.—With reference to the note under this heading
on page 156, we regret to have quoted the date of the
appearance of the Ruddy Sheld-Duck wrongly from the
Scottish Naturalist. The date should have been October 1923
to March 1924, not 1924 and 1925. The Rev. W. Serle, who
has a clear view of Duddingston Loch from his windows,
informs us that there were two Ruddy Sheld-Ducks on the loch
during December and January and that from the first they
were tame and fed by the water’s edge while people were
close, so that these birds were probably escapes from captivity.

Mr. Serle also informs us that the Red-crested Pochard
mentioned in the same note first appeared on October 21st,
1924, and remained on the loch until March 1925, when it
left with a large flock of Common Pochards.

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 215

ALBINO SNIPE IN MERIONETH.—Mr, H. E. Forrest writes
that on September 12th, 1925, a white variety of the Common
Snipe (Capella g. gallinago) was shot by a keeper at Aberdovey.
Some of the feathers were sent to Mr. Forrest, but the bird
was so badly shot that it could not be preserved. With the
exception of two or three dark spots the plumage was pure
white.

LETTER,

COURTSHIP OF THE TEAL.
To the Editors of British Brirps,

Srrs,—In his interesting description of ‘‘ The Courtship of the
Teal,’ Mr. Henry Boase (antea, p. 164) refers toa curious habit of this
and other ducks of ‘‘ plunging and splashing, darting hither and thither,
diving completely at times.’’ For some seasons past I have observed
this same habit among the Mallard, Teal, and other ducks on the lake
in St. James’s Park, and on the Serpentine, My observations of the
habit being confined to the period commencing with the moult into
eclipse plumage, and ending with the assumption of winter dress, have
led me to attribute it to some irritation caused by the moult. Cer-
tainly the frantic turns and twists accompanied by much splashing
with wings, and followed generally by a lightning quick plunge under
water, submergence often lasting five seconds or longer, are highly
suggestive of some physiological state of irritability.

Of course, if the habit has been observed in the period following the
assumption of full winter dress, and before the moult begins at the end
of June, or thereabouts, which would be of interest to learn, the cause
must be other than the moult. H, A. F. MaGRatu.

[The same phenomenon can be observed with domestic Ducks, and
as the motions are often executed simultaneously by several individuals,
it seems to have some social significance. Last noted about three
weeks ago, 7.e. about the end of November, 1925.—F.C.R.].]

In Praise of Birds. By Charles E. Raven, D.D., Canon of Liv erpool.
(Martin Hopkinson & Co. Ltd.) 14s.

In this book Canon Raven has for the most part given us his personal
experiences as a bird-watcher and photographer during the past seven
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The photographs of these are amongst the best of those with which
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“ Pride of the North” (2 Ptarmigan in winter plumage) . 12"x 10°
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== — — ——
CONTENTS OF NUMBER 9, VOL. XIX., FEBRUARY I, 1926.
ee PAGE

Some Notes on the Golden Eagle. By Duncan Macdonald ... 218
Notes on the Courtship of the Tufted Duck and its Distribution

in Scotland. By Henry Boase ave oe rae “es 226
Notes :—

Notes from West Cornwall, 1925 (G. H. Harvey) ... uss 231

Waxwings in Westmorland (Mrs. Lenore F. Marshall) re 232

American Bittern in Co. Kerry (W. J. Williams) ... wae 232
Pink-footed Goose in Hertfordshire (C. Oldham) ... oe 233
Notes from Staffordshire, 1925 (A. W. Boyd) “ee an 233

Surf-Scoters in Norfolk (Miss E. L. Turner) ... —e an 234

Gannet Inland in Cheshire (A. W. Boyd) <i aes — 235
Stock-Dove Breeding in Co. Donegal (C. V. Stoney) ver 235
Kentish Plover and Shore-Larks in Norfolk (Miss: E. .
Turner) Sea eve noe ae nae ay ries 235
Passing Migrants in North Worcestershire (H. G. Alexander) 235
Great Bustard in Co. Cork (W. J. Williams) ... was ae 236

Short Note :—

Bittern in Kent ... on — er ce es noe 236
R

( 218 )
SOME NO'LES ON 'THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

BY
DUNCAN MACDONALD.

THE following notes on the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus)
are based on observations made in the western counties of
Scotland. At two of the eyries “hides’’ were erected at
distances of 15 and 7 feet respectively. It was from these
that some of the photographs shown were obtained. In the
examination of a number of eyries two features recurred so
often that mention of them may be of interest :—

(i) The constant use of Eagle-grass (Luzula sylvatica) as a

lining for that part of the nest containing the eggs.

(ii.) The altitude at which the eyries were found was never

more than 2,000 feet above sea level, and rarely below
1,800 feet. Isolated eyries may be at any height
(e.g. eyrie M), but 1,900 feet seems to be the typical
altitude.

All the nests that came under my observation were built
on cliffs and fall into two fairly distinct types :—

Type A.—The eyrie is protected by an overhang of rock
to a greater or less degree and screened on one or both sides
by projecting ledges.

Type B.—No shelter is afforded by overhanging rock in
any way. The nest is built between the rock face and some
bush or tree growing from a crack or fissure in the cliff. It
retains its position solely on account of the support afforded
by the bush or tree.

A reference to the table will show that the eyries are to be
found facing in all directions. The position of the eyrie is
not dictated by the prevailing or coldest winds, but solely by
its immediate surroundings.

TABLE.
Height above
Eyrie. Type. Altitude. Ground. Facing.
Feet. Beet
C A 1,900 15 West
D A 2,000 40 East
E A 1,900 50 East
F A 1,800 40 North-east
G A 2,000 20 East
H A 2,000 go East
I A 1,800 30 North
Ah A 1,800 077 North-east
K B 1,800 70 South-east
IE B 1,900 > 40) East
M B goo 30 South

VOL. xIx.] NOTES ON ‘THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 219

Foon.

Food consists chiefly of mountain hares, rabbits and
Grouse. At eyrie H a Curlew was found—the capture of
this bird would have been a sight worth seeing! At eyrie J
a small lamb about a week old was discovered. This was
provided for the hen Eagle, who was sitting hard, the eggs
being due to hatch within a week. There had been much
snow and hard weather. This is the only lamb I have found
at an eyrie.

I have examined a number of pellets found in late spring
and early autumn. In one were two complete Grouse claws
and some rabbit bones. The rest consisted chiefly of fragments
of mountain hare and sheep wool. There were a number ot
dead sheep in the locality where the pellets were found. It
is a treacherous glen from the sheep-farmer’s point of view,
and a number of animals are lost every year. Eagles will
often take a semi-carrion diet, as is shown by the ease with
which they can be trapped. No doubt this particular bird
had been feeding on some of the carcases.

BEHAVIOUR AT THE NEST.

The cock bird takes his share of brooding the Eaglets when
they are very young, from the day of hatching until they are
about ten days old. He probably assists in incubating the
eggs, though I have not had an opportunity of seeing this.
The Eaglets up to the age of a fortnight seem to be fed chiefly
on Grouse. At one eyrie from a distance of seven feet I
watched the cock bird feed an Eaglet a few days old. He did
this in a very delicate manner, tearing off strips of flesh from
a Grouse and putting them very carefully into the beak of
the baby bird. At this eyrie the male bird remained beside
his sitting mate the whole night. I entered my “hide”
during the evening and, having a very good one of imitation
rock, was able to watch the birds from a distance of a few
feet without in any way arousing their suspicions. This was
at eyrie J. Feeding started early, about 6 a.m., and continued
till mid-day with increasing intervals. From noon till 2.30
p-m. no food was given to the Eaglet. At that hour I left
the “hide’”’ and disturbed both birds. I might add that on
a subsequent visit a few days later I found the Eaglet missing,
my hide pushed in, shot marks on that part of the rock beside
which the Eagle sat when brooding, and some breast-feathers
and down adhering to the rock among the shot marks. This
shattered all my hopes of filming the birds. None of the local
shepherds or keepers was implicated, and so far I have not
discovered the miscreant.

220 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

At eyrie H I watched the Eaglet from the age of a month
till he made his first flight. I was handicapped from the
photographer’s point of view by a long spell of bad weather.

The “ hide’ I used on this occasion was rather conspicuous
on account of its position. It was supported by iron pins
driven into cracks in the rock face. The ledge inside it sloped
at such an angle that it was impossible to sit securely on it

GOLDEN EAGLET (Eyrie H).

‘

(Photographed immediately after “ ringing’? by Duncan

Macdonald.)

and I had to be supported by a rope fastened to a crowbar
at the cliff top. There was a drop of 100 feet below me. I
spent several nights in it. It often rained, and one storm
nearly blew the hide away. I usually entered it about
midnight, leaving a shepherd’s cottage where I spent the
week-ends at 9.30 p.m. As already stated, the “ hide ’’ was
conspicuous and was always regarded by the Eagle witn

VOL. xIx.] NOTES ON 'THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 221

suspicion, and for this reason her behaviour may have been
slightly abnormal. In any case she was more wary and timid
than the average bird. I tried entering the “ hide during
the day, taking every precaution, but she never turned up.
The Eaglet at this time was 5-6 weeks old and could go
without attention’for hours at a time. For this reason I was
compelled to enter during the night. The hen bird was

GOLDEN EAGLET. (Type A eyrie).
(Photographed by Duncan Macdonald.)

always at the nest when I climbed down to my shelter, which
was usually between midnight and 2 a.m., except on the last
occasion, when the Eaglet was almost fully grown. Owing
to a bulge in the rock face I could enter the “ hide ”’ without
being seen by the occupants of the nest. During one very
stormy night, when the “hide ”’ was nearly blown away, the
hen bird sheltered the Eaglet from the worst gusts by stand-
ing beside him in a half-crouching attitude. On all other

222 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

occasions she remained at the outer edge of the nest. Feeding
started early, about 5 a.m. I need hardly remark that
owing to the intense cold, wet, and the vile position I was in,
sleep was out of the question, consequently I could devote
all my time to observation. The Eaglet awoke about 4.30

HEN GOLDEN EAGLE AT NEST. (Kyrie J).
(Photographed by Duncan Macdonald.)

and soon demanded a meal, giving out shrill yelps. The
female bird would leave the nest and return in about twenty
minutes’ time bearing the hind-quarters of a mountain hare
inhertalons. There wasa larder not far off, supplied, I think,
by the cock bird, whom I never saw at the eyrie and only on

Pe. me

voL. xIx.] NOTES ON THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 223

two occasions at a considerable distance. (The larder hardly
deserved the name, whenever I examined it. I found only
strips of fur and bones in it.) At times the partially dis-
membered body of a Grouse would be brought, but mountain
hares formed the chief diet. As the day advanced the hen
bird would stay away for longer intervals and I never saw her
bring food after mid-day. I usually left at 3.30 p.m., so
cannot say if feeding was renewed in the evening. It was
during the latter part of the Eaglet’s sojourn in the nest that
these observations were made, and he could toa certain extent
feed himself. Taking him all round he was a bit of a buffoon,
and unless very hungry preferred to play about with bits of
heather, old Grouse bones, and other grisly remains in the
nest. He would often toss them over the side of the eyrie
and watch them fall, putting himself into the most ludicrous
attitudes.

He spent most of his time removing the last traces of down
from amongst his feathers, gazing across the corrie and
watching for the return of the mother bird, whose approach
he always heralded with shrill yelps. He generally dozed
after a meal.

A Wren had a nest some 60 feet below the eyrie and the
Eaglet would listen attentively to its trilling notes. The hen
Eagle seemed to resent the Wren’s song. I climbed down to
the nest on several occasions and took pictures of the Eaglet
at close quarters. I also ringed him with a Witherby No. 5
ring, the second Eaglet I have marked. The first was at
eyrie G. By slipping my coat over his head I prevented him
from making use of his beak, which was fortunate, as earlier
that morning I had seen him bite the leg of a mountain hare,
bones and all, in two pieces.

I had the pleasure of seeing him make what I am pretty
sure was his first flight. There was a very strong wind
blowing at the time towards the cliff in which the eyrie was
situated. On catching sight of me he yelped shrilly. I think
the ringing incident of the previous week still rankled in his
mind. Suddenly he cast himself off the eyrie and launched
out over the chasm beneath. He flapped in a very clumsy
manner, being buffetted hither and thither by the force of
the wind, until I feared that he would be driven back and
dashed against the cliff.

However, he soon gained his balance and soared straight
into the teeth of the gale. When about 100 yards out he
turned slightly sideways and allowing the wind to catch him
under his broad pinions, rose rapidly in the air and disappeared

224 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

over the rocky summit of Ben C——- in a slanting direction,
to be lost to my sight. The earliest date of hatching is April
28th. I have known an Eaglei to be in the nest as late as
July 5th.

CRY.

Eagles are very silent birds. Only once have I heard an
adult bird cry, that was ateyrie H. It might be described
as a yelling bark ; it was of anger I think, due to her suspecting
my presence in the hide. Newly hatched Eaglets give out
faint squeaks. As they grow older the yelp becomes a shrill
edition of the adult’s cry.

Some Eagles appear to be more strictly resident than
others and the pair attached to eyrie K are to be found in the
near vicinity of the nest all the year round. Judging from
newly dropped breast-feathers found in the late autumn, some
Eagles appear to roost in their eyries, these are of course of
the sheltered type A.

FLIGHT.

It is not an easy matter to estimate the speed at which any
bird flies and the difficulty is increased when we are dealing
with a large and wary bird like the Eagle. Owing to its habit
of soaring and the great distance at which the observer usually
watches the bird the speed is liable to be under estimated.

I have noted an Eagle appear over the summit of one hill,
cross a wide glen and disappear over a second hill. The
distance would be about three miles and the time two and a
quarter minutes. I had two good landmarks to go by and
judged the distance as well as I could with the aid of a large
scale ordnance map. As I know the ground fairly well, the
chance of error is minimized, but of course it is only approxi-
mate.

I have, however, seen an Eagle in a hurry and it opened my
eyes to the speed capabilities of a large bird. I was on my
way to eyrie K in late autumn, when suddenly I heard a swish
of wings, reminding me of the sound caused by the rapid
manceuvring of a Peregrine, though to a much greater degree.
Looking up I saw an Eagle, a cock bird, I think, about 200 feet
above me attacking a Raven. It was not the playful sparring
that often goes on between these birds, or between “‘ Hoodies ”’
and Eagles which I have witnessed on many occasions, but in
deadly earnest. For the next few seconds the Eagle gave an
exhibition of aerial acrobatics as fine as any Peregrine. The
Raven just escaped destruction by diving headlong to earth
and taking refuge in a ravine among some stunted trees. A

‘VOL, XIX.] NOTES ON THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 225

second Raven about one and a half miles away had been
pestering another Eagle, presumably the mate of the first
bird. Almost as soon as the cock Eagle started after him the
second bird fled across the glen. In spite of the start he was
rapidly overhauled, in fact the smaller bird seemed to be
stationary when compared with the speed of the Eagle, whose
broad pinions were moving at an astonishing rate. Unfor-
tunately both birds disappeared in a bank of mist and I could
not see the result of the chase, though I heard a few faint
frantic croaks from the Raven which seemed to be in desperate
straits.

This affair, though outside the breeding-season, took place
in the Eagles’ nesting glen. I have seen a pair of Ravens
hustle an Eagle out of the glen in which they nested, though
this was in the autumn also. Perhaps it is a case of terri-
torial rights.

* * * * ok

It is more or less certain that a young Buzzard will kill and
eat his weaker brethren in the nest. Does this happen among
Eaglets ? Two nests I visited each contained an Eaglet about
two days old and an egg half hatched. Both hatched and
hatching birds gave out faint squeaks and the latter appeared
to be quite healthy and normal. I returned to one nest
ten days and the other three weeks later, and found only one
bird in each. Repeated searches revealed no signs of the
missing birds. Food was not over plentiful at one nest, but
there was no lack of it al the other.

It would be of interest to have the opinions of others as to
the possibilities of cannibalism among Eaglets.

I have met certain keepers who have affirmed that an
Eagle in time of danger will carry her young to an alternate
eyrie or to a quieter locality. It seems unlikely, but perhaps
some of your correspondents could throw light on this problem.

( 226 )

NOTES ON THE COURTSHIP OF THE TUFTED
DUCK AND ITS DISTRIBUTION IN SCOTLAND.

BY
HENRY BOASE.

THE display of the Tufted Duck (Nvroca fuligula) has proved
to be of a somewhat indefinite nature. That this is merely
the result of insufficient observation on the part of the writer
may prove to be the case, but the fact remains that only on
one or two occasions during several years has anything
definite in its courtship been seen. The writer puts on record
the various items of behaviour which have come under his
notice with the reservation that these at least give some idea
ot the behaviour during the ordinary hours of daylight, but
may be incomplete.

In central Scotland, at least, it would appear that the Tufted
Duck is for the greater part a summer visitor, arriving in
April and departing in September. In the eastern Tay area
the male predominates to a large extent on salt water during
the winter. In fact, only about ten per cent. of the total winter
numbers have been females or, as may be the case, immature
male birds still retaining a plumage similar to that of the
female. On inland waters during the same period, while the
numbers met with have been small, these have been almost
entirely females or, as before, perhaps immature males
indistinguishable from them. In the end of March and in
April males arrive, and for a time predominate in numbers,
on the inland waters, while, a little later, females may exceed
the number of males present. These, however, pass on before
mid May.

During the earlier part of the year the sexes keep apart ;
later on a small proportion separate out as pairs, leaving still
the greater number in parties, and not until the main arrival
of males is there any sign of excitement and display. The
nature of these early pairs demands some explanation as
contrasted with the later arrangements. The position is quite
different from, say, Mallard, where it would seem that the
pairs keep together during almost the whole year, and even
in September there is clear evidence of the existence of pairs
in the packs then assembling. There is a suggestion in the
immediate response tc weather influence of the existence of a
more or less resident population of Tufted Duck; on the
other hand, as already stated, the males arrive on salt water
in great excess, so that the binding of the pairs, if it exists at

voL. xXIx.| NOTES ON THE TUFTED DUCK. 227

all, must be very slender. From what has been seen, it seems
that the immigrant males, coming before the females, exert
their wiles to rob the wintering males of their mates, This
question may be further complicated by the apparent surplus
of males which pass through east Perthshire each spring,
which, in itself, may indicate the continued tendency on the
part of this species to extend its range in Scotland.

Coming to the courtship, a simple incident of this was seen
on April 19th, 1922, when at least two males were showing
attention to a female. The female showed a desire to avoid
the males and swam from them with head held high while the
males pursued, calling a note “‘ tee-wee-wee,”’ recalling that of
the domestic chicken. At times, one or other of the males
bobbed the head by rapid extension and retraction of the
neck, and the female showed its interest by jerking the bill
upwards when the males lost heart. After a minute or two,
all three seemed to forget their mutual excitement and turned
aside to preen or feed.

A display seen on March 30th, 1924, showed points of a
more definite character. In all, seven birds took part and
these appeared to be grouped as follows :—one pair (the
subject of the attention), one provisional pair, two males, and
a female. The female took no part in the incident ; she merely
followed round as an interested spectator. The main interest
lay in the female of the first pair. She was swimming along
with head held high accompanied by her mate, while the other
mated (more or less) male and the two unattached males
pursued. The first male (7.e. the mate of the female pursued)
seemed somewhat dismayed by the attentions shown to his
mate and showed his resentment by hunching up his shoulders
and pulling his head well down, looking to all appearances
thoroughly disgusted. He also seemed to fear the other
males and, on their approach, always dodged round his mate
so that she lay between him and the pursuers. Meanwhile,
the female of the second pair was doing what she could to get
her mate to relinquish the pursuit, and tried to edge between
him and the other female so that he might turn aside, but he
generally managed to be close behind the other female. One
of the unattached males endeavoured to make his station
right ahead of the first female while the other kept more or
less level with her, the whole party moving now this way and
now that way as the female tried to avoid the importunities of
the strangers. She kept a close watch on them, holding the
head high in contrast to the more crouching (or short-
necked) attitude of the males and the hunched-up appearance

228 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

of her mate. On one occasion one of the males (it appeared
to be one of the two unattached males) made formal display,
swinging the head back so that the nape touched the back,
the bill standing up at right angles, in a manner recalling the
Golden-eye but with the difference that the neck is not, in
the case of the Tufted Duck, extended to its limit. This was,
however, the only evidence of real display and soon the
participants tired of their game and scattered, having fought
their battle of manceuvre without any show of temper. The
clamour of the Black-headed Gulls on the loch masked any
calls which may have been uttered.

A further period of display was watched on April 17th, 1924,
when several groups were fairly active during the evening,
the time being between 7 and 8 p.m. (BST.). One group
consisted of one female and five males, and one of these
swimming near the female showed that attitude of disgust
already described, while the female held the head high. At
intervals the female tossed her head, twitching the bill upwards
with a sharp motion. The other males pressed in upon the
female, whose attendant male paid no heed, merely keeping
close to her. She, on the other hand, showed more spirit and
twice turned upon the males with lowered head and extended
neck level with the water and charged upon and scattered the
males pressing in. One of the strange males was not to be
dismissed so easily and made formal display, dipping the bill
and throwing back the head upon the back as already outlined.

On the same evening the female was seen swimming along
in the usual attitude of superiority with two males in attend-
ance. The trio passed near two other males which seemed
to be looking for some excitement and these joined the little
party. The female immediately turned threateningly, and
the two uninvited males made as though to retire, but so soon
as the female had resumed her journey they accompanied the
three once more. Again she turned with a determined air,
and the two unwanted males wheeled about and retired,
while the party of three resumed their passage.

Again, on the same evening, a pair was swimming along,
the male in the usual crouching attitude and the female with
neck erect, when another male drew near. The female swam
along midway between them, holding her head high and
tossing the bill at intervals, turning first to the one and then
to the other. The stranger displayed at intervals in the
customary manner described, while the other made no sign
of any interest in the proceedings. Finally the female drew
off with her original escort while the other male retired.

von. xIx.] NOTES ON THE TUFLED DUCK. 229

On another occasion and at another loch free from the
crowds of Gulls, the females were found to call a low note ;
“uk ”’ when tossing the bill, while on this particular occasion
the males present, while carrying out the formal display
described, showed a definite trick of rising on the water and
stretching the neck, shaking the head as they did so, which
may have been with intent of showing the better the crest or
tuft and the fine gloss of the dark areas of their plumage. _

The various performances detailed are the only definite
points of behaviour which have come under notice during the
ordinary hours of watching. The Tufted Duck spends most
of the day in preening and sleep, particularly in the early
spring, and the inference is that much of the courtship must
be done in the early morning or after dusk, times at which the
writer has not found opportunity of investigating. Certainly
the rather marked interest in display in the evening points to
something of the kind.

There is in the display of the Tufted Duck something which
recalls the behaviour of the Eider in like circumstances—the
marked activity of the female as compared with the male, her
more aggressive manner, and the way in which a number of
males, of which only one or two seem ardent, throng the female.
The toss of the bill and the attitude of the female is almost
identical with the like behaviour of the female Eider.

The extended period of the display is also remarkable, for
nesting, so far as east Perthshire is concerned, is from the
middle of May. The display has been seen so early as the end
of March, while the appearance of definite pairs even before
that date suggests even an earlier beginning, which would
bring the total period of courtship to something approaching
two months.

In connection with the mating of the Tufted Duck was an
incident seen on June 5th, 1925, when a drake made a most
determined attempt to pair with a female which resisted with
the greatest vigour. The male had been swimming to and
fro before a reed-bed for some time as though in wait, and on
her appearance made a rush at the female. She dived
immediately and the two birds splashed and struggled and
floundered to and fro in the open water. Several times
the drake got hold of the duck but was shaken off, and finally
the duck escaped into the reed-bed once more, where she was
left unmolested. The fight lasted two or three minutes and
other Tufted Duck in the vicinity looked on with interest.

In Scotland the Tufted Duck shows some peculiarity of
distribution. So far as the writer has traced, the bird seems

230 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

to stop short in a remarkable way in western Perthshire. On
the lochs of the Trossachs area (not including the Lake of
Mentieth), the lochs of Balquhidder and Glen Dochart, the
lochs west of the Tay-Tummel-Garry line (with the exception
so far as the writer is aware of one small loch in the Strath-
tummel sector), in Rannoch and probably all the lochs of the
west about Loch Awe (the writer has examined only the more
promising) the Tufted Duck seems to be entirely absent. On
the other hand, in the area east of the Tay-Tummel line, the
bird is moderately common on the lochs of the southern
border of the Grampian mass. In the Tummel area it does
not seem to be making any headway, at least so far as the last
four years are concerned, and the writer is inclined to think
that to some extent the Tufted Duck has more then spent the
impetus of its great expansion, more particularly as in his
Own experience in east Perthshire the numbers nesting now
are markedly less than did so in 1gII to 1913.

NOTES FROM WEST CORNWALL, 1925.
BLUE-HEADED WactTAaliL (Motacilla f. filava).—A pair bred at
the Marazion Marsh, near Penzance, for the third year in
succession. The first bird I saw was a male, on April 26th,
and I saw a pair on April zgth. I watched building take
place in May, and the procedure was always the same. The
female did all the building while the male merely followed
her about, perching near her when she gathered material,
flying after her when she took it to the nest, and perching near
the nest while she arranged it. I did not locate the nest
exactly till May 31st, when it contained six eggs, with the
female incubating, as she was on all my subsequent visits up
to Junerith. On the latter date one young bird had hatched,
but when I visited the nest again, on the 1gth, it contained
only an unfertile egg. The young must have met with some
disaster as they could hardly have fledged in eight days and
this is borne out by the fact that, on July 18th I found a
second brood of three. These had left the nest by July 2oth.
Both nests were normally constructed, the first containing
only a few feathers and the second none at all (Cf. Vol. XVIIL.,
p. 165). Both contained small scraps of rabbit's fur.

A second and solitary male was about the Marsh in the
latter part of July and this was the only indication I saw of
any increase in numbers, though this might well have been
expected after the successful fledging of a brood in both 1923
and 1924.

YELLOw WacrtalL (M. f. rayi).—A pair bred at the Mara-
zion Marsh in 1925. I found the nest on June 21st, built in
the side of a tussock and containing six young.

Although a regular spring and autumn passage migrant,
this is the first occasion when breeding has been definitely
proved in west Cornwall, but Yellow Wagtails, apparently
breeding, have been seen at the Marazion Marsh in previous
years and in June, 1924, I saw a pair at Gunwalloe, near
Helston, which, judging by their behaviour, had a nest in the
vicinity. The only previous records of the nesting of this
species in Cornwall are those given by Dr. Clark who says that
it “‘ has nested several times in the east and middle of the
county ” (Victoria History of Cornwall, 1., p. 333). From
his general survey of the county in an earlier portion of his
article, it would appear that this. refers to the south-east of

232 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX,

the Tamar-Fowey District and to the Truro-Falmouth
District.

WOODCHAT SHRIKE (Lanius senator)—A male frequented
a small patch of furze- and thorn-bushes at the Marazion
Marsh from May 21st to 28th. The bird was in beautiful
plumage and was easy to approach. The only recent occur-
rence in Cornwall appears to have been on May r2th, 1908,
(B.B., I1I., p. 27x), and the only other records for the county
are those given by Rodd for Scilly (B. of Cornwall, 1880,
pp. Ig and 201).

Rosin (Erithacus rubecula melophilus)—On May 7th, I
found a Robin’s nest containing five eggs but lacking the
usual lining of hair. I met with a somewhat similar occurrence
on June 20th, 1g21. In that case tour eggs were laid on the
bare earth of a hole in a wall, while a semi-circular rim of moss
in front was the only nesting-material used.

RurF (Philomachus pugnax).—There was a male, apparently
still in winter plumage, at the Marazion Marsh trom March 7th,
to 18th. On the latter date another male, with an incomplete
white ruff, had arrived. Both stayed till March 2oth.

This record brings the total of birds of this species observed
in Cornwall in spring to seven. Four occurrences are given
in Brit. Birds, X1., p. 140, and one was obtained at Scilly in
March, 1885 (Clark, Vict. Hist. of Cornwall, I, p. 344).

Avocet (Kecurvirostra avosetta).—I saw a party of three on
the Eastern Beach, Penzance, on May 17th. They were
fairly easy to approach and I had several gcod views of them,
both when feeding, preening and flying. The tide was low
and they fed busily in the shallows. On the next day they
had gone.

Single birds of this species have been observed in Cornwall
on five previous occasions, the last occurrence being in 1g00.

G. H. HARVEY.

WAXWINGS IN WESTMORLAND.

On December 11th, 1925, I saw four Waxwings (Bombycilla
garrulus) fly from a thorn bush near Glenridding, by the side
of Ullswater ; about three-quarters of a mile further on I saw
another. LENORE F. MARSHALL.

AMERICAN BITTERN IN CO. KERRY.

Mr. C. PEET, Arabella, Tralee, shot a male American Bittern
(Botaurus lentiginosus) in a bog near Tralee on November roth,
1925; it was sent for identification. It was in beautiful
plumage and fat condition. W. J. WILLIAMs.

|

VOL. XIX. ] NOTES. 233

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE IN HERTFORDSHIRE.
On the afternoon of January 16th, 1926—a_ bitterly cold
day after heavy snow on the 15th—a Grey Goose of sorts
dropped to the Wilstone Reservoir and joined a little bunch
of Mallards on the water. It stayed for some ten minutes,
swimming with the ducks, splashing and bathing, then rose

and went off at a considerable height to the S.W. Its

demeanour suggested a really wild bird and not an “ escape,”’
for whilst on the water it was constantly on the alert, and
twice was obviously startled by the hoot of a distant motor-
car. Its short, pink-banded bill, easily discernible through
my telescope, proclaimed it a Pink-footed Goose (Anser
brachyrhynchus), a species about which hardly anything 1s
known in Hertfordshire. CHARLES OLDHAM.

NOTES FROM STAFFORDSHIRE, 1925.

Tue following notes are from observations throughout the
year at the most westerly of the large Staffordshire reservoirs,
to which my notes in Vol. XVII. (p. 139) and Vol. XVIII.

(p. 241) also referred.

Once more duck have been very plentiful. Mallards (Anas
p. platyrhyncha) were probably more abundant than ever.
Gadwalls (A. strepera) were seen on each visit from May to
September ; a pair was seen several times and on May 2nd,
in addition to the pair, there were three ducks or immature
drakes ; the largest number was a flock of fourteen that flew
away from the reservoir on August 16th—some of them

_ certainly, and I think all, were Gadwalls. Teal (A. c. crecca)

were always present and in winter abundant; as early as
September 6th there was a flock of 150 to 200. Wigeon (A.
penelope), the most abundant duck in winter, did not remain
throughout the summer; by April 18th there were only six,
and two or three on May 2nd were the last seen till Septem-
ber 21st. On two occasions only there were drake Pintails
(A. a. acuta)—two on October 17th and one on December 28th—
but there were almost always from twenty to several score
Shovelers (Spatula clypeata), though on December 28th we
could not see more than six or eight.

Pochards (Nyroca f. ferina) were less frequent than usual,
though there were seventy present as early as August 16th.
There were always Tufted Ducks (N. fuligula) in limited
numbers—never in such large flocks as the other duck;
however, on May 2nd they were the most plentiful duck, one
flock alone numbering over one hundred ; on June 20th one
duck was followed by ten youngsters.

)

234 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

In the winter months and up to mid-April from twenty to
almost forty Goldeneyes (Bucephala c. clangula) were always
present, and we counted eight adult drakes together on
February 22nd; on April 18th the drakes were displaying —
raising the feathers of the crown and pointing their bills
straight up in the air; on May 2nd there were still ten, but
none remained during summer and by October 17th only two
brown-headed birds had reappeared.

Brown-headed Goosanders (Mergus m. merganser) were
present twice: three on February 22nd and one on Decem-
ber 28th ; on the latter date there was a Smew (M. albellus)—
also a brown-headed bird.

On February 22nd we saw one Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus b.
bewickit), the first seen here since the 1922-3 winter ; it was a
fully white bird with a black band on the culmen of the bill,
but this black band proved on near approach to have a yellow
centre a little below the base of the bill.

One Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps n. nigricollis) appeared
on September 6th and Great-crested Grebes (P. c. cristatus)
were never absent.

Waders did not find the margin so attractive as usual; —
except for one Dunlin (Calidris alpina) on February 22nd and
five on April 18th none but the ordinary species, such as
Common Sandpipers, Redshanks, etc., were seen.

A Black Tern (Chlidomias n. mgev)—an immature bird—
was hawking over the water on September 6th and 21st, and
on the former day was accompanied by two Common or
Arctic Terns.

As noted previously Gulls were never plentiful as on the
Cheshire meres, though Black-headed Gulls (Larus rv. ridibun-
dus) were almost always present—twenty or more throughout
the winter months and odd birds in the summer. Common
Gulls (L. c. canus) occurred only twice—single birds on
August 16th and October 17th; and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(L. fuscus affinis) twice also—one in May and a flock of
fourteen on September 6th. A. W. Boyp.

SURF-SCOTERS IN NORFOLK.

On October 2nd, 1925, wind E.—S.S.W., I saw seven Surf-
Scoters (Oidemia perspicillata) in a rather choppy sea off
Scolt Head. The birds were fairly close inshore, so that the ©
white patch on the nape was distinctly visible on three of
them. This is the first record for East Anglia.

E. L. TURNER.

VOL, XIX.] NOTES. 235
GANNET INLAND IN CHESHIRE.

In view of Mr. H. E. Forrest’s record (antea, p. 213) of two
Gannets (Sula bassana) near Shrewsbury, on October 25th,
1925, it is perhaps interesting to note that a young Gannet
about five months old was found alive on the highroad at
Sandiway, in Delamere Forest, Cheshire, on October 28th,
1925—just forty miles further north. It was given to my
wife on the following day and was fed with fish ; it lived on
or by a duck-pond till November 2nd and then disappeared ;
presumably it flew off as it had evidently become stronger and
flapped its wings frequently. A. W. Boyp.

STOCK-DOVE BREEDING IN CO. DONEGAL.

On April 25th, 1925, whilst walking through a heavily tim-
bered demesne on the shores of Sheephaven Bay, I heard the
unmistakable note of the Stock-Dove (Columba @. enas), and
shortly afterwards a bird of this species dashed out from the
centre of an immense lime, round the stem of which, and
supported by the out-growths of the tree, was collected a
deposit of sticks, leaves, and rubbish, the accumulation of
many years. After a long search I discovered a nest con-
taining two eggs, the latter being placed at the end of a sort
of tunnel in the debris, and at least two feet from the entrance.
A few roots and fine twigs formed the nest. Shortly after-
wards I found another nest with eggs in a similar situation,
and not far from the first. There are no hollow trees in the
demesne. The keeper told me he had first noticed Stock-
Doves in the preceding summer. This bird has not previously
been recorded as breeding in co. Donegal, but as it has been
observed in co. Clare and co. Galway it is evidently extending
its range along the western seaboard of Ireland. C. V. STONEY.

KENTISH PLOVER AND SHORE-LARKS IN NORFOLK.

On October 7th, 1925, wind N.N.E., two Kentish Plover
(Charadrius a. alexandrinus) were feeding on the saltings of
Scolt Head Island with some Shore-Larks (Evemophila
alpestris flava). Their small size attracted my notice, and as
they allowed me to approach within a yard of them, their
dark legs were easily seen. E. L. TURNER.

PASSING MIGRANTS IN NORTH WORCESTERSHIRE.

SEVERAL interesting birds appeared at the North Worcester-
shire reservoirs during the autumn of 1925. A single Black

236 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

Tern (Chlidomas n. niger) was flying over the Upper Bittell
reservoir on September 14th. There was no sign of it on the
15th, but on the 17th there were two over the Lower Bittell.
On the 23rd there were three Black Terns (for a short time
four), and one Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura) over the Lower
Bittell. The Arctic Tern and one Black Tern were seen
again on September 24th. They had gone on the 29th. On
the 23rd I put up a pair of Garganey (Anas querquedula), or
perhaps three, and these I saw again on October ist. It is
almost certain that they were present also on the 14th. An
Eared Grebe (Podiceps n. migricollis) was also on the reservoirs
during all this period. I had a particularly good view of its
uptilted beak on October Ist.

On September 23rd I saw what appeared to be a pair of
Pintail (Anas a. acuta) flying over the further side of the
Upper Bittell reservoir. They seemed to settle, but when
I got round the reservoir I could not find them again.

After October 1st I saw nothing of special note until the
22nd, when Mr. H. L. Wilson and I watched a fine drake
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) in full winter plumage
on the Lower Bittell reservoir. It was repeatedly diving,
more or less in company with an immature Golden-eye
(Bucephala c. clangula) when first we saw it, but later a small
party of Tufted Ducks (Nyroca fuligula) swam past it, and it
followed them to the far end of the reservoir. I could not
see it on the 25th or subsequently.

Although there was a good deal of mud by the reservoirs
throughout the early autumn, I saw no mud-loving waders
except a few Dunlin (Calidris alpina). H. G. ALEXANDER.

GREAT BUSTARD IN CO. CORK.

A FINE female Great Bustard (Otis t. tarda) was shot near
Castletown Bere on December goth, 1925, Although in good
condition it only weighted 734 lbs., and was examined in the
flesh by Mr. Moffat, our leading Irish ornithologist.

W. J. WILLIAMs.

BITTERN IN KENT.—Mr. James M. Harrison informs us
that an adult male Botaurus s. stellaris was shot on December
23rd, 1925, in a meadow close to Sevenoaks, where it was
frequenting two small and secluded ponds. The bird’s
stomach contained a few bones of a small fish, some strands
of water weed and the remains of a beetle (Dyticus marginalis).

EB
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= NORMAN F. TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B:O U.
CONTENTS OF NUMBER 10, VOL. XIX., MARCH I, 1926.™ UVR, 1
Ss PAGE
Ornithological Report from Norfolk for 1925. By B. B.
Riviere, F.R.C.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. Se at he Sos 233
Notes on Nestling Birds. By Collingwood Ingram ... ne 247
Fledging Periods of Some British Birds. By T. G. Longstaff
and F. C. R. Jourdain ... aor = ie ms wea 240
Notes :—

Magpies killing a full-grown Rabbit (G. W. Thompson) 252

Crossbill Nesting in Norfolk (Edgar P. Chance) sat aye 253

Tree-Pipit’s Nest in a Haystack (A. G. Taylor) ... gon 253

Redwing Singing in England (C. I. Evans) ... a te 253

White-tailed Eagle in Essex (Dr. Sydney H. Long and G. H.
Gurney) ... “es eS oe aes or eae oes 253

Stock-Dove in Co. Cork (Lt.-Col. C. Donovan) A! ae 255

Turtle-Dove Wintering in Shropshire (H. E. Forrest) ay 255

Common Sandpiper in Bedfordshire in Winter (The Duchess
of Bedford) ae as <i eke oa ene ae 255

Common Terns in Surrey in Winter (E. C. Stuart Baker) 256

Black Guillemot in Pembrokeshire (Bertram Lloyd) = 290

Red-breasted Pochard in Midlothian ... iets aoe ee 2560

Incubation Perio1 of the Redwing yee ees oe its 256

Reviews :—

The Food of Some British Wild Birds: a Study in Economic
Ornithology. By Walter E. Collinge, p.sc., etc. Second
revised edition, parts 4—6 ee = oa —e ti 257

The Secrets of the Eagle and other Rare Birds. By H. A.
Gilbert and Arthur Brook ... are tee we ae 258

Letters :—

Status of the Golden Eagle in Ireland (C. V. Stoney) ... 258
Lifting Power of the Golden Eagle (H. A. Gilbert) aoe 259
+

( 238 )

ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT FROM NORFOLK
FOR © 1925.

BY
B: 2 RIVIERE,Y RGSS zis) 3.80.0. -

THE first two months of the vear 1925 were noticeable for
severe gales and exceptionally mild weather, and a consequent
scarcity of wildfowl. On February 4th, a lovely sunny day, a
Blackbird was singing in my garden, nearly a month in advance
of the date upon which I usually first hear one. A very light
fall of snow, the first of the winter, occurred on February 2tst,
but throughout March there were several snowstorms and hard
frosts. A cold wet April was followed by three months of
exceptionally fine, warm weather, save for a bitterly cold, wet
week between 21st and 28th of June, which played havoc with
the young Partridges.

There is little to remark upon the spring migration. Very
early Cuckoos were heard at Attlebridge on April 7th (Miss
Waterfield) and at Woodbastwick on April 11th. The usual
westerly passage of Hirundines along the north Norfolk coast
was in evidence throughout May, and was also observed at
the Lynn Wells Light Vessel at the mouth of the Wash
(W. S. Sharman), whilst upon several days during the same
month Willow-Wrens, Whitethroats, Wheatears, and other
small migrants were to be found amongst the sueda bushes at
Cley and Scolt Head (R. Pinchen and Miss Turner). A
tremendous rush of Swifts from east to west at Scolt Head
was recorded by Miss Turner between May 28th and June 3rd,
these birds passing continuously on June Ist, during a south-
westerly gale, from 6 a.m. till 6.30 p.m.

A scarcity of Spotted Flycatchers was noted by several of
my correspondents. The pair which usually nest in my
garden failed to put in an appearance, and Mr. G. H. Gurney
tells me that there were none at Keswick, where last year
he had fourteen nests.

As usual the autumn migration was very much more in
evidence than that of the spring. A big passage of Waders
took place on the nights of August 19th and 21st. On the
,ormer night large numbers ot Curlew were passing over
Yarmouth (A. H. Patterson), and on the latter Waders were
heard most of the night, both over Norwich and at Haisboro’,
where Major A. H. Daukes identified the calls of Golden and
Grey Plover, Curlew, Redshank, Godwit, Oystercatcher,
Whimbrel and Dunhn.

VoL. XIX.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 239

A big arrival of Passerine birds must have taken place
about September roth, on which day Mr. G. H. Gurney wrote
me that the fields about Cringleford were full of Song-Thrushes,
Blackbirds, Sky-Larks, Robins and Goldcrests, and when at
Paston two days later, I found an extraordinary number of
Song-Thrushes in the root-fields.

An all-day passage of Lapwings from east to west was
noted at Cley by Mr. A. H. Macpherson on September 28th
and 29th, and was also recorded on the same two days by
Mr. Sharman on the Lynn Wells Light Vessel.

The biggest rush of the late autumn migrants, however,
took place during the last week of October, and this included
Rooks, Lapwings, Starlings, Fieldfares, Redwings, Blackbirds,
Sky-Larks, Chaffinches, and Goldcrests. At Scolt Head,
where I was the guest of Miss Turner during the last three
days of the month, thousands of Rooks and Starlings, together
with Lapwings and Sky-Larks, were travelling west all day,
whilst Redwings were heard passing each night. On October
25th and 26th Rooks, Fieldfares, and Chaffinches were coming
in at Yarmouth, where also on the 28th and 30th there was
another big rush of Fieldfares and Blackbirds (A. H. Patterson).
At Paston on 2gth the fields were full of Redwings, and on
31st Starlings were passing west-south-west all day, and many
Goldcrests were met with in the root-fields and hedges (R. C.
Bell). A notable feature on the more southerly portion of
the coast-line appears to have been the extraordinary number
of immigrant Blackbirds. Mr. Patterson refers to them as
“ swarming ’’ at Yarmouth on October 30th, whilst writing
{from Southwold on November toth Mr. C. E. Alford states
that ‘‘ Blackbirds (chiefly immature males) may be seen in
almost incredible numbers ” (Brit. Birds, XIX., p. 209).

The arctic weather which set in on November toth and
lasted until Christmas, brought thousands of Duck to Norfolk in
advance of their usual time, and Fritton Decoy beat all its
own records with a take of 2,700 duck up to December 31st,
these being nearly all Mallard. (Major Hon. F. Crossley.)

Many Woodcocks also put in an appearance. Thirty-one
were killed at Somerleyton on December 28th (Crossley),
whilst at Holkham on four consecutive days from December
8th to December 11th the bags were 49, 31, 37, and 47, the
total bag of Woodcocks up to the end of January 1926 being
334, which is a record for this shoot (A. E: Tower). Record
bags of Snipe were also made, during this hard weather, on
Mr. Russell Colman’s shoot at Whitlingham, the Whitlingham
Sewage farm providing an open feeding ground when all others

240 BRITISH BIRDS. (wor, snx.:

were frozen over. Four hundred and fifty Snipe were shot
here up to the end of the first week of January, 1926, the
best days being: November 21st, 20 ; November 28th, 17;
December Ist, 19; December 2nd, 27; December 3rd, 89 ;
December 5th, 144 ; and December gth, 13. On the biggest
day, December 5th, there were five guns, and nearly all the
birds killed were driven (R. Colman).

Several rarities occurred during the year, amongst which
may be mentioned an Aquatic Warbler, Red-breasted Fly-
catcher, Rock-Dove, Night-Heron, Kentish Plovers, Gull-
billed Terns, and Surf-Scoters, particulars of which will be
found under the classified notes.

CLASSIFIED NOTES.

CoMMON CRosSBILL (Loxia c. curvirostra).—Mr. N. Tracy
reports that a pair of Crossbills reared a brood this year in
the King’s Lynn district, the nest being built in January,
whilst Mr. H. A. Gilbert writes me of a nest with four eggs in
south Norfolk, and another pair building, on March 2tst.

There was some evidence of an immigration of Crossbills
into East Angla during the autumn. A male was caught
alive on the Outer Dowsing Light Vessel on July 4th and was
taken ashore and released (W. S. Sharman), whilst early in
September two more males were taken on the Haisborough
Light Vessel (A. H. Patterson). In November many were
reported by the keeper to be at Elveden (Suffolk) and on
November 20th three were seen in a garden in Ipswich (Field,
November 26th, 1925). It will be interesting to see whether
there is any marked increase in the numbers breeding in 1920.

Woop-Lark (Lullula a. arborea).—The Wood-Lark has,
in my experience up to now, been confined as a nesting species
to a small area in the south-west part of the county near the
Suffolk border. In 1925, however, I was fortunate enough
to discover a small colony nesting in an entirely new locality
a few miles north of Norwich, and in two of the three nests
which I found, young birds were successfully reared. As
the ground which they are on is private and well-protected,
this little colony should soon increase and spread.

GREY WacTAIL (Motacilla c. cinerea).—A pair of Grey
Wagtails again nested at Taverham for the third year in
succession and reared three broods, the three nests being all
within 20 yards of each other. (Capt. Lloyd.)

CONTINENTAL BLUE TiTMoUSE (Parus ceruleus ceruleus).—
The arrival of Blue Tits upon our east coast from the Continent

VOL. XIX.] ORNI'T'HOLOGICAL REPORT. 241

in autumn has long been suspected, and in Norfolk their
frequent appearance upon the coast-line at this time of year
—one actually flew on board the Lynn Wells Light Vessel on
September 20th this year—and their occasional presence
amongst the westerly moving flocks of other autumn migrants,
has certainly suggested an immigration from overseas. I am
now able to record a specimen of the Continental form of Blue
Tit (Parus c. ceeruleus), the first for England—though one has
occurred in Scotland—which was killed at Cley in October
1921. This bird, which is a female, has a wing measurement
of 64 mm., which is the minimum for the Continental race, but
its colouring, when compared with the large series in Mr.
Witherby’s collection, differs from all British Blue Tits, and
exactly resembles Parus c. ceruleus.

FIRE-CRESTED WREN (Regulus 1. ignicapillus)—On
October 31st at Scolt Head Miss Turner and I were able to
identify a Firecrest which obligingly lit upon some basket-
work on the sandhills within a yard of where we were sitting,
and gave us a sufficiently long and uninterrupted view of its
conspicuous white eye-stripe and dark streak through the
eye, to satisfy both of us as to its identity.

GREAT GREY SHRIKE (Lantus e. excubitor).—A Great Grey
Shrike was shot by Mr. E. C. Arnold at Morston on September
12th.

RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa p. parva).—An
immature specimen, the sex of which was not noted, was
obtained at Blakeney Point on October 2nd (F. E. Gunn).
This makes the fifteenth for Norfolk.

Woop-WARBLER (Phylloscopus s. sibilatrix),—Mr. N. Tracy
reports that two or three pairs of Wood-Wrens again nested
at South Wootton in 1925. Iam indebted to Mrs. Graves of
Oulton Lodge for the discovery of another nesting locality in
North Norfolk, where she believes a few pairs have bred for
the past ten years in a beech wood, and I was able to confirm
the accuracy of her observation by watching in her company
three males in full song in this wood on June r1th.

AQUATIC WARBLER (Acrocephalus paludicola)—A male
Aquatic Warbler was obtained at Blakeney Point on
September 11th (F. E. Gunn). :

FIELDFARE (Turdus pilaris).—An unusually early flock of
Fieldfares was seen in mid-Norfolk on August roth by Mr.
Stuart Curtler (Brit. Birds, XIX., p. 131). ’

REDSTART (Pheenicurus ph. phenicurus)—The Redstart
as a nesting species appears to be still more or less confined
to the extreme south-west corner of Norfolk, where, however,

242 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL.- KIX.

it seems to be holding its own. Mr. N. Tracy had three pairs
nesting within his bird sanctuary at South Wootton, one of
which reared two broods, and he knew of two other nests in
the immediate neighbourhood, while Mr. A. H. Macpherson
on April 26th met with seven males within a small area of
woodland in another part of south-west Norfolk. One pair
at least probably nested within the northern half of the county,
as both Dr. Long and Mr. O. Gurney saw a pair upon several
occasions during the summer at the edge of a wood alongside
the road between Taverham and Attlebridge.

BLUETHROAT ((Luscinia svecica)—I have records of only
three Bluethroats during the year, viz.: Two at Cley, one on
September 7th, and one on October 13th (Pinchen), and one
at Scolt Head on September 17th (E. Turner).

KINGFISHER (Alcedo a. ispida)—A Kingfisher killed itself
against the light of the Lynn Wells Light Vessel at-3 a.m. on
September 16th (W. S. Sharman), making the fourth record
which I have of this species being killed at lighthouses or
lightships off the Norfolk coast in autumn.

LITTLE OWL (Athene noctua)—Miss Turner’s Scolt Head
notes contain records of autumn movements of the Little Owl
which seem to suggest a possible migration. On September
Ist one appeared to fly in from the direction of the sea and
settled upon the Watcher’s tent. On October 3rd another
appeared to fly in from the sea, whilst on October 15th and
October 25th several passed over the hut at dusk calling, and
on October 24th one was found early in the morning on the
sandhills.

SHORT-EARED OWL (Asio f. flammeus)—A few pairs of
Short-eared Owls nested as usual in the Broads district.
Another nest—the first, I believe, for many years—was found
in the “ Breck ’”’ country, but on the Suffolk side of the
boundary. This contained nine eggs which hatched on
May 15th (H. A. Gilbert). Yet another pair were constantly
seen on Scolt Head throughout the early summer, but their
nest was never found (E. Turner).

Montacu’s HARRIER (Circus pygargus)—The number of
breeding pairs in Norfolk was, I am glad to say, well
maintained.

HEN-HARRIER (C. c. cyaneus)—A female Hen-Harrier was
shot at Runham on November 30th (E. C. Saunders).

SPOONBILL (Platalea 1. leucorodia)—On November 25th a
Spoonbill was shot on the Norfolk shore of the Wash and was
shown to me in the flesh. It was a very small bird in juvenile
plumage, the primary and secondary quill-feathers being

vot. XIx.}] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 243

splashed with black. This is the latest date upon which a
Spoonbill has occurred in Norfolk, the only other November
record being November 21st, 1908, when one was killed on
Brevdon. Another late bird was seen by the keeper at
Salthouse on October 18th and 19th ; there being, I believe,
only one other Norfolk record for October, viz. : October 5th
and 6th, 1905. Two more were seen at Salthouse on
July 18th (L. Lloyd), and I understand that several
visited Breydon during the summer, but can give no dates,
owing to the Watcher’s note-book having been unfortunately
lost.

NIGHT-HERON (Nycticorax n. nycticorax)—On May 22nd
an adult Night-Heron was seen by three reliable observers on
Wroxham Broad. It flew up from a reed-bed and perched
in an alder tree beside the Broad, where it allowed a close
approach, and from the description which was given me of
its small size, its black mantle, yellow legs and the long white
streamers from the nape, there can, I think, be no doubt
whatever as to its identification.

BITTERN (Botaurus s. stellaris)—Reports of the nesting of
the Bittern in 1925 are eminently satisfactory. The number
of nesting pairs continues to increase, and there is evidence
of a further extension of their nesting area.

PINTAIL X MALLARD Hyprip.—Mr. E. C. Saunders informs
me that he received on December Ist a Pintail x Mallard
hybrid drake which had been shot at Hickling.

GARGANEY (Anas querquedula).._Five pairs nested in their
favourite locality in the Broads district this year.

SURF-SCOTER (Oidemia_ perspicillata).—Miss Turner. has
already reported (an/ea, p. 234) that she was able to identify
a flock of seven Surf-Scoters which were swimming in the
sea off Scolt Head on October 2nd. This record is, I think,
a very interesting one, and it is the first time that this rare
vagrant has been observed off the Norfolk coast.

Rock-DovE (Columba 1. jivia).—The first example ot a
genuine wild Rock-Doyve, which, so far as I am aware, has
ever occurred in Norfolk, was picked up dead—wounded in
the breast —at Ludham on Dec. gth, and kindly forwarded to me
by Mr. A. H. Patterson. Mr. Witherby and I have compared
this bird with the large series of Rock-Doves in the former’s
collection, and in colouring, size and type, and especially in
the character of the bill, it matches them exactly, and in fact
could not be picked out from amongst them. Moreover, to
make doubly certain, I showed it to Captain Lea Rayner, a
well-known judge of Homing Pigeons, who judges the Homer

O44, BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX.

Classes at some of the leading Pigeon Shows, and he imme-
diately expressed the opinion that it could not be the produce
of any domestic Pigeons, however inbred and “ run wild.”
It must have been a late hatched bird, as it had only moulted
the five innermost primaries. Possibly the severe weather
prevailing at the time, with blizzards and snow storms, may
have accounted for its presence in Norfolk, the nearest
breeding-place of the Rock-Dove being, I believe, the cliffs
of the Yorkshire coast.

OYSTERCATCHER (Hematopus o. ostralegus).—In the year
1913 an Oystercatcher’s nest was found at Blakeney Point,
containing six eggs, and each year since then, within a few
yards of the same spot, there has been a nest, usually containing
the same number (in 1923 there were six, and in 1924 five).
This year this nest contained a clutch of seven, which, however,
did not hatch. R. Pinchen the Watcher is fully convinced
that two females lay in this nest each year, and he is, moreover,
equally convinced that their mate is the same individual male
of the original pair which nested at the Point for the first time,
after an interval of many years, in 1906. If Pinchen is right,
which, from the terms of intimacy he appears to be upon with
this bird, I am inclined to think he may be, this would make
the nineteenth year of this Oystercatcher’s tenancy of this
particular ridge of shingle !

KENTISH PLOVER (Charadrius alexandrinus).—Miss Turner
has already reported (antea, p. 235) the occurrence of two
Kentish Plover, which she was able to identify at Scolt Head
on October 7th.

LAPWING (Vanellus vanellus)—A Lapwing, bearing a
Witherby ring No. Z. 2166, which was reported by Mr. Skerrett
Rogers as having been killed at Cley on November 28th, was,
I learn from Mr. Witherby, ringed as a nestling at Cley on
June 8th, 1924. It is interesting to find a bird of this species
in the locality where it was hatched, during the winter of the
following year, and it is an example of how individuals of the
same species vary as to the extent of their migratory
movements.

SPOTTED REDSHANK (Tringa erythropus).—As in the case
of the Black-tailed Godwit, fewer Spotted Redshanks were
recorded in 1925 than in the previous year. Major Daukes
saw one at Cley on August 26th, and single birds were seen by
Mr. E. C. Arnold at Cley and Morston cn September oth,
September 12th and September 14th, whilst a female in first
winter plumage was killed on Breydon on October 22nd
(Saunders).

VOL. XIX.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 245

GREY PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fulicarius).—One was seen
by Mr. A. H. Macpherson on September rgth swimming on
the pond at Weybourne.

BLACK-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa 1. limosa).—Compared with
the past few years, very few Black-tailed Godwits appear to
have visited Norfolk in 1925, and the only records I have
are of one in the Broads district on April 29th (J. Vincent),
one at Cley on August 28th, and another at Cley on September
4th (Major A. H. Daukes).

GREAT SNIPE (Capella media) —Two Great Snipe were
obtained during the autumn, one near Gorleston on Septenber
23rd (W. W. Cook), and one at Warham, now in the Holkham
collection, on September 29th (A. E. Tower).

Woopcock (Scolopax r. rusticola)—A Woodcock’s nest was
found at Horsford on April 15th containing four eggs, which
were later on unfortunately sucked by a hedgehog.

GULL-BILLED TERN (Gelochelidon nilotica)—-A small party
of Gull-billed Terns seems to have found its way to Norfolk
in May, upon the 17th of which month Dr. S. H. Long watched
one hawking insects over Langmere, whilst upon the same day
Mr. A. H. Patterson independently identified four more on
Breydon (Eastern Daily Press, May 23rd). This is the first
occurrence of the Gull-billed Tern in Norfolk since 1906, when
one was shot on Breydon on September 5th.

SANDWICH TERN (Sterna s. sandvicensis),—Only eight
pairs of Sandwich Terns nested at Blakeney Point in 1925,
and none at Salthouse, all the remainder having this year
gone to Scolt Head, where over 600 pairs nested. The first
arrival at Blakeney Point was on April 8th, but the main
arrival took place on May 11th and the first egg was laid on
May roth. Out of the eight nests, there was one clutch of
three eggs (Pinchen). At Scolt Head the first birds arrived on
May 2nd and the first egg was laid on May 13th, and a count of
the nests on June 16th showed 341 clutches of two, 257 clutches
of one, and 3 clutches of three (E. Turner).

ROSEATE TERN (Sterna d. dougallii)—A pair of Roseate
Terns again bred in one of the Norfolk Tern colonies, the nest
being within a few yards of that of the previous year. Two
more pairs are also recorded by the Watcher as having nested
in another colony.

_ BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus r. ridibundus).—No less than
five Black-headed Gulls ringed as nestlings on the Continent
have been reported in Norfolk during 1925.

No. C. 2461 (Prof. Jagerskiéld) reported from Lynn on
February 28th was ringed at Oland in the Baltic on June 23rd,
1924 (Brit. Birds, XIX., p. 19).

246 BRITISH BIRDS, VOR.

No. 40645 (Herr Pedersen) killed on Breydon on September
25th, was ringed at Zeeland, Denmark, on June Ist, 1922.

No. 38989 (Rossitten) picked up dead by Mr. J. Ellis on
Gorleston Beach on November 18th, was ringed on June 3rd,
1925, at Guhlan, near Dresbitz, Posen, Prussia.

No. 35769 (Rossitten) killed at Yarmouth on December 14th,
(A. H. Patterson) was ringed in June 1925 on the Island of
Riems, Pomerania.

No. 36129 (Rossitten) picked up dead at Old Buckenham on
Dec. 20th (A. H. Patterson), was ringed on June 28th,1925, on
the Island of Riems, Pomerania.

GLaucous GULL (L. Avperboreus)—An inmmature Glaucous
Gull was shot at Yarmouth on October 14th (E. C. Saunders),
and another, also immature, at Blakeney, on December 12th
(F. E. Gunn).

GREAT SKUA (Stercorarius s. skua).—An adult female was
killed at sea off Blakeney Point on September 15th (F. E.
Gunn).

NOTES ON NESTLING BIRDS.
By
COLLINGWOOD INGRAM.

DuRING the war, through the kindness of M. Van Kempen’s
heirs, I was given the opportunity of examining the extensive
collection of motinted birds that this gentlemen had brought
together in his private museum at St. Omer. Probably the
most interesting feature of this collection was the compara-
tively large number of specimens in nestling plumage, many
of which were new to me.

The following notes (copied from my Journal) were a!l made
at the time, and refer to species not described in Witherby’s
Practical Handbook of British Birds.

I. Roller (Coracias garrulus)—Down absent.

II. A newly hatched nestling of the Squacco Heron, labelled
“ Ardea ralloides 7.V1.1g01 |Dombrowski].”’

Thinly covered with white down, with a buff tinge on the
shoulders. On the head there is a distinct crown of coafse,
“wiry ’’ down, this being of a brownish-buff colour.

Ill. A nestling Black Stork probably about three weeks old,
labelled ‘‘ Ciconia nigra 7.6.79 Pommern [Schliiter].’’

Densely covered with white down, this being long, loose and
soft in texture. This down is quite independent of the
contour feathers, most, if not all, of which bear minute tufts
of a previous generation of down, also white in colour. The
primary, secondary and tail feathers do not bear these tufts.
IV. A newly hatched Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnop-

terus) labelled ‘‘ Vultur percnopterus.”” ;

Down white, evenly distributed over the whole body.

V. A newly hatched Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)—Down
white.

VI. The collection contained two young Ospreys, Pandion
halietus, one about two weeks old and the other,
apparently, a few days. The following is a description
of the younger bird.

Above dusky, smoky-brown, with a conspicuous sandy-
buff dorsal streak. Head sandy-buff with a lighter streak on
the nape. There is a dark, smoky-brown patch in front and
behind the eye. Under surface creamy-white. The dark
areas on the back are mottled with lighter buff. The down is
short and dense in texture.

A patterned nestling garb ina raptoral bird is very unusual.
The newly hatched Lammergeyer (Gypaétus barbatus grandis)
has a distinct greyish-brown patch round the eye, but its dense

248 BRITISH BIRDS. PVOL, xix.

covering of down is otherwise white, or white tinged with

buffish. I believe these are the only two European species

showing well-defined markings in the nestling stage.

VII. A newly hatched specimen of the Caspian Plover
(Charadrius asiaticus) labelled “ Charadrius caspius.
Steppes de Kirghiz [Schltiter].”

Above white with a faint creamy or sandy tinge; more
tawny and sandy on the forearm. Crown, back, and forearm
‘spotted with sooty black, the spots being somewhat more
massed in the centre of the crown and back. Under surface

NESTLING OSPREY.

white. Down, plush-like, with a silky gloss or lustre on the
light portions of the upper parts. No loral or frontal streaks.

It may be noted that a nestling in down of this species has
been described and figured in Dresser’s Birds of Europe, Vol. 7.

In the Practical Handbook of British Birds the nestling of
the Sociable Plover, Chettusia gregaria, is likened to that of
V. vanellus. The specimen so named in the Van Kempen
collection bears no resemblance to the young of this species
and agrees with the description (taken from a coloured plate)
given in Dresser’s Birds of Europe.

( 249 )
FLEDGING-PERIODS OF SOME BRITISH BIRDS.

BY
T. G, LONGSTAFF anp F, C. R.. JOURDAIN.

THE following fledging-periods do not appear in the Practical
Handbook. The cases are all from my note-books except
one Spotted Flycatcher, which I owe to my neighbour, Mr.
Tan Bennett. By the fledging-period is meant the number
of days in the nest from the first hatching. In order to obtain
a perfect ‘‘ case ’’ the nest must be visited on the day before
hatching, on the day of hatching, on the day before leaving
the nest, and on the day of leaving the nest ; but since the
natural period often varies by a day it seems worth while to
include a few cases in which the possible error was only one
day—as indicated by the word “ or”’ in the following list.
The period for the Blue Tit is suspiciously consistent, but
the data were obtained from nesting-boxes in 1887, 1923 and
1925, under very favourable conditions. The difficulties of
correct observation are great and additional published data
are required for all species before we can attempt to discover
the controlling factor.
Fledging-period.

Days.
Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis |, cabaret) .... 12 and 13
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula p. nesa) ... a “EA OL RG
Great Tit (Parus m. newtont) “vu, DOs yy, ag
Ditto Second laying, three eggs,
2 hatched ... vis 3 ee 19 OF IG

Blue Tit (Parus c. obscurus) Se nas BSE cee
Long-tailed Tit (d%githalos c. roseus)... 18
Golden-crested Wren (Regulus r. anglo-

rum) vee ae ‘a ne 0 a
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa s.

striata) wn ea tae » 2@,and x6
Robin (Erithacus vr. melophilus) nin aes
Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occiden-

talis) see ae ane we 25
Wren (Troglodytes t. troglodytes) sry), BOOE FF

_ For the Wryneck (Jynx t. torquilla) the Handbook gives
incubation as “* not less than two weeks and probably longer ”’ :
my only two complete cases each give 11 days from the laying
of the last egg to the hatching of the first, and all the fertile
eggs hatched within twenty-four hours of one another.
Fledging-periods were 18 and 1g days.

250 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

In the case of a Nightjar (Caprimulgus eu. europaeus) the
young remained for 14 days within io feet of the “ nest,”
making no attempt to fly: when I revisited the site on the
18th day the young were gone, nor could the hen, which had
always been very demonstrative, be found in the neighbour-
hood.

I can confirm the Handbook fledging-periods for the Red-
backed Shrike (Lanius c. collurio) 15 days (1 case) ; White-
throat (Sylvia c. communis) between 10 and 12 days (I case) ;
Dartford Warbler (Sylvia u. dartfordiensis) II or 12 days
(x case).—T.G.L.

The study of the Incubation and Fledging Periods of Birds
is attended in most cases with so many difficulties that all
contributions based on careful observation are very welcome.
We can only expect to reach the final truth by the mean of
many independent workers. Even since the publication of
my earliest notes in the Practical Handbook on the subject,
a good deal of additional information has come to hand,
modifying in some cases the results then arrived at. In the
present note I propose to treat only of those species men-
tioned by Dr. Longstaff.

Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis 1. cabaret)—Dr. Longstaff’s
estimate of the fledging-period agrees fairly closely with that
of Mr. G. C. S. Ingram, 11-12 days.

British Bullfinch (Pyrrhula p. nesa).—Miss F. Pitt has
recorded a flying-period of 16 days in one case observed.

British Great Tit (Parus m. newtom).—In the case of this
species there is rather a remarkable discrepancy in the records.
Dr. Longstaff’s four records all range between 16 and 18 days.
C. Kingsley Siddall (Zool., r910, p. 207-210; Br. B., iil,
p. 186) in a very careful study of the history of one brood,
noted that the nestlings were fully feathered on the 21st day,
and left the nest on the 23rd day! I find in my notes for
1917 that a Great Tit, which began to sit on May 26, in Berk-
shire, had all the young still in the nest on June 30th, while
the young left on the following day. Allowing 14 days for
incubation, this would give a fledging-period of at least 21
days. As this is a species on which observation is easy, it
would be interesting to receive records, preferably from
different districts during the coming spring.

British Long-tailed Tit (4githalos c. roseus).—Mr. R. H.
Brown gives 15 days in two cases watched, as against 18 days
by Dr. Longstaff.

British Goldcrest (Regulus r. anglorum)—Mr. J. Steele

VOL, XIX.] FLEDGING-PERICDS. 251

Elliott estimates the fledging-period as 16-19 days, consider-
ably longer than 14 days given above.

Spotted Fly-catcher (Muscicapa s. striata).—Here the ob-
servers are pretty closely agreed: 13 days (S. E. Brock) ;
12-13 days (J. Steele Elliott) ; young brooded for 12 days
only (J. H. Owen).

British Robin (Evithacus r. melophilus).—R. H. Brown gives
11-13 days and A. J. Wilkinson 14 days.

Wren (Troglodytes t. troglodytes).—16 days in one case (F. C.
RR. Jourdain).

With regard to the incubation period of the Wryneck,
previous information has been of a very unsatisfactory nature
and Dr. Longstaff’s records are most useful. The fledging-
period is variable. S. Kendall Barnes gives it as 20 days,
but notes that one young bird remained a week after the rest.
Dr. J. H. Salter (im litt.) gives 21 days, and he also observed
that one young bird remained three days after the rest had
gone and was fed by the parents.

Nightjar (Caprimulgus eu. europeus).—O. R. Owen notes
that the young remain by their birthplace for 11 days and
J. S. T. Walton states that the period is just over two weeks.
ed es aS Sal

MAGPIES KILLING FULL-GROWN RABBIT.

On December 15th, 1925, there were still nearly two inches of
snow on the ground at Barton, Cambs, and in the morning it
was fine though cold. I passed through a small disused chalk
quarry, extensively burrowed by rabbits, and rather more
than half an hour later returned to it, seeing, from the top,
a pair of Magpies (Pica p. pica) fly off the body of a rabbit in
the snow; I had previously seen these Magpies fly to the
quarry from my position on the hill above, about a quarter
of an hour before. Descending, I examined the snow around
the rabbit, and found that except for a few marks where the
Magpies had hopped round it, and one or two easily dis-
tinguishable rabbit tracks there was nothing whatever. A
couple of yards up the slope under a small black-thorn bush
I found the “ form ” where the rabbit had been, and a scurry
in the snow to show where it had rolled or wriggled down to
its present position. Both its eyes were pecked out, though
it was lying on its side. Examination showed that it had not
been bitten behind the ear, where one would expect to see
the work of a stoat, nor had it apparently suffered any other
injury than that to its eyes. I“ staled ” it, found it limp and
moderately warm, and, taking it home, it turned the scale at
3 Ibs. 11 ozs.

I can only suggest that these Magpies, driven by hunger,
and the tempting opportunity presented by a crouching
rabbit (for the “form ’’ was quite open above) had dropped
down from the bush, and had either singly or together pecked
one or other of its eyes out. If it had not been done in the
snow I should not have believed it possible, but seeing that
there were no tracks in the snow, it must have been done by
birds, and presumably by Magpies. Certain it is, however, that
the rabbit was not on the open ground where I had passed
about 35 minutes before. G. W. THOMPSON.

[A very similar case is reported in the Zoologist, 1845,
p. 1072, from the Lancaster Gazette of June 21st, 1845,
where it is stated that a carter, hearing a strange noise in a
field by the roadside between Preston and Blackburn, looked
over a hedge and saw a Magpie attacking a half-grown rabbit,
and endeavouring to pick out its eyes. It was so intent on its
work that it allowed the man to get within a few yards before

VOU. sik | ‘NOTES, °°" 253

leaving. The rabbit was so much injured by the Magpie’s
attacks that it died shortly after.—F.C.R.J.|

‘CROSSBILL NESTING IN NORFOLK.

| HAVE recently returned from Norfolk where I saw a Crossbill
(Loxia c. curvirostra) sitting on her eggs. The nest when
found on January 31st, 1926, contained four eggs and the bird
had evidently been incubating a few days. When visiting
the nest later the female sat so tight, as is frequently the case
with these birds, that she could only be induced to show the
contents of the nest by coaxing her with a twig.

I was also authoritatively informed that a nest of four eggs
was found a fortnight before Christmas, the eggs being shared
out amongst the boys who looted the nest !

EDGAR P. CHANCE.

TREE-PIPIT’S NEST IN A HAYRICK.

On July 17th, 1925, I found the nest of a Tree-Pipit (Anthus
trivialis) in a very unusual site. The nest was situated on the
steep side of the roof of an unthatched hayrick, seven feet
from the ground, at Bourton-on-the-Water. I caught the
bird on the nest to make sure of correct identification. The
short and curved hind claw, as compared with the longer and
nearly straight hind claw of the Meadow-Pipit, was noted.
The nest contained three typicaleggs. This is the first instance
of an elevated site I have heard of. A. G. TAYLER.
REDWING SINGING IN ENGLAND.

ON January 5th, 1926, in spring-like sunshine after wet and
windy weather, my wife and son heard a Redwing (Turdus
musicus) in good song at Leighton Park, Reading. From
about two-thirds of the way up a fair-sized deodar, the bird
sang for over five minutes. The phrases of the song were so
varied and the pauses so few and short as to be reminiscent
of a well-trained Harz canary. C. I. EVAns.

|Vide previous records and comments, Vol. VII., pp. 322,
345.— EDs. | ;

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE IN ESSEX.
On January 17th, 1926, under twenty-three degrees of frost,
I drove seventy miles on the chance of seeing an “‘ eagle,”
which, for the past three weeks, had been frequenting some
woods in north Essex. By good fortune I had three splendid
views of the bird as it was “ driven ”’ from one wood to another
about fifty yards high over my head. In its size, general
U

254 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIx.

outline and lazy, flapping flight it might have been a Golden
Eagle, but as I could only see it from below and there was no
sun it was very difficult to make out its colouring. Of this,
however, I was certain, that its under parts were light
yellowish and that its legs were bare and yellow. From below,
no white was visible on the tail. I have little doubt but that
the bird was an immature Sea-Eagle (Haligetus albicilla),
though not since my boyhood days have I seen one of these
rare birds on the wing. On several occasions it had been seen
carrying a rabbit—on one occasion a hare—in its talons, and
ground game was plentiful in the district.

SYDNEY H. Lone.

For nearly a month an immature White-tailed Eagle has been
living in some large woods on a private estate in Essex, where
it has been allowed to remain unmolested, and where it finds
plenty of food in the shape of rabbits, which abound in these
woods. It has been repeatedly seen by a number of people,
and yesterday, February 1st, I saw it on four occasions myself.
Approaching the wood, which is one of a chain of several, the
keeper who conducted me soon drew my attention to the bird
sailing over the tops of the trees, which in all these woods are
principally small oaks with an undergrowth of hazel; it was
a long way off, but had evidently already seen our approach.
At this distance it was of course quite impossible to identify
it. It flew over the trees and disappeared in the direction
of the adjoining wood, where we remained hidden for some
time, as the keeper said it generally returned to the first wood ;
however, seeing no signs of it, we proceeded to a third wood,
and very soon saw it sitting on the top of one of the tallest
oaks, and were able to get within three hundred yards of it
without being seen. After a good look at it through field-
glasses I showed myself, and as the bird sailed off the tree
both legs for a moment were hanging straight down, and I
could clearly see the legs bare of feathers, making me quite
certain it was not a Golden Eagle, which species it had been
first reported as being. Shortly afterwards, in the middle of
the wood, it slowly flew over my head, not thirty feet above
me, and gave me a most magnificent view, every feather being
clearly visible. The keeper showed me a tree in the middle
of one of the woods on which it often sat ; the ground beneath
was covered with whitewash, but no remains of game could
be seen. It is possible that it eats its food on the ground,
where it catches it. I am glad to say the keeper has strict
orders to protect this splendid visitor, and not to allow anyone
to molest it. G. H. GURNEY.

VOL, XIX. | NOTES. 255

STOCK-DOVE IN CO. CORK.

Mr. C. V. Stonry’s record of the Stock-Dove breeding in
co. Donegal (antea, p. 235), induces me to add a note on Its
occurrence at Ummera, Timoleague, co. Cork ; the bird was
heard by me uttering its raucous coo on the mornings of
July 15th and 16th, 1925, among some old timber near by.
The only place where I had previously seen these birds in
Ireland was flying about the high wooded cliffs over the lake
at Glendalough, co. Wicklow, and that was in the early summer
of 1889; this fact was mentioned to my friend Mr. Ussher,
and the locality was noted in his Birds of Ireland, p. 224.

I may mention that I am familiar with the species as I
have had over three years’ daily acquaintance with its habits
at Faringdon, Berks. C. DONOVAN.

TURTLE-DOVE WINTERING IN SHROPSHIRE.
For the last nine years or more a pair of Turtle-Doves
(Streptopelia ¢. turtur) has nested in the grounds of Mrs.
Steavenson’s house at Bicton Heath, two miles west of
Shrewsbury. This lady is fond of birds and feeds them all
the year round. In the summer of 1916 the wild Turtle-
Doves began to come down to the food put out for the other
birds and fed along with them. As soon as the young could
fly they too came down with their parents and fed with the
others. All were quite tame. Next year they returned and
at once came to be fed as before. This has continued every
year since then up to the present time. Then came an un-
expected sequel. One of the young reared in 1925, instead
of departing with the others in autumn, remained behind,
and has continued to come to the bird food regularly, right
up to the present time. At first it was not very tame, but it
survived the cold weather without any apparent inconvenience
and is now perfectly tame. It roosis in the ivy on a tree
close to the house, and comes down three times a day when
called, and feeds with the pigeons. So far as can be seen the
bird 1s quite normal and has no injury to account for its not
having migrated. H. E. FoRREsT.

COMMON SANDPIPER IN BEDFORDSHIRE IN
WINTER.
On January 14th, 1926, when our ponds at Woburn were
frozen over and snow lay thickly on the ground, I was
surprised to see a Common Sandpiper (Tringa hypoleucos) on
the bank of one of the ponds. It was restless and very soon
flew off, though undisturbed by me. M. BEDFORD.

256 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VoL. XIX.
COMMON TERNS IN SURREY IN WINTER.
On December 16th, 1925, I saw two Common Terns (S/erna
hirundo) on Tooting Bec Common. At that time, after severe
storms and extreme cold, Black-headed Gulls (Larus +.
vidibundus) were very numerous all over London and were
present in hundreds in such unusual places as Streatham,
Norbury and South Norwood, and the Terns were among the
Gulls, but seemed to be very exhausted, weary birds. Thev
kept constantly to the ground, merely moving a few yards
when passers-by came too close. I also saw a small flight of
Terns, about a dozen, on the 17th, flying high over West
Norwood. These also were, I am sure, Common Terns.
E. C. STUART BAKER.

BLACK GUILLEMOT IN PEMBROKESHIRE.

In Bnitish Birds, Vol. XVIII, p. 143, Miss C. M. Acland,
referring to the doubtful status of the Black Guillemot (Uvia
g. grylle) in Wales, mentioned that she watched one at St.
David’s on June 18th, 1924.

It is therefore worth recording that Mr. Charles Oldham
and I, while sailing off Porth Clais (St. David’s) on July
16th, 1925, at 5.30 a.m., saw a Black Guillemot on the
water about a mile from the shore. This bird afterwards
flew past our boat apparently heading for Ramsey Island,
where there is a large breeding colony of Auks. There were
great numbers of Razorbills, Guillemots and Puffins on the
water at the time. BERTRAM LLoyD.

RED-CRESTED POCHARD IN MIDLOTHIAN.— With reference
to the note under this heading on page 214, referring to a
previous note on page 150, we much regret that a further error
appears in this note, as we are now informed, and Mr. Serle
agrees, that the Red-crested Pochard was first seen on
December 21st, 1924, and not October 21st, as stated on
page 214.

INCUBATION PERIOD OF THE REDWING.—Mr. D. G. Hunter
states (Scot. Naft., 1925, p. 158) that in a nest of Turdus
musicus watched by him in Syd Varanger, north Norway,
the last (fourth) egg of the clutch was laid on July 5th and
three eggs hatched on July 17th and the remaining egg on the
18th, 7.e., twelve to thirteen days.

( 257 )

REVIEWS.

The Food of some British Wild Birds: a Study in Economic Ornithology.
By Walter E. Collinge, D.Sc., M.Sc., etc. 2nd revised edition.
Published by the author. Parts 4-6. 6s. 3d. per part.

THESE parts of Dr. Collinge’s work, of which we have already noticed
previous ones (antew, p. 31), contain detailed discussions on the food
of a number of species. most interesting and valuable both from an
economic as well as from a scientific point of view. There are very
few birds which Dr. Collinge condemns utterly, but like others he
considers that the House-Sparrow requires very drastic reduction,
while the Bullfinch should be destroyed in all fruit-growing districts,
and even when it eats seeds of weeds he thinks it does harm by spreading
these.

Of the Skylark Dr. Collinge considers that the damage it does some-
times to seed-corn and other crops is far outweighed by its destruction
of injurious insects from April to September. The Great and Blue
Tits are often condemned by fruit growers, and while acknowledging
the harm they do to ripe fruit Dr. Collinge considers that they are
nevertheless on the whole distinctly beneficial to fruit growers. The
Blackcap, he states, may become a very undesirable pest in fruit
districts if it is allowed to increase. Ornithologists will be grieved at
this, but Dr. Collinge has found that even nestlings of this beautiful
songster contained fruit.

The detailed account of the food of the Kingfisher, based on the
examination of a number of pellets and some stomachs, shows that
the bird eats trout but only to the extent of 7.28 per cent. of its total
food, while to counterbalance this 15,66 per cent. consists of insects
most of which are known to be injurious to trout fry and ova. For
this reason Dr. Collinge considers the Kingfisher a very beneficial bird.
It seems to us that this is somewhat like the cases of the Kestrel and
Little Owl, the species being decidedly beneficial on the whole, but
under certain conditions doing a considerable amount of damage.

One of Dr. Collinge’s most interesting enquiries has been into the
food of the Little Owl. Two investigations were made, the first
consisting of the examination of 212 adults from nineteen different
counties all round the year, and the second (at the instigation of Mr. M.
Portal) of 98 adults from Hampshire in June and July, when young
game-birds would be most plentiful. We are permitted to quote
below the results of these two investigations set out side by side.

Miscellaneous Animal Ma tter

First Second
Investiga- Investiga- Average.

tion. tion.
Seeds of Weeds aie Pid 55 05 .30
Miscellaneous Vegetable Matter... 5.96 8.38 Gi fatie|
Slugs or Snails ee .02 .04 .03
Injurious Insects ... 30.62 17.30 23.96
Beneficial Insects .99 56 7,
Neutral 17.63 39.48 28.56
Voles and Mice 31.05 7.72 19.38
Wild Birds AAR 2.94 3.70
Game-birds 51 1.78 1.14
Earthworms 7.83 20.28 14.05

w
re}
-
a
wn
©
Ex

258 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIX.

The birds other than game-birds noted as having been taken are
chiefly Starling, House-Sparrow and Wood-Pigeon, while other species
recorded are :—Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Skylark, Mistle-Thrush, Song-
Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Cuckoo and Lapwing, these results being
from the examination of stomachs, pellets and “ larders.’’ To these
we might add Pipit (probably Meadow) remains of which we have
twice found in stomachs of this species.

We recommend all ornithologists to study Dr. Collinge’s work.

He i. We

The Secrets of the Eagle and of other Rave Birds. By H. A. Gilbert and
Arthur Brook. (Arrowsmith.) Illustrated. tos.

In this book Mr. Gilbert describes the adventures of Mr. Brook and
himself in reaching and photographing a number of interesting British
birds at their nests. Among these are the Golden Eagle. which has
pride of place and space, the Black-throated Diver, Black Guillemot,
Arctic Skua and Crossbill. Mr. Brook’s photographs are very fine,
and we admire especially the one of the Eagle flying into the nest with
a Grouse, that of the two Black-throated Divers with their downy
young, the Black Guillemot and the Swifts.

The title of the book is perhaps unfortunate, as the authors have
evidently not usually spent enough time in observation to be able to
reveal many “ secrets ’’’ of the birds depicted. Except in the account
of the Wood-Lark, where they are evidently at home with the bird,
there is always the feeling that the authors have rushed from place to
place to photograph and make some observations on as many species
as possible.

They have, however, produced a very readable book, which, with
the really beautiful photographs, will give the reader a good first
eat of the appearance and habits of a number of our rarer breeding

irds.

LETTERS.

STATUS OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN IRELAND.
To the Editors of BRitTIsH Birbs.

Sirs,—The Rev. I. C. R. Jourdain’s note in British Birds (antea,
p. 211) will be read with great interest by those ornithologists who
would wish to see the Golden Eagle (Aquila ch. chrysaétus) re-establish
itself in Ireland, where it was once a familiar object. There is some
hope that it may yet do so. Although I cannot speak of the counties
of Mayo and Galway from personal observation, yet I have little doubt,
from information in my possession, that at least one pair of Eagles has
reoccupied during the last two years a former haunt in the west, and it
is possible that these are not the sole representatives of the species in
Connaught.

With regard to Co. Donegal, I can confidently assert that no Eagles
have bred since 1910. ‘Their last eyries were in the Slieve League and
Glenveigh Mountains. In the former a pair appeared in Ig912, but
one disappeared the following spring, and the survivor was shot in
1915. At Glenveigh, the last pair was seen in 1910. One of these was
shot the following year, and since that date a solitary straggler has
appeared intermittently, and I have records of its appearance in 1924,
and 1925. Probably this is the bird seen by Mr. French, but if so,

VOL, XIX.] LETTERS. 259

it has not yet succeeded in finding a mate. Owing to the restrictions
in the use of firearms, and the almost complete cessation of game
preserving in those counties which they frequented of old, Golden
Eagles would certainly be more free from molestation now than at any
time during the past fifty years. C. V. STONEY.

LIFTING POWER OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.
To the Editors of BritTisH Brrbs.

Sirs,—I hope Mr. MacDonald will give us further particulars about
the small lamb which he found in an Eagle’s nest (antea, p. 219) and
tell us whether it was stillborn and what was its weight. During the
evening of June 14th, 1925, I observed that a hen Golden Eagle had
considerable difficulty in lifting a blue hare, weighing, say, six or
seven pounds, from the ground, although, once the bird was in flight,
she carried her prey quite easily to the nest, where my friend, Arthur
Brook, photographed her arrival. In the course of two tours in the
Highlands we have never been able to find any direct evidence that
the Golden Eagle steals living lambs, although it is generally accepted
that it does doso. The fact that the Eagle seemed with great difficulty
to lift so small an animal as a blue hare seemed to us very significant.

Mr. Witherby has been good enough to give me two references which
do not altogether agree with our conclusions.

In the first (B.B., Vol. XV., p. 24) it is stated that a lamb weighing
19 lbs. was carried by an Eagle for two miles and a half. This story
was told by an anonymous Scotch soldier to a resident in Farnham
during the war. I, personally, cannot accept such evidence.

In the second, a letter from Lt.-Col. H. Delmé-Radcliffe (B.B.,
Vol. XV., p. 217), the writer describes how in the Himalayas he saw a
Golden Eagle carry a large marmot for half a mile, flying low but
“ fairly easily.’’ The Eagle was shot and it was found that the marmot
weighed slightly more than the Eagle, the latter being about “ 10 lbs.
and the marmot about 1 lb. more.”

Lastly, a very interesting letter appeared in the Fie/d (August 6th,
1925, p. 260) from Mr. C. H. Donald, who states that he had seen a
good deal of the Himalayan form of the Golden Eagle (4. chrysaétus
daphanea) and had kept four as pets at various times, so that he had
been able to see and test their strength. With regard to their carrying
powers he goes on to say :—

“ Of course, a great deal depends on the nature of the ground and
the position of the wind. Given a steep hillside and a fairly strong
wind blowing up, to give him a good start, I don’t think an Eagle
will have much difficulty in carrying double its own weight and
something to spare, but on the flat it would be about as much as he
can do to raise his own weight off the ground.

The Golden Eagle, in the Himalayas, varies tremendously in size
and weight. I found a record of an old female I shot in Kashmir
in 1906 as weighing 16 lb., and one of my own pets, a huge bird,
was very nearly 14 lb.

You will see that Hume, in Rough Notes, records having taken a
fish from a Pallas’s Fish-Eagle, which the latter had carried right
across the river, weighing 13 lb. 2 oz., and I do not think a Pallas’s
Fish-Eagle would ever exceed to Ib. in weight, if that.”

Since the above has been put into type I have received the following
interesting evidence of the Golden Eagle taking living lambs.

260 BRITISH BIRDS. (Wor, x0x.

George McKenzie of Grantown-on-Spey, writes, on February 8th,
1926, as follows :—‘‘ While attending my father’s sheep on the farm
of Dirdhu, on May ist, 1910, I came across a ridge of the hill and saw
a Golden Eagle attacking a young lamb about fifty yards below me.
The Eagle rose with the lamb grasped in its talons, but when I shouted
and threw my stick, it dropped the lamb which I found with a deep
gash in its throat and some scars on its back. I took it home and it
recovered but was weak from loss of blood for some time.

Early in the morning on the Thursday following I disturbed the
Eagle, which rose about eighty yards on the far side of the burn from
me. On the near side of the burn and at least 150 yards from where
the Eagle rose, I found a ewe which I knew had given birth to a lamb
that morning. The ewe was bleating and running about looking for
her lamb but it was not to be seen, although I found the very spot
where it was dropped. I then remembered about the Eagle, and after
what I had seen the Sunday before I suspected it might have taken it.
I went across the burn to where I saw it rise and there found the lamb.
It was dead but fully matured, and as far as I could judge had been
born alive asit seemed to have been well licked by its mother all over,
which would have been impossible if it had been born dead.”’

This evidence is confirmed by John G. McKenzie, brother of the
above, from whom I hope to receive details of other cases later.

Alex Kinnaird of Boat of Garten writes, on February 15th, 1926,
as follows :—“ In the year 1898 I was a gamekeeper in Aberdeenshire,
and about the last days of April I met the shepherd of a farm on my
beat. While I was talking to him an Eagle came in sight on the slope
of the hill. We watched it coming soaring over the sheep and lambs,
and about five hundred yards where we were standing it darted down
on a lamb which had been born about three-quarters of an hour before
that. It carried it straight away. We followed on but saw no sign
of the Eagle or lamb. The shepherd said he has lost them in the same
way every year.” HH: A. GiItseri,
BISHOPSTONE, HEREFORD. February 4th, 1920.

[In Field Observations on British Birds the late F. Menteith Ogilvie,
who had very considerable experience, has a good deal to say about.
the destruction of lambs by Golden Eagles, though he gives few details.
He states (p. 210) that ‘an Eagle that nests on a sheep-farm and
starts on lambs, will go on taking them until they are grown too big
for him to carry,’’ and even says that the Eagle will pick them up at
the rate of two and three a day. In support of the latter statement he
describes how he found in the immediate vicinity of an eyrie (in which
the hen was incubating) three freshly killed lambs besides a blue hare.
He does not, however, state the age or weight of the lambs.—Ebs. |

27 FEB1926

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With Fifty-one Photographs taken by the author direct
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The numerous illustrations are of extraordinary fidelity
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** The Nottingham Guardian ” says:—‘‘ The photographs are
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{2

/ + > ee __ ae —— _ Sa = —— — —
, Te =

\y> ““"GONTENTS OF) NUMBER 11, VOL. XIX., APRIL I, 1920.

PAGE
On Swan-Marks. By N. F. Ticehurst, M.A., F.R.C.S. (Part t)) Sc. 262
On the Distribution of the Southern and Northern Guillemots
in Great Britain. By H. F. Witherby sam ae Are 274
The ‘ British Birds’’ Marking Scheme. Progress for 1925.
By H. F. Witherby ae 275
Notes :—
The Incubation- and Fledging-Periods of some British Birds
(R. H. Brown, Miss Marjory Garnett and Charles E. Alford) 28t
Hooded Crows Killing a Lamb (Alan H. Simpson) 283
Serins in Kent (Henry S. Davenport) Ae 283
Incubating Habits of Crossbill (H. A. Gilbert) 283
Call-Note of the Chaffinch (W. H. Thorpe) ... 283
Tameness of Marsh-Tits (Miss A. Hibbert-Ware) 285
Nestling of the Fieldfare (J. L. Chaworth Musters) 285
Black Redstarts in Merioneth (H. E. Forrest) 285
Bluethroat Wintering in Yorkshire (W. J. Clarke) . 285
Notes on Nesting of Great Spotted Woodpecker (John
S. Reeve) <n <e nee sith no ise 286
Common Buzzard in Essex (Miss A. Hibbert-Ware) av 287
White-tailed Eagle in the Scilly Isles (H. W. Robinson)... 287
Gadwall in Shropshire (H. E. Forrest) “a 287

Increase of Curlew Breeding in Herefordshire (H. A. Gilbert) 288

Short Notes :—
Rose-coloured Starlings in Outer Hebrides and Perthshire.
White Wagtail Nesting in Argyllshire. Waxwings in
Perthshire and Westmorland. Gannet Attempting to Breed

in Yorkshire. Wood-Sandpiper in North Uist... = 288
Review :—

The Origin of Birds. By Gerhard Heilmann ae eve 289
Letters :—

Lifting Power of the Golden Eagle (Oliver G. Pike, Seton
Gordon and H. A. Gilbert) :

x

291

( 262 )
ON SWAN-MARKS.

BY
IN, BY DICE HURSTE -OsBh. ive he Ges iN:

(ParT I.)

THEIR NECESSITY.—Some method of distinguishing the stock
of one owner from that of another, especially in districts
where communal grazing was practised, must have been
requisite from very early times. The custom therefore of
branding, nicking the ear or placing some such recognition
mark upon live-stock probably goes back to the beginnings of
history. We know that horses were thus marked by the
ancient Greeks, just as cattle and horses are branded in
Australia, America and elsewhere to-day.* The great
variety of marks used to indicate the ownership of sheep in
this country is a familiar example that will occur to every-
body.

If we imagine, as many have done, that the Mute Swan
(Cygnus olor) was an introduced species, it would have been
established, in the first instance, in moats and other private
waters on the manors of wealthy proprietors, who alone would
be able to afford the extravagance of importing it. We may
be sure that as their stock increased these owners would take
very good care by pinioning that the birds did not stray, and
would place some mark upon them, whereby, if they did stray,
they could be recognized and reclaimed. If, on the other
hand, we believe the Swan to have been an indigenous species,
there must have been a time when the process of reducing
it to a condition of semi-domesticity began. The first step no
doubt would have been the catching up of half-grown young
birds, pinioning them, keeping them jor a time shut up near
the captor’s house and eventually turning them out to breed
on some neighbouring river or mere. These first steps need
not have been, and quite likely were not, taken by people of
the same exalted class, who would have been the early owners
of introduced Swans, and the habits of the birds requiring that
they should lead at least a semi-wild life, so soon as their
numbers increased beyond a certain limit a condition of
things very analogous to communal grazing would be created.
The necessity would at once arise for some mark to be placed
upon the birds, whereby owners could recognize their own

* Vide Thompson, Histor) of Boston, p. 642, for illustrations of
cattle marks used in the Fens in 1548.

VOL. XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS. 263

property, not only to avoid losing the old birds, but in order
that they might claim the young, as well as to trace those
that had strayed or been stolen, which seems to have been a
not infrequent occurrence. In one or other of these ways
therefore the practice of marking Swans had its beginnings.

THEIR NATURE.—When one speaks of Swan-marks one
usually refers to the nicks or other designs placed upon the
upper mandibles of Swans to denote to whom they belonged.
But these, although the most universally used marks, were
not the only ones. They were occasionally supplemented by
notches cut in one or both edges of the lower mandible, by
some simple design cut in the side of the tarsus or the body of
a web, by one or more slits cut in the edges of the webs, or by
the removal of one or both hind toes or one or more claws.
On the Arun in Sussex the side on which the pinioning was
done seems to have constituted part of the mark.

In Yorkshire every owner had his foot-mark as well as a
beak-mark, and all young birds were marked with the foot-
mark alone at the Midsummer upping, while the beak-mark
was added at Michaelmas on those that were to be kept for
stock. About two dozen foot-marks are recorded for the
great level of the Fens, several owners on the Arun possessed
them, the Earls of Rutland used one on the Trent, and one
was reserved for putting on Thames Swans that became
forfeit to the Crown, but elsewhere there is no evidence of
their use.

Lower mandible marks seem to have been entirely confined
to the Fens at a comparatively early period. Towards the
end of the fifteenth century a considerable proportion of Fen
marks had them. Their use must have been a very question-
able convenience, seeing that in the Swan the lower mandible
shuts into the upper and its edges are quite hidden when the
billis closed. In any case their use rapidly died out and under
a dozen are on record for Elizabethan times.

THEIR MopE oF Recorp.—If not before, at any rate very
soon after, the passing of the statute of 1483, when a more
strict supervision of Swan-keeping was instituted, all the
marks used in each area, for which a deputy Swan-master
was responsible, were collected and entered with their owners’
names in a book or roll that was kept in his custody. In
speaking of these, whether books or actual rolls, it is convenient
to use the word roll for all.

There is evidence that Swans were kept and marks used in
IXent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Hertfordshire,
Nottingham, Stafford, Warwick and Yorkshire, but I have

264 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIX.

never heard of any rolls of marks appertaining to these
counties and only very few odd marks used in them have come
to light.

Such rolls as I have been able to examine are divisible
territorially into three groups. These undoubtedly contained
the greater part of the Swan-owners in England in the fifteenth,
sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and each group was
presided over by its deputy Swan-master. The first and
largest group I have termed the Fenland area. It included
the counties of Cambridge, Huntingdon, Northampton,
Lincoln, west Norfolk and parts of Leicester, Rutland and
Bedford. The second, the Broadland area, included east
Norfolk and the whole of Suffolk. The third, the Thaines
area, included Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire,
Oxfordshire and parts of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Gloucester.

Besides other MS. material of coeval date, this paper is
based on a study of thirty-one of these rolls, fifteen Fenland,
ten Broadland, two mixed Fenland and Broadland and four
Thames. Swan-marks are depicted on these rolls in two
different ways, but with much variety of detail. Usually a
conventional outline of the upper mandible in plan is drawn,
either vertically or horizontally, and the nail at the tip and
the knob at the base are generally indicated. Occasionally
the head and eyes are drawn also. In a good many instances
the whole head is drawn in profile, but in these cases the bill
is always drawn in plan, so that the whole mark can be
exhibited in its right position. What therefore appears in the
drawing to be an outline of the culmen is actually the opposite
margin of the bill.* The fact that this is so is generally
indicated by the position of the nail.

In both types the outline and the marks are drawn in
black, while sometimes the bill is filled in with red paint.

Where lower mandible marks are recorded they are either
depicted as triangular notches projecting outwards from the
lateral margins, or a description of them is written across the
bill, e.g., Edmund Thompson of Sutton St. Mary, Lincs, had
“a tick att the bills end on the farr side on the nether chappe,”

* Whoever was responsible for drawing the marks of the Corpora-
tion and the Bishop of Norwich in Yarrell (B.B., IV., p. 339) had not
appreciated this. ‘they were evidently copied from one of these profile
rolls (most Broadland rolls are of this type) and the artist, thinking that
only half of the marks were shown, has, in transferring them to his
outlines which are in plan, doubled them. What should therefore have
been depicted as nicks down the far side of the bill have become trans-
formed into diamonds down the centre !

VOL, XIX. ] ON SWAN-MARKS. 265

and John Woode of Fulbourne, Cambs., had “ tow tickes on
the nether beake on the nere side.”’

Foot-marks were occasionally drawn also, but were gener-
ally written in the same way, e.g., part of the mark of Tatter-
shall College, Lincs, was “‘ A penny crosse on the legge,” and
Thomas Gray of Wisbech, Cambs., had “‘ both the out webbs
slyt.”’

The question is sometimes asked, how many Swan-marks
were there? It is really an impossible one to answer. As
will be seen later on the same mark underwent variations
from time to time, while old ones died out and new ones were
created in continuous succession. It would no doubt be
possible to arrive at a rough figure by a very laborious process
of comparison, but it would be impossible to arrive at any
conclusion as to how many were actually in use at a given
time. Just by way of illustration, Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 6301,
which is a representative Fenland roll of early James I. period,
contains 802 different marks, but whether they were all in
use at that time is quite doubtful. The Record Office roll
records 184 different marks, which appear to have belonged
to owners almost entirely resident in the Hundred of Holland,
S. Lincs. It is about 100-130 years anterior in date to
MS. 6301, and but a very small proportion of the marks are
to be found in both. The Chetham Library roll contains
469 different marks of early Elizabethan date used on the
Thames and its tributaries, the Loseley roll has thirty late
Elizabethan marks for Surrey, only one or two of which occur
on the Chetham roll, while there must have been 130 at least
belonging to the Broadland area. At one time or another
therefore there must have been considerably more than 1,500
marks in use in these parts of England alone.

THEIR DERIVATION. —There can be no doubt that all landed
proprietors, whether lords of the manor, heads of religious
foundations or other, in medieval times had each their own
mark or marks, which they used to indicate the ownership of
their stock. There is also considerable evidence, though but
little of it has ever been collected, that the same custom
prevailed throughout those of yeoman, and even inferior, rank.
Each man had his family mark which was placed upon his
house, his cattle and horses, his sheep, goats and pigs, and
even upon his ducks and geese.* The same mark also he

* In the Hundred Court of Seaford, Sussex, 1583-4, the Jury pre-
sented “‘ John Comber for markyng of thre duckes of Edward Warwickes
and two ducks of Symon Brighte with his owne marke and cutting owt
of theire markes.’’ (Sussex Arch. Coll., VII., p. 99); vide also
Archeologia, XXVII., p. 386.

266 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

used to append to deeds and other formal documents in place
of signing his name, which in most cases he was incapable of
doing.

EXAMPLES OF SIMPLE MARKS.

1. The Bishop of Norwich. 2. Lord Morley. 3. Stockton Hall.
4. Lord Fitzwalter. 5. Claxton Hall. 6. Smallborough Hall:

JHU

iE

JDK

5. 6. 7 8.

ro

7. Sir Miles Stapleton of Ingham, d. 1466. 8. The Prior of Bromholm.

(These are all Broadland marks, 1 to 6 from Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 4977,

7 and 8 from Add. MS. 23732.)

Lord Morley’s mark (2) is particularly interesting, as it is unique,
having been used by him both on East Anglian waters and on the
Thames. Other owners having Swans in different areas all had a
different mark for each.

While no doubt the earliest Swan-marks consisted of merely
one or more notches or holes, cut or punched in the bill or
through one or more webs of the toes, many of these early

VOL. XIX. | ON SWAN-MARKS. 267

manorial and yeoman's marks would be nothing more
elaborate. What is more likely then that many of the earliest
Swan-marks should consist merely of an extension of use of
marks already existing to another species ? So few of these
marks have hitherto been brought to light, that though it 1s
possible to say that there is a striking similarity between some
of them and some recorded Swan-marks, it has not yet been
possible to establish any direct association between them.
If any such connection should ever be proved it is most likely
to be found in the case of certain marks used in the Broad-
land area. Many of these consist only of different numbers of
triangular notches, variously arranged on one or both sides
of the upper mandible. Such simple marks are comparatively
rarely found in other parts of England and strongly suggest
a more ancient origin.

Anyone desirous of designing for himself a mark, whether
for Swans or other stock, after the permutations and com-
binations of simple notches have been exhausted, would
probably think first of a letter or combination of letters, such
as his own initials. A good many such instances are to be
found amongst Swan-marks, some simple, others more or less
fantastically arranged or in combination with other devices.
The majority are however of somewhat late origin. In some
cases, probably of more ancient date, the connection has been
lost through change of ownership, the mark as recorded in
rolls now extant being under the name of a later proprietor.

A second possible method of composing a Swan-mark that
would occur to most people, especially in the times with which
we are dealing, would be to utilize some charge from their
armorial bearings. A fair number of Swan-marks are of a
quasi-heraldic character, but no more than one or two instances
have hitherto been cited by antiquarian writers in which any
connection can be demonstrated between the mark and the
owner's arms, while the extreme rarity of any such relation-
ship has several times been commented upon by them. Most
however have been writing on a single roll, and it must be
remembered that changes of ownership were frequent, so that
the clue to the actual origin of a given mark of heraldic charac-
ter might easily be absent. I have so far been able to
establish a definite connection between the mark and the
owner's coat-of-arms in some two dozen cases; there are
probably a good many more awaiting discovery, but it would
seem that this mode of origin is really a comparatively rare
one.

268 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL, XIX.

EXAMPLES OF MARKS DERIVED FROM THEIR OWNER’S NAMES.
g. Sir Edward, first Baron North, of Kirtling, Cambs., d. 1564.
10. Lewis Mordaunt, third Baron Mordaunt, of Turvey, Beds, and
Drayton, Northants., d. 1597.
11. Sir John Hamby of Tathwell, Lincs, d. 1675.
12. William Prentice of Wiggenhall St. Mary Magdalen, Norfolk,

9.
e| Fe if
—
13.

13. John Vaughan of Ockham, Surrey, viv. 1566.

14. Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley, Oxon, Ranger of Woodstock, d. 1610.

15. Thomas Orpwood, Mayor of Abingdon, Berks., 1575.

16. Sir Lawrence Tanfield, of Burford Priory and Great Tew, Oxon,
Chief Baron of the Exchequer and Deputy Swan-Master for the
Thames, d. 1625.

(9 to 11 are Fenland marks from Add. MS. 6301 ; 12is a Fenland
mark from Add. MS. 4977; 13 is a Surrey mark from the
Loseley roll; 14 to 16 are Thames marks from the Chetham
Library roll.)

> WE

16.

HD ED

ae) r 7 ro 9BC
VOL. XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS. 269
EXAMPLES OF MARKS DERIVED FROM THEIR OWNER’S NAMES.

17. Henry Everard of Walpole in Marshland, Norfolk. This branch
of the family bore for their arms, gules, on a fesse between
three estoilles argent, a mullet sable.

Geoffrey Paynell of Fishtoft, Lincs, viv. 1520, who bore gules,
two chevrons argent.

g. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, d. 1588. Taken from his badge

of the ragged staff.

20. Sir Robert Bevell of Chesterton, Hunts, K.B. 1603, who bore gules,

a chevron or, between three bezants.

~
ore

i

o

20.
24-
21. John Reppes of West Walton in Marshland, Norfolk, who bore
a ermine, three chevronels sable, a crescent for difference.

2. Sir Drew Drewry of Catton, Norfolk.
3. Sir Robert Drewry of Rougham, Norfolk, knighted 1603.

These form an interesting pair, the Drury arms were, argent,
an annulet gules, on a chief vert a cross tau, between two
mullets argent, pierced gules.

24. Andrew Halse of Sutton Courtenay, Berks, who bore argent, two
piles sable.

(17 is from Add. MS. 6302; 21 and 22 from Add. MS. 4977; 23

from Add. MS. 40072; 18 from the Record Office roll; 19 from

the Wisbech Museum roll; 20 from Mr. Henry Cooper’s roll ;

24 from the Chetham Library roll.)

270 BRITISH BIRDS. POL, x,

On the other hand marks composed of simple designs of an
heraldic character, either single, multiple or in combination,
form a large group. It seems convenient to adopt an heraldic
nomenclature for these as being short and easily understood.
Amongst them may be mentioned the shield, which is rare
and usually occurs carrying a device, the whole forming a true
heraldic mark. The fesse, bar, chevron, bend, annulet and
roundel are all very common, crosses occur in great variety,
while the crescent, trefoil, knot, fylfot, buckle, staple and
lozenge are quite rare. It is clear that with such a choice of
easily formed devices, especially when combined, as is often
the case, with nicks, triangles, half-hoops and squares, it would
be possible to compose an endless variety of easily distin-
guishable marks. The majority of these designs appear to
us at present to be quite arbitrary, though many may have
had a meaning at the time of their inception. Marks falling
into this group are abundant amongst those used in the
Thames area.

Another possible source of origin lies in the analogous
category of merchants’ marks. Quite a number of sixteenth
century Swan-owners were wealthy merchants of the Staple
of Calais, and it is, I think, highly probable that if their marks
could be unearthed, the Swan-marks of some of them would
be found to be wholly or in part identical. The few I have
hitherto seen, as also the medieval masons’ marks, bear a
striking analogy to some Swan-marks, though in the latter
case any connection is much less probable, while both
may be merely instances of development along parallel lines
(cf. Archeologia, XXXVIIL., p. 383 and Trans. Norf. Arch.
ode, LLL.-amd V2);

Other marks evidently had their origin in a symbolic
representation of the calling of their owners. Thus many of
the monastic houses and their heads took an Abbot’s or a
Prior’s staff for their mark, sometimes doubled, as in the case
of Swineshead Abbey (Yarrell, 6.B., IV., p. 332) or combined
with other devices, such as bars, annulets, nicks, etc., of which
there are numerous instances in rolls of the Thames area.
A particularly interesting example in this category is fur-
nished by the mark of the Abbey of Crowland. It may be
remembered that this Abbey was founded to the memory of
St. Guthlac, who, the legend states, retired to an island in the
Fens, where he was nightly plagued by a number of devils,
from whose importunities he was ultimately delivered by
means of a scourge presented to him in a vision by St.
Bartholomew. Bearing this in mind, the monks of Crowland

VOL. XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS, 271

adopted as their Swan-mark a three-thonged scourge, the
drawing of which in the Swan-rolls 1s absolutely identical with

EXAMPLES OF MARKS OF QuasI-HERALDIC CHARACTER.
Randoll Bird of Pinchbeck, Lines, b. 1583.
Edward Hall of Gretford, Lines, 1540-1592.
. Thomas Hewar of Oxborough, Norfolk.
_ Thomas Cony of Kirton in Holland, Lincs, d. 1584.

wm wR Wh
on OM

bo

2

25. 26. 7. 28.
9. 50. 31. 52.

29. John More of Haddon, Oxon.
30. Nicholas Nicholas, Alderman of Reading, 1546.
31. Richard Bridges of Shefford, Berks, d. 1558.
32. Christopher Litectt of Ruscombe, Berks, d. 1554.
(25 to 28 are Fenland marks from Add. MS. 6301; 29-32 are
Thames marks from the Chetham Library roll.)

that of the one being handed by St. Bartholomew to St.
Guthlac in a twelfth century illuminated MS. of his life in the

272 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL, XIX.

British Museum. The Swan-mark, moreover, was always
known under the name of “ the skorge ” (53 infra). Yarrell
(t.c., p. 333) referring to his figure of the mark of Lord Buck-
hurst from the Loseley roll states that its being composed of
two keys had reference to his office of Chamberlain of the
Household. This may have been so, though we have no
information as to whether the date of origin of the mark was
subsequent to that of his appointment to that office. The
use of one or two keys alone or in combination with other
objects was not a very rare device.

O
*
e
Sie 35. 36.

EXAMPLES OF MARKS DERIVED FROM THEIR OWNERS’ CALLING.
33. The Abbot of Dereham, W. Norfolk.
34. The Abbot of Langley, E. Norfolk.
35- The Abbot of Chertsey, Surrey.

36. The Abbot of Medmenham, Bucks.
(33 is a Fenland mark from Add. MS. 6302; 34 a Broadland
mark from Add. MS. 23732; 35 and 26 Thames marks from
the Chetham Library roll.)

535.

A large number of marks, particularly amongst the Fenland
ones, consist of designs derived from familiar objects used in
the house, in agriculture, in trade or sport, and may or may
not bear any allusion to the avocation of their first proprietors.
These consist, besides keys already mentioned, of such things
as forks, knives, pot-hooks, bows, arrows, a cross-bow, a pike,
a stirrup, spurs, a hunting horn, a boat, a rudder, anchors,
punt-poles, fish-spears, ladders, dice, swords, spades, shears,
carpenters’ squares, hammers, baker’s peels, etc., etc. These
occur singly or in pairs or in combination with one another,
either parallel or crossed, so that a large number of somewhat
elaborate, but easily distinguishable, designs resulted.

q

VOL. XIX.| ON SWAN-MARKS. 278

37:

EXAMPLES OF MARKS DESIGNED FROM HOUSEHOLD AND OTHER
OBJECTS.
Richard Cecil of Burghley, Northants, d. 1553, Bailiff of Whittlesea
and Deputy Swan-Master.

38. Clement Hunston of Ruskington, Lincs, d. 1582.
39. Francis Quarles of Ufford, Northants, d. 1570.

40. Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwyke, Northants, ov. 1570.

phe
si==i

. Thomas Gray of Wisbech, Cambs.,

7: 3

nA
Le

41 43.
. The Parson of Fleet, S. Lincs.
2. Gregory Pratt of Ryston, W. Norfolk, d. 1609.

ae 593:

. Sir James Harington of Sao wy Rutland, viv. 1578.

(The above are all Fenland marks, 37 to 40 from Add. MS. 6301 ;

41 and 42 from Add. MS. 4977; 43 from Add. MS. 6302;
44 from Bodl. MS., Rawlinson B.

277-)

(To be continued.)

( 274 )

ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOUTHERN AND
NORTHERN GUILLEMOTS IN GREAT BRITAIN.

BY

He BP. WITHER BY.

In British Birds, Vol. XVL., pp. 323-4, I published some notes
on the Common Guillemot and described the birds breeding
in England, Wales and Ireland and Ailsa Craig as Ura aalge
albioms, paler and on the whole rather smaller than the
typical form Uvia aalge aalge. At the time, owing to lack of
specimens from breeding localities, I could not define the exact
breeding ranges of the two forms in Britain, nor indeed say
for certain whether the dark northern form bred in this
country or not.

Since that date Miss L. J. Rintoul has taken a great deal
of trouble to obtain specimens from various breeding localities
in Scotland and has most generously forwarded them to me
for comparison. I am also much indebted to the Rev. J. M.
McWilliam, who has been good enough to procure some
specimens for me from West Scotland.

As a result of the interest taken by these two ornithologists
in the subject I am able to say definitely that the dark northern
form Una aalge aalge breeds in the Shetlands (Out Skerries),
Outer Hebrides (Barra) and certain Inner Hebrides (Treshnish
Islands and Canna).

Two specimens from the Isle of May (Firth of Forth) are as
dark as typical Iceland birds, while a third as well as two
from St. Abb’s Head are not so dark, yet they are all darker
than specimens of Urvia a. albionis from Yorkshire. Similar
intermediate examples from Gotland (Sweden) and Heligo-
land are considered by some ornithologists to be worthy of
subspecific rank. I agree that the fact that they are inter-
mediate is very important and names are only given to
accentuate and define such facts, but the birds from these
localities seem to me too variable to separate as a distinct
race, and, as they are on the whole more like the dark northern
form U. a. aalge; I prefer to call them by that name.

I have not yet been able to examine specimens from the
southern Inner Hebrides nor from the Farne Isles, and the
most northern breeding places of the southern form (U/ia a.
albionts), sofaras I have yet been able to ascertain, are Ailsa
Craig (N. Lat. 55° 15’) on the west and Flamborough Head
(N. Lat. 54° 8’) on the east.

é

( BC -}

THE “BRITISH BIRDS” MARKING SCHEME.*

PROGRESS FOR 1925
BY
H. F. WITHERBY.

Tue British Brirps ringers in 1925 again beat all their
previous records in the number of birds ringed, and the three
last years totalling together nearly fifty thousand make a
remarkable record of industry and perseverance. The
following are the totals :—--

NUMBER OF BirpDs RINGED.

In 1925 bee ve 18,233
In -r905. .. Zui _tnoaiy .s 6,926
SOIO we 7,910 “y dome ~ s. 5,937
~ EOE -— aa 10,416 OM 3,578
— One: as 11,483 ¢ FORO a 5,276
4 Igrs ae 14,843 1» LOA ms 8,997
ae (51 re 13,024 a aa 9,289
NOLS ae 7769 3) eee) - we 12,866
, OI a 7,107 s MQZA. ne 18,189

Grand Total y oe 164,012

This year over eighty readers took part in the scheme and
of these Dr. H. J. Moon not only ringed far more birds than
anyone else, but also beat all his own previous records with a
total of over three thousand two hundred. These were made
up of forty-two species, many Passeres, the largest numbers
being Song-Thrush (863), Blackbird (563), Chaffinch (2009),
Robin (179), Wren (160), Willow-Warbler (150), Starling
(130), Greenfinch (122) and Redstart (109). Mr. Mayall, who
again this year comes second with a total of over nineteen

* For previous Reports see Vol. III., pp. 179-182, for 1909;
Vol. IV., pp. 204-207, for 1910; Vol. V., pp. 158-162, for 1911;
Vol. VI., pp. 177-183, for 1912; Vol. VII., pp. 190-195, for 1913;
Vol. VIII, pp. 161-168, for 1914; Vol. IX., Pp. 222-229, for 1915;
Vol. X., pp. 150-156, for 1916; Vol. XI., pp. 272-276, for 1917;
Vol. XIIIL., pp. 96-100, for 1918; Vol. XIII., pp. 237-240, for 1919;
Vol. XIV., pp. 203-207, for 1920; Vol. XV., pp. 232-238, for 1921;
Vol. XVI., pp. 277-281, for 1922; Vol. XVII., pp. 231-235, for 1923 ;
Vol. XVIII., pp. 260-265, for 1924.

276 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL. XIX.

hundred of thirty-three species, has also worked chiefly
on Passeres. His largest numbers are Song-Thrush (368),
House-Martin (308), Blackbird (207), Linnet (186), Swallow
(149) and Chaffinch (136). Lord Scone, who comes next with
an excellent total of over twelve hundred, has ringed thirty-six
species, of which the largest numbers are Song-Thrush ( 350)
and Common Tern (182), while Woodcock (32) and Wood-
Pigeon (29) may be mentioned among others. Mr. A. W._
Boyd has ringed over a thousand of no less than forty-seven
species, and of these may be mentioned Maliard (53), Turtle
Dove (11) and Yellow Wagtail (11). Mr. R. H. Brown, who
comes next with nearly eight hundred, has ringed forty-
six species, amongst which I note Rook (118), Lapwing (100),
Heron (23) and Carrion-Crow (22). As will be seen by the list
a number of other ringers are to be congratulated on having
reached large figures in 1925.

Regarding the species ringed I am glad to see an increase
in the numbers ringed of such interesting species as Cuckoo,
Merlin, Kestrel and Teal, while it may be noted that a record
number of Lapwing were ringed, and the large number of
Sandwich Tern might lead to our gaining more exact know-
ledge of the movements of these birds in the breeding-season.

The percentage of recoveries has not varied greatly one way
or the other. A number of interesting recoveries have already —
been published and among these I may single out the following :
some valuable records of Wheatears by Mr. J. F. Thomas
(antea, p. 98); a Willow-Warbler (Pfylloscopus trochilus)
ringed as a young bird for Mr. J. Bartholomew in June, 1921,
and reported from Portugal in October, 1924 (p. 14); a
Mallard (Anas platyrhyncha) ringed as an adult by Mr. M.
Portal in Wigtownshire in February, 1g14, and reported in
Finland in August, 1920, or 1921 (p. 16) ; two Gannets (Sula
bassana) ringed by Mr. D. Macdonald on Ailsa Craig as young
birds being found one year and two years afterwards in the
North Sea (p. 172) ; and the Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvi-
censis) ringed at the Farne Islands by Miss N. H. Greg as a
nestling in July, 1919, which was reported in South Africa in
August, 1925, by Mr. E. Leonard Gill.

There are also some particularly interesting recoveries not
yet published and among them I may mention :—a Whinchat
(Saxicola rubetra) ringed by Mr. R. H. Brown as a nestling in
Cumberland in July, 1925, and reported by Mr. W. C. Tait trom
Portugal in October; a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) ringed
by Mr. T. K. Craven as a young bird in Dumifriesshire in July,
1925, and reported in Sussex in October; a Heron (Ardea

von. XIx.] *BRI'TISH BIRDS’ MARKING SCHEME. 277

cinerea) ringed as a nestling by Mr. J. R. B. Masefield in
May, 1910 (the second year of our scheme), in Staffordshire and
reported from the same county by Mr. R. E. Knowles in
February,1g26, this being the oldest ringed bird so far recorded
under this scheme ; a remarkable record of a Wood-Pigeon
(Columba palumbus) ringed by Mr. P. K. Chance as a nestling
in Hampshire in August, 1925, and reported in Yorkshire in
January, 1926; several Song-Thrushes (Turdus ph. clarket)
ringed in England and Scotland being found, one in France
and others in Ireland in December, 1925, may perhaps have
been due to hard weather; a Guillemot (Ura aalge) ringed
off Sutherlandshire by Mr. A. W. Boyd as an adult in June,
1923, and reported from Osl6 (Christiania) Fjord, Norway, in
December, 1925; and finally a Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus)
ringed by Mr. T. K. Craven in Ayrshire as a young bird on
July 7th, 1925, has been reported as having been found in
Thuringia, Germany, on August 2nd, 1925 (full details not
vet ascertained), which, taken in conjunction with one reported
from Italy (Vol. XVI., p. 302), points to an usually eastern
migration of this bird. Full details of these and other records
will be published later.

NUMBER OF BIRDS “ RINGED.”

Dr. H. J. Moon (3237), Mr. A. Mayall (1907), Lord Scone (1218),
Messrs. A. W. Boyd (1o24), R. H. Brown (775), P. E. A. Morshead
(686), H. W. Robinson (567), Mr. W. P. G. and Mrs. L. E. Taylor (563),
Mr. J. Bartholomew (553), Misses F. K. Staunton and C. Wingfield
(533), Mr. and Mrs. R. O. Blyth (511), Messrs. P. K. Chance (474),
H. G. Watson (461), Mrs. T. E. Hodgkin (370), Messrs. J. F. Thomas
(343), R. M. Garnett (342), A. H. R. Wilson (286), Dr. N. H. Joy (285),
Messrs. B. Clarke (262), W. Duncan (246), G. W. Thompson (227), The
Lon. Nat. Hist. Soc. (203), Miss E. L. Turner (188), Dr. J. N. D. and
Mr. T. L. Smith (181), Messrs. C. F. Archibald (170), J. R. B. Masefield
(167), R. G. Willan (164), T. K. Craven (154), Rev. E. Peake (148),
Mr. T. Kerr (145), Sir Richard Graham, Bt. (140), Mr. H. S. Greg (131),
Mrs. L. Marshall (123), Messrs. F. Dipple (115), E. R. Paton (106),
F. H. Lancum (105), Misses C. M. Acland {98), J. M. Ferrier (91),
Mr. J. M. Fletcher (61), Misses I. Mayne (58), L. W. Streatfield (54),
Dr. A. S. Corbet (53), Messrs. T. L. S. Dooly (52), F. J. Mitchell (49),
P. Scott (47), Major W. M. Congreve (43), Messrs. R. Carlyon-Britton
(39), B. J. Ringrose (39), Messrs. H. S. Gladstone (35),W. G. Bramley
(34), Miss E. Mounsey Heysham (31), Messrs. S. G. Poock (30), G.
Townsend (30), Bristol Naturalists’ Soc. (27), Col. A. Porritt (25), and
_ others who have ringed under 20 each.

273 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. Se

NUMBERS OF EACH SPECIES ‘“ RINGED.”

*O0-"'TS: "rg “20: “ar “ge "ee" 2a 25. opal

Crow, Caron .. 22.Norecordkeptr6é Ir 25.9 47 «roe
Rook a so PING) 2 fey 7) 6 94 24 166 558
Jackdaw .. Hey lye 4 a ZO. 20° AS 36" Ge “aoq
Jay ws - 36 — 5 2 oh O20 2 0G
Starling 3: ,-.08607 T5r T60 4ia 454 736. 738° 866 loso2
Greenfinch ..2586 206 187 380 386 352 484 478 5059
Goldfinch ,. .. toNorecordkeptzo 12 ie) TO) 5 76
Twite vs 7. 42 — 3 t. — tL 6° = 63
Redpoll, Lesser .. 136 — 3 5 © Te r- 27. 20%
Linmet 3. 70255 WO 122 272 377 575° A435 500! B02
Bullfinch .. eis) | 2ON AON 52) 28 630) 162755 eo
Chaffinch ., ..2639 220 367 521 618 635 764 672 64309
Sparrow, House.. 464 — 2 I I PRs Ws cis i so
sparrow, Tree. .. 788 27 20 48S 40 32 go 45” 4GG

Bunting, Yellow .. 436 29 4% oo ror i144 %43 227 T2ce
Bunting, Reed .. 340 20 39 59 54 39 27 57 635

Lark, Sky .. Aelia Ge in Gy Ge Gin ie I OG;
Pipit, Tree 2 TOO) 5 Sn ea 4a sy az OO. 510
Pipit, Meadow ..1253 42 22 S34 62 6r .mr4 82° 1740
Wagtail, Yellow .. ror 5 5 26° 19> 20 Gre a 237)
Wagtail, Grey .. 113 tT = @ 25 37 34 "58279
Wagtail, Pied 2) FO) 208) HON re) 12) nO) eis) 5 rons
Creeper, ree <-)) 22.Nomecord keptz4) m3 nn AL st 95
Tit, Great .. Ob 30) 265 S30 13 23) 20) | S7eeoze
Tit, Blue .. .. 663 — G "T2232, i 933 esos
Alstes (royal) 5 - oi ESD = ars 3 — I 2 — 109
Tit, Marsh 520 4 — 4 — 60

Tit, Long-tailed ... 41 — — —~— — 5 I — 47
Wren, G.-crested . 40 I I tL — Fi) 22.) “47s SEG
Simdke; =backed) 033) 17 22) 20) Sreetol 33e Ss On
Hlycavcher,o. -. 730.) 65) Pid) 057 972 912) 208 ens sos,
Flycatcher, Pied .. 6 Norecord kept43
Chiffchaff .. i Oo — 10 68 25) 22) (50) eeezoo
Warbler, Willow ..1764 108 206 284 274 402 436 454 3928
Warbler, Wood .. 95 3a 79) On CO OMmmer TIE 505
Warbler wkcedi fege2Ass 3S s0ese ues O 2 23 8 25° 399
Warbler, Sedge .. 242 32 30 80 50 57 45 16 552
Warbler, Gardens. 1m2 it4) 557° 55 42 50° moo) 62 486

Blackcap .. ae ef 32.987) 920) 25) 2a) 283
Whitethroat ne B72) (o>) 130) L79 133) 177, 133) 245.) 1459
WihiteLhinodt le. s..an2ou oun 2S. oe TORN 2S) Seis aan cama
Fieldfare .. oS 85
Mhrushy Mistle i) G07, 20 33°77 10s) T7t TsO res ssa
Thrush, Song -.9243 475 621 1042 1052 1702 2660 2882 19677
Redwing .. 2 420 3 —- — 1 — 46
Ouzel, Ring aa) 288 io = 3 be 20 7 59 £184
Blackbird -. ..-5207 386 469 918 920 1334 1985 1794 13013
Wheatear .. 1. TO2 —= TT 975) 552 83 O78 TOs) ne
Whinchai .. «« 3904 If 55 7 Ogos 6g Fao yo ‘has
Stonechat . .. 1360 — — 5 725 50 27 (66 Bian
Redstart .. ss 200! 15 22 “135 B7O) To2 58 Ts40 an

Nightingale 1a, 0 5 Loy LOeeO | TO) 88 ees roe

VOL. XIX.|

"oo-'1S ‘xq "20 “2
Redbreast .-2668 162 299 494
Sparrow, Hedge ..1775 110 185 246
Wren - fa Wo 770) 6205
Dipper RPG! 5 8 18
Swallow «0778 512 307 382
Martin «1097 87 87 IA4
Martin, Sand Le ey eine fy
Swilt 6No record kept27
Nightjar 47 2 6 ji
Wryneck .. 195 — 17 8
Cuckoo se LO) 7 7 20
Owl, Long-eared .. 30 — 2 10
Owl, Barn.. 75 I 5 14
Owl, Tawny 99 ©6«=4118 8 85
Merlin 16No record kept 1
Kestrel 52 3 4 12
Buzzard 2 No record keptr1
Hawk, Sparrow 62 — 5 4
Heron, Common .. Ii1r —- — —
Sheld-Duck 49 £ “Zr I
Mallard 644 — u AY
Teal 96 33 20 —
Wigeon .. 77 2 23 I
Duck, Tufted 655 —- —- —
Cormorant 49 72 — —
Shag 156 10 — —
Gannet -- 198 — — —
Shearwater, Manx 69 — 3 —
Wood-Pigeon 184 G 9 33
Dove, Stock 40 5 6 26
Dove, Turtle 69 7 5 9
Oystercatcher 94 6 4 5
Plover, Ringed 142 rE iI 39
Plover, Golden 49 —- — 4
Lapwing $916 123 12h 220
Sandpiper, C. ro2 16 3 £6
Redshank .. 3) 295 ee
Curlew, Common... 210 A «Ie 36
Snipe, Common 2I1 3 6 19
Woodcock... 348 — 17 8
Tern, Sandwich Ga 59) 35 1-30
Tern, Common 3854 — 144 706
Tern, Arctic 2 SEY 20r 25 oy
Tern, Little -175 — 9 —
Gull, B.-headed 11950 Ir — 5
Gull, Common -5s4 =—- = =
Gull, Herrmg .. 511 I — 6
Gull, L. Blk.-bkd..2621t 77 471 197
Gull, G. Blk -bkd.. 78 —- — —
Itittiwake - 33 I — —
Razorbill .. ~ 64 — =
Guillemot .. . 23No record kept —
Puffin -+ 903 2 —-— —
Moor-Hen . + 205 7 20: £2

22

3P7
SST

133
8

?

24
753

"25
844
487
343
48
ri73
959
275
a7

‘BRITISH BIRDS’ MARKING SCHEME. 279

Total

6592
3896
2207
300
IIQI7
4415
1517
286
88

280 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.
SOME PERCENTAGES OF RECOVERIES.

Numt
Species. Rea ot these peas
1909-24. Ree ee Recoveries
to date.

IRGOL tes ae ae tee +5 302 16 4.08
Starling 40¢ sah 360 i 9,526 507 5.3
Greenfinch a98 oc ee mee 4,581 37 0.8
IDivoiaeye Vee Ee ee ae bas 3,082 26 0.8
Chaffinch re Siete se ary, 5,764 76 3
Yellow Bunting Aue ae vee 994 36 3.6
Reed-Bunting ae ae eae 57 2 0.3
Sky-Lark fae ss ay a ee 19 0.8
Tree-Pipit oh ari Boe une 450 2D 0.4
Meadow-Pipit ... ies aoe oes 1,658 21 Te
Pied Wagtail ... Bee une ae 1,382 27 1.9
Spotted Flycatcher ... <i. ee 1,472 4 O12
Willow-Warbler ee Eee ane 3,474 21 0.6
Whitethroat ... Rae ain sm 1,214 5 0.4
Mistle-Thrush ... Bee ae a: 1,151 23 ins)
Song-Thrush ... ans ee <i 16,795 215 Tee
Blackbird ape isi re sie II,219 249 Zee
Wheatear ee an see tes 613 Io 1.6
Whinchat are aie eee Pes 631 5 0.7
Redstart ane nae ee an4 607 2 0.3
Redbreast ne Ane cae ers 5,748 219 3.8
Wren... nee Si Ae as 1,864 3 o.1
Swallow eae ee “Ki ane 10,744 78 ny
Martin ... aoe S08 ays Ls 3,450 AB 0.6
Sand-Martin ... aan At ee 1,246 0.4
Swit 9.2. wae es ee ae 229 6 ZAG
Cuckoo ats Ba as ao 202 7 3.4
Tawny Owl ... e eae abe 186 I2 6.4
ix@esindell Soe vas Aap ele Bye 122 9 Hess
Sparrow-Hawk eae are $2 120 21 17.5
Heron Br and ous 152 21 13.8
Mallard das si5 on ve 1,205 173 14.3
nicole AS a 3c 480 285 22 Fou
Cormorant ane nor he as 571 100 17-5
SWAGe iiss. re ts Bee ae 230 27 ieat-(6)
Gannet ... iat nes eh aaa 768 25 32
Wood-Pigeon ... ihe ee ce 513 25 4.8
Ringed Plover ate as a 342 4 ibesit
Lapwing ee a aan 5,078 164 2.8
Common Sandpiper See bos So 336 2 0.6
Redshank oa is fee ist 433 22 5.08
Cunlew >2. ate ahs ee Aue 499 19 3.8
Supe weer: aes we oats Ae: 315 29 9.2
Woodcock sa ae aah ne 489 58 11.8
Sandwich Tern Ban aan ae Tena 14 Te
Common Tern ae oa ae 5,175 100 1.9
Black-headed Gull... ae eh 11,969 526 4.3
Common Gull .. Ses Sire aan 635 16 2.5
Herring-Gull ... en ae 590 18 3.05
Lesser “Black-backed Gull... nee 4,506 175 3.8
Guillemot ae aed Eye 947 16 Teo
Putin vere ae ee ae ar 977 I o.1

THE INCUBATION- AND FLEDGING-PERIODS OF
SOME BRITISH BIRDS.
THE incubation- and fledging-periods of the following species
were obtained during 1924 and 1925 and are additional to
those prev iously published by me. As regards the Passerine
species, the incubation is the time from the day the last egg
was laid to the day the eggs hatched, and the fle dging -period is
from the day of hatching to the day the young oe the nest.

Incubation- Fledging-

Period. Period.
Days. Days.

Chaffinch (F*vingilla c. celebs) au Er 13
Long-tailed Tit (4githalos c. roseus) ... 16, 15 16, 16
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa s.

striata) ¥c5 ae a me 14 I4
Pied Flycatcher (M.h. hypoleuca)... 12 13
Willow-Warbler (Phylloscopus ¢.

trochilus) ae a wd van OORT 13, 03
Wood-Warbler (Ph. s. sibilatrix) Pos 13 —
Whitethroat (Sylvia c. communis)... — 12
Song-Thrush (Turdus ph. clarket) ois 12 13
Blackbird (T. mi. merula\ can ae 14 13
Whinchat (Saxicola r. rubetra) u's _— 14
Robin (Erithacus y. melophilus) ae 13 13
Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occiden-

alts) ... 2, ne ay saa, L9;. IL, BR He BS, TF
Wren (Troglodytes t. troglodytes) att 16 —
Dipper (Cinclus c. gularis\ —... .» 15-16, 16 —
Tawny Owl (Sérix aluco sylvatica)... 28 32--33
Merlin (Falco c. esalon) sa aad -— 25
Buzzard (Buteo b. buteo) ae he — Xe)
Stock-Dove (Columba cenas) ... mie — 24

R. H. Brown

Wirth reference to the notes on Iledg ying- Periods (antea,
p. 249), is it not possible that in some of the instances recorded
—e.g. those for the Great Tit—a longer or shorter fledging-
period may be due to the situation and surroundings of the
nest

I had two Starling (Stwrnus v. vulgaris) nests under obser-
vation in 1920 which suggested this to me. They were in

282 BRITISH BIRDS, [VoL. XIX.

the same house and not much more than a dozen yards apart.
Nest A was in a nest-box on the wall among the branches of
a plum tree ; eggs hatched May 14th, young flew June 5th—
fledging-period 22 days (the same as that given in A Practical
Handbook). Nest B was in a hole in the house wall with a
sheer drop of 20 ft. to a paved yard, and nothing to break it
but a few telephone wires which would give poor foothold for
unsteady fledglings. This nest cannot be approached nearer
than 8 {t. so the exact date of hatching is uncertain, but the
young could be heard squeaking a few days before those in
nest A were audible at a much less distance. A young bird
was picked up dead below the nest on May 28th and was as
fully developed as the young in nest A on the day they flew.
The others left safely on June 6th, so the fledging-period in
this case was probably not less than 26 days and may have
been three or four days longer. I should add that Starlings
had used nest-hole B for several years, and I always reckoned
they were about four weeks from the time the young could
first be heard to the time they flew. MARJORY GARNETT.

WitH reference to the notes on Fledging-Periods (antea,
p- 249), the following few cases may be of interest. I have
picked out only those in which I inspected the nest at least
once a day at the period of hatching and fledging, so that they
are, at any rate, absolutely accurate.

GREENFINCH (Chloris ch. chloris).—(A) Four eggs, hatched
on the morning of May 16th, 1923, young fledged morning of
June 2nd. Period 17 days. This was probably a quite
abnormal bird, as the nest was commenced on April 11th
and was still empty on May 2nd. On the 5th it contained
two eggs and the bird was sitting on four onthe 12th. The
weather from May 28th to June 2nd was cold and dismal,
with a temporary improvement on the 3rd.

(B) Five eggs, hatched on June ist, 1925. Young fledged
on the morning of 15th. Period 14 days.

BLuE Tit (Parus ceruleus obscurus).—(A) Five eggs, hatching
at 10 a.m. on June 12th, 1923, two chicks out. Young
fledged on July 1st. Period 19 days.

(B) Eleven eggs, hatched on May 16th, 1925. Young
fledged on June 4th. Period 19 days.

Sonc-TurusH (Turdus ph. clarkei).—Five eggs, hatched
April 25th, 31925. Young fledged on the morning of
May 8th. Period 13 days.

CoMMON WREN (Troglodytes t. troglodyles).—Hatched May
15th, 1925. Young fledged on the morning of 31st. Period
16 days. CHARLES E. ALFORD.

VOL. XIX.] NOTES. 283

HOODED CROWS KILLING A LAMB.

WitTH reference to Mr. Thompson’s note (anted, p. 252) ona
pair of Magpies killing a full-grown rabbit, I saw in June,
1905, on the west coast of Sutherland, two Hooded Crows
(Corvus c. cornix\ actually destroy a lamb that was several
weeks old. The animal got into difficulties in marshy ground,
at some little distance from its mother. The Crows immedi-
ately attacked, and when I had rushed up to the scene of the
tragedy from a distance of about 400 yards, both eyes had
been pecked out, and the lamb was dying, apparently from
injury to the brain inflicted through the eye-sockets. Such
incidents are no doubt only observed on rare occasions, but
their occurrence is probably common enough. All the Crow-
' tribe are specially quick to take advantage of exceptional
circumstances bringing within their reach victims of a size
that would render them ordinarily immune to their attack.
ALAN H. SIMPSON.

SERINS IN KENT.

Ir may be of interest to state that on the afternoon of
February 23rd, 1926, I chanced with great good fortune upon
a small company of Serins (Sevinus canarius serinus) in the
vicinity of Tunbridge Wells. Seven or eight in number, they
were perched in the upper branches of a tree in an open field
bordering on the Eridge Park cricket ground, and inspired,
apparently, by the genial sunshine and warmth of the after-
noon, sang their characteristic hissing chorus within twenty
vards of me for fully ten minutes without a break, before
taking wing. HENRY S. DAVENPORT.

INCUBATING HABITS OF CROSSBILL.

By observing a nest of the Crossbill (Loxia c. curvirostra) in
Norfolk from March 19th to 22nd, 1925, inclusive, we found
that the hen never left the nest to feed during this time. She
was fed at the nest every hour by her mate, who regurgitated
yellow oily matter—evidently digested fir seeds, and after
being fed she flew away for three to five minutes only. The
voung hatched on the 2tst. H. A. GILBERT.

CALL-NOTE OF THE CHAFFINCH.

WHILE in the Swiss National Park a bird was heard f requently
uttering a single, drawn-out, vibrating note, somewhat
resembling the syllable ‘‘ dwee-e-e’’: being not unlike that
of the Greenfinch. It generally sang from the top of a conifer

284 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

in the denser parts of the forest and was very difficult to
observe closely, but after a time we found to our surprise that
the bird was the Chaffinch (/*ringilla c. celebs). The date
was early July, 1925, and the altitude about 5,000 ft. I
remember having heard the note previously both at Murren
ane at Wengern Alp in the Bernese Oberland in coniferous
woods at a height of about 5,000 feet or more in August, 1921.
Later, we noticed that the call seemed general for the district,
so that the variation is apparently not due to altitude. In
August, 1925, Mr. J. D. Clarke heard the note frequently in
pine woods at Heidelberg, but in September noticed a general
return to the normal “ spink.”

Mr. H. G. Alexander tells me that he has heard the note on
many occasions, in England as well as on the Continent ; and
he has very kindly placed his notes on the subject at my
disposal. His records are as follows :—

Pine woods above Champéry, Valais, Switzerland, 3450 ft.,
August 1912. Birds in the lower woods were heard to give
the usual “‘ spink ” ; Pine woods, Frensham, Surrey, April ;
Pine woods, Broadwater Forest, Tunbridge Wells, Sussex,
March and April, various years. Also pine woods of Ashdown
Forest, Sussex. Subsequently the note was heard in Ashdown
Forest in June.

The note seemed to be so constantly associated with pine
woods that Mr. Alexander had come to refer to it as the

‘Pine note.’’ He has, however, heard the note away from
pine trees on one or two occasions, e.g., Winchelsea, Sussex,
April 4th, 1913.

It seems that this call has no marked correlation with
altitude ; nor does it seem to be very markedly seasonal save
that I have no records later than August. It may be a geo-
graphical variation, but here again the evidence is conflicting ;
on the other hand, the correlation with coniferous woods
does seem very marked, inexplicable as it is.

Although but a small point, it is not without interest and
seems worth attempting to clear up. Doubtless readers of
British Birds will be able to supply further notes on the
subject. W. H. THORPE.

(In my notes under date May roth, 1903, I find that in the
forests of North Jutland, which are almost entirely deciduous
and consist largely of beech, one heard in all directions the
peculiar, long-drawn, Greenfinch-like notes of the Chaffinch,
while, on the other hand, we never once heard the familiar
‘Pink, Spink,’’ note which is so characteristic of this species in
England. These woods are but little above sea-level. On

VOL, XIX.] NOTES. 285

the other hand, I have not heard an English Chaffinch uttering
this note, although it might be occasionally used, but over-
looked. In Norway and Germany I have also heard it and
regard it as geographical. We can trace no necessary
correlation with coniferous woods.—F.C.R. J.|

TAMENESS OF MARSH-TITS.

As I think it is unusual for Marsh-Tits (Parus palustris
dresseri) to become contiding (as do very often Great and Blue
Tits when they are fed at a bird-table) it may be worth while
recording that in January, 1925, I tamed a pair of wild Marsh-
Tits so that they would come into the dining-room to fetch
food. In March they disappeared, but returned on October
13th. Since then they have fed daily from the hand and
constantly frequent the room. A. HIBBERT-W ARE.

NESTLING OF THE FIELDFARE.
As the down of the nestling Fieldfare (Twrdus pilaris) is not
described in the Practical Handbook (see Vol. I., p. 393) the
following description of a nestling about one day old may be
useful. I took notes of this nestling on May 28th, 1925, at
Moen, Surendal, Norway, and brought it home in spirit for
Mr. Witherby’s re-examination of the down-tracts.

Down, buff, fairly long and plentiful, Distribution, outer
(short) and inner supra-orbital, occipital, spinal, humeral and
ulnar. Mouth, inside yellow, no tongue-spots ; externally,
flanges yellowish-white. J. L. CHAwWorTH MUSTERS.

BLACK REDSTARTS IN MERIONETH.
AN immature Black Redstart (Phenicurus ochrurus gibral-
laviensis) was seen repeatedly at Aberdovey by Messrs.
E. H. T. Bible and Edwyn Hughes between December 2oth,
1924, and March Ist, 1925. In December, 1925, two were
observed—a female and young male ; whilst on January 12th,
1926, an adult male was seen about two miles away. Taken
in conjunction with recent records in British Birds it seems
evident that there has been a considerable influx of the species
into Britain this winter. H. E. ForRREsT.

BLUETHROAT WINTERING IN YORKSHIRE.

On November 15th, 1925, a Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica),
whether of the Norwegian or Lapland form I do not know,
made. its appearance in the garden attached to my house,
well within the borough boundary of Scarborough. It again
appeared on the 16th, the 21st, and 22nd, being very tame and

286 BRITISH BIRDS. [VoL. XIX,

permitting close inspection at five or six feet distance.
Various foods were placed out for it and it preferred very rich
pastry to anything else, but on various occasions it foraged
on the lawn, capturing leather-jackets and small earthworms.
It reappeared on December 23rd, 24th and 26th, and on
January 14th and 2oth, 1926. It was seen no more for more
than a month, but reappeared on February 22nd and 24th,
and thereafter every day up to the time of writing on March
16th. It appears to be in very vigorous health and excellent
condition and plumage and shows no trace of having suffered
any injury which might have prevented its migration. On
February 28th it was also seen by Mr. T. N. Roberts, on
March 4th by Mr. J. A. Chadwick and on March 7th by
Mr. W. Gyngell, three local ornithologists who are all convinced
of its identity. At the back of my house is a large neglected
orchard, and it is here that the bird makes its home.

The bird is very Robin-like in its actions. It has a habit of
sitting upon a spout and darting out several yards to catch
passing flics, returning to the same place just as a Flycatcher
would.

The blue throat-band above the chestnut patch on the
breast seems now ‘o be extending down the side ot the breast,
but the throat and chin are uniform pale fawn-colour with
no blue. W. J. CLARKE.

NOTES ON NESTING OF GREAT SPOTTED WOOD-
PECKER.

Wirt reference to Mr. J. H. Owen’s article (antea, p. 125) on
the nesting of the Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates m.
anglicus) the following may be of interest. In the two or
three nests I have observed carefully I have always found
the birds to be at work, when boring, at Io a.m. ; they may
have been at many other times of the day, but this is the time I
have always been able to watch them. I have found June Ist
to be the time for a full clutch in Lincolnshire, the Green Wood-
pecker (Picus v. virescens) having the same at any time from
May 18th to June 2nd. I have not yet come across a Great
Spotted Woodpecker returning to an old hole to nest. I feel
sure they begin to sit with the first egg, and the following are
some notes from Ig2I :—
May 19th—z1st.—Male boring hole (35 ft. up) from outside.
May 22nd.—Male clearing hole from inside.
May 25th.—Female came out of hole 10.15 a.m., mating
took place and male went into hole and remained. This
seems to confirm Mr. Tracey’s note (antea, p. 152).

Vou, XIX.] NOTES. 287

June 5th.—Female on nest and on this date I found that
one egg contained an embryo forming, one was Just
“struck,” and the remaining three were in intermediate
stages of incubation.

1922, May 25th, 26th and 27th, both birds taking turns at
throwing out chips from inside: this clutch also consisted of
five eggs, which were successfully brought off, having, I
believe, hatched on June 18th, while the young left the nest on
July 6th.

In 1920 I found a pair feeding nearly fledged young on
June 2tst. JOHN S. REEVE,

COMMON BUZZARD IN ESSEX.

On February 22nd, 1926, in Gillwell Lane, Chingford, I hada
good view of a Buzzard, but although it flew quite low I was
unable to identify the species with certainty. On the 24th
I saw the bird again, and so well that no doubt was left as to
its being a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). On the 28th, when
I was in company with Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Watt, the bird left
Gillwell Park and circled high up, near enough for us to watch
it with our field-glasses. It then settled.on a tree and for a
quarter of an hour we heard it “‘ mewing,”’ and we occasionally
heard an answering “‘ mew ”’ from a distance.

A. HIBBERT-WARE.

WHITE-TAILED EAGLE IN THE SCILLY ISLES.
IN “The Birds of Scilly’ by Clarke and Rodd (Zoologist,
1906, p. 299) it is stated that: “No eagles have so far been
observed in Scilly, but there isa tradition of a White-tailed
Eagle (Haliaétus albicilla) having been seen near the Seven
Stones in 1835.” (This is not in Scilly.) In November, 1924,
occurred what is the first record of a White-tailed Eagle in
Scilly. It frequented the eastern end of Tresco, St. Helens, and
the adjoining islands, and was so tame that its identification
by two competent naturalists (who do not desire their names
mentioned) was easy. It stayed over a fortnight and was not
molested. H. W. Rosrnson.

GADWALL IN SHROPSHIRE.
Miss FRANCEs Prt tells me that on October 14th, 1925, two
Gadwalls (Anas strepera) came down to the ponds in the
grounds of The Albynes, Bridgnorth. They did not stay,
but left almost immediately. The weather was cold ; wind
N.E. The species is rare in Shropshire, this being only the
fifth recorded occurrence. H. E. Forrest.

[Cf. the Staffordshire records, antea, p. 233.—EDs.]

288 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIX.

INCREASE OF CURLEW BREEDING IN
HEREFORDSHIRE.

THE Curlew (Numenius a. arquata) has increased as a breeding
bird in the last five years to a remarkable degree in Hereford-
shire, and now breeds all over the county. Last year (1925)
nests were reported to me at Bromyard on the Worcester
border, and at Much Marcle on the edge of Gloucestershire.
He Ay GireeRrt.

ROSE-COLOURED STARLINGS IN OUTER HEBRIDES AND
PERTHSHIRE.—Dr. W. E. Clarke records (Scot. Nat., 1925,
p. 148) the occurrence of an adult male Pastor roseus at
St. Kilda on July 9th, 1925. The bird has not hitherto been
known to occur in either the Outer or Inner Hebrides. In
the same journal (p. 180) Mr. R. Kennedy states that an

example was shot at Invergowrie on October 5th, 1925.

Waite WacTAIL NESTING IN ARGYLLSHTRE.—Mr. J. Bain
states (Scot. Nal., 1925, p. 152) that a pair of Motacilla
alba alba nested in 1925 near Oban, and further that in a
quarry in the town a male Pied and hen White Wagtail nested.
No evidence for identification is given.

WAXWINGS IN PERTHSHIRE AND WESTMORLAND.—Lord
Scone informs us that a single Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
was seen on February 20th, 1926, on the outskirts of Perth.
With reference to the Waxwing seen in Westmorland (antea,
p. 232) Mr. H. W. Robinson informs us that one or more were
seen in the southern part of the county in the last week of
January, 1921, and several in the early summer of 1903 in the
same locality. These do not appear to have been previously
recorded (cf. .5.,. VILE, p. 15):

GANNET ATTEMPTING TO BREED IN YORKSHIRE.—As
already recorded (vide antea, p. 30), a pair of Gannets (Sula
bassana) frequented the Bempton Cliffs in 1924. In the
Naturalist (1926, p. 9) it is stated that a pair built a nest in
1925, but no egg was seen.

WOOD-SANDPIPER IN NortH Uist.—Mr. G. Beveridge
reports (Scot. “Nat., 1925, p. 179) that he shot a Wader,
identified at the Royal Scottish Museum as a Wood-Sandpiper
(Lvinga glareola) on October 19th, 1925, at Lochmaddy.
The Wood-Sandpiper is a rare visitor to Scotland, and so far
as we know, has not previously been recorded from the
Outer Hebrides.

The Ovigin of Birds. By Gerhard Heilmann. (Witherby.) Illustrated.
20S.

Tuts is a book which is bound to be read by anyone who takes his

Ornithology seriously. It is a book we have been waiting for; and

now that at long last we have got it, we are glad to be able to say that

substantially and with the inevitable exception of minor details, it is a

book for which we are full of enthusiasm, not to say gratitude.

In saying that we have been waiting for it we do not mean to imply
that we have been waiting for this particular and fascinating book of
Mr. Heilmann’s, for in point of fact it was only recently that we became
aware that he was writing one on the subject. What we meant to
imply was that in view of the extreme interest of the illusive origin of
birds, with which it deals, it seems strange that hitherto no one has
had the courage, or enterprise, to sit down as Mr. Heilmann has dont,
and collect, compile, collate and expound all the facts, theories and
ideas, new and old, with which the subject is beset.

In point of fact, if it had come sooner this book might not have been
so good; for Mr. Heilmann is happily fortunate in this respect, that
the appearance of his book coincides with a period in which a good deal
of work has been done by Petronievics and Smith-Woodward on the
fossil Avcheopteryx, preserved in the British Museum, as well as by
Dr. Broome of South Africa on certain primitive reptiles of the Pseudo-
suchia and allied groups, and by such workers as Baron Nopesa on the
Pro-avian.

The more light that is thrown on these recently resurrected Pseudo-
suchians, the more probable it seems that from somewhere in their
close neighbourhood, or possibly, and perhaps more probably, from a
rather more primitive and generalized predecessor, arose that long-
sought common ancestor, which must have given origin to the several
divergent groups of Dinosaurs on the one hand and to birds on the
other.

Not the least interesting of these divergent groups of Dinosaurs is
the group known as the Coelurosaurs, and among many absorbing
pictures of the past Mr. Heilmann vividly sketches for us, both with
brush and pen, such wholly fascinating forms as Struthiomimus, the
Ostrich-mimic ; Ovnitholestes the bird-robber ; Saltopus the Jumper and
Compsognathus the “fine-jawed’’ one. Incidentally he seems to
shatter, with a formidable array of facts, the somewhat antiquated and
stale view which connected the Predentates or Ornithopoda (Iguanodon,
etc.) with some share in the origin of birds. At the same time he
collects and marshalls for us the facts which have caused him, in
common with recent workers, to turn to such forms as Ornithosuchus,
Euparkervia, and others, for clues in the search for the Pro-avian; for
if the Coelurosaurans, as he seems to think, are too specialised and
lacking in certain essential features, the Predentates are indeed quite
out of the picture ; while the Pseudosuchians seem, at least, to bring
us within practical striking distance of our quarry. ;

So, with these last forming a definite and satisfactory basis from
which to work, the Pro-avian has been hunted down and reconstructed
by an ardent band of workers, prominent among whom has been our

290 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XIx.

author, not to forget Baron Nopesa, Broom, Osborne, von Huene and
others, all of whose work has been discussed, and a most useful list of
literary references given at the end of each of the four sections into
which the book is divided.

In Part IV. a description and presentment of the author's idea of
the Pro-avian is given, and this we will leave for the reader’s own
discovery ; for already we have been getting on too quickly, and if we
are to appreciate the craft of the paleontologist in tracking down the
generalized and primitive common ancestor from which birds and
reptiles arose, it is necessary to have gained some definite knowledge
of the structure, appearance, and even the habits of the oldest birds,
so far discovered. In Part I. Mr. Heilmann, setting out to provide us
with this knowledge, has, I think, succeeded in full measure.

No book, in fact, that has ever previously appeared has, I venture
to think, contained anything approaching to such a complete account
of those reptilian-birds known as Archeopteryx and Archeornis.
Mr. Heilmann has specialized on the Berlin fossil—.4rch@ornis—which
he has studied minutely on the spot. He has given us such a careful
description of every detail of it and has so reconstructed it and made it
live again, illustrating his description with such a profusion of cuts,
photographs and drawings, made by himself and others, that these
primitive Jurassic adumbrations of the bird have been brought most
vividly before us, so that we see, as we come to the end of their story,
that founded as it is on solid, scientific details and conclusions, we have
actually been put into possession of a very real conception of what
they were probably like.

Te tell the tale which Mr. Heilmann, a Dane, sets out to tell in this.
book, and in English, is a very difficult task ; because, while it is not
what one could describe as a popular book, and in fact is crammed
with scientific knowledge, it is yet written in such a way that any
serious-minded ornithologist, although not an anatomist, could with a
very little application grasp its details and points and finally put the
book down with the feeling that he had profited immensely by its
study, and that he had had brought to his mind a new and vastly
absorbing chapter in the history of birds.

Part Il. deals with embryonic stages in reptiles and birds ; Part III.
with anatomical and biological data.

It is inevitable that in a book of this nature there are points with
which one does not find oneself in agreement—one of these, not con-
nected with actual technical details, is the attack made on pages 142-3
on a prominent scientist. While we might agree that the views
expressed by the said scientist are so crude as to be deplorable, the
spirit and method by which he has been attacked is very much to be
regretted and forms a jarring note on an otherwise legitimate criticism.

In the figure (4) of Avchg@ornis on page 9, the quadrato-jugal is
represented in Mr. Heilmann’s reconstruction as posterad of the quad-
rate. This seems to require some explanation, for we can hardly
believe that it could be simply explained by lateral shearing and
consequent displacement. Percy R. Lowe.

A \
S

:

LIFTING POWER OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.
To the Editors of BrirtsH BIRDs.

Strs.—When I was filming the Golden Eagle two and three years ago
I had good opportunities of observing the weight-lifting powers of the
bird. In one eyrie there was a lamb not less than a fortnight old, and at
another I saw the male Eagle bring mountain hares to the nest. On
one of his visits he was flying at a height of about 500 feet and seemed
to be carrying the hare with the greatest ease ; and on another occasion
he flew across the great valley beneath the nest, and it looked as if the
hare made no difference to his flight or speed of travelling. Also he
had no difficulty in landing at the nest with these burdens.

In my opinion, an Eagle with its full flight-feathers, that is, pro-
viding it is not moulting, would have no difficulty in carrying hares or
young lambs distances of two or three miles. OLIVER G. PIKE.
LEIGHTON BUZZARD.

To the Editors of BririsH Brrps.

Sirs,—I am convinced this question needs a great deal more investi-
gation. I have lived in Golden Eagle country all my life almost,
and I think it is a very remarkable thing how seldom one sees the
Eagle strike down or carry its prey. During the summer of 1924 ]
watched for three days at an eyrie in sheep country. There were three
or four lambs in the eyrie, all in an advanced stage of decomposition,
and the shepherd was quite certain that all these lambs were stillborn
ones. During the summer of 1925 my wife and I watched at an
Eagle’s eyrie almost daily for twelve weeks of the Eaglets’ nestling
period. During this time the heaviest prey brought was roe-deer
calves, four of which met their end. They may, of course, have been
left by their does or even stillborn ; even to see a certain animal in the
eyrie does not prove that the Eagle actually filled it. The ease with
which Eagles can be caught in traps baited with hares or cats shows
that they like carrion. The blue hares brought to this eyrie were
generally brought from above. The eyrie was situated about 1,500 ft.
above the sea, with hills 2,000 ft. higher up and forest 500 ft. below.
The roe-deer calves must all have been found not less than 500 ft.
below the nest.

On June 28th my wife was in the hide when a roe calf was brought.
I should mention that the eyrie was in a tree on a very steep hillside.
Judging by the behaviour of the young Eaglets at 10.45 on this day
the cock Eagle landed on a tree below the tree on which the eyrie was
situated. Here, to the indignation of the Eaglets, the cock remained
for a quarter of an hour. Then with much flapping, heard by my wife,
the cock flew up the steep hillside and landed on the edge of
the eyrie, carrying the roe calf in one foot. He was quite exhausted
and had his beak wide open for several minutes, although he
had rested for a quarter of an hour ina neighbouring tree. The
calf was under a week old but was minus the head and part of the
entrails. At this eyrie we noticed that the prey was always
carried in one foot. It appears that the evidence on this sub-
ject is conflicting, and probably a great deal depends on the actual

292 BRITISH BIRDS. [von. XIX.

circumstances, such as wind and position of the prey ; but the day my
wife observed the roe calf being brought there was no wind to help the
Eagle and this may account for his exhaustion.
This season I hope to make some more observations from a hide and
if possible to weigh some of the prey brought to the eyrie.
SETON GORDON.

To the Editors of BritisH Brrbs.

Sirs,—With reference to my previous letter on this subject
(pp. 259-60), John McKenzie, whom I mentioned as having further
information on the subject, now writes me that of the five remains of
lambs killed by Eagles he has seen, only one was whole. This was a
lamb about two days old and he thinks it was not lifted.

Mr. W. Marshall has kindly obtained for me the following very
interesting statement from a shepherd named John Grant :—

“Some 3 years ago I was a shepherd in Inverlaidnan Glen. About the
first week of May, in the height of the lambing season, I was an eye-
witness of the following :

‘ Along with another shepherd (now deceased), about eight o’clock
in the evening, we were attending to a ewe and young lamb. We
looked up and saw an Eagle about two hundred yards from us. It
circled round two or three times and made a swoop down at a lamb.
The mother of the lamb promptly rushed at the Eagle and knocked
it on its back in the heather. After recovering from the blow the
Eagle rose and flew away for about thirty yards and dived down at .
another lamb and carried it away. He rose from the ground in circles
to a considerable height and flew along the slope of the hill. He
gradually descended again and when close to the ground lost hold of
the lamb; which fell some fifteen or twenty feet into the heather. From
the time the Eagle attacked the first lamb and carried away the second
we shouted and made the dogs bark, but the bird was so determined
that it did not heed us. When we got up to the lamb it was still alive
and able to run a little. It was bleeding on its right side from a nasty
wound, and when we took it to its mother she refused to take it. We
took the lamb home but it was dead next morning. The lamb was
four days old and a good specimen. I vouch the above to be a perfect
fact.

On the evidence I think that the Golden Eagle takes lambs—nearly
always very shortly after birth—at times ; but that it does so on rare
occasions only, otherwise more evidence would be forthcoming. More-
over, Eagles hunt McKenzie’s ground every day and he has had few
losses in fifteen years.

As regards the bird’s weight-carrying capacity it seems to me that
Mr. C. H. Donald has described it correctly, and that 1o to ri Ibs. is
about the maximum on level ground. John McKenzie estimates the
weight of new born lambs to be 8 lbs., and says some shepherds put it
as low as 6, while others think it to be as much as 9g lbs. However,
Mr. William Marshall is going to weigh lambs this season in order to

clear up this point. H. A. GILBERT.
& a
Ug
= ®
A eggs
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NORMAN F. TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., MZARIOT.

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 12, VOL. XIX., May 1, 1626:
On Swan-Marks. By N. F. Ticehurst, M.a., F.R.C.S. ENG.

(Part IT.)

On the Egg-Laying of the Grassholm Gannets. By Bertram

Lloyd

Notes :

Breeding of the Icterine Warbler in England (G. Pye-Smith)

Fledging-Period of the Redbreast (Sydney G. Poock)

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Carnarvonshire (Richard W.
Jones)

Sparrow-Hawk Catching a Snipe (J. H. Owen)

Further Nesting of the Tufted Duck in Cumberland (Ernest
Blezard) ...

Spoonbill in Dorset (Rev. F. L. Blathwayt)...

Spotted Redshanks in Sussex (D. L. Dunkin)

Short Notes:

Wood-Lark in Pembrokeshire. Red-backed Shrike Breeding
in Pembrokeshire. Scandinavian Chiffchaff in Somerset-
shire. Garden-Warbler Nesting in Pembrokeshire,
Polygamy in the Accipitres

Reviews :

Problems of Bird-Migration. By A. Landsborough Thomson,
O:B.E:, M.As,; DSC, =p aS hs ie vas be

Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl. Order Anseves
(Part). By A. C. Bent

Letters :—-

The Call-Note of the Chathnch (H. W. Mapleton-Bree)

Lifting Power of the Golden Eagle (Arthur R. Gillman)

Redshanks’ Method of Obtaining Food (Sydney G. Poock)

The Birds of Suffolk (Claud B. Ticehurst)

Index to Volume NIX.
z

313

( 294 )
ON SWAN-MARKS.

BY
N. EF, TICEHURST, o:Biey MAL) BR RICS) ENG,
(Part If.)

The remaining group consists of a large number of marks of
a very miscellaneous character. Some resemble in arrange-
ment many marks in the last group, but the objects they are
meant to depict are exceedingly obscure. Others are partly
of a quasi-heraldic character and yet others appear to be
completely arbitrary arrangements of triangles, hoops, squares,
crosses, etc., without any meaning that is apparent to us of
the present day. Most of them are impossible of description
without the aid of drawings.

THEIR NAMEs.—It is not improbable that a very large
number of marks had colloquial names by which they were
spoken of and designated in deeds, etc., but very few of these
have survived. Those that I have come across all belong to
marks of the Fenland area, a few heraldic in type, but most
belonging to the last group but one. Some few names have
been gathered from wills and deeds, though in the absence of
any accompanying drawing it has not always been possible
to identify the marks to which they belong. The only roll
known to me that records any of these names is the one
belonging to Mr. Henry F. Cooper of Woodhall Spa and was in
the seventeenth century the property of his ancestor, Sir
Oliver Cromwell of Hinchinbrook, Hunts, uncle of the
Protector. Some thirty of these names are given on this roll,
but not all, from origina] abbreviation or subsequent fading,
are in a readable condition ; others appear to be words that
have long passed out of use and whose meaning is anything
but plain, while several are distinctly quaint and seem rather
far-fetched (cf. the names of the Sussex, Oxfordshire and
Somersetshire land and allotment marks in Archeologia,
XXXVIL., p. 388).

Many marks would seem, by the way they and their owners’
names have been copied from one roll to another, to have been
known by the names of the original owners long after they had
passed away. Tor instance many Abbots and Priors appear
as owners of marks on rolls of early seventeenth century date,
and there are one or two instances even up to the beginning of
the nineteenth century. Similarly the marks and names of
certain middle and late fifteenth century private owners are
constant features of Broadland seventeenth century rolls.

VOL. XIX. | ON SWAN-MARKS. 295

It is obvious that a game of Swans marked with any given
mark might and no doubt often did outlast one and even many
human generations. Amongst those with an interest in the
Swans of any given district each game was undoubtedly known
and habitually spoken of as ‘‘ the game of the so-and-so mark,”
45. William Bryan, Chief Warrener of Bolingbroke, Lincs, d. 1573.

46. Sir William Coningsby, Judge, of Eston Hall, Wallington, Norfolk,
d. 1540.
47. Thomas Proctor of Wisbech, Cambs., viv. 1617.

48. William Callowe of Holbeach, Lincs.

<
Ha bd

wrt

49, So. $1. S52.

49. Richard Balder of Sutton St. Mary’s, Lincs, d. 1623.
50. Henry Hawe of Hilgay, Norfolk, viv. 1560.

51. Adam Harte of Walpole in Marshland, Norfolk, d. 1573:

Sir William Fitzwilliams of Milton in Castor, Northants, Constable
of Fotheringhay, d. 1599.

(The above are all Fenland marks, 45 to 51 from Add. MS. 6301 :
52 from Add. MS. 6302.) :

57:

. “the dobell pelles

53. 5h.
57.

6 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VoL. XIx.

EXAMPLES OF NAMED MARKS.

. “the skorge ’’—The monastery of Crowland’s mark.

. ““Dobyll pylyer”’ (i.e. double fish-spears)—Thomas Diggle of

Crowland.
“ye tonges ’’— John Death of Gosberton, Lincs.

”

(u.e. baker’s peels)—Thomas Gray of Wisbech,

Cambs.

R

58. 59.

GO.

“ye crose spritts ’’ (i.e. crossed punt-poles ; “ spreader,’’ Cambs.)
—Millicent Smith of Water Newton, Hunts.

,

“ye storrope ’

(i.e. stirrup)—William Goldwell of Wisbech,
Cambs.

. “‘the Hammer head and Roman R.’’—Robert Ladde, alias Baker,

of Terrington in Marshland, Norfolk.
. “ Boot & rother”’ (2.e. boat & rudder).—Thomas Adams of Tydd
St. Giles, Cambs.
(59 is from Brit. Mus. Egerton MS., 2412, the remainder from
Mr. Henry Cooper's roll.)

vO, SEX, | ON SWAN-MARKS. 297

so that irrespective of the actual ownership at any given time
it would have been a quite convenient method for use in con-
versation or writing to speak of ‘‘the abbot of so-and-so’s
mark.”’ Such an expression would have been easily under-
stood by Swan-owners of any period, while any other reference
might entail a long and not easily understandable description
or the use of a personal name, which might be that of a new-
comer or a non-resident owner and so there could easily be a
doubt as to which game was meant. The manorial marks of
east Norfolk and Suffolk (vide infra) would of cours : be always
spoken or written of by their manorial names

THEIR AGE.—It is quite problematical, I think, whether
formal rolls of Swan-marks, as kept by district Swan-herds,
were really in use before 1483 (vide infra). Most marks are
known to us as they are given on rolls of sixteenth and early
seventeenth century date ; very few of these are so early as 1520
or so late as 1680, and the roll in the Public Record Office is the
only one I have seen that with any probability is a product
of the late fifteenth century. There cannot be any reasonable
doubt, however, that many of the marks recorded in them had
their origin at a much earlier date. A good many, by the
names that they still appear under, go back with certainty
to the middle of the fifteenth century, and probably a great
deal earlier still. I have already drawn attention (B.B., XIV.,
p. 178) to the one that appears to be the earliest to which a
fairly definite date can be given, v72., circa 1370, while the
earliest mention of a mark occurs in the Patent Rolls for
1276 and their use can be inferred from an entry in the Close
Rolls for 1246 (B.B., XVII., pp. 175, 177).

RiGHT oF Possression.—Unlike the Sturgeon, which was
constituted a royal fish by Act of Parliament in the reign of
Edward II. (1307-1327), we have no knowledge as to when
the Swan became a royal bird, but there is evidence from
Giraldus Cambrensis that it was already accounted so before
1186 (B.B., XVII., p. 180). Strictly speaking, therefore, no
subject could have property in Swans except by grant from
the Crown, and the possession of a Swan-mark was definitely
so limited in the Year Book of 7 Henry IV. 9 (1405-6). There
is, however, evidence in the preamble to the statute of
22 Edward IV. (B.B., XIV., p. 176) that this limitation was
more honoured in the breach than in the observance, in that
the keeping of Swans and the use of Swan-marks had at that
date (1483) to a considerable extent passed into the hands of
people of mean estate. The statute sought to correct this

298 BRITISH BIRDs. [Vou, XE;

by enacting a property qualification, without which no one
could legally keep Swans. We may be sure that on the
passing of this Act there was a general examination of the
qualifications of Swan owners, for the Act allowed anyone
possessing the necessary estate to seize the Swans of those
unqualified and retain half the number for his own use,
handing over the rest to the royal Swan-herd. The institution
at this time of formal rolls of marks to be kept by him, would
be an effective means of checking the qualification of owners.
An interesting exemption (and the only one) to the operation
of this Act was granted by Richard III. in the first year of
his reign on petition by the inhabitants of Crowland. The
statute remained in force until repealed by the Game Act of
1831. Though strictly speaking the right to use a Swan-
mark could only be granted by the Crown, as a matter of
practice they were allotted to qualified persons by the royal
Swan-herd, who delegated his duties in this, as in every other
respect, to his deputies, whom he appointed throughout the
country. Many owners no doubt were unable to show a grant
from the Crown when their ownership rights were enquired
into, but they had the alternative of asserting a right by
prescription, 7.c., long continued use or enjoyment, which, if
they could prove, would be perfectly legal and effective.
There is every probability that at the time of the passing of
the Act a good many would have been in a position to do this.
In special cases grants were made by the Crown itself up to
quite recent dates. The Dyers’ Company possess one of the
time of Queen Anne, the Town of Maidstone obtained its
first grant in its charter of 1619 and this was renewed in the
subsequent charters of 1682 and 1747.

Once legally obtained the Swan-mark became the personal
property of the owner, which he could give or sell to any
qualified person, or devise in his will to whom he chose. In
the absence of specific bequest it passed at his death to his
heir. A curious exception to the personal character of the
possession seems to have existed in the case of certain marks
in use in the Broadland area of Norfolk and Suffolk. These
were an appendage of the manors whose names they bore, and
though ownerships changed from time to time, the Swans and
the marks followed changes of ownership of the manors only and
were never sold or devised apart fromit. Inthese cases the
marks are always to be found on the Swan-herds’ rolls under the
names of the manors to which they belonged and if a personal
name is recorded at all it occurs only as a secondary title.

VOL. XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS. 299

CHANGE OF OwWNERSHIP.—Change of ownership of a Swan-
mark, which naturally included also the whole of the game of
Swans bearing that mark, was technically known as alienation
and could be effected in five different ways :—

(1) By direct descent to the heir from his ancestors.

By marriage to a widow or heiress of a late owner.

By will.

By deed of gift or sale.

By confiscation and subsequent grant.

1) Alienation by descent was, of course, the most frequent
method, and where, as was most frequently the case,
the eldest living son was the heir, the Swans and mark
passed normally to him with the other properties on
the death of his father. Under these circumstances we
find no mention of them in wills, but in numerous
instances this alienation can be traced by the com-
parison of marks and names in Swan-rolls of different
dates.

(2) Though perhaps not actually very uncommon there are
but very few instances recorded of the ownership of
Swan-marks by women, and probably most of them (as
indeed is recorded in one or two instances) were widows.
On the other hand alienation by marriage can be traced
in numerous instances, in one or two to widows of
former owners, but in the majority to a daughter and
heiress or co-heiress.

(3) Where it was the desire of a testator to split up his game
of Swans amongst his children or others or to bequeath
them to other than his heir, it was necessary for him to
make provision accordingly in his will. Of this numer-
ous instances have come to light. Margaret Paston’s
will (1481-4) has been already quoted by Stevenson
(B. of Norfolk, I1I., p. 103) and need not be repeated,
but the following are typical examples :—

16 April 1530. I Thomas Dykynson of Leeke . . . Also I wyll that
Margaret my wyff have my swannys and my swannemarke to the
term ot her lyff; and then to remane to John my sonne. Yff he
dye or he cum to lawfull age, I will the swannys with the marke
be solde, and the money to be devydyd betwyxt my ij doughters.”’

(Lincoln Record Society, Vol. X.)

The will of “ John Wesled of Braytoft in the countie of Lincolne, gent.,”
dated September 8th, 1603, and proved April 2nd, 1606.

“I give to my said grandchild William Wesled my swanne mark

togither with all my swannes and signittes yonge and olde to the
same marke belonginge.”’

(

oe

(Lincolnshire Wills, I1., p. 21s)

300 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL SEK

The will of Richard Buckworth of Wisbech, Cambs., dated October 28th,
1506, and proved February 7th, 1506-7.

“It. I geue to the same Edmund my son my Swanne marke of the
hokys in fee symple.”’

(P.C.C., Register 19 Adeane).
The following example is particularly interesting as throwing
light upon the ownership of certain marks, which is
otherwise somewhat mysterious.

*‘25 April, 1527. I Thomas Hippe of the parishe of saynt James in
Sutton in Holond ... I bequeth my marke of Swanes to the
chapell of St. James for to kepe an obiit yerly upen the Fryday
bifore Care Sonday, aftyr the forme of Lawrence Malles will, for

my soule and all my good frendes soules.”’
(Lincoln Reccrd Society, Vol. X.)

The Swan-mark of the Church of St. James in Sutton is
given on several extant rolls, as are those also of St.
Windreda of March, St. John the Baptist of Parson
Drove, St. Clement of Upwell and Benwick in the I*en-
land area and Stalham in the Broadland area. <A
curious quartette of marks are also given on rolls of the
latter district as belonging to “ Our Lady’s Light of ”
Hickling, Billockby, Acle and Caister respectively.
They no doubt had their origin in the same way through
the will of some pious testator, the profits of the Swans
being used for the upkeep of the lights before the image
of the Virgin in the respective churches.

(4) There can be no doubt from a study of different rolls
belonging to the same district, but of different dates,
that a great deal of selling and buying of Swans and
marks took place. The frequent practice of buying odd
cygnets at upping time, in order to effect a change of
blood or to increase the stock, was a comparatively
simple matter, and could be done on a cash basis in the
presence of a given number of fellow-owners and the
royal Swan-herd, who thereupon placed the new
owner’s mark upon the hitherto unmarked bird and it
at once became his property. The purchase of a game
of Swans and its mark was a very different matter and
had to be carried out in a similar way to the conveyance
of land or tenements by formal deeds, duly signed,
sealed and witnessed. Being private documents, exam-
ples are exceedingly difficult to find, and two only to my
knowledge have ever been published. One, dated 1646,
from Robert Ladde, alias Baker, of Terrington to
Anthony Williamson of Tilney, was printed in Eastern
Counties Collectanea, 1., p. 77 (1872-3) ; the other dated

VOL, XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS. 301

1656, from John Beke, alias Hall, of Holton Holgate to
Richard Skepper of the same, in Lincolnshire Notes and
Queries, V., p. gt, There are four examples in the
British Museum and I have copies of four others from
private sources. A single example must here suffice to
illustrate this method of transfer, and I take Brit. Mus.
Add. Ch. 25,914, as being the earliest, viz., 1556.
“This bill made the xviij daic of februarie in the secunde and thride
yeres of the Raignes of oure soueraign lorde and ladie Phillipp and
Marie by the grace of god Kinge and quene of Englande ffrance
Naples Jerusalem and Irelande defendors of the faithe Princes of
Spaine and Cicilie Archdukes of Austria Dukes of Millane Bur-
sundie and Brabarte counties of Haspurge fllanders and Tiroll
Witnessith that I S* walter Mildemay of Apethorpe in the countie
of Northampton knighte haue bargayned and solde and by these
presents dothe bargine and sell vnto Michaell Beale of Stangre in
the countie of huntington yoman all that my righte and interest
I haue in a marke of Swannes called the Skourge late belonginge
to the monasterie of Crowlande for the some of ten poundes of
laufull money of England which some of ten poundes I the saide
S' walter Mildemaye do confesse to haue receyued the daie of the
makinge hereof In witnes wherof I the above named S' walter
Mildemay haue sett to my hande and seale the daie and yere
above written.”’
[Signed] ‘‘ Wd. Mildmaye.”
| No witnesses. |

Several later examples are considerably longer and more
elaborate.

(5) Confiscation and re-grant was a comparatively rare
occurrence. The offences under the Swan laws that
carried the penalty of confiscation were lack of the
property qualification, failure to pay the alienation fee
and the deliberate forgery of a Swan-mark. In the
troublous times, however, of the fourteenth and early
fifteenth centuries not a few people on the losing side
suffered the penalty of attaint, with or without the loss
of their heads. Under attaint the lands and other pro-
perties including Swans and marks of the attainted fell
to the Crown. More than one member of the house of
Howard met with this misfortune and so we find on one
of the British Museum Swan-rolls over one of the marks
of the Duke of Norfolk the significant entry: ‘‘ Dux
Norik, ye Kings.”” I have only been able to find three
mstances so far of a re-grant of confiscated Swans.
Two occur In the Patent Rolls under date 1400 and the
third is in the British Museum Harley MS. 433 Gi. ery}.
Chis is described as a Register of the Grants, Warrants,
etc., passing the Privy Seal, Royal Signet or sign

302 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

manual during the reigns of Edward V. and Richard III.
and the Grant is recorded as follows :—

““A commission directed to al maires Sheriffs Eschetors Bailieffs
Constables Swanneherds & all other hauing the Rule of fresshe
Ryuers and Waters in Somerset shire especially in the fresshe
Waters or Ryuers of merke more Cotmore and more & al other
Waters there Reciting that the King hath given al Swannes in
the said waters late apperteynyng to the Marques Dorset and
S' Giles Dawbeney nowe in the Kings hands by reason of theire
forfaictures to my lord priuie seale Yeuen at Westm. the IX day
of May Anno ij “«”’ [Richard III, 7.e. 1485].

ALIENATION F'EES.—By whatever means an alienation took
place the new owner had at once to pay a fee of half a mark to
the King’s Swan-herd and one of fourpence for registering each
separate mark in the roll. Ina paper in the Sussex Archeo-
logical Collections, XVII., p. 216, it is recorded that the suc-
cessive Bishops of Chichester in the seventeenth century paid
this alienation fee to the Water Bailiff of the Arun on taking
up their residence at Amberley Castle. On receipt of the fees
the Swan-herd gave a receipt and an allowance of the Swan-
mark. In some cases this appears to have been a very formal
document and in others merely a small slip of parchment
stating that the mark had been entered or allowed, but in
either case a drawing of the mark was annexed. A contem-
porary copy of the more formal type is entered at f.403 of
Harley MS. 4116 in the British Museum thus :—

“A Coppy of ye Allowance of Mr Coles

August the 15th 1662
Recd then of John Cole of Sutton in yé Isle
of Ely and County of Camb" gent the sume
of six shillings eight pence for fees due for
the alienacon and allowance of his swanne
marke called &« knowne by y* name of the
Crosse Bowe and boult with one gapp as
ve same is described in y* said margent of
these presents, whereby hee ye said John oi pened
and his heires and deputye or deputyes ag eng
under his hand & seale appointed assigned,
shall & may yearely at times appointed haue
all priviledge of Vping, marking & noti-
fyeing all his & their Swannes & Cygnetts
in any of the rivers, waters, brookes &
pooles with ye Countyes of Bedf.,
Huntington, Cambr. & y* Isle of Ely or
elsewhere within ys Realme of England.
In witnesse whereof I haue hereunto sett
my hand.

John Heron.”

In the example published by Mr. Edward Peacock in the
Archeological Journal (XLII., p. 19), the Swan-herd has made

VOL, XIX.] ON SWAN-MARKS. 303

use of an earlier piece of parchment containing a drawing of

the mark and endorsed it :-—
‘I haue entred this marke in my booke Jan. 30. 1651, and haue
received my fee which is 6s. 8d.
Geo. Hill 7
Swannerd to ye Commonwealth.

Sir Henry Maxwell Lyte in his History of Dunster (p. 77)
figures the Swan-marks of Sir John and Sir Andrew Lutterell
from a similar slip of parchment. Beneath them 1s written :—

“These were the markes wt theise men above writen had upon the
beekes of their swanes belonginge unto the Castell of Dunster by
inheritance and alwayes kepte at the Mere by Glastonberrye. Yt
is good to renewe yt. S.L.”

It seems probable that this was issued to one of the nephews
of Sir John who succeeded to the property after the death of
the latter’s widow in 1588.

These small documents are exceedingly rare, and any that
survive are naturally for the most part in private hands and
difficult to find. The above are the only examples I have
come across.

DIFFERENCING.—By making comparison between marks
recorded on rolls of the same area, but of different dates,
certain marks otherwise identical are found to differ from
each other in certain minor details, and where full names are
recorded these differences are seen to accompany changes of
ownership. It is convenient to borrow the heraldic term
“ differencing ’’ to express shortly this process of altering
marks. It was clearly of advantage to owners who took an
interest in their game to have some means of knowing the
birds of the old stock (7.e., those they succeeded to, from those
bred under their own ownership, and so presumably this
system of differencing came about. It is very clearly marked
in the case of some of the Fenland marks and there is evidence
that it was also used in the Thames area, in both of which
many marks were very elaborate. In the case of the Thames
the material available is far less extensive and so evidence of
the custom is less easy to find. On the other hand, in the
Broadland area, though material is plentiful, the marks them-
selves are much more simple and so hardly lend themselves to
the practice, while confusion would by it be very easily
brought about. The existence of this practice of differencing,
deduced from a study of marks themselves, is confirmed by
one or two items of documentary evidence. Thus, it is
recorded in the Corporation Books of New Windsor (extracts
by Ashmole, Bodl. MS., Ashmole 1126, f.36d.) that in 1505
John Scott of Dorney, Bucks, presented to the Guildhall of

304 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIX.

Windsor an adult cock swan of his mark, ‘“‘ Whervppon at
Vpping season next folowinge the seid Meior and his Brethern

w" the Communaltie was admitted to the seid Cok by Harry
eg kes M' deputie for yt tyme being of the hole game w" in
Tamise aforeseide. Which gaf us an addicon to the same
Cok y' is to wete this Merke © callid an Ovlithole, the 9th day
of August and the vere aboue seid.’

61. 62. 63. 64.

61 was one of the marks of John Death of Gosberton, Lincs, and passed
at his decease to his second son Robert, who differenced it by
omitting the nick at the distal end of the bend.

62 was the mark of Adlard Welby of Goxhill and Gedney ; his eldest
son succeeded to Goxhill in N. Lincolnshire, and the Gedney
estates in S. Lincolnshire with the mark passed to his second
son, Sir William, who differenced the mark by reversing it and
adding a foot mark “‘ one heele [7.e., hind-toe] cut of,” (63).

64 was the mark of Thomas Wren of Haddenham, Isle-of-Ely, whose
widow married William Medley. The latter differenced the
mark by omitting the annulet.

(61 and 62 are from Add. MS. 6301; 63 and 64 from Egerton MS.
2412.)

Amongst a er of orders made at a Court of Swan-mote
held at Wisbech, Cambs, on October 6th, 1587, provision is
made for the due recording of these difference marks thus :—
oe for euery old mark being alowed to haue any new
addition hee ‘.e., the King’s Swan-herd| to haue for entrance
of the same of the owner of the matke, or farmer, 2s. 6d)
(Bodl. MS. Add. c. 200). In the deed of sale of a Swan-mark,
already referred to, by Robert Ladde, alias Baker to Anthony
Williamson, 1646, the practice is clearly referred to in the
following sentence, where R.L., a. B. sells to A.W. ‘“ All my
Swannmarke comonly called the Hammer-head and Roman
R: with all other additions unto the same belonging or in any
waies appertaining.”

VOR. XIx.| ON SWAN-MARKS. 305

| AMAAAA

G9. 66.

Or
™

65 was the mark of Robert Everard of Walpole in Marshland, Norfolk,
and passed to his eldest son Henry, who differenced it by the
addition of two extra nicks (66).

67 was the mark of Humphrey Stafferton of Staverton Manor, Berks,
whose daughter and heiress Eleanor married Robert Loggins of
Staverton, who differenced the mark as shown in 68.

(65 is from Add. MS. 6301; 66 from Add. MS. 6302; 67 and
68 from the Chetham Library roll.)

1 p

69. 70.

69 was the mark of Robert Tighe of Deeping St. James, Lincs, whose
daughter and heiress Alice married William Lacey of Deeping
St. James, who differenced the mark by reversing it and placing
the cross distal to the triangle (70). William Lacey in turn left
a daughter and heiress who married Sir Henry Cholmeley of
Easton, near Grantham, who again differenced the mark by
turning it back again and omitting the cross (71).
(69 is from the Rev. H. S. Marriott’s roll; 7o from the Wisbech

Museum roll; 71 from Add. MS. 6301.)

Confining ourselves chiefly to Fenland marks, it is clear that
a very large number consist of a main or central design, which
was evidently the mark proper, and one or more subsidiary
items, amongst which the above-mentioned variations are

306 BRITISH BIRDS, [VOL. XIx.

mostly found. These, which are the difference marks, con-
sisted of nicks, triangular or semicircular on one or both
margins of the upper mandible, annulets, roundels and small
crosses or saltires. Differencing might then be carried out by
the addition or subtraction of one or more of these subsidiary
marks. Occasionally it was effected in other ways, but
examples of these are rare. Where the main mark consisted
of an asymmetrical design, differencing could be done by
reversing it. In a few cases it was done by the addition of a
lower mandible mark or foot mark.

Gi
\\

72. 72. 74:

Perhaps the most remarkable instance of differencing is furnished
by the above three marks. 72 was that of Edward Bestney
of Soham, Cambs., who left two daughters and co-heiresses,
Margaret and Joan. They married Edward Bernes of Soham
and Simeon Steward of Lakenheath, Suffolk, respectively. The
former differenced the mark by omitting the distal of the two
nicks (73), the latter by doing the same, but also by adding two
more on the left side (74). Thus two easily distinguishable
marks were formed from the one original.

(72 1s from Add. MS. 4977; 73 from Add. MS. 6302; 74 from
Add. MS. 6301.)

REVISION OF MARKs.—In order that strict supervision might
be exercised over the qualifications of owners and to the intent
that all alterations of marks and changes of ownership should
be duly recorded, it was the custom from time to time for
the Commissioners of Swan-mote to make orders accordingly.
Thus at a Court of Swan-mote held at Wisbech on October 6th,
1587, the Commissioners ordained as follows :—

“It is ordered and Decreed that all books & swannmarks bee re-
formed, corrected, amended and made vniforme vnto one booke
wh shall remayne in y* hands of the M* Swanner or his Deputy
for y* tyme being, w'out varying ffrom the same either markeing,
placeing of Gapps, ticks, oylet holes, slitting of webs, cutting of
Heels, or claws: And that all owners ffarmers and Deputyes of

VOL. XIX.] ON SWAN-MAKRKS. 307

swans shall reforme all such books or Rowles as they haue vnto
the sayd M* Swanner or his Deputyes booke & shall for euer
af[t]er soe nigh as possibly by any meanes they may follow the
order of the same in marking, Gapping, ticking, oleting, sliting of
webs, cutting of heeles or clawes vpon payne to forfeit to ye Chiefe
L‘: & feeld aforsayd for euery white swan found by Jury to bee
ffaulty in such cases 2s. & to the end that the sayd Mr" Swannard
or his Deputy may make them such a perfect booke as above sayd
agreeable to the truth of the owners markes_ It is ordered &
decreed that the Cheife Deputy swannard shall cause Proclamation
to bee made in the market before Christtyde next that euery such
owner of swanes his farmer or deputy by the purificacion next after
it doe bring or cause to be brought to the Cheife Deputy Swaner
his seuerall marke or marks fairly Drawne vnder his hand that
thervpon the Cheife Deputy Swannard may marke his sayd booke
to bee shewen & agreed vpon before the next generall swanning
tyme & for Default of not soe bringing their sayd markes vnto y<
sayd Deputy by the tymes aforesayd, euery owner farmer or
Deputy soe in default to forfeit for the first tyme to the L4: &
feeld xiid. and for the second tyme iijs. 4d. And it is likewise
ordered & decreed that euery owner ffarmer or deputy shall pay
to the cheife Deputy Swanner for euery his marke or marks soe to
be entred & the booke kee[p]ing of the same at the next generall
swanning after such entry thereof made the sum of ijs. 6d.”
(Bodl. MS. Add. c.200.)

METHODS OF MARKING.—-All marks were of course of the
nature of scars, certain foot marks being in addition per-
manent deficiencies of various shapes. The most usual
method of production was undoubtedly by cutting with a
sharp knife, as is still practised on the Thames and Yare to
this day. Sir Joseph Banks, in a MS. introduction that he
wrote to the Swan-roll, Add. MS. 6302, in the British Museum,
thus describes the process :—‘‘ In the autumn of 1820 Mr.
Chapman of Marshchapel |Lincs) informed me that in his
youth about 40 years ago the custom of marking swans was
still kept in the Marsh Towns in his neighbourhood and that
he had attended when the persons employed by the owners
met together and marked the birds. He shewed me the
manner of marking, which he did by cutting with a sharp
penknife a double line through the skin that covers the beak
and stripping off the skin between.”’

It has been stated that marks were sometimes rendered
more permanent by the rubbing in of gunpowder after the
cuts had been made. Whether there is any real evidence of
this I have not been able to discover.

Henry Best of Elmswell, Yorks, in his ‘“ Farmng and
Account Books” (1641) (Surtees Soc., XXXIII., p. 122),
wrote: ““Ourmarke is three holes boared with an hotte swipple
in the right side of the nebbe, and a gagge cutte betwixt the
two uppermost holes, viz., that next the head and the other.”

308 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XIX.

In the picture of Swan-marking given in Gurney's Early
Annals of Ornithology, (p. 71), which is taken from an
illuminated MS. of about 1340 in the Bodleian (MS. 264,
f.124.v.), the bird is being foot-marked by hammering a
punch through the web.

Some marks are so intricate that one cannot but wonder
whether in some cases they were impressed by means of a
special branding-iron. There is, however, no evidence on the
point. It is very difficult to imagine a Swan-herd, however
skilful he might be with a pocket-knife, making much of a
success of marks 17, Ig, 42 and 65, for instance, on the bill of
a live and struggling Swan, and there are plenty of other
marks even more elaborate.

(Correction. In the heading at top of p. 269, for ““ Names ’
read “ Arms.”’)

as

( 309 )

ON ‘THE EGG-LAYING OF THE GRASSHOLM
GANNETS.
BY
BERTRAM LLOYD.

WHEN visiting Grassholm on July 21st, 1925, Mr. Charles
Oldham and I were struck by the number of nests in the
colony of Gannets (Sula bassana) which contained either two
eggs or two young birds. Owing to the lateness of the date
the densely crowded nests showed wide variation in their
contents, which ranged from eggs or still blind nestlings to
well-grown heavy young birds in down, able to bite or hiss at
‘an intruder. Ps

So far as we can discover, virtually all authorities and
observers agree in stating that the Gannet normally lays but
a single egg.* R. J. Ussher, however (The Zoologist, VIII.,
g6), has recorded that when visiting the breeding-station at
the Bull Rock, Kerry, early in June, 1884, though each nest
was found usually to contain but one egg, he noticed two
containing two eggs each. ‘““ On emptying one of these pairs,”’
he wrote, “‘ I found one egg fresh, the other decidedly sat upon,
so that they may have been laid by different birds.”’ J. H.
Gurney (The Gannet, 1913, p. 34), while remarking that two
eggs are not infrequently found in the same nest “ though not
necessarily laid by the same bird,” also cites a couple of
instances—which he calls “‘ very unusual ’’—of two incubated
eggs being discovered in a single nest.

* E.g. Seebohm (Brit. Birds, 1885), Newton (Dic. of Birds, 1896),
Saunders (JZanual, 1899), F. C. R. Jourdain and F. B. Kirkman
(British Bird Book, IV., 1913), T. A. Coward (Birds of British Isles,
1919-20), etc. W.H. Turle (The Ibis, 1891, p. 1) noted that he ‘‘ found
only one egg in a nest’’ in the gannetry on Little Skellig, which he
estimated at ‘ several thousands’; T. H. Thomas (Cardiff Nat. Soc.
Transactions, Vol. 22, 1890) saw only one egg per nest in the Grassholm
colony on May 24th, 1890; and T. W. Proger and D. R. Patterson
(Card ff Na‘. Soc. Trans., Vol. 38, 1905), writing of the same colony,
afiirm that ‘‘ they lay but one egg.’’ Finally, the encyclopedic edition
of Naumann (V6gel Mitteleuropas, Vol. XI., 1905) states definitely that
the Gannet ‘‘ never lays more than one egg at a brood’’; and the
Practical Handbook of British Birds (II., 408, 1924) with exemplary
caution says: ‘' One only, cases of two being probably due in most
cases to two hens.”

t One is from Stack Lii (St. Kilda), no locality being given for the
other. The hatching of two eggs in one nest, and its consequences, do
not appear to have been studied yet, the finders of such pairs generally
seeming more inclined to blow them—doubtless in order to test how
far each is incubated.

2A

5310 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIx.

In this connection it may be worth while to draw attention
to the fact, recorded by W. Beebe in his Galapagos (1924,
p. 268), that a near relation of our Gannet, the Bluefooted
Booby (Sula nebouxt), frequently lays two eggs. Of one
colony of these birds he writes that “ there were more sets of
two eggs than one, and about the same relative proportion of
young birds.”

As regards the Grassholm gannetry, though but a small
proportion of the nests still contained eggs on July 21st last,
we noticed—without making a very careful search—four of
them containing two eggs, while a considerable number held
two young birds. Of the latter, the pair in each nest, so far
as we could see, differed little if at all from one another in age,
though in some cases one appeared to be slightly larger and
further developed than his co-occupant. All about us
nestlings were being fed by their parents, who were constantly
flying in with fish—among which we noticed garfish, gurnard,
herring and mackerel in plenty; and although the usual
unfortunate exigencies of time and tide precluded our making
observations of any value as to the number engaged in feeding
each pair of nestlings, we were forced to the conclusion that a
considerable percentage of the Grassholm Gannets must
either lay two eggs at one brood or indulge a very marked
proclivity for a dual sharing of nests.

This latter possibility, it must be pointed out, can hardly
be accounted for on the score of lack of nesting-room ; for
although the colony in its earlier years doubtless made use of
typical sites and nested only on the tops of rock-stacks and
on cliff-ledges, it appears now to have spread somewhat
inland. Thus we found that many of the nests on the out-
skirts were not built upon rock at all, but on the thin top-soil
which covers the greater part of the island, supporting a
vegetation consisting mainly of a bush growth of Orache
(probably Atriplex glabriuscula) and a couple of rough grasscs
(Irestuca rubra and Holcus lanatus).

Much of this ground is honey-combed with Puffins’ holes ;
but the immediate hinterland of the Gannets’ breeding-
station affords ample space for the colony to continue still
further back from the cliffs the expansion already begun.

3REEDING OF THE ICTERINE WARBLER IN

ENGLAND.

At the February mecting of the British Ornithologists’ Club
I exhibited a clutch of three eggs of the Icterine Warbler
(Hippolais icterina) taken by myself at Mildenhall, near
Marlborough, Wiltshire, on May 8th, 1907 (Bull. B.O.C.,
XLVI., p. 74). The nest was actually found on May 3rd,
when the female was flushed off two eggs. It was in an alder,
about four feet from the ground at the junction of several
branches which formed a sort of cup, and was composed of
moss and wool, with one or two scraps of birch bark on the
outside as well as what appeared to be a piece of dirty yellowish
paper. Owing to school restrictions I was not able to revisit
the site till two days later, when T. C. K. Moore accompanied
me in order to photograph the nest. There were then three
eggs, and the hen flew off as before, but kept skulking within
a few yards. Next day we went out again with the camera,
but had considerable difficulty owing to the undergrowth and
an inadequate tripod. Two days later the eggs were cold and
no bird visible, and three days later it was evident that the
nest was deserted.

We spent a good deal of time hunting for a second nest, but
without success. The nest was subsequently presented to the
College Museum. Although on two or three previous occasions
the eggs of some species of Hippolais have been found in
England, they have all been ascribed on the evidence of the eggs
to H. polvglotta. In this case we saw nothing of the male bird,
and, having no previous experience of either species in the
field, should not have been able to distinguish one from the
other. However, the eggs are quite typical of the Icterine,
rather paler than usual and showing little of the purplish- red
tinge so conspicuous in H, polyglotta, and are also decidedly
larger than ordinary eggs of that species, so that there is
hardly any doubt that in this case it was the Icterine, and
not the Melodious Warbler, which attempted to breed with us.
It is rather significant that while only five specimens of the
Melodious Warbler have been obtained in the British Isles,
about thirty-five Icterines have been recorded.

G. PYE-SMITH.

312 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL. XIX.
FLEDGING-PERIOD OF THE REDBREAST.
A nest of the Robin (Erithacus rv. melophilus) which | had
under observation last year (1925) had three out of SIX
eges hatched at 7.30 am. on May 3rd. Early in the
morning of May 17th I again visited the nest and found that
it contained six young. The nest was empty at 7 a.m. on
the following day, so that the fledging-period was apparently
fourteen days. Iam inclined to think that in the case of the

Robin, sitting is occasionally commenced before a clutch is
complete. SyDNEY G. POOCK.

LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER IN
CARNARVONSHIRE.

Ix view of the statement in Mr. H. E. Forrest’s Fauna of North
Wales that there is no authentic record of the occurrence ol
the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Drvohates minor comminutus)
in Carnarvonshire, it may be of interest to state that |
watched a single bird of this species in the woods at Gloddaeth
on April 5th, 1926. I have frequently seen the Great Spotted
Woodpecker in the same woods, but this is the first time in
twenty years of constant observation that I have set eyes on
the smaller bird with a barred back.

It may also be of interest to add that Nuthatches are
nesting in the same woods. I first observed Nuthatches in
the wood early in the year 1908 (cf. B.B., Vol. II., p. 59), and
curious to relate they are this year occupying the same tree.

RicHarD W. JONES.

SPARROW-HAWK CATCHING .A SNIPE.

WHILST visiting a small marsh near Felsted, Essex, on
March 30th, 1926, to see if any Snipe (Capella g. gallinago)
were nesting, I put up four birds. They flew away
and then circled back. Suddenly a hen Sparrow-Hawk
(Accipter n. nisus) appeared, and travelling at a great pace
seized one of them within twenty yards of me. It carried
the Snipe about half the distance towards me, but seeing me
released it, apparently unhurt, and both went off in different
directions. ‘This is the first time I have known a Sparrow-

Hawk take a Snipe. J. H. OWEN;
FURTHER NESTING OF TUFTED DUGK IN
CUMBERLAND.

SINCE the recording of the nesting of the Tufted Duck
(Nyvoca fuligua) in Cumberland by Mr. F. H. Day (Vol. XVI.
p. 109), this species has continued to nest within the county.

VoL. XIXx.| NOTES. 313

At the pond south of Carlisle where the first nest was found
by me on June 14th, 1922, my friend Ritson Graham dis-
covered a clutch ot nine eggs on May 2oth, 1924.

On a fell tarn towards the eastern limits cf the county, a
winter resort of the species, | observed birds to stay as late
as May 22nd, 1924. On June 7th, when I returned to search
for possible nests, two pairs of Tufted Ducks were the
only duck on the water. My companion and I eventually
found their nests in a verv swampy bed of sedge, barely six
yards apart and ten or twelve from the water margin.

The site had been entirely submerged through the rising
of the tarn level on the previous week-end and consequently
abandoned.

The nests contained eight and six eggs respectively.
Sufficient down and breast-feathers had been left by the
receding water to establish ownership with certainty.

During the season of 1925 I failed to find any signs of
Tufted Ducks breeding at either of the above localities.

ERNEST BLEZARD.

SPOONBILL IN DORSET.

On March roth, 1926, after easterly winds, I saw a fine adult
Spoonbill (Platalea !. leucorodia) on Lodmoor, near Weymouth.
The bird frequently consorted with some Herons, and was still
there on March 2oth, 27th and 29th, but I did not see it on
April 12th, by which date it had probably passed on.

I. L. BLATHWAYT.

SPOTTED REDSHANKS IN SUSSEX.

On March 23rd, 1926, I watched a pair of Spotted Redshanks
(Tvinga erythropus) in a marshy field adjoining the sea, near
Worthing. They were in company with Common Kedshanks
(T. totanus) so comparison was easy, and I was able to note
their greater size, longer bills and legs, and their dark secon-
daries. One of them had a pure white throat and upper-
breast, whilst the other had these parts mottled and some very
conspicuous black patches on its belly and flanks.

D. L. DUNKIN.

_ Woop-LarK IN PEMBROKESHIRE.—-Mr. H. A. Gilbert

writes that he watched a Wood-Lark (Lwdlula arborea) singing
near Tenby on March 7th, 1926. ‘The species appears to
have decreased considerably and to be chiefly known as a
winter-visitor to the county, so that evidence as to its present
status as a breeding species seems to be important.

514 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL, XIX.

RED-BACKED SHRIKE BREEDING IN PEMBROKESHIRE.—
Mr, H. A. Gilbert reports that he found a Red-backed Shrike
(Lanius c. collurio) feeding young near Pembroke in July, 1924,
and Major W. M. Congreve informs us that during six years
residence in the county he only met with one pair. and that had
a nest of five eggs at Angle, eight miles west of Pembroke, on
June 2nd, 1908.

SCANDINAVIAN CHIFFCHAFF IN SOMERSETSHIRE.—Mr. A. L.
Butler exhibited at the February, 1926, meeting of the British
Ornithologists’ Club (Bull. B.O.C., XLVI., p. 68), a male
example of Phylloscopus collybita abietinus, which had been
obtained by Mr. F. H. L. Whish at Lympsham, Somerset, on
April 6th, 1925. Although this form of the Chiffchaff has
been detected on a number of occasions on various Scottish
Islands there is but one previous record for England.

GARDEN-WARBLER NESTING IN PEMBROKESHIRE.—Major
W. M. Congreve informs us that Mr. James Wynne found a
nest of Sylvia borin just outside Pembroke on June 4th, 1907.
The eggs are now in Major Congreve’s collection and appear
to be the only evidence of the nesting of this species in the
county.

POLYGAMY IN THE ACCIPITRES.—In a previous note on this
subject (antea, p. 180), reference was made to cases in which
males of Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) and the Hen-
Harrier (C. cyaneus) had paired with two females of the same
species, each having a separate nest, but at no great distance
apart. Mr. L. S. Dear, of Port Arthur, Ontario, has kindly
sent us details of a very sunilar case observed by him near
Regina, Saskatchewan, in April and May, 1921, and reported
in a note to the Oologist, XL., p. 167. The birds in question
were the American Marsh-Hawk (Circus c. hudsonius). Two
nests of this species, one with two eggs and another with five,
were found about 150 yards apart, the discovery of the second
nest being due to the excitement displayed by the male bird
which had been very demonstrative at the first nest. Obser-
vations were made for about two weeks on these birds and
although the male was frequently traced to both nests, no
fourth bird was ever observed, and the possibility of another
male being present seems very remote, especially in view of
the fact that almost exactly similar cases have occurred in
Great Britain in two species of Harrier. Of these the
European Hen-Harrier, C. cyaneus cyaneus, is now regarded
by most modern ornithologists as conspecific with the American
Marsh-Hawk, C. cyaneus hudsonius.

FVFWS =

Problems of Bird-Migration. By A. Landsborough Thomson, 0.B.£.,
M.A., D.Sc. (Witherby) 18s.

In this book Dr. Landsborough Thomson sets out to give us a state-
ment of the problems of bird-migration. No one could be better fitted
to undertake such a task and we may say at once that he has presented
them in a well-thought-out and so admirably arranged a manner that
the result will be equally welcome to biologists, ornithologists and
bird-lovers, while for students of migration especially it fills a long-felt
want. This is no disparagement of Dr. Eagle Clarke's invaluable
Studies in Bird-Migration, for the scope of the present book is entirely
different. It takes cognizance not only of his work and that of other
British observers, but also of American and Continental authors, some
of whose writings have hitherto been out of the reach of many British
students and but little referred to in our literature. Facts and data
have accumulated to so vast an extent during the last thirty years that
the time was more than ripe for a generalized and up-to-date statement
of them, together with an authoritative indication of along what channels
future investigations could be most usefully directed.

As an introduction, Dr. Thomson gives a most useful summary of
migratory movements as they are exhibited in all the different branches
of the animal kingdom. Following this, the book is divided into three
main parts. The first of these deals with the known facts. These are
divided and admirably summarized under their appropriate headings,
so that a general knowledge of what is known about each aspect of
migration can be readily found and studied. Part two describes first of
all the two chief methods, viz. observational and marking, by
which the necessary data have been ascertained, their importance
and limitations, and the most useful lines in each along which future
work might be directed. The author then passes on in succeeding
chapters to detailed studies of the movements of particular species,
and terminates with one on the general results of the marking method.
In part three the main problems of bird-migration are stated and
discussed. The different theories and assumptions of what may be
briefly termed “ the why and how’ of migration are set out and dis-
cussed in the light of ascertained fact, and, while from their very nature
some of them must ever remain in the realm of theory, the author points
out how many are capable of solution by further observations concen-
trated in the right direction. The subject matter of each separate
problem is shortly and usefully summarized at the end of each chapter.

An Appendix contains an essay on some practical bearings of the
study of bird-migration, and in this we are glad to notice that the
recently suggested and potentially mischievous thcory of the convey-
ance of foot-and-mouth disease infection by bird-migrants has been
duly examined and found to be not even established as probable.

An important and particularly useful feature of the book is the
excellent bibliography given at the end of each chapter. Though
this arrangement necessarily leads to a certain amount of repetition of
references, this is more than counterbalanced by the great saving of
labour to future workers, in that there will be no need for them to look

516 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XIX.

up a number of more general papers, when further detail is required
about some particular aspect. In the lists on pages 53, 114 and 136 we
note the omission, no doubt by inadvertance, cf Vols. 32 and 34 of the
B.O.C. Bulletin, though the ‘nine migration volumes are elsewhere
referred to.

The only misprint we have noticed occurs on p. 168, where it is stated
that White Storks, native to Denmark, etc. “‘ migrate in autumn
south-westwards towards the eastern Mediterranean and return by a
corresponding north-westerly route in spring ’’—N.F.T.

Life Histories of North American Wild Fowl. Order Anseres (Part). By
A. C. Bent. U.S. Nat. Museum Bulletin 130, Washington, 1925.

Mr. BENT continues to make steady progress with his valuable work
on the Life Histories of North American Birds. and the present volume
is the fifth of this series since the first instalment was issued in 1919.
In plan it closely resembles its predecessors, the whole of the material
being systematically arranged under two main headings, ‘‘ Habits ”’
and ‘‘ Distribution ’’’ for each species, with subdivisions for all the
varied information provided. This plan has many advantages: gaps
in our knowledge of the life-history are apparent at a glance, and it is
no longer necessary to read the whole article to ascertain some point
in the economy of any given bird.

Particular interest is attached to this part, as in addition to about a
dozen genera of Ducks, the whole of the American Geese are included,
and all who have studied Palearctic or Nearctic birds are aware of the
extreme difficulty in working out the life-histories of these birds.
Although much still remains to be done, the present work makes a very
decided forward step in this respect, and we can congratulate the
author on having got together a wonderfully complete series of photo-
graphs of nesting-sites, nests and young of this elusive group. In work
of this kind collaboration is absolutely necessary, and much of the
author's work is necessarily compilation. As regards the American
breeding species this is exceedingly well done on the whole, but
apparently Mr. Bent has confined his researches to English and
American sources. Thus we find no reference in the Bibliography to
b. Hantzsch’s papers on the Bird-world of north-eastern Labrador
(Journal f. Ornithologie, 1908, pp. 177 and 307) from which much might
have been learned as to such species as Somateria spectabilis in North
America.

Extra-limital species, such as the Whooper Swan, if they are to
be treated at all, deserve something better than the very scanty and
inadequate extracts given. In this case lack of material can hardly be
assigned as the cause, as much has been written of the Whooper on its
breeding-ground, yet all that is given is a paragraph from Cordeaux
and Mrs. Gordon's account of the nesting of a pair in the Western
Highlands, an exceptional case of nesting far outside the normal
breeding range.

Mr. Bent treats of the two forms of Brent Goose under the names of
Branta bernicla bernicla (L.) and B. bernicla nigricans (Lawe), but
appears not to have grasped the significance of recent researches.
Linne’s type, as shown by Lénnberg, was obviously the slate-breasted
bird which breeds in Siberia and migrates westward through Scandi-
navia. The presence of light and dark-breasted birds in Europe is
amply accounted for by this stream of migrants meeting the light-
breasted birds from Spitsbergen, without resorting to the fantastic

VOL. XIX.] REVIEWS. . 317

theory that xigvicans intergrades with typical bernicla and migrates
westward across Siberia! East American birds evidently belong to
the same race as the Spitsbergen (light-breasted) form, which, according
to Lonnberg, should be called B. bernicla hrota, and is obviously distinct
from the typical form. :

We regret that ‘‘ F. O. Morris ”’ is quoted as an authority on the life-
history and habits of several species. As the fifth edition of his work
is referred to, all details of importance were supplied by Tegetmeier,
who compiled them from other sources. When original observations
are available we fail to see the advantage of quoting a second-rate
compilation, under the name of another. Newton’s dictum (Dictionary
of Birds, p. 44) that ‘‘ By every well-informed ornithologist the History
of British Birds of Mr. Morris has long been known to possess no
authority "’ is admittedly not too severe.

The real value of this work, however, lies in the fact that we have
now full and carefully classified notes on the life of this group of
American birds, embodying all of real interest and importance which
has been published in the New World, together with many original
notes from different sources, and a series of photographs mainly
illustrating their breeding-habits, which may be fairly described as
unique. F. C. R. JouRDAIN

THE CALL-NOTE OF THE CHAFFINCH.
To the Editors of BritisH BirpDs.

Sirs,—With reference to Mr. W. H. Thorpe’s note (antea, p. 283) on
the call-note of the Chaffinch, I remember, as a boy, that my father
used to say that the Chaffinch (/ ‘yingilla c. celebs) sometimes used
this Greenfinch-like call. I have myself heard it, once or twice, but
very rarely in England.

At the end of June and beginning cf July, 1925, I was in Switzerland
in the Val d’Anniviers, Valais, first at Zinal, then at St. Luc, both
these places being at about 5,500 ft. Here the Chaffinch was the chief
singing bird, and I several times heard it utter this Greenfinch-like
note. The forest in this district is, of course, coniferous.

It is possible that this note is not so rarely heard in England as is
generally supposed, though it certainly is not common. It so closely
resembles that of the Greenfinch that in places where both birds are
common it may often pass unnoticed. H. W. MapLeton-BREE

LIFTING POWER OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.
To the Editors of BrittisH Birps.

Sirs,—I nctice this very interesting subject is again attracting
attention in your columns, and that one of your correspondents (antea,
p. 259) remarked he is “‘ unable to accept ’’ the evidence of a man, he
somewhat contemptuously refers to as a nameless “ soldier,’’ which
I related in my letter on the subject (Vol. XV., p. 24).

But the man was not a “ soldier,”’ he was a Highland ghillie, of
about 40 years of age, on a large estate in the north of Scotland, where
he had spent his life—and then down south for the first time in training
for a soldier—whose evidence on the point seems more useful than the
opinion of any amateur naturalist.

I notice in the correspondence that my letter alone gives any evidence
as to the actual weight of the object carried, taken at the time it was
dropped. ARTHUR R. GILLMAN.

REDSHANK’S METHOD OF OBTAINING FOOD.
To the Editors of British Birbs.

Strs,—On February 28th, 1926, whilst watching Redshanks (Tyvinga
t. iotanus) which had congregated on the soft mud left by the out-going
tide I noticed os particular bird jump up off the mud twice in succes-
sion. Mr. F. Dell, who was with me at the time, noticed the same
thing. The me ae by which shore-birds obtain worms by stamping,
vibrating the feet on the sand, or jumping, has to some extent been
disc ussed in Br.tish Birds (XV1., pp. 228, 292, 316), but I am not aware
of any reference having been made therein or elsewhere to the jumping
of the Redshank in particular. SYDNEY G. Poock.

THE BIRDS OF SUFFOLK.
To the Editors of BririsH Brrps.

Sirs,—I have been at work collecting notes for a book on the ‘‘ Birds
of Suffolk’ for many years past. May I appeal to any and all who
may have any notes of interest, not necessarily of rarities only, on
Suftolk birds to communicate with me. CLaup B. TicEnvURST.
Grove House, LoweEstort.

( 318 4

INDEX.

Notre.—The nomenclature followed in this volume is in accordance with
the ‘‘Systematic List’ printed at the end of Volume I. of A
Practical Handbook of British Birds and reprinted in A Check-List

of British Birds.

aalge, Uria aalge, Guillemot,
Northern.
abietinus, Phylloscopus collybita, see
Chiffchaff, Scandinavian.
ACLAND, Miss CLEMENCE M., Addi-
tional Notes from Glamorgan-
shire, 48.
acuta, Anas a., see Pintail.
adamsi, Colymbus, see Diver, White-
billed.
@YURINOSUS,
Marsh-.
@salon, Falco c., see Merlin.
affinis, Larus f., see Gull, Lesser
Black-backed.
-——, Sitta europea, see Nuthatch.
alba, Motacilla alba, see Wagtail,
White.
——, Tyto a., see Owl, Barn-.
albellus, Mergus, see Smew.

sce

Civeus, see Harrier,

albicilia, Halieetus, see KEagle,
White-tailed.
albifrons, Anser a., see Goose,

White-fronted.
——-, Charadrius apricarius, see
Plover, Northern Golden.
albionis, Uria aalge, see Guillemot,
Southern.
ALEXANDER, H. G., Notes on rare
birds in Romney Marsh, 26;

Passing Migrants in North
Worcestershire, 235; Letters
on the Migration of the Wood-
cock, 78; The Marsh- and
Willow-Tits in Cumberland,
181.

alexandrinus, Charadrius, see
Plover, Kentish.

ALFORD, CHARLES E., Notes on

Spotted Flycatcher and Wren
nesting in same cavity, 71;
. Autumn movements of birds in

East Suffolk, 209; Black
Redstarts in Suffolk, 210;
Incubation- and _ Fledging-

periods, 282.

|

|

alle, Alle, see Auk, Little.

alpestris, Evemophila, see Lark,
Shore-.
anglica, Gelochelidon, see Tern,

Gull-billed.

anglicus, Drvobates m., see Wood-
pecker, Great Spotted.

anglovrum, Regulus r., see
Golden-crested.

anser, Ansey, see Goose, Grey Lag-.

aniiquorum, Phenicopterus, see
Flamingo.

apiaster, Merops, see Bee-Eater.

apus, Apus a., see Swift.

arborea, Lullula a., see Lark, Wood-.

arctica, Fvatercula, see Puffin.

arvgentatus, Larus ad., see
Herring-.

avistotelis, Phalacrocorax a., see Shag.

ARMSTRONG, REV. EDWARD A.,
Note on Swallow's nest on a
lantern, 131; Letter on the
Breeding-habits of the Avocet,
159.

avquata, Numenius a., see Curlew.

ASHFORD, W. J., Note on Pied
Wagtail laying four times in
the same nest, 95; Letter on
the status of the Shoveler in
Lancashire, 78.

asiaticus, Charadrius,
Caspian.

ATKINSON, JASPER, Note on Birds’
use of landmarks as guides to
nest, 149.

Auk, Little, at Holy Island ar.

auritus Podiceps, see Grebe, Slavo-
nian.

Avocet, Nesting in the Camargue,
82; Absence of “Courtship ”’
in, 88; Breeding-habits, 159 ;
in Cornwall, 232.

avosetta, Recurvirostra, see Avocet.

Wren,

Gull,

Plover,

see

BAKER, CHARLES E., see Wilson
AW HN

320 BRITISH

Baker, ©. ©, StusRT, Note on
Common Terns in Surrey in
winter, 250.

Banks, R. C., Notes on Hooded
Crow in Monmouthshire, 150 ;
Hen-Harrier in Monmouth-
Shine, yz.

BARBER, Wo. E., Note on increase
of Little Owl in North
Lancashire, 26.

bassana, Sula, see Gannet.

BEDFORD, THE DucHEss oF, Notes
on Puffin in Bedfordshire, 155 ;
Black Redstarts in Wigtown-
shire, 210; Common Sand-
piper in Bedfordshire in winter,
255.

Bee-Eater, Nestling of, 70.
Beeston, T. J., Note on the Song
of the Willow-Warbler, 51.
BENTHAM, Howarp, Notes on
Common Buzzards and Pere-
grine Falcon in Surrey, 211 ;
Spotted Redshanks in Surrey, |

214.
bewickit, Cygnus b., see Swan,
Bewick’s. |
Bittern, in Kent, 236; Extension |

of nesting area in Norfolk, 243.

, American, in co. Kerry, 243.

Blackbird, Recovery of marked, 14,
167; Influence of rainfall on
fecundity of, 22; Brooding on
eggs and nest of Song-Thrush,
24 ; Early nesting in Berkshire,
29; Multiple nest-building by,
72, 97; Converting nest of

Song-Thrush, 176 ; Incubation-
and Fledging-feriods, 281.
BLATHWAYT, Rev. F. L.,
Water-Pipit in Dorset,
Alpine Swift in Dorset,
Spoonbill in Dorset, 313.
BLEzARD, E., Notes on status of
Shoveler in Cumberland, 212 ;
Further nesting of Tufted
Duck in Cumberland, 312.
Bluethroat, in Norfolk, 242 ;
Wintering in Yorkshire, 285.
——, Norwegian, at Holy Island, 20.
Boast, Henry, The Courtship of
the Teal, 162; The Courtship
of the Tufted Duck and its
distribution in Scotland, 226;
Notes on the Courting Display

AeA Sa

aay

52;

Notes on |

and Nesting of the Eider in the
Tay E stuary, 45.

BIRDS.

borealis, Phylloscopus b., see
Warbler, Eversmann’s.
——, Somateria mollissima, see

Duck, Eider.

borin, Sylvia, see Warbler, Garden.

BoRRER, CLIFFORD, Letter on
Hooded Crows in the London
district, 30.

Boyp, A. W., Notes on Song-
Thrushes’ nests converted by
Blackbird and Hedge-Sparrow,
176; Goldeneyes and other
Ducks on Cheshire meres in
summer, 178; Notes from
Staffordshire, 1925, 233; Note
on Gannet inland in Cheshire,
235; Letter on the status of
the Shoveler in Lancashire, 78.

brachyrhynchus, Ansey, see Goose,
Pink-footed.

britannica, Certhia f., see Creeper,
Tree-.

britannicus, Carduelis c., see
Goldfinch.

“ British Birds ’’ Marking Scheme,

Progress for 1925, 275.

Brown, R. H., Field-notes from
Cumberland, 58; Notes on
diving ability of nestling
Moorhen, 54; Fledging-period
of Oyster-catcher, 70; the
Incubation- and _ Fledging-
periods of the Sparrow-Hawk,
153; The Incubation- and
Fledging-periods of some
British birds, 281; Letters on
the Marsh- and Willow-Tit in
Cumberland, 157; The Song
and Courtship of the Robin,158.

Bullfinch, British, Fledging-period
of, 248, 250.

Bunting, Rock-, Nestling of, 69.
——, Yellow, Dwarf eggs of, 71 ;
Recovery of marked, 166.
Borkitr, J. P., A Study of the

Robin by means of marked
birds (fourth paper), 120 ; Note
on White-fronted Goose in full
moult in Ireland in June, 75.
bustard, Great, in Scotland, 55; in
co. ‘Cork; 236;
buteo, Buteo Dee
Common.

Buzzard, Common, Recovery of
marked, 15; Breeding-habits
of, 64; in Surrey, 211; Fledg-
ing-period, 281 ; in Essex, 287.

see Buzzard,

INDEX. 321

cabaret, Carduelis 1., see Redpoll, | CocHRANE, CAPT. He Tes ORNL,
Lesser. Notes on large clutch of
ceyuleus, Parus c., see Titmouse, Chaffinch’s eggs, 50; Hobby

Continental Blue, 241.
cannabina, Carduelis c., see Linnet.
canorus, Cuculus, see Cuckoo.
cantillans, Sylvia cantillans,

Warbler, Subalpine.
canus, Larus c., see Gull, Common.

see

Capercaillie, Late nest of, in
Perthshire, 157.

carbo, Phalacrocorax Gs, see
Cormorant.

carduelis, Cavduelis c.,see Goldfinch, :

Continental.

CARLYON - BRITTON, RAYMOND,
Notes on Long-tailed Titmouse
laying before completion
nest, 209; Unusual nest of
Turtle-Dove, 213.

Chaftfinch, Recovery of marked, 13,
166; Large clutches of eggs of,
50; Incubation- and Fledging-
periods, 281; Call-note of,
283, 318.

CHANCE, EpGaAR P., Note on Cross-
bill nesting in Norfolk, 253.

Chiffchaff, Recovery of marked, 13 ;
Singing on the wing, 97.

——, Scandinavian, in Somerset-
shire, 314.

CHISLETT, RaLtpu, Turnstones on a
Baltic Islet, 2.

chloris, Chloris, see Greenfinch.

chlovopus, Gallinula ch., see Moor-

hen.

chrvsaétus, Aquila, see Eagle,
Golden.

cla, Emberiza cia, see Bunting,
Rock-.

cinerea, Ardea c., see Heron.
Motacilla c., see Wagtail,

Grey.

——, Lerekia, see Sandpiper,
Terek.

citrinella, Emberiza c., see Bunting,
Yellow.

clanga, Aquila, see Eagle, Spotted.

clangula, Bucephala c., see Golden-
eye.

CLARKE, W. J., Note on Bluethroat
wintering in Yorkshire, 285.

clarket, Turdus ph., see Thrush,
Song-.

clypeata, Spatula, see Shoveler.

coccothraustes, Coccothraustes c., see
Hawfinch,

of |

| Crane,

nesting in Buckinghamshire,
rane
celebs, Fringilla c., see Chaffinch.
Cotes, R. E., Letter on Hobbies in

Buckinghamshire, 158.
collurio, Lanius c., see Shrike, Red-
backed.
collybita, Phylloscopus c., see
Chiffchaff.

comminutus, Dryvobates minor, see
Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted.

communis, Sylvia c., see White-
throat.

CONGREVE, Mayor W. M., Note on
status of Marsh- and Willow-

Tit in Denbighshire and
Pembrokeshire, 95.
CONNELL, CHARLES G., Note on

early laying of Cuckoo in
Perthshire, 74.

covax, Corvus c., see Raven.

Cormorant, Recovery of marked,
16,

cornix, Corvus c., see Crow, Hooded.

corone, Corvus c., see Crow,
Carrion-.

Cox, A. H. MAcHELL, Notes on
Great Spotted Woodpecker
and Nuthatch nesting in same
tree, 152; Unlined nest of
Willow-Warbler, 152; Raven
nesting in Heronry 149.

Demoiselle, in Yorkshire,

057.

| crecca, Anas c., see Teal.

Creeper, Tree-, Roosting-habits of,
130.

crex, Crex, see Rail, Land-.

cristatus, Parus, see Tit, Crested.

Crossbill, in Berkshire, 179; Early
nesting in Norfolk 240;
Immigration of, into East
Anglia, 240; Nesting in
Norfolk, 253; Incubation
habits of, 283.

Crow, Carrion-,
marked, 13,
habits of, 58.

' x Crow, Hooded, in Isle

of Man, ro.

——, Hooded, in Isle of Man, 10;
in the London district, 30;
in Monmouthshire, 150; Kil-
ling a lamb, 283.

Recovery of
165; Breeding-

322

Crow, Hooded, X Crow,
in Isle of Man, Io.

Cuckoo, Returning to same summer
quarters for the sixth succes-
sive year, 54; Returning to

Carrion-,

same summer quarters for
seven successive years, 30;
Egg-deposition by, 54; En-
tering nesting-box, and two

Cuckoos laying in same nest,
73; Early laying of. in Perth-
shire, 74; Young fed by
several birds, too; Ringed in
Ayrshire, found in Thuringia,
277s

Curlew, Recovery of marked, 18,
173; Clutch of white eggs, 53 ;
Breeding in Oxfordshire, 102 ;
Increase of, breeding in Here-
fordshire, 288.

——, Stone-, Recovery of marked,17.

Curtis, W. ParkKINsSON, Note on
Great Black-headed Gull in
Hampshire, 28.

CuRTLER, M. Stuart, Notes on
Wrynecks in S. Devon, 99;
Early arrival of Fieldfares in
Norfolk, 131.

cuvvivostra, Loxia c., see Crossbill.

cyaneus, Circus c., see Harrier,
Hen-.

cygnus, Cygnus, see Swan,
Whooper.

dartfordiensis, Sylvia wu., see
Warbler, Dartford.

DAVENPORT, HENRY S., Note on
Serins in Kent, 283.

Dipper, Building-habits of, 25;
Breeding-habits of, 62 ; Incuba-
tion-period, 281.

——., Irish, in Isle of Man, rr.

Diver, Great Northern, in Isle of
Man, 11; in Glamorganshire,
50; off the west coast of
Ireland in July, tor.

——, Red-throated, in Glamorgan-
shire, 50.

—, White-billed,
Merioneth, 28.

Dosizt, Dr. W. HENRY,
Mistle-Thrush
spout, 72.

domesticus, Passey d., see Sparrow,
House-.

Donovan, C., Note on Stock-Dove
in co. Cork, 255.

possible in

Note on
nesting on a

BRITISH BIRDS.

dougaliti, Sterna s., see Tern,
Roseate, 245.

Dove, Rock-, in Norfolk, 243.

——, Stock-, Breeding in co.
Donegal, 235; in co. Cork,
255; Fledging-period, 28r.

——, Turtle-, at Holy Island, 20;
in the Bay of Biscay, 148;
Recovery of marked, 172;
Unusual nest, 213; Wintering
in Shropshire, 255.

dresseri, Parus p., see Tit, Marsh-.

Duck, Eider, Courting display and
nesting in the Tay Estuary,
45; Notes on the summer
habits, 138.

———— one-tailed, im
shire, 236.

——, Ruddy Sheld-, in Midlothian,
TO:

——, Scaup-, on Cheshire Mcres in
summer, 178.

——, Tufted, Breeding in Anglesey,
212; Notes on the courtship
226; Distribution in Scotland,
226; Nesting in Cumberland,
312.

DuNncaN, WALTER, Note on mul-
tiple nest-building by Black-
bird, 97.

Dunkin, D. L., Note on Spotted
Redshanks in Sussex, 313.

Worcester-

Eagle, Golden, Fledging-period of,
133; Status of, in Ireland,
211, 258; Notes on the, 218;
Lifting power of, 259, 291, 318.

——., Spotted, Nestling-plumage of,
2A

, White-tailed, in Essex, 253,
254; in the Scilly Isles, 287 ;

Easton, L. J., Note on clutch of
dwarf eggs of Linnet, 50.

ebuynea, Pagophila, see
Ivory.

Evriott, J. S., Note on Blackbird
brooding on eggs and nest of
Song-Thrush, 24.

epops, Upupa e., see Hoopoe.

erythropus, Tringa, see Redshank,
Spotted.

europaeus, Caprimulgus, see Night-
jar.

Evans, C. 1., Note on Redwing
singing in England, 253.
excubitor, Lanius e., see Shrike,

Great Grey.

Gull,

INDEX.

fabalis, Anser, see Goose, Bean-.

faevoeensis, Capella g., see Snipe,
Ieeroe.

Falcon, Peregrine, Recovery of
marked, 171; im Surrey, 211.

feldegg, Motacilla f., see Wagtail,
Black-headed.

fervina, Nyroca f., see Pochard.

fervuginea, Casarca, see Duck,
Ruddy Sheld-.

Fieldfare, Early arrival of, in Nor-

folk, 131; Early flock of, in
Norfolk, 241; Nestling-down
of, 285.

Flamingo, Nesting in the Camargue,
145.

flammeus, Asio f., see Owl, Short-
eared.

flava, Motacilla f., see Wagtail,

Blue-headed.
——, Evremophila
Shore-.
Flycatcher, Pied, at Holy Island,
20; in Glamorganshire, 49;
Breeding-habits of, 60; in
east Ross-shire, 131; Incuba-
tion- and Fledging-periods, 281.
—--, Red-breasted, at Holy Island,
20; in Norfolk, 241.
Spotted, Fledging-period of,

a., see Lark,

249, 251; Incubation- and
Fledging-periods, 281.
——, ——, and Wren nesting in

same cavity, 71.

Forrest, H. E., Notes on possible |

White-billed
neth, 28;
Duck

Diver in Merio-
Pochard and Tufted
breeding in Anglesey,

212; Garganey in Anglesey,
212; Gannets in Shropshire,
213; Turtle-Dove wintering

in Shropshire, 255; Black
Redstarts in Merioneth, 285;
Gadwall in Shropshire, 287.
frugilegus, Corvus f., see Rook.
fulicarius, Phalaropus, see Phala-
rope, Grey.
fuligula, Nvroca, see Duck, Tufted.

Gadwall, in Staffordshire, 233; in
Shropshire, 287.

gethet, Luscinia svecica, see Blue-
throat, Norwegian.

gallinago, Capella g., see Snipe.

Gannet, Recovery of marked, 16,
172; on the Yorkshire cliffs,
30; in Shropshire, 213 ; Inland

5325

in Cheshire, 235; Attempt of,
to breed in Yorkshire, 288;
Egg-laying of the Grassholm,

SOD. . .
Garganey in Anglesey, 212; im
Worcestershire, 236; Nesting

in Norfolk, 243.

GARNETT, Miss Marjory, Notes on
Incubation- and _ Fledging-
periods, 281.

GARNETT, R. M., Note on Poma-
torhine Skuas in Carnarvon-
shire, 102.

garvulus, Bombycilla, see Waxwing.

——, Coracias, see Roller.

gibraltariensis, Pheenicurits o.,
Redstart, Black.

GILBERT, H. A., Notes on Wood-
Lark in Perthshire, 129; Pied
Flycatcher in East Ross-shire,
131; Short-eared Owl nesting
in Suffolk, 133; Fledging-
period of Golden Eagle, 133;
Increase of Fulmars in Caith-
ness, 134; Incubation habits
of Crossbill, 283; Increase of
Curlew breeding in Hereford-

see

shire, 288; Letters on the
lifting power of the Golden
Eagle, 259, 292.

GILILMAN, ARTHUR R., Letter on
lifting power of the Golden
Eagle, 318.

glacialis, Iulmarus g., see Petrel,
Fulmar.

GLADSTONE, H.S., Note on Incuba-
tion-period of Common Sand-
piper, 53.

glareola, Tringa,
Wood-.

GLEGG, WILLIAM E., On the nesting
of the Avocet in the Camargue,
82: Further notes on the
nesting of the Flamingo and
Gull-billed Tern in the
Camargue, 145.

Godwit, Black-tailed, in Cumber-
land, 134; in Norfolk, 245.
Golden-eye, on Cheshire Meres in
summer, 178 ; in Staffordshire,
234; in Worcestershire, 236.

Goldfinch, Breeding-habits of, 59.

——, Continental, as a British bird,
Ae

GoopDALL, J. M., Note on Rose-
coloured Pastor in the Isle of
Wight, 129.

see Sandpiper,

j24

Goosander in Staffordshire, 234.

Goose, Bean-, in Outer Hebrides, 156.

——, Grey-Lag, in Romney Marsh,
26.

——, Pink-footed, in Hertfordshire,

—— *White-fronted, in full moult
in Ireland in June, 75.

GoRDON, SETON, Letter on the
lifting power of the Golden
Eagle, 291.

GRAHAM, R., Note ona large Raven

roost, 175.

grandis, Gypetus barbatus, see
Lammergeier.

GRAVES, FRANK S., Note on

Glaucous Gull in Man, 29.
Grebe, Black-necked, in Glamorgan-
shire, 50; in Staffordshire,
234; in Worcestershire, 236.
——, Red-necked, in Leicestershire,
156.
——,, Slavonian, in Isle of Man, 11 ;
in Glamorganshire, 50.

Greenfinch, Migrating between
Australia and New Zealand,
151; Recovery of marked,

165; Incubation- and fledgine-
periods, 282.
Greenshank, Breeding in Aberdeen-
shire, 30; in Glamorganshire,
50; Nesting in Scottish Low-
lands, 156.
griseigena, Podiceps g.
Red-necked.
grvile, Uria g., see Guillemot, Black.
Guillemot, Recovery of marked,

, see Grebe,

19, 174; Ringed off Suther-
landshire, reported from
Norway, 277.

——, Black, at Holy Island, 20; in
Pembrokeshire, 256.

——, Northern, Distribution in
Great Britain, 274.
—-— Southern, Distribution in

Great Britain, 274.
gularis, Cinclus c., see Dipper.
Gull, Black-headed, Marked abroad,
recovered in Great Jritain,
19; Nesting in the Scilly Isles,
134; A correction, 174;
Ringed as nestlings on the
Continent, reported in Norfolk
during 1925, 245.
- Common, Recovery of
marked, 18; Marked abroad,
recovered in Great Britain, 19.

BRITISH BIRDS.

Gull, Glaucous, in Kent, 29; in
Man, 29; in Norfolk, 246.
——, Great Black-backed, in Isle of

Man, 12.

, Great Black-headed,

Hampshire, 28.

——, Herring-, in Isle of Man,
Recovery of marked, 18.

——, Ivory-, in Yorkshire, 157.

——, Lesser Black-backed,
covery of marked, 18, 174.

——,, Little, at Holy Island, 20.

GuRNEY, G. H., Note on White-
tailed Eagle in Essex, 254.

in

ie

Re-

Hare, R. W., Note on roosting-
habits of Tree-Creeper, 130.

halietus, Pandion, see Osprey.

HarpcastLe, A., Note on young
Cuckoo fed by several birds,
100.

HARDIMAN, J. P., Note on Spotted
Redshank in Kent, 77.

Harrier, Hen-, in Monmouthshire,
i977; in Devon, wéorean
Norfolk, 242.

——, Marsh-, Nestling of, 70.

——, Montagu’s, Nesting in Norfolk,

Harvey, G. H., Notes from West
Cornwall, 1925, 231.

Hawfinch, in Scotland, 155.

Hawk, Sparrow-, Recovery of
marked, 16, 171; Incubation-

and Fledging-periods, 153;
Polygamy in the, 180;
Catching a Snipe, 312.

Hawkins, JoHN L., Note on
multiple — nest-building — by
Blackbird 72.

Heron, Recovery of marked, 16,
171; Ringed in Staffordshire,

1910, reported same place in
1926, 276.

——, Night-, in Norfolk, 243.

——, Purple, in Romney Marsh,
27

—— 7) SU MAGco, Nestling-plumage
of, 247.

HiIBBERt-Ware, Miss A., Notes on
tameness of Marsh-Tits, 285 ;

Common Buzzard in Essex,
287.

hibernicus, Cinclus c., see Dipper,
Lrish.

hirundo, Sterna, see Tern, Common.

INDEX.

Hobby, Nesting in Buckingham-
shire, 133; in Buckingham-
shire, 158.

Hoopoe, in Isle of Man, 11 ; at
Holy Island, 20; Nestling of,
70.

hortensis, Sylvia hortensis, see
Warbler, Orphean.

Humpnureys, G. R., Note on Great
Northern Divers off West
Coast of Ireland in July, tot.

HUXLEY, Pror. J. S., The Absence
of “ Courtship ’’ in the Avocet,

88.

hyvemalis, Clangula, see Duck, Long-
tailed.

Av perboreus, Larus, see Gull,
Giaucous.

hvpoleuca, Muscicapa h., see Vly-
catcher, Pied.

hypoleucos, Tringa, see Sandpiper,
Common.

ichthyaétus, Layus, see Gull, Great
Black-headed.

icterina, Hippolats,
Icterine.

ignicapillus, Regulus i., see Wren,
Fire-crested.

zmmey, Colymbus, see Diver, Great

Northern.

INGRAM, COLLINGWOOD,
nestling birds, 247.

interypres, Avenaria, see Turnstone.

ispida, Alcedo a., see Kingfisher.

see Warbler,

Notes on

Jounston, T. L., Note on Willow-
Tit breeding in Cumberland, 96.

Jones, RicHARv W., Note on ‘Lesser
Spotted Woodpecker in Car-
narvonshire, 312.

JourpDAIN, Rev. F.C. R., Notes on
dwarf eggs (clutches of), 50;
Incubation- and fledging-period
of the

House-Martin, 99;
Breeding of the Curlew in
Oxfordshire, 102; Status of

the Golden Eagle in Ireland, 211.
——, see Longstaft, Dr.

ric.
Joy, Dr. Norman H., Note on the
Continental Goldfinch as a
British Bird, 21.

Kestrel, Recovery of marked, 171 ;
Ringed in Dumfriesshire, re-
ported in Sussex, 276.

525

Kestrel and House-Sparrow using
the same nest, IO!r.

——, Lesser, Nestling of, 70.

Kingfisher, in the Isle of Man, IT;
Recovery of marked, 15;
Killed at lighthouse in Norfolk,
242.

Kittiwake, Recovery of marked,
18.
kleinschmidti,

Willow-.

Parus a., see Tit,

Lammergeyer, Nestling-plumage
of, 247.

Lancum, F. Howarp, Notes on
curious nesting-site of lRed-
breast, 24; Cuckoo entering
nesting-box and two Cuckoos
laying in same nest, 73.

Lapwing, Recovery of marked, 17,
173, 244: Perching on tele-
graph wire, 76; Albinistic
variety in Leicestershire, 156 ;
Marked abroad, recovered in
England, 174; Variety, correc-
tion, 180.

Lark, Shore-, in Kent, 179; on
Holy Island, 214; in Norfolk,
235.

——, Wood-, Nestling of, 69; in

Perthshire, 129; Nesting in
North Lincolnshire, 129;
Breeding in Berkshire, 182 ;

Extension of breeding-area in
Norfolk, 240; in Pembroke-
shire, 313.

lentiginosus, Botaurus, see Bittern,
American.

leucorodia, Platalea |., see Spoonbill.

limosa, Limosa 1l., see Godwit,
Black-tailed.

linaria, Carduelis 1., see Redpoll,
Mealy.

Linnet, Clutch of dwarf eggs of, 50;
Recovery of marked, 166.

livia, Columba l., see Dove, Rock-.

LLoyp, BERTRAM, On the egg-
laying of the Grassholm
Gannets, 309 ; Notes on
Black Guillemot in Pembroke-
shire, 256; Mealy Redpoll at
Hampstead, 22.

Lonc, Dr. SypNEy H., Note on
White-tailed Eagle in Essex,
253.

longicaudus, Slercorarius, see Skua,
Buffon’s.

326

LonestafF, Dr. T. G. and JourR-
DAIN, Rev. F. C.R., Fledging-
periods of some British birds,
249.

Lowe, Dr. Percy R., Review oi
“The Origin of Birds,” 289.

Loyp, Lewis R. W., Note on Wry-
neck in Devonshire, 132.

MAcDONALD, DuNCAN, Some notes
on the Golden Eagle, 218.
MACKENZIE, PATIENCE, Note on
building habits of the Dipper,

25.

McKerrrow, M., Note on Black-
tailed Godwit in Cumberland,
134.

Ne ee ee an EG Ww Note
on Roller in Invernes-shire, 177.

MacpHeEerson, A. Horte, Note on
Grey Wagtails in the London
district, 51.

Magpie, Early
bridgeshire, 21 ;
grown rabbit, 252.

MAGRATH, Cot. H. A. F., Letter on
Courtship of the Teal, 215.

Mallard, Recovery of marked, 16,
D7.

—— Pintail Hybrid, in Norfolk,
243.

MAPLETON-BREE, H. W., Letter on
the call-note of the Chaffinch,
318.

marila, Nyvoca m.,see Duck, Scaup-.

marinus, Layvus, see Gull, Great
Black-backed.

Marked birds, Recovery of, 13, 165.

MARSHALL, Mrs. LENORE I., Note
on Waxwings in Westmorland,

nesting in Cam-
Killing full-

DB
Martin, Recovery of marked, 171 ;
Incubation- and fledging-

period, 99.

MASEFIELD, JOHN R. B., Note on
variety of coloration of eggs
of Tree-Sparrow, 95.

media, Capella, see Snipe, Great.

Mepticott, W. S., Notes on Short-
eared Owl breeding in York-
shire, 74 ; Osprey in Yorkshire,

75; Wood-Lark nesting in
north Lincolnshire, 129);
Grasshopper- Warbler nesting in
north Lincolnshire, P51;
Black Redstart in Yorkshire,
210.

BRITISH BIRDS.

melba, A pus m., see Swift, Alpine.

melophilus, Icvithacus vy., see
Redbreast.

merganser, Mergus m., see Goosan-
der.

Merlin, Recovery of marked, 15;
Fledging-period, 281.

merula, Turdus m., see Blackbird.

MetHoLp, |. H., Note on rapid
nest-building by Song-Thrush,
22.

millaisi, Lagopus m., see Ptarmigan.

minutus, Larus, see Gull, Little.

modularis, Prunella, see Sparrow,

Hedge-.

mollissima, Somateria w., see
Eider.

MonraGug, Francis A., Notes on
the summer habits of the

Northern Eider, 138.
montanus, Passey m., see Sparrow,
Tree-.

Moon, Dr. H. J., Note on Reed-
Warbler breeding in Cumber-
land, 52.

Moor-hen, Recovery of marked, 19 ;
Late nesting in Durham, 30;
Diving ability of nestling, 54 ;
Rapid nest-building by, 77.

musicus, Turdus, see Redwing.

Musrers, J. L. CoAwortH, Note on
nestling-down of the Fieldfare,
285.

nevia, Locustella n., see Warbler,
Grasshopper-.

Nasa, Mrs. E. G., Note on Little
Owls attacking cat, 25.

naumanni, I’alco naumannt,
Kestrel, Lesser.

nebularia, Tyinga, see Greenshank.
nesa, Pyrrhula p., see Bullfinch,

see

British.

newtont, Parus m., see Tit, British
Great.

NIcoLtL, M. J., Obituarial notice of,
206. :

niger, Chlidonias, see Tern, Black.

Nightjar, Young remaining for

fourteen days within ten feet of
the nest, 250, 251.
nigva, Ciconta, see Stork, Black.
——-, Otdemia n., see Scoter,
Common.
nigvicollis, Podiceps n., see Grebe,
Black-necked.
nilotica, Gelochelidon,
Gaull-billed.

see Tern,

INDEX. 327

nisorvia, Sylvia n., see \Warbler, Oyster-catcher, Recovery of marked,
Barred. 17, 173; Breeding-habits of,
nisus, Accipitey un., see Hawk, 66; Fledging-period of, 76;

Sparrow-.

noctua, Athene, see Owl, Little.

Nuthatch, Woodpecker and, nesting
in same tree, 152.

nycticovax, Nycticorax n., see Heron,
Night-.

Obituary, Michael John Nicoll, 206.
obscurus, Parus c., see Tit, Blue.

occidentalis, Prunella, m., see
Sparrow, Hedge-. '
edicnemus, Burhinus a@., see Curlew,

Stone-.

cenanthe, Genanthe e., see Wheatear.

cenas, Columba @., see Dove, Stock-.

OLDHAM, CHARLES, Note on Pink-
footed Goose in Hertfordshire,
233%

olor, Cygnus, see Swan, Mute.

Oriole, Golden, Nestling of, 68; in
Kircudbrightshire, 155.

oriolus, Ortolus o., see
Golden.

Osprey in Isle of Man, 11; in
Yorkshire, 75; Nestling-plu-
mage of, 247.

ostvalegus, Hematopus, see Oyster-
catcher.

otus, Asio o0., see Owl, Long-eared.

Owen, J. H., Notes on dwarf eggs
of Yellow Bunting, 71; Lap-
wing perching on_ telegraph-
wire, 70; Nesting of the Great
Spotted Woodpecker,
Sparrow-Hawk
Snipe, 312.

Owl, Barn-, Large clutch of eggs of,
100.

——, Long-cared,
marked, 15.
——, Little, Recovery of marked,

15; Attacking cat, 25; In-
crease of, in north Lancashire,
26; Breeding in Yorkshire,
780; in Lancashire, 214 ;
Migration into Norfolk, 242;

Food of, 257.

Oriole,

125;
catching a

Recovery of

—-—, Short-eared, Breeding in
Yorkshire, 74; Nesting in
Suffolk, 133; Nesting in

Norfolk, 242.

——, Tawny, Breeding habits of,
62; Food of, 100; Incubation-
and fledging-periods of, 281.

Nesting in Norfolk, 244.

paludicola, Acrocephalus, see War-
bler, Aquatic.

palumbus, Columba p., see Pigeon,
Wood-.

palustris, Acrocephalus, see Warbler,
Marsh-.

parva, Muscicapa p., see Flycatcher,
Red-breasted.

Pastor, Rose-coloured, see Starling,
Rose-coloured.

Paton, E. RicHMOND, Notes on
Green Woodpecker in Ayr-

shire, 99; Migratory Thrushes
in north Ayrshire, 175.

PAYNE, R. V., Note on
Warbler breeding in
Dorset, 71.

penelope, Anas, see Wigcon.

PENROSE, Dr. F. G., Note on prob-
able Terek Sandpiper = in
Hampshire, 53.

percnopterus, Neophron, see Vulture,

Marsh-
north

Egyptian.

peregrinus, I-alco p., see Falcon,
Peregrine.

perspicillata, Oidemia, sce Scoter,
Surf-.

Petrel, Fulmar, at Holy Island, 20 ;
on the Yorkshire cliffs, 30;
Increase of, in Caithness, 134.

Phalarope, Grey, in Norfolk, 1506,

bhilomelus, Turdus ph.,see Thrush,
Continental Song-.

phenicurus, Phenicurus ph., see
Redstart.

pheopus, Numenius, see Whimbrel.

pica, Pica p., see Magpie.

Pigeon, Wood-, Recovery of
marked, 17, 172; Ringed in
Hampshire, reported in York-
Shire, 277.

PIKE, OLIVER G., Letter on the
lifting power of the Golden
Eagle, 291.

pilaris, Turdus, see Fieldfare.

Pintail, in Glamorganshire, 50; on
Cheshire meres in summer,
178; in Staffordshire, 236; in
Worcestershire, 236.

———™ Mallard hybrid, in Norfolk,
243.

--

328 BRITISH

Pipit, Tree-, Nest in a hayrick, 253.

———, Water im. Dorset, 22> im
Essex, 130.

platvrhyncha, Anas p., see Mallard.

Plover, Caspian, Nestling-plumage
of, 248.

-——, Kentish, in Norfolk, 235, 244.

Northern Golden, at Holy
Island, 20.

Pochard, on Cheshire meres in
summer, 179; Breeding in
Anglesey, 212.

Red-crested, in Midlothian,
156, 214; in Midlothian (a
correction), 256.

Polygamy in Sparrow-Hawk, 180 ;
in the Accipitres, 314.
pomatorhinus, Stercorarius, see Skua,

Poock, SypNrEy G., Notes on
Chiffchaff singing on the wing,
97; the Fledging-period of the
Redbreast, 312; Letter con-
cerning the Robin, 103; Red-
shank’s method of obtaining
food, 318.

POWELL, T. G., Note on clutch of
white eggs of Curlew, 53.

Ptarmigan, Insect food of, 157.

Puffin, in Bedfordshire, 155.

pufinus, Puffinus p., see
water, Manx.

pugnax, Philomachus see Ruff.

Purpurea, Ardea, see Heron, Purple.

PyE-Smirn, G., Note on the
breeding of the Icterine War-
bler in England, 311.

pygargus, Circus, see
Montagu’s.

Shear-

Harrier,

querquedula, Anas, see Garganey.

Rail, Land-, Breeding-habits of, 66 ;
Breeding in Oxon, 182.

RaLFe, P. G., Manx Ornithological |
Notes, 1924, 10.

valloides, Aydea, see Heron, Squacco.

Raven, Nesting in heronry, 149;
Recovery of marked, 165; a
large roost of, 175.

ravi, Motacilla flava, see Wagtail
Yellow.

KRazorbill, Recovery of marked, 10.

Redbreast, Recovery of marked,
14, 169; Curious nesting-site,
24; Courtship of, 61, 158;
Song of, 158; Study of, by

Pomatorhine. |

BIRDS.

means of marked birds, 120 ;

Unusual nest of, 232; Fledging-

period of, 249, 251, 312; In-

cubation- and fledging-periods,

281; Letter concerning the, 103.

Redpoll, Lesser, Fledging-period
of, 249, 250.
——, Mealy, at Hampstead, 22.
Redshank, Recovery of marked, 17.
, Spotted, in Kent, 77; in
Surrey, 214; in Norfolk, 244 ;
in Sussex, 313; Method of ob-
taining food, 318.
Redstart, Breeding in Norfolk, 241.
, Black, in Isle of Man, 11; in
Inner Hebrides, 2 in Kent,
179; in Suffolk, 210; in
Yorkshire, 210; in Wigtown-
shire, 210; in Hampshire,
214; in Merioneth, 285.
Redwing, Early arrival of, in Devon,
152; Incubation - period of,
256; Singing in England, 253.
REEVE, JOHNS., Note on Nesting of
Great Spotted Woodpecker, 286.
vegulus, Regulus y., see Wren, Con-
tinental Golden-crested.
Reviews :—

The Food of some British Wild
Birds, 32, 257:

A Monograph of the Birds of
Preys 32:

Bird Islands of Veru, 56.

Thorburn’s British Birds, 80,
160.

Notes on the Birds of Cley,
Norfolk, 103.

A Comparative Hand-list of the
Birds of Japan and the
British Isles, 135.

Notes on Sussex Ornithology,
(30.

A Book about Birds, 160.

Spitsbergen Vapers, 181.

Keport of the Oxford Ornitho-
logical Society on the Birds
of Oxtordshire, Berkshire
and Buckinghamshire, 1923—
1924, 182.

The London Naturalist. The
Journal of the London
Natural History Society in
the year 1924, 183.

Bird-Song: A Manual for
Field-Naturalists on the
Songs and Notes of some
British Birds, 183.

INDEX.

The Pocket Book of British
Birds, 184.

Woodcuts of British Birds,
184.

In Praise of Birds, 216.

The Secrets of the Eagle and
of other rare birds, 258.

The Origin of Birds, 289.

Problems of Bird-Migration,

ae

Life Histories of

American Wild Fowl, 316.

vidibundus, Larus, see Gull, Black-
headed.

RivrerE, Dr. B. B., Ornithological
Report from Norfolk for 1925,
238.

Roserts, T. N., Note on rapid nest-
building by Moor-hen, 77.

Robin, see Redbreast.

Rogpinson, H. W., Notes on
Bewick's Swans in Lancashire,
52; Buffon’s Skua in the
Seilly Isles, 54; Black Terns
in Scilly, 54; Manx Shear-
waters laying in the open in
Scilly, 76; Black-headed Gull
nesting in the Scilly Isles, 134 ;
White-tailed Eagle in the Scilly
Isles, 287; Letter on the
winter status of the Whimbrel,

55:
Roller, in Inverness-shire, 177;
Nestling-plumage of, 247.
Rook, Recovery of marked, 165.

yoseus, githalos c., see Tit,
British Long-tailed.
, Pastor, see Pastor, Rose-
coloured.

vubecula, Evithacus, see Redbreast.
vubetrva, Saxicola, see Whinchat.

Ruff, in Cornwall, 232; in Romney
Marsh, 28.

yufina, Netta, see Pochard, Red-
crested.

yustica, Hirvundo r., see Swallow.
rusticola, Scolopax r., see Woodcock.

Sandpiper, Common, Incubation-

period, 53; Recovery of

marked, 173; in Bedfordshire,

a5.

, Terek, Probable, in Hamp-

shire, 53.

, Wood-, in North Uist, 288.

sandvicensis, Sterna s., see Tern,
Sandwich.

North- senator, Lanius senator, see Shrike,

329

ScHENK, JAMES, The Migration of
the Woodcock in Europe, 34 ;
Letter on large number of
Rose-coloured Starlings ringed
in Hungary, 135.

sclypaceus, Acrocephalus,
Warbler, Reed-.

Scoter, Common, on Cheshire meres

in summer, 178.

, Surf-, in Norfolk, 234, 243.

see

Woodchat.

Serin, Nestling of, 68 ; in Kent, 283.

sevinus, Servinus canarius, see Serin.

Shag, Recovery of marked, 16.

Shearwater, Manx, at Holy Island,
20; Food of, 30; Laying in
the open in Scilly, 76.

Sheld-Duck, Ruddy, in Midlothian,
20d.

Shoveler, Status of, in Lancashire,
55, 78; in Cumberland, 212:
in Staffordshire, 233.

Shrike, Great Grey, in Norfolk, 241.

——, Red-backed, at Holy Island,
20; in the Bay of Biscay, 148 ;
Larder of, 151; Fledging-
period of, 250; Breeding in
Pembrokeshire, 314.

——, Woodchat, Nestling of, 69;
in Cornwall, 232.

sibilatrix, Phylloscopus s.,_ see
Warbler, Wood-.

Simpson, ALAN H., Note on
Hooded Crows killing a lamb,
283.

Skua, Buffon’s, in Scilly Isles, 54.

, Great, at Holy Island, 20;

in Norfolk, 246.

, Pomatorhine, in Carnarvon-
shire, 102.

skua, Stercorarius s
Great.

Smew, in Glamorganshire, 50; in
Staffordshire, 234.

SMitH, A., Note on Water-Pipit in
Essex, 130.

Snipe, Albino, in Merioneth, 215.

——, Feroe, at Fair Isle, 157.

. see Skua,

| ——, Great, in Norfolk, 245.

Sparrow, Hedge-,
marked, 15, 170; Homing
instinct in, 24; Converting
nest of Song-Thrush, 176;
Fledging-period of, 249; In-
a aes and fledging-periods,
281.

Recovery of

330

Sparrow, House-, and Kestrel, using
the same nest, IOl.

——, Tree-, Breeding in Cumber-
land, 59; Variety of colora-
tion of eggs of, 95.

SPERLING, C. F. D., Note on food of
Tawny Owl, 100.

spinoletta, Anthus a.,
Water-.

Spoonbill, Late stay in Norfolk,
242- 10 Doren 303;

Starling, Recovery of marked, 13,
165; Marked abroad, _ re-
covered in Great Britain, 19;
Incubation- and _ fledging-
periods, 281.

——, Rose-coloured, in the Isle of
Wight, 129; Large number
ringed in Hungary, 135; in
Hampshire, 155; in Outer
Hebrides, 288; in Perthshire,
288.

stellaris, Botaurus s., see Bittern.

stellatus, Colymbus, see Diver, Red-
throated.

Stonry, C. V., Note on Stock-
Dove breeding in co. Donegal,

see Pipit,

235; Letter on the status of
the Golden Eagle in Ireland,
258.

Stork, Black, Nestling plumage of,
BAT

wenera, Anas, see Gadwall.

striata, Muscicapa s., see Fly-

catcher, Spotted.

subbuteo, Kalco s., see Hobby.

svecica, Luscinia, see Bluethroat.

Swallow, Nest on a lantern, 131;
Recovery of marked, 15, 170.

Swan, Bewick’s, in Isle of Man, 11;
in Glamorganshire, 49; in
Lancashire, 53; in Stafford-
shire, 234,

, Mute, Historical Review of

the Laws, Orders and Customs

anciently used for the preserva-

tion of, in England, 186; Swan

Marks, 262, 294.

——, Whooper, in Isle of Man, 11.

Swift, Brooding young MHouse-
Sparrow, 177.

——, Alpme, in Dorset, 52;
HSenity 3250070.

sylvatica, Strix a., see Owl, Tawny.

SYMES, JosEepH H., Note on Swift

"brooding young House-
Sparrows, 177.

in

BRITISH BIRDS.

tarda, Otis t., see Bustard, Great.

TayLer, A. G., Note on Tree-
Pipit’s nest in a_ hayrick,
Binet

Teal, Recovery of marked, 16, 172 ;
Courtship of, 162, 215.

Tern, Black, in Scilly Isles, 54; in
Staffordshire, 234; in Worces-
tershire, 235.

——, Common:
marked, 18;
winter, 250.

Gull-billed, Nesting in the

of
in

Recovery:
in Surrey

,

Camargue, 145; in Norfolk,
245.

——, Roseate, Nesting in Norfolk,
245.

,

Sandwich, Breeding in Clyde

Estuary, 30; Recovery of
marked, 173; Nesting in
Norfolk, 245.

THomas, J. F., Notes on some

results and methods of marking
Wheatears, 98.

Tuompson, G. W., Notes on early
nesting of Magpie in Cam-
bridgeshire, 21; Large clutch
of Barn-Owl’s eggs, 100;
Kestrel and House-Sparrow
using the same mest, ron;
Magpies killing full-grown
Rabbit, 252.

TuorpPeE, W. H., Some Ecological
aspects of British Ornithology,
106; Notes on Glaucous Gull
in Kent, 29; Call-note of the
Chaffinch, 283.

Thrush, Mistle-, Recovery of
marked, 14, 167; Interval
between nests, 29; Breeding-
habits of, 61; Nesting on a
Spout, 72.

——, Song-, Recovery of marked,
14,167; Influence of rainfall
on fecundity of, 22; Rapid
nest-building by, 22; Clutches
of dwarf eggs, 72; Nests con-
verted by Blackbird and
Hedge-Sparrow, 176; Ringed
in England and _ Scotland,
found in France and Ireland,
277; Incubation- and Fledging-
periods, 281, 282.

—, —-—, Continental, in north
Ayrshire, 175.

lichinoRsi, IDRC. 18.) deentenwe
The Birds of Suffolk, 318.

INDEX.

TicEHURST, Dr. N.F., An Historical
Review of the Laws, Orders
and Customs anciently used for
the preservation of Swans in
England, 186; On Swan-
Marks (Part I.) 262, (Part II.,
294); Note on clutches of
dwarf eggs of Song-Thrush, 72.

tinnuncu.us, Falco, see Kestrel.

Tit, Bearded, in Berkshire, 182.

Titmouse, British Blue, Fledging-
period of, 249: Incubation-
and fledging-periods, 282. —

—--—, Continental Blue, in Norfolk,
241.

——, Crested, in Lanarkshire, 155.

——., British Great, Fledging-period
of, 249, 250.

——, Long-tailed, Laying before
completion of nest, 209 ; Incu-
bation- and fledging-per.ods,
249, 250, 281.

——, Marsh-, Note on status in
Denbighshire and Pembroke-

shire, 95; in Cumberland,

157; Tameness of, 285.

Willow-, Note on status in

Denbighshire and Pembroke-

shire, 95 ; Breeding in Cumber-

land, 96; in Cumberland, 157.

torda, Alca, see Razorbill.

tovquilla, Jynx t., see Wryneck.

fotanus, Tringa t., see Redshank.

Tracy, N., Notes on Red-backed
Shrike’s larder, 151; The
share of sexes in incubation of
the Great Spotted Woodpecker,
152.

tridactyla, Rissa, see Gull, Kitti-
wake.

lyivialis, Anthus, see Pipit, Tree-.

tvochilus, Phylloscopus t., sce
Warbler, Willow-.

tyoglodytes, Tvoglodytes t., see Wren.

TurRNER, Miss E. L., Notes on Surf-
Scoters in Norfolk, 234;
Kentish Plovers and Shore-
Larks in Norfolk, 235.

Turnstone, ona Baltic Islet, 2.

turtuy, Streptopelia t., see Dove,
Turtle-.

urbica, Delichon, w.,
House-.
uvyogallus, Tetrao, see Capercaillie.

see Martin,

vanellus, Vanellus, see Lapwing.

33 |

vidalii, Athene n., see Owl, Little.
virgo, Anthropoides, see Crane,
Demoiselle.

vividis, Picus, see Woodpecker,
Green.

viscivorus, Turdus v., see Thrush,
Mistle-.

vulgaris, Sturnus v., see Starling.

Vulture, Egyptian, Nestling plu-
mage of, 247.

Wagtail, Black-headed, in Dum-

fries-shire, 155.

Blue-headed,

Cornwall, 231.

——., Grey, in the London district,
30, 51; Nestingin Norfolk, 240.

——., Pied, Laying four times in the
same nest, 95.

——, White, at Holy Island, 20;
in Glamorganshire, 49; Breed-
ing with Pied Wagtail in
Shropshire, 179; Nesting in
Argyllshire, 288.

———, Yellow, Breeding in Cornwall,
231; at Holy Island, 20.

Wautis, H. M., Note on Alpine
Swifts in Kent, 132.

Warbler, Aquatic, in Norfolk, 241.

——, Barred, at Holy Island, 20.

~~, Dartford, Fledging-period of,
250.

——, Eversmann’s, at Holy Island,
20:

Garden-, Nesting in Pem-
brokeshire, 314.

——, Grasshopper-, Nesting in
north Lincolnshire, 151.

——, Icterine, Breeding in England,
Some

——, Marsh-,
Dorset, 61.

———, Orphean, Song of, 68; Nest-
ling of, 69.

———, Reed-, Breeding in Cumber-
land, 52.

-———., Rufous, Song of, 68.

———, Subalpine, Nestling of, 7o.

-——, Willow-, Recovery of marked,
14; Song of, 51; Unlined nest
of, £52; Incubation- and
lledging-periods, 281.

——, Wood-, Breeding in Norfolk,
241; Incubation-periods, 281.

Waxwing, in Westmorland, 239%
in Perthshire, 288; in West-
morland, 288.

Breeding in

Breeding in north

352 BRITISH
Wheatear, Recovery of marked, 14,
168 ; Some results and

methods of marking, 98.
Whimbrel, Winter status of, 55.
Whinchat, Ringed in Cumberland,

reported from Portugal, 276 ;

Fledging-period, 281.

WHITE, W. WALMESLEY, Note on
early arrival of Redwings in
Devon, 152.

Whitethroat, Late nesting of, in
Cumberland, 61; Fledging-
period of, 250, 281.

Wigeon, Marked abroad, recovered
in Great Britain, 19.

Wiiiiams, W. J., Notes on Ameri-
can Bittern in co. Kerry, 232 ;
Great Bustard in co. Cork,
236.

Witson, A. H. R., Notes on in-
fluence of rainfall on fecundity
of Song-Thrush and Blackbird
in Perthshire, 22; Homing In-
stinct in Hedge-Sparrow, 2
Note on Greenfinch migrating
between Australia and New
Zealand, 151.

Witson, A. H. R. and BAKER,
CuHaRLES E., Note on June
migration in the Bay of Biscay,

149.
WiITHERBY, H. F., The Nestlings of
some rare British Birds, 68;
On the Distribution of the
Southern and Northern Guille-
mots in Great Britain, 274;
The “‘ British Birds’ marking

“<

28 APR 1926
PURCHASED

oi Pa 4 x
a Fit ee Sane

BIRDS.

scheme, Progress for 1925, 275 ;
Note on White-fronted Goose

in full moult in Ireland in
June, 75.
Woodcock, Recovery of marked,

18, 173; Migration of, in
Europe, 34; Migration of, 78 ;
Nesting in Norfolk, 245.
Woodpecker, Great Spotted, Notes
on the nesting, 125, 152, 286.
: , and Nuthatch
nesting in same tree, 152.
——, Lesser Spotted, in Carnarvon-
shire, 312.
, Green, in Ayrshire, 99.
Workman, W. H., Letter on the
Migration of the Woodcock, 79.
Wren, Habits of, 62; Fledging-
period of, 249, 251; Incuba-
tion-period, 281; Incubation-
and fledging-periods, 282.
and Spotted Flycatcher
nesting in same cavity, 71.
——, Fire-crested, at Holy Island,
20; in Oxon, 182; in Norfolk,

24i

. British Golden-crested,

Fledging-period of, 249, 250.

——, Golden-crested, Continental,
at Holy Island, 20.

Wryneck, in South Devon, 99; in
Devonshire, 132; Incubation-
period of, 249; Fledging-
period of, 249, 251.

yarrellii, Movacilla a., see \Nagtail,
Pied.

sae MUSED.

WANTED.—Birds in variety plumage, or would

purchase whole collection of such.

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