bad Pos
ZB

RITSABINDS

WITH WHICH WAS INCORPORATED IN JANUARY, 1917, “f THE ZOOLOGIST.

AN ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE DEVOTED
JHIEFL YX, TO THE BIRDS ON THE BRITISH LIST
ww iQ
.*
soe EDITED BY
H. F. WITHERBY MBE. F.Z.S. M.B.O.U. H.F.A.0.U.

ASSISTED BY
Rev. F. C. R. JOURDAIN M.A. M.B.O.U. H.F.A.O.U. H.M.G.O.S.
AND
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Volume XXVIII

JUNE 1934— MAY 1935

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

LIST CF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Sky-LaArRK: Female and Young, showing palate
markings of the latter. aaa by as
Armitage). (Plate 1)

DARTFORD WARBLER: Territory in the
Dartford Warbler at the nest.

Plate 2. Upper: Female waiting to clean nest—a
momentary attitude

Lower: Male feeding young.
(Photographed by H. N. Southern)

Sxetcu-maps, No.1 and No. 2—Distribution
of Dartford Warblers’ nests on a Surrey
Greensand Moor. May, 1933

BLACKBIRD : Strange nest-building by wounded
LittLtE OWL: Nest under Railway

BRIDLED TERNS: At the nest, Pulau Sepoi, June rgth,
1934 aae — aT we sepa

GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND :—
Eldey from S.S.W. a he by Lent. E. ©.
Egan, R.N.) “

Eldey from N.N.E. at short 500 a "(Photo-
graphed by Petty Officer R. G. Hatcher, R.N.)

MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS FROM ABROAD TO THE
BRITISH ISLES AND FROM THE BRITISH ISLES
ABROAD, Addenda ili. :—

Starling : Map to show — of winter visitors to
Pritish Islands ... - ¥ ibe <
Blacrbird : Map to show origin of winter visitors
to British Islands ... ce ne nee
Cuckoo; Map showing recovery positions of birds
ringed as nestlings in Great Britain ...

BLACK-HEADED GULLS: Nesting in Trees—Site of

PAGE

. 59, 62

79
85

93

102

103

107
III

IIz2

nest at Oakmere, Cheshire, June 27th, 1934 E16, IL7

POMATORHINE SKUA: In Flight. (Photographed by
Lieut.-Com. R. R. Graham, R.N.) ... wae isk

118

iv. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS FROM ABROAD TO THE
BRITISH ISLES AND FROM THE BRITISH

IstEs ABROAD, Addenda 11. :—
Common Heron : Map to show recovery of nestlings
Lapwing : Map to show recovery of nestlings ...

TEMMINCK’S STINT: Sitting onnest. (Photographed by
Herman L. Lovenskiold) on a sc

WILLow-TitmMousE: Feeding young. (Photographed
by T. Russell Goddard) ee ny ie

GREAT CRESTED GREBE: Sketch-map of Frensham
Ponds; SW. Surrey ... ~ ao ae ae

Coot: Abnormal nest on dry mud, Little eae
Reservoir. (Photographed by O. G. Pike) ..

SHORT-EARED OwL: At the nest. (Photographed by
T. Russell Goddard)... ay ae ae

RED-THROATED DIVER: In Kensington Gardens.
Spring, 1934. (Photographed by E. G. Pedler)

KINGFISHER: Sketch-map showing nests known in
1934 at White Cart, Renfrewshire ... ae

Types of nest-holes as seen from above
Types of nest-banks in section

About to enter nesting-hole. (Photographed
by Philip A. Clancey) : os

Sketch-maps giving examples of overcrowding

PAGE

2098
300

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and varieties, its training as a talker and pet, and diseases and their treatment, make it an
outstanding book on the subject.

“Every Bird of Australia in Natural Colour.”
WHAT BIRD IS THAT ?

A Guide to the Birds of Australia. Illustrated in Natural
Colours. By NEVILLE W. CAYLEY, F.R.Z.S., President
of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists’ Union. Fourth
Edition. 338 pages, Illustrated, with 36 Plates in colours
(each 8 x 5# ins.), 8 Plates in Black and White, reproducing
Photographs of Typical Habitats, and a Locality Map.
Cloth 12s. 6d.
AVICULTURAL MAGAZINE (London) :—‘ A very excellent book , . . . The coloured
illustrations are extraordinarily faithful to life’,

ORNITHOLOGISCHE MONATSBERICHTE (Berlin) :—‘“ This charming book is sur-
prisingly good. Unfortunately there is no book on European birds which could be even
remotely compared with the one before us ’’,

“The only comprehensive book on
Australian Finches.”

With Beautiful Plates in Natural Colours.

AUSTRALIAN FINCHES IN BUSH AND AVIARY

By NEVILLE CAYLEY. With foreword and a chapter on
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It is a complete natural history of this delightful group.

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re t, <

From -

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37, Great Russell Street, London, W.C.1

Or through any Bookseller.

I.

XXVIII.

British Birds, Vol.

‘Le as0d vag]

(eseqrry uyof 49 paydvssoj0y 7)
‘19372 04} FO sSuryieur ozeyed Burmoys ‘Suno,x pue yIeYT-AyS opeure

DRITISTHBINDS

\/ITH WHICH WAS INCORPORATED IN JANUARY, 1917, “ THE ZOOLOGIST.
EDITED BY
if. F.WITHERBY, M.B.E., F.Z.S.,M.B.O.U.,H.F.A.O.U.
ASSISTED BY
tev. F.C. R. JOURDAIN, M.A., M.B.O.U., H.F.A.O.U., F.Z.S., AND
NORMAN F. TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U.

ConTEnTs OF No. 1, Vor. XXVIII., June, 1934.

PAGE
he Breeding-Habits of the Corn-Bunting as observed in North
Cornwall: With Special Reference to its Polygamous Habit.

By Lt.-Col. and Mrs. B. H. Ryves 2

OTES :—

Raven's Nest with Ten Eggs (E. F. Allen and J. M. Naish) ... 27

Palate Markings of Nestling Sky-Lark (J. Armitage) ... re 27

Firecrest in Hampshire (Ix. B. Rooke) ... re ay Re 28

‘Song-Thrush Alighting on Sea and Killed by Lesser Black-
backed Gull (W. J. E ggeling) .. at +3 28

Blackbird’s Nest with Seven Eggs (AI Roebuck) ae ce 29

Jack Snipe in Inner London (D. Seth-Smith) ... ssn nas 29

Glaucous Gull in Cornwall (C. Oldham) oe a ate 29

Iceland Gull in Hampshire and Dorset (K. B. Rooke) “an 29

1ort Notes :—

Iceland Redwings and Faeroe Snipe in Kent. L ong-eare -d Owl
Breeding in Isleof Man. ‘‘Temminck’s Stint’? Obtained in
Herefordshire—Correction si ae = S eek 30

eviews :—

Bird Life in the Isle itis Man. By Col. H. W. Madoc, C.B.E.

MV! pes . 2 as 31

Transactions of the N orfolk & Norwich Nahubalists’ Sis
for 1932-33 si : ae — a 31

Report of the Cambridge Bird Club, 1933 = ee ny 32

Transactions of the Carlisle Natural History Society, 1933... 32

Journal of the Derbyshire Archeological & Natural History
Society, 1933... = 32

Report of the Marlborough Colle ze N Natural History Society i 1933 32

A

(2)

THE BREEDING-HABITS OF THE CORN-BUNTING

AS OBSERVED IN NORTH CORNWALL: WITH

SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ITS POLYGAMOUS
HABIT.

BY
Lireut.-Cot. AND Mrs. B. H. RYVES.

INTRODUCTORY.

THESE notes on the Corn-Bunting (Emberiza c. calandra) are the
results of observations begun in 1932 and continued, on a
larger and more extensive scale, in 1933.

In 1932, twenty-seven nests, the property of sixteen males,
were located, and polygamy in the case of four of them was
proved, but its extent not appreciated.

In 1933, during the second half of May, the “ pitches ”’ ot
thirty-five breeding males were located but, in the interests”
of accuracy, for this number would have been unwieldy, it
was decided to reduce the number to twenty-four. This was
done by eliminating birds established in territories which
presented special difficulties from an observational point
of view.

These twenty-four birds were settled along a more or less
coastal stretch of country about six miles in length. They
do not by any means represent the total of nesting birds that
this country held. It was our purport—and it was duly
fulfilled—to watch these “ pitches’’, and these alone, very
closely, throughout the breeding-season. Indeed, we came
to knowing most of their owners almost as a man knows each
individual of his dog teams.

It should, perhaps, be mentioned here that experience of
previous years had shown us the futility of attempting to
find nests, in our district, at an earlier date than that on
which we commenced serious observations in 1933.

The males finally selected may conveniently be placed in
two categories: (a) isolated males, namely those in sole
possession of a nesting territory (whether small or apparently
large enough to hold additional males) where no other male
was near enough to be either seen or heard (song, in quiet
weather, can be heard at a considerable distance) ; (b) colonies
of males, namely groups or “ linked-up”’ birds from two
upwards, occupying tracts of suitable territory in close
proximity to each other, and yet each holding a very distinct
“individual territory’. The distances between the ‘‘pitches”’
of any two such males varied from about 45 to 180 yards.

c

WOL. Xxvil.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 3

Six birds were in category (a) and eighteen in category (0).
(These categories are probably largely artificial in the sense
‘that they arise more from the type of country colonized than
‘from the habits or dispositions of the bird, but nevertheless
ithe inference might be drawn that Corn-Buntings prefer
scommunal nesting to nesting in isolation. Let it here be
winderstood that once the “‘ individual territory ”’ of a “‘ group
male’’ has been defined—not a difficult matter—quite as
vaccurate records of polygamous birds can be secured as with
“isolated ’’ ones.

The twenty-four observed males owned between them forty-
ifive hens! Surely startling figures, since they show that the
preponderance of breeding hens over males was almost as two
ds to one. The preponderance was probably even greater,
for in some cases we may have missed another hen and in
four cases this was definitely suspected. It might here be
moted that the lie of the country, in some territories, was
somewhat tricky and this enhanced the difficulty of observa-
tion over a sufficiently wide area. Equally startling, perhaps,
is the fact that fifteen of the twenty-four males were definitely
polygamous, namely 62.5 per cent. :

The total number of nests found, owned by these twenty-
four males alone, was fifty-four, and each was kept under
regular observation. From these nests 126 young safely left.
(This figure certainly does not represent the total of their
progeny. In addition to the probability, referred to above,
of there being other hens, there were undoubtedly a few nests
belonging to known hens that evaded us. It may not exceed
the mark to estimate an output of about 150 young birds.

Early in June, 1933, we began daily to watch closely the
selected males and continued until the end of August, when
nesting operations were completely finished. On June 30th
our bag of nests stood at thirteen. On July 31st the number
had risen to forty-five. The fifty-fourth and last nest (holding
young) was recorded on August 14th. Forty-three of the
nests had been located in the building, laying or incubation
periods, the remaining eleven holding chicks. The fact
that, in 1932, only twelve of the twenty-seven nests had been
found before the eggs had been hatched, speaks of the in-
creased intensity of our work in 1933.

Throughout the period June to August, 1933, inclusive,
each of the males, with his belongings, was observed on an
average three times a week and, in many cases, at critical
periods, practically daily. The accuracy of the records

4 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

obtained was greatly enhanced by the fact that there were,
almost at all times, two pairs of eyes at work, sometimes
both concentrated on the same object and, at others, on
separate objects. The task we set ourselves to might justly
be termed “a two-man job ’”’.

The only detailed study of the Corn-Bunting of which
we are aware is that by Mr. John Walpole-Bond (British
Birds, Vol. XXV., pp. 292-300).

PLUMAGE.

We only allude to the well-known plumage of the Corn-
Bunting as we can find no reference in the standard books to a
certain feature which at once distinguishes the bird from other
Buntings. We refer to what may be termed the “ bib”’.
It is a patch of dark feathers at the base of the throat, exactly
resembling a small bib, and presents an excellent guide for
identification from a distance. It is worn by both sexes
but is rather more pronounced in the male. It is absent in
immature birds.

When seen together, the male is noticeably larger than the
female and, after some experience, it is often possible
accurately to name the sex, even when seen singly.

Coward describes a pale eye-stripe. Though it is difficult
to pick this out in a bird that is perched, it is most con-
spicuous when one is looking down at a hen on her nest.

Unmoulted young of the year can readily be identified
in the field by their paler colouring and, as already stated,
absence of the bib.

NOTES AND CALLS.

We have no desire to dissertate at length on the birds’
notes and calls through a complex combination of letters of
the alphabet. Such convey but little to the average human
ear, which is not attuned to the subtle variations of almost
any note, and it may even confuse.

However, it seems desirable to allude to the few outstanding
calls regularly heard in the breeding-season.

There is a somewhat long-drawn note which represents at
once a call and a mild warning to another bird or, more usually,
to a mate. It sounds to us like “ zp ’’—to others perhaps
“chip” or even “cht”. It is imeely uttered by a hen
returning to eggs and is then more of an informative call to
the male. It may also be used by a male as a half-hearted
remonstrance against a not very imminent danger.

~

VOL. xxvi.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 5

The cry of true alarm or fear is an even more long-drawn
and rather plaintive “cep”. It may be heard from a male
when a nest with young is threatened by some foe. Should a
hawk fly over a nesting colony, every bird present will take up
the alarm with this note. ;

Then there is an indescribable and very raucous sound which
emanates from a male on various occasions. It is oftenest
heard when a hen is reluctant to return to her nest. Her
mate will flutter to a perch close to her, stretch out his body
and, with quivering wings and lowered head, scold her
with a series of this harsh note. Sometimes she will fly off
and settle still further from the nest, only to be instantly
pursued and “cursed” with doubled vigour. Occasionally
she will retaliate by assuming a similar posture and opening
her beak, from which, however, no sound issues. More
usually, though, she will obey the command and fly to her nest.

A male will often act as above described if another male
or any other bird, even a Jackdaw, alights very close to him.
It may be worth mentioning here that Linnets appear to be
greatly attracted to Corn-Buntings, for they will frequently
perch on each side of a male and really seem to be wrapt
in admiration of him! Usually he will assume an attitude of
utter unconcern. So persistently will Linnets thus “‘ mob ”’
him that we found ourselves talking of them as “ the adoring
Linnets ”’

The raucous cry is also uttered during and just before
coition. The hen will often invite coition from a perch by a
low squeaky cali accompanied by wing-quivering.

The last note to be dealt with is certainly a welcome one
to the observer grown a bit weary after many weeks of inten-
sive watching. Its utterance is a sure indication of growing
restlessness and impending change, and the note may aptly
be described as the “‘ flocking” call. It is only heard in the
closing stages of the breeding-season. Both in 1932 and 1933,
we first heard it towards the very end of July, and it became
more general as the days passed by.

Males seem to be the first to use the call, for they are the
first to show an increasing disinterest in the nesting activities
that may still be in progress. It starts with a single or double
note—sharp, clear and staccato—a “tip” or “tip, tip”,
eventually developing into a treble and rapidly delivered
“ tip-a-tip”.

When nesting quarters have been finally deserted, all
birds, young and old, freely utter the treble call. Never a

6 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

“zip” or an “ eep”’ now, for these are notes confined to the
nesting season alone. In winter-flocks we have never heard
anything but the “‘¢ip-a-tip’’s. Of song in winter we have
but few records. The most noteworthy is a concert by a flock
of males on October 30th, 1931.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON NESTING.

This subject covers a very wide field and must be dealt
with under specific heads.

(a) Occupation of territories.

Although casual visits by birds are paid to old nesting haunts
as early as March (or even February) and throughout April,
it is not until the second half of May that males take command
of nesting territories to hold them more or less permanently.
Even as late as this, birds may still be seen in flocks (probably
birds moving northwards). On May 16th, 1933, we saw a
flock of about seventy.

It is impossible to say when the birds pair off or mate.
In our belief, the males make little or no effort to secure
hens. Rather do they take possession of a suitable territory,
hold it against all comers and advertize themselves by con-
stant singing. Rarely is a hen to be seen anywhere and, if
they are in the neighbourhood at all, they are lurking in
the fields. The conclusion we came to is that a hen offers
herself to the male in command of the territory she desires
when, and when only, she is in breeding condition. Once
she has emerged from her “ hiding place ’’ and been accepted
by a male, there is no question about her presence, for she
will constantly be in evidence.

(0) The Male’s Song Perch.

When a male has selected and acquired the “ acre of land ”’
to which he expects to allure a hen, he takes up a fixed stance
on some bush, telegraph wire or other suitable perch, con-
siderably in advance of the advent of any hen. Such a perch
soon becomes well advertized by a pile of droppings below it.

From this perch he pours forth his song all through the day.
When at last he becomes the owner of a hen, he may retain
his perch, alternate it with one or two others or desert it
altogether, dependent, presumably, on the hen’s choice of
her nesting site.

He appears to have no hard and fast rule as to the distance
of his stance from the nest—it may be anything from 20 to

\voL. xxv.) HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. :

‘Ioo yards or even more. But there is one essential condition
-and it is that he must be able to command a view of the nest
‘site.

Where a male has more than one mate and the lie of the
‘country is such that no one perch will command all the nests,
‘he will so place himself as to command at least one nest and
‘the route or routes to the feeding grounds of his other hen
‘or hens.

It must be obvious that a male which has a telegraph wire
available can, in practically any type of country, command
from one perch thereon all the nests he may own, even if one
of them may be a considerable way off. It might be remarked

here that, in spite of the indolent appearance a male presents,
huddled on his perch, he has very keen vision and nothing
| appears to escape his ever-vigilant eye.

As regards males in a “ group’’, we have already referred
to the distances between their song-perches. Though
jealous of their perches, such birds cannot be classed as really
quarrelsome. One never sees trespass result in much more
than an angry word or, at the worst, a chase or sham combat.
A male is usually too occupied in keeping himself well posted
with the doings of his own belongings to concern himself with
the business of his neighbours.

(c) Period of Nesting Season.

Observations have shown that July is the month in which

breeding activity is at its greatest height. Some hens only lay
their first clutches early in this month. A good many begin
laying during the last fifteen to twenty days of June. Only
a small proportion commence in the first week of June (our
earliest record for the first egg is June 3rd, 1930). During
the greater part of August there is still considerable bustle.
Some birds are incubating July-laid eggs, while many are
feeding nestlings or fledglings. But the percentage of hens
laying has proved to be almost negligible. Only two cases
were recorded in 1933, the clutches being completed on
August 6th and gth respectively. In 1932 (our observations
had become very intensive throughout August) we secured
three records only, clutches being completed on August
5th, 7th and gth respectively. But more on this subject
elsewhere.

A scrutiny of Mr. Walpole-Bond’s observations, already
alluded to, reveals a material difference of the duration of the
breeding-season among birds of Sussex and of those in N.

8 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Cornwall. Whereas Mr. Bond talks of “ early in their breed-
ing-season, i.e., from about May 2oth’’, we have found that
that season here does not commence until early in June.
Again, he remarks that ‘“‘ breeding continues throughout
August ’’, while our work shows that egg-laying has almost
ceased at the end of July.

As with most birds, there must undoubtedly be exceptions
to “‘ prove the rule’ both in early and late layings. Indeed,
fresh eggs have been recorded during the first half of Septem-
ber. However, on what may be termed “ freak cases ’’, we
are not in a position to write.

It might, with some justification, be said that the observa-
tions of two successive years are insufficient for forming definite
conclusions. On this point—at least with regard to the early
layings—it is relevant to say that, although no really intensive
work was undertaken before 1932, we have the experience of
two or three previous seasons when we watched males closely
up to the end of May, over the same ground, without securing
any evidence of the presence of nesting hens. It will be
necessary, under a further section, to refer again to differences
in the habits of Sussex and Cornish birds.

It seems impossible to assign any definite cause for the
generally longer nesting-season in Sussex than in N. Cornwall.
Possibly climatic conditions may have some bearing, but we
are not acquainted with them in Sussex. The birds observed
here were established along a coast subjected to severe
buffetings by cold and cutting westerly to north-westerly
winds.

(d) Nest Construction.

Nest-building is the province of the hen alone. A nest
is sometimes completed in one day but more usually in two.
Laying follows quickly (in one instance a bird was watched
lining her nest after the first egg had been deposited in it),
sometimes on the day following completion, but more usually
after one day’s interval—rarely longer than this.

During the short “ building-period’”’ the male appears to
be more excited and interested than at any subsequent stage.
The hen usually spends some hours in site-selection and is
closely accompanied by the male, which frequently perches
near her and indulges in vigorous bursts of song, scoldings and
wing-quiverings. Her search of the ground is very thorough.
She flutters from perch to perch, frequently dropping out of
sight. One particular hen actually built her nest where her

VoL. xxvil.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 9

inspections had begun. Evidently she had not decided
definitely on the site until she was satisfied that there was
no other preferable.

While constructing the nest itself, she often packs her
beak with large quantities of materials, some of which are so
long as to look like streamers as she flies, or rather, flutters.
When lining the nest with materials, so fine as often to be
invisible to the naked eye, she appears to carry them singly
or only two or three at a time. She works at any time of the
day up to sunset, but, of course, knocks off for meals, generally
under the male’s escort. Throughout building she is less
concerned by human presence than later on.

Eggs are normally laid on consecutive days until the clutch
‘is completed. In two recorded cases, a day was missed be-
‘tween the layings of the second and third egg.

(e) Types of Nests.

Mr. Walpole-Bond has described the various types of nests
so thoroughly that little about them need be said here.
‘Generally, the nest is a bulky but neat structure with a deep
-and spacious cup. Most are lined only with very fine bents,
‘some with quantities of black hair covered over by bents.
‘One example contained such hair only and, in another, a
‘dozen gulls’ feathers were woven into the general fabric with
‘a couple round the rim of the cup. The majority of nests are
‘well concealed, some wonderfully so.

‘(f) Nest Sites.

With one exception, the observed males were established
‘in country rich in cultivation—hay, corn and root crops,
‘which provide the main feeding grounds of all the birds—
‘with plenty of roadside gorse and brambles or large plots of
‘similar jungle. Mixed with them there is usually undergrowth
of weeds and coarse grasses.

Of the fifty-four nests located in 1933, forty-eight were in
“ gorsy’’ cover, one in rather an extensive plot of coarse
herbage alone, and five in crops. The last five were all June
‘nests in which eggs were laid on dates varying from the
5th to the 25th (none of the twenty-seven nests of 1932 were
in crops).

One of the five nests—that of the male possessing a territory
‘devoid of gorse jungle—was built under a perennial thistle
(known by local farmers as the “ horse-thistle’’) with the
previous year’s large dead leaves still adhering to its thick
‘stem. This plant was almost the only one standing in a

10 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

field of very poor, thin hay. Two of the others were in a
hayfield of like nature, but containing several big patches of
horse-thistles in which the nests were built. The other two
(also in thistles) were in a field of “ dredge” corn cultivated
almost to the cliff edge. The corn was very weak and sparse
and a better name would have been “a field with a splendid
thistle crop’.

Each of these nests was on the ground with the foundation
Jaid in a depression of the soil apparently formed by the
dislodgement of a big stone in the process of tillage, and
consisted of fewer materials than those in all other sorts of
sites.

From the above, it is evident that, at any time of the
nesting season, crops were the least favoured sites. ‘This is
directly opposed to Mr. Walpole-Bond’s statement that,
early in the season, Corn-Buntings in Sussex nest chiefly in
crops of all kinds, in coarse grass and weeds, and in bare
fields holding clumps of either, and that from late June they
are “ driven ”’ to nest in gorse-brakes because the crops either
have been harvested or have grown too tall and unruly.

Lest it be inferred that we missed many early nests in crops,
let it at once be said that, in view ot his statement and of what
Mr. Coward has written, we specially concentrated from early
to late June on crop-fields. Had we paid less attention to
them and more to the gorse-jungles, there is no doubt that
we should have found some of the nests at an earlier stage
than we did.

This marked difference in the tastes of Sussex and Cornish
birds seems strange and difficult to account for. However,
there is this point, that there are but few localities in this
district, affected by this Bunting, which are barren of the gorse-
jungles. Those that there are we have not observed.

The most sought-after sites were low gorse, gorse and
brambles growing together and brambles only (rich and
dark-leaved) running along the ground. Most nests in such
cover appear at first sight to rest on the ground, but a closer
inspection shows that they are really just off it or just touching
it at the conical point of the foundations ; others are definitely
a foot or so above it.

Less favoured sites, though not uncommon, were tall patches
of gorse and brambles. Nests in such situations were from
two to four feet above the ground and not easy to find.

One cleverly-selected site was a huge plant of some very
coarse grass growing on the edge of a tall bramble-brake.

VOL. XxvuI.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 11

The nest was in the centre of it, two feet from the ground, and
completely hidden by the tips of the grass-blades having
cumbled inwards and thus forming a splendid umbrella.

Mr. Harvey showed me some country near Sennen, affected
by Corn-Buntings, which contained just the kind of cover
already described in the case of one bird. He and Dr. Blair
found a nest in it. The gorse and brambles of this district
were lacking in the immediate neighbourhood, though they
occurred a mile or so away.

A last word in connexion with the proximity of the nests
of two hens belonging to two neighbouring males of a group.
(They are often not more than forty or fifty yards apart and
in one case only twenty-five yards. Hens appear to bear no
animosity to each other, be they owned by the same or by
idifferent males, and we have never seen them in conflict.

(g) Nest Finding.

All said and done, we are convinced that close attention to
the actions and movements of a male will yield, if not the
biggest, certainly the most “ profitable’? harvest of nests.
If the size of the bag be the main desire, then systematic
and frequent thrashing out of likely places might produce
the most. But this method is obviously disturbing to the
birds and damaging to the herbage. Moreover it is not
conducive to knowledge of the habits of the birds, and it
throws no light on what male owns a nest so found. There-
fore, as a proof of polygamy or otherwise, the nest is valueless,
for the time at least. To obtain the best results, obviously
the birds must be disturbed as little as possible.

As to the first method. To watch a male on his song-perch
is to watch a known nesting territory. Ifa hen is site-hunting
or building, he will, as already described, at once put you in
touch with her, and her identity is immediately disclosed.
If she is incubating, she is bound to quit her eggs for a meal.
When she does so, his sudden cessation of song and pose of
alertness will proclaim that something is doing. The next
moment he will probably dart from his perch and fly rapidly
away. Though you may not pick up the hen, it is she whom
he is following to her feeding ground. Watch for his re-
appearance, for he will usually return as her escort, when you
are pretty sure to spot her. Then mark where she drops to
her nest. If you wait for her next departure, you have plenty
of time to walk out, find the nest and regain your observation
post before she is due to come back. The owners of the nest
have no suspicion of the work you have done behind their

12 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

backs, and there will be nothing to disturb the normal trend
of events. Here, too, you have learnt the hen’s identity.
If she is feeding nestlings, the male’s demeanour will help
you to locate the nest, but this will be dealt with under
“ Rearing of the Young ’”’.

If one marks a building hen down to her nest at long range,
the best plan is to advance rapidly towards it to see exactly
where she emerges (she often stays at the nest for quite a
time). If one approaches too close she will sit very tight
and wear down one’s patience. On such occasions we have
pitted our wits against hers by talking loudly for a while
and then by one of us walking noisily away while the other
stands silent and motionless. When the noisy person has
passed out of ear-shot, up has popped her head and her secret
has been wrested from her! And, she has not been flushed !

INCUBATION.

Incubation, as with nest-building, is solely the business of
the hen. No male has ever been seen to visit a nest holding
eggs. The following are details of some recorded incubation-
periods :—

Nest No. 1.—18.vi., ist egg; 19.vi., 2nd egg; 20.vi., blank ;
21,Vvi,, 3rd egg and hen brooded } 22..1., Ath ese 3 4.vil,
3 hatched ; 5.vii., 1 hatched. None reared.

Nest No. 2.—13.vii., Ist egg ; 14.vii., 2nd egg and hen brooded ;
5.vil., std ege; 16,vil., Athveses) 27,vi., 3 hateneds
28.vli., I hatched. All reared.

Nest No. 3.—21.vil., ist egg; 22.vil., 2nd egg; 23.vii., 3rd
egg and hen brooded ; 24.vii., 4th egg ; 4.viii., 3 hatched ;
5.vill., I hatched. All reared.

Nest No. 4.—25.vi., ist egg ; 26.vi., 2nd egg and hen brooded ;
27.V1., 3rd egg; 28.vi., 4th egg; 1o0.vil., 3 batched;
II.vil., I hatched. All reared. ;

Nest No. 5.—3.vill., Ist egg ; 4.viii., 2nd egg; 5.vili., 3rd egg
and hen brooded ; 6.viii., 4th egg; 17.viii., 3 hatched ;
t8.viul., r hatched. Two reared.

Nest No. 6.—9.vil., Ist egg ; I0.vii., 2nd egg ; II.vii., 3rd egg ;
12.vil., 4th egg and hen brooded ; 13.vii., 5th egg; 25.vii.,
4 hatched, 26.vil., 1 hatched. All reared.

Nest No. 7.—20.Vil., Ist egg; 21.vii., 2nd egg; 22.vii., 3rd
egg; 23.vil., 4th egg; 4.viii., 3 hatched (1 addled egg).
Two reared.

Nest No. 8.—7.viil., ist egg ; 8.vili., 2nd egg and hen brooded ;
Q.Viil., 3rd egg; 20.vili., 1 hatched; 21.viii., 1 hatched
(x addled egg). None reared.

"OL. XxviII.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 13

To summarize the above :— :
2ggs of No. 1 hatched in 12 & 13 days after last egg was laid.

We. 2 S 11 & 12 days ” ” »

» was re Ir & 12 days y » »”

1 (NO. - 12 & 13 days - = $s

» No.5 ‘e 11 & 12 days re ” »

, No. 6 7 12 & 13 days - me ¥

| Ole Ee 12 days i s 9%
No. 8 a 11 & 12 days " ,

In all the above cases, with the exception of No. 7, where
meubation was commenced with the laying of the last egg,
mecubation (or brooding) was begun before the completion of
the clutch. Similar behaviour was observed in other nests.
\A scrutiny of the dates of hatching above recorded seems to
disclose the fact that ‘‘ incubation proper’ was in progress
from the moment the last egg but one was laid, the last egg
hatching out about 24 hours after all the others. It would,
therefore, appear that inaccurate incubation-periods are
obtained if reckoned from the date the last egg is laid. The
correct method would be to reckon the period for the latest
hatched chick from the date of the last egg and for the pre-
viously hatched chicks from the date of the last egg but one.
(The correct periods would thus be 12 days in four instances
and 13 days in the other four instances. The average for
these eight examples works out to about 12} days.

It is not uncommon for this Bunting to be found brooding
her eggs in advance of the laying of even her last egg but one,
but such brooding has apparently not advanced the date of
the hatching of such eggs. But it is not the purport to
examine, in this paper, the intricate problem of incubation
by wild birds. Suffice it here that, in our experience with
other species also, birds can brood their eggs without any
change taking place within the shells, that is to say that
such “ brooding”’ has not been “‘incubation’’. This ex-
plains our use of the words “incubation proper”. This
point may have some direct bearing on the variability of
incubation-periods.

Corn-Buntings are generally tight sitters. We have fre-
quently stood directly over a sitting hen and actually tapped
the herbage just above her nest without flushing her.

Also they are very staunch to the nest, as the following
incident will demonstrate. We had under observation two
nests (in which eggs were being incubated) built in a hay-
field. Learning that the crop was to be cut on the morrow,

14 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

we marked the nests with branches of gorse, showed them to
the man who was to work the reaper and asked him to raise
the cutting blades as he neared them. On the day following
the harvesting operations we visited the field and found one
of the birds sitting tight on her nest which was completely
exposed to view. The workman had missed our landmark
and the blades had passed only an inch above the nest. We
found the other hen also sitting (on chicks just hatched)—
the cutters had been raised in this case and so about a foot
of herbage still remained in the immediate vicinity of the nest.
Unfortunately both nests were robbed shortly afterwards ;
there was a multitude of Gulls and Jackdaws feeding on the
cut-up remains of rabbits killed by the reaper and one of these
birds was, no doubt, responsible for the tragedy of the
Buntings.

A hen is more wary about returning to a nest with eggs than
when building. If one is too close, she will often take wing
from a perch near it, rise to a considerable altitude and make
wide circular flights, usually alighting again, only to repeat
the skyward flight. Sometimes she will fly directly away
right out of sight and not return at all for ten or fifteen
minutes. On these latter occasions the male will often chase
after her.

Returning to the nest, she normally arrives by fast and
low flight and settles on some commanding perch from which
she drops into it without much delay. Sometimes she will
first alight on a more distant perch, from which she views the
situation.

It was our custom carefully to mark each nest, as found,
with gorse sticks placed on opposite sides of it. These land-
marks were never resented. The hens seemed to delight in
them, for they used them forthwith as “ diving boards ”’ to
the nest.

When a hen quits her eggs, she does so by suddenly shooting
out of her nest and instantly taking wing and disappearing
rapidly to her feeding ground. So suddenly is her departure
effected that she may easily be overlooked by the watcher,
but the male, if present, never misses her.

A male has never been seen to feed an incubating hen,
which has to fend for herself. The length of her absences
vary a good deal, but she rarely returns in less than fifteen
minutes and sometimes is away for forty minutes. Her
sitting shifts are anything from about forty minutes as the
shortest, to rather over an hour and a half as the longest.

VOL. Xxvill.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 15

Whether the eggs are actually brought to an unusually high
temperature we cannot say. But if one inspects a nest
immediately on the departure of its owner, a very distinct
glow of warmth reaches the finger tips before any egg has been
touched. We have never experienced this in the nest of any
other small bird.

If a male is on his song-perch when his hen quits her eggs,
‘he usually follows her, as stated before, to her feeding ground,
‘which is almost always a long way off (600 yards or possibly
‘more), and escorts her back, watching her down to her nest
‘from his perch. If he happens to be absent, she seems to
‘know where to find him—at least she frequently returns
under his escort.

The male’s only role appears to be to keep a vigilant eye
on the goings and comings of his mate. Rarely, he calls
her off her eggs with a low “zip”, and then accompanies
‘her to her meal.

At one nest which we were observing, the sitting hen
/uttered harsh chatters, which sounded like “ chukka’. Her
‘male was singing about fifteen yards away. She kept up
these guttural notes for five minutes, then quitted her eggs
and pitched alongside the male. A few seconds later both
birds took wing together.

Addled eggs occur in a fair number of nests, usually only
one and more rarely two. Three infertile eggs in a clutch
of five was once recorded. In this case, only one of the
young was reared. Such eggs remain intact in the nest
throughout the fledging-period.

CLUTCHES.

Eggs were laid in the fifty-four nests found in 1933 as
follows: twenty in June, thirty-one in July and two in
August. One nest, from which we inadvertently flushed the
hen when she was lining it, was not laidin. The day follow-
ing, she completed another nest about four vards distant,
in which she laid her first egg the next day. As already
mentioned, forty-three of the fifty-four nests were found
before any egg was hatched.

The clutches laid were :
Two eggs in 1 nest (See remarks for Male No. ro in Tables

of Polygamy).

Three eggs in II nests.
Four eggs in 20 nests.
Five eggs in 10 nests. Total 42 nests.

16 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

The remaining 11 nests, found with chicks, held :—
Three young in 3 nests.
Four young in 7 nests.
Four young in 1 nest; also one addled egg.

The 27 nests located in 1932 held :—

(a) Hees ... two ... I mest (mest deserted after second
egg was laid).
three ... 3 nests.
{Our 4... 4 mésts.
five ... Anests. ~Dotal 12 esis.
(6) Young ... one young in I nest.

two young in I nest ; also two addled eggs.
three young in 3 nests (two held also one
addled egg each).
four young in 8 nests.
five young in I nest.
six young in I nest; all reared.
Total 15 nests.

From the above records it will. be seen that “ four-egg ”’
clutches hold a big majority. “Three” and “ five-egg ”’
clutches are in about the same proportion. A “ six-egg”’
clutch has proved to be rare in the district, as none was
recorded in 1933, and only one in 1932 (the nest holding six

young).
REARING OF THE YOUNG.

Here again, the indefatigable hen, practically alone,
undertakes the work of rearing the young. However, a good
word at last can be put in for the male, for he does, on occasions
rare enough to merit specially noting, help to feed his progeny.

It has already been shown that, when all the eggs of a clutch
have been hatched, most nests hold one chick about twenty-
four hours younger than the rest. Since the nestlings grow
rapidly, the “ baby”’, on the day of hatching, looks little
more than half the size of its brethren. The difference in
size, however, is less noticeable when quilling has started.

. For the size of this Bunting, nestlings quit the nest at an
earlier age than one would expect, namely, when nine to eleven
days old or, more rarely, twelve days. The period of develop-
ment varies a good deal in different broods, but, generally
speaking, it is rapid.

‘Some youngsters are capable at once of flying a few yards.
Others still. carry a good deal of down and their quills are

VOL. XxvilIl.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 17

little more than half feathered. The latter are incapable of
flight, but are extraordinarily strong on their legs and, if
disturbed, can dive instantly into cover and hide themselves
very effectively.

They separate immediately and crouch in hiding in the
surrounding herbage, where they usually scrape out a snug
hollow almost resembling a half-built nest. Here they may
remain a day or more, a ring of droppings forming in a circle
round the circumference of their lairs.

So long as nestlings need to be brooded (three or four days),
the hen alone both broods and feeds them. At this stage,
the hen’s visits are frequent, but, when day brooding ceases,
they become erratic ; she may feed her chicks a dozen times in
an hour or she may not put in an appearance at all for an
hour and a half. They are not usually vociferous when fed,
though their voices can at times be heard if one is fairly close
to the nest.

As soon as eggs are hatched, the male almost ceases to
accompany his mate on her foraging expeditions. His role
now is to watch the nest from his perch where he continues
to sing with much persistence. He still observes closely the
movements of the hen and, by a change of pose, shows one
that he has seen the hen’s approach with a grub in her beak.
If she is, for some reason, reluctant to go to the nest, he
generally chases her to it.

In the case of a polygamous male, he often changes his
perch to one close to a nest holding young. This may take
him further from a nest containing eggs which, however, he
watches with undiminished alertness for, when the incubating
bird quits her eggs, he darts off after her and, having seen
her back, returns to his perch near the other nest.

When nestlings have attained a fair size, the male is occa-
sionally seized with a fit of energy and helps the hen for a
short spell which rarely exceeds half an hour. During this
short burst of activity he works really hard and we have
recorded twenty visits paid in thirty minutes. Whereas
the hen goes far afield for food, the male, oddly enough, finds
grubs close at hand. Having collected one, he alights on his
perch and sings a few full bars of song with his mandibles
closed over his victim. He then delivers the grub at the nest
and returns to his perch where he sings again for a few seconds.
When the young are out of the nest, he may help the hen a
little more frequently, though the latter still takes the lion’s
share of the work.

B

18 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Nest sanitation is attended to by the hen, which removes the
excreta, and drops it, while on the wing, some distance away.

The principal diet of the young is a pale green caterpillar
(that of the cabbage butterfly, we believe). These butterflies —
seem to abound in the corn and hay fields. Not infrequently
the butterfly itself is captured and taken, wings and all, to
the nest. Other grubs—dark looking ones—are also given
to the young.

Hens are even more chary about visiting a nest holding
young than one with eggs. One is frequently compelled
(except from within a car) to move some distance away before
a hen will approach it. The male, on the contrary, is almost
indifferent to human presence and will usually visit the nest
even when one is standing quite close to it.

Fledglings of the earlier nests appear to be fed for a week or
ten days after the nest has been vacated. But those of a
late nest have been seen being fed by parents when apparently
full grown.

Mortality among nestlings is not negligible. The baby
of the brood often succumbs, usually when quite young, and
nestlings may continue to die until five or six days old. A
dead chick is at once removed. Except for this mortality,
nestlings appear to be very strong and sturdy. When
picked up in the hand, they are surprisingly heavy.

DOUBLE BROODING.

Corn-Buntings are undoubtedly double-brooded, that is to say
a certain proportion of hens lay a second clutch of eggs after
a brood has been safely reared. A new nest is invariably built.

It must be obvious, however, that, unless the previous his-
tory of a bird is known, it cannot definitely be stated that a
late nest is a second brood one, even though the date is such
as to justify the assumption. Many such nests may, in fact,
only be second attempts after failure with first nests at any
of their various stages.

We believe that a third brood, namely the laying of a third
clutch of eggs after two broods have been successfully reared,
is a very rare occurrence here. The nesting season is
scarcely long enough. In our own experience, at least, we
have not located a single nest that could, with any justifica-
tion at all, be assumed to be a third brood within the definition
given.

On the other hand, we are convinced that a good many
hens are quite content with rearing one brood only, be it a

VOL. Xxvill.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 19

successful first effort or the result of a second attempt after
a previous failure.

Appended are three tables compiled from very intensive
observations which furnished sound evidence for reasonable
assumption of (1) double brooding, (2) second attempts and
(3) single brooding.

Table of presumed Double Brooding.

HEN. First NEst. SECOND NEST. Distance
First Young First Young between
Egg on Left on Egg on Left on Nests.
No. 1 I1.vi. 7.vil. 21.Vvil. 13.Viii. 15 yards.
No. 2 14.V1. g.vii. 22.vii. youngstolen 20 ,,
No. 3. 15.Vi. 12.vii. 21.vii. young left 10 ,,
on 16.viii.
No. 4 17.Vi. LUV, 25.Vil. young died 22 ,,
UNO. 5. I.vii. 26.vii. 3.vili. notrecorded 3 ,,
Nores :-—

(a) Each of the above hens ceased breeding after the success or
failure of the second nest.

(b) Itis certain that Hen No. 5 had not laid an earlier clutch.

(c) The period between the young of the first brood leaving the nest
and the laying of the first egg of the second brood varied, in the
above examples, from eight to fourteen days. It should be noted
that a hen can continue to feed her fledglings while building the
second nest and while laying the first egg or two.

Table of presumed Second Attempts after Previous Failure.

HEN. First NEsrT. SECOND NEsT. Distance
First Deserted First Young between

Egg on on Egg on Left on Nests.
‘No. 6. 15.vi. 20.vi. 13.Vil. 7-viii. 24 yards.

‘No. 7. 21.Vi. robbed on 16.vii. 10.vili. 70 =

Q.vii.
‘No. 8. late June robbed on 13.Vil. 7.vili. 60 nn
7.vii.
‘NOTES :—

(a) The cause of desertion of Hen No. 6 was a broken egg. The long
interval before re-nesting is inexplicable. The second nest was
in precisely the same type of cover and position.

(b) Hens Nos. 7 and 8 had their first nests in a hay-field. Their
failures, as already described, were due to harvesting the crop.
Their second nests were built in the nearest gorse patches.

{c) Each of the above hens departed with their broods and their males
soon after the nests were vacated. It can definitely be asserted
that none of these birds had laid previous clutches. ~

Table of presumed Single Brooding.

iHEN. First Egg Laidon. Young Left on.
IND. G ... os sks a 23rd June. toth July.
a, TO ccs Pine “ies aoe 25th ., 2oth ne
Me. TE sss cee ae aa Sethe 2tst <
mo. I2 66. es: Ses ens 5th July. 31st yi
See awe awe ose 7 Ist August.

No. I4 ou wae eee tee gth oe 5th oe)

20 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

NoTEs :—

(a) Hen No. 9, with her family, had vanished by July 24th, and was
not seen again.

(b) The nest of Hen No. ro was about three feet away from one found
in 1932. She had completely vanished by July 24th, and was not
seen again.

(c) Hen No. 11 was one of two owned by one male. She had vanished
by July 24th and was not seen again. The male remained in the
territory until the brood of another of his hens was fledged.

(d) Hens Nos. 12, 13 and 14 belonged to one male in an “ isolated
territory’. Each laid a clutch of five eggs, hatched and reared
them ail, thus proving themselves to be both prolific and skilful
mothers. The three nests were in close proximity to each other,
fifteen yards being the greatest distance that separated any of
them. As the young of each hen were fledged, theirmothers
took them right away. The male remained in his territory until
August 2nd, leaving Hen No. 14 to complete her task alone.
Throughout June we had kept this male under regular observation
and had begun to despair of his ever attracting a hen to his“ pitch”’.

POLYGAMY.

The habits and actions of both males and females have now
been described in such detail that it is unnecessary to advance
further evidence in proof of polygamy.

Polygamy, in the cases of “ isolated’ males, becomes at
once apparent. Somewhat more prolonged observation is
advisable before a “ group ’”’ male is categoried as the owner
of more than one hen.

Trespass, let it be repeated, is not a crime prevalent among
males. Each bird is too much concerned with the possession
of his own perch and with the doings of his own hens to bother
himself much over neighbouring males or their mates.

We have no record of a male molesting, amorously, another’s
hen. Itis not uncommon to observe a hen with a nest outside
the boundary of a male’s pitch passing to and fro quite close
to him without any notice being taken of her.

On one occasion, however, we witnessed a male attack
another’s mate which was passing close to him, carrying a
grub to her nest some 200 yards distant. He at once flew
at her and drove her to earth, when a rough and tumble
ensued. She soon extricated herself and continued her
journey with the grub still in her beak.

At the end of this section will be found narrative tables
of the fifteen polygamous males of the 1933 season. No
bird was diaried as polygamous until one or more of the
following incidents had been noted in connexion with a hen
other than one already known to belong to him :—

(xr) Coition, followed later by building within the male’s

territory.

VoL. xxvill.} HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 21

(2) Nest building with the male in company.

(3) The male escorting the hen to and from her nest

holding eggs.

(4) The male showing obvious interest in the hen feeding

nestlings and none in a neighbouring hen known to
belong to another bird. ; :

(5) The male observed feeding nestlings in conjunction

with the hen.

As a point of fact, these incidents—in many Cases all of
them—were noted on numerous occasions, and the identity
of every hen definitely established. ;

The relationship between the hens owned by one male is
one of amity. There appears to be no jealousy, even when
the male, at certain times, shows marked favouritism. They
carry out their duties, of course, quite independently of each
other, and when they meet, as they often do, there are no
encounters. In 1932, when watching a male which owned
three hens, we saw one of them quit her nest after feeding
her chicks and inspect the nest of another which also held
chicks. The male was present, at the time, on his song-perch,
and showed no apparent surprise or concern. The nests were
about 40 yards apart.

NARRATIVE TABLES OF POLYGAMY.

In the Tables, which follow, the dates given for laying are,
in some cases, approximate ones. But the margin of error,
we believe, does not exceed 48 hours in any instance.

“* Tsolated’’ Males.

No. First Second Third Distance
Male. of Hen Hen Hen between

Hens. Laid on Laid on Laid on Nests.
ING. 2s 2 23.Vvi1. 29 ik ~~ 50 yards.
No. 2. 3 3.vil. 15.Vii. 21.Vii. 50 yards

and 20 feet.
No. 3. 3 5.Vil. 7.Vil. Q.vii. All very close.
No. 4. 2 5.vi. Nest not — --
located.
Remarks.

No. 1.—First hen reared a brood ; second hen was robbed of nest-
lings and disappeared.

No. 2.—The nests of the second and third hens were 20 feet apart
and that of the first hen about 50 yards from either of the others.

No. 3.—See note (d) at foot of ‘‘ Table of Single Brooding ’’.

No. 4.—When first hen was incubating, we noted ardent wooings
and coition with second hen, and all three birds were seen together.
We were forced to give up this territory owing to the difficult lie of
the country, involving loss of much time.

22 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII. _

“ Group” Males.

Group I.—Two Males.
Territory.—A strip of roadside gorse about 120 yards long.
Song-perches.—About 50 yards apart.
Males.—One polygamous and one single-mated.

No. First Second Distance
Male. of Hen Hen between
Hens. Laid on Laid on Nests.
No. 5. 2 18.vii. 22 it, 40 yards.
Remarks.

No. 5.—The second hen had reared a brood from a clutch laid on
June 14th. Previous nesting or otherwise of first hen unknown.

Group II.—Four Males.
Territory.—Waste land of gorse, brambles and heather
roughly forming a square and about four acres in extent.
Song-perches.—At the four corners of the square.
Males —Two polygamous, one single-mated and one
uncertain (only one nest of the latter located).

No. First Second Distance
Male. of Hen ' Hen between
Hens. Laid on Laid on Nests.
No. 6. 2 18.v1. No nest. —
IN@s 75 2 25.Vi. ville 30 yards.
Remarks.

No. 6.—First hen hatched on July 4th/5th. On July 4th ardent
wooing and coition was seen with second hen. On July 5th site-
hunting (close to first hen’s nest) in company with the male was
observed. On July 6th she had vanished and was not seen again.

No. 7.—Both hens reared a brood and ceased breeding. Neither
had laid a previous clutch.

Group III.—Four Males.

Territory.—An irregular piece of rough country (gorse and
brambles) about six acres in extent. This country, generally,
was difficult for observation.

Song-perches.—Fifty yards between a single-mated male
and No. 8; 45 yards between No. 8 and No. 9; 90 yards
between No. g and No. Io.

Males.—Three polygamous and one single-mated.

No. First Second Third

Male. of Hen Hen Hen
Hens. Laid on Laid on Laid on

No. 8. 3 17.vi. and 25.vii. 18.vl. I2.Vii.

(second brood).
INOEEOR 3 13.Vii. 20.Vil. 7.Vill.

INGe dO: Zee 3 7.Vii. 18 vii. 23.Vii.

VoL. xxvill.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 23

Remarks.

No. 8.—First hen’s two nests were 22 yards apart and that of
second hen about 60 yards from the first nest of the former—the third
yhen’s nest was about 70 yards from each of the above. The male
commanded all the hens from tall tamarisks growing on a high hedge.
A fifth nest, owned by this male, was found, in which the first egg was
laid on July 26th; this date would fit in with it being the second brood
‘of the second hen, but, as it was 60 yards away, there is the possibility
of the bird being a fourth hen.

No. 9.—These three nests were within a patch 35 yards square. No
data re previous nesting of first hen. Undoubtedly second brood
‘of second hen, as she was seen feeding fledglings on the day she site-
‘hunted. Third hen had surely nested before, though we have no
evidence. Most unlikely that first and third hens were the same bird,
as the former's chicks (not well feathered) only left nest on August 3rd.

No. 1o.—Second hen deserted (after laying third egg) on July 2oth.
Third hen laid only two eggs (she hatched and reared them) in a nest
8 yards from that deserted by second hen. There is a possibility that
‘third hen was actually the second hen completing a clutch of five eggs
in a new nest after an interval in laying, but, in this case, there is
‘no apparent cause for deserting her first three eggs. It is far more
/probable that they were separate birds and that second hen came to
an untimely end after the laying of her third egg.

Group IV.—Two Males.
Territorv.—An undulating stretch of gorse, brambles and
coarse herbage close to the cliff. Bleak and exposed.
Song-perches.—Telegraph wires about two posts apart.
Males.—One polygamous, the other uncertain.

No. First Second . Distance
Male. of Hen Hen between
Hens. Laid on Laid on Nests.
INO. IT. 2 late June. late June. 60 yards.
Remarks.

No. r1.— Both hens laid clutches of.five and both nests were robbed
‘about mid-July and the hens disappeared. The male also disappeared
io days later. The other male’s hen (the only one located) reared a

brood.
Group V.—Five Males.

Territory.—A coastal stretch of about half a mile, comprising
roadside gorse and brambles and, at its western end, two or
three acres of rank herbage, thistles and gorse, extending to
the cliff-edge.

Song-perches.—Telegraph wires—the males’ “pitches”
varied from 70 to 180 yards in distance from each other.

Males.—Four polygamous ; the fifth male, at the extreme

‘flank of the territory, was single mated—his hen laid about
mid-June and completely vanished during incubation, but
the male out-stayed the four polygamous birds and was the
‘most persistent songster ; he remained a presumed widower
throughout the season.

24 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

No. First Second Third Fourth
Male. of Hen Hen Hen Hen
Hens. Laid on Laid on Laid on Warden
INOn az: 2 27.Vi. 30.Vi. — =
and
ileal
No. 13. 2 Laevi 18.vi. — ee
——_!

A second clutch laid by
one of the birds.

No. 14. 2 Tecewvall 28.vi. _ —
and
Pair fi0e
INO? 15. 4 23.Vvi. 4.Vil. Q.Vil. 24.Vii.
Remarks.

No. 12.—The nests of the two hens were 35 yards apart. The two
nests of first hen were 60 yards apart (the first in corn and the second
in roadside gorse).

No. 13.—-First hen robbed of her eggs—-second hen reared a brood—
nests 40 yards apart. One of the hens—impossible to say which—
laid a second clutch (or possibly a third hen).

No. 14.—First hen reared both broods, her nests being about 15
yards apart. Second hen reared a brood and did not lay again, her
nest being 50 yards from the first nest of first hen.

No. 15.—All the hens reared their broods. Fourth hen had probably
laid a previous clutch which evaded detection. It is very unlikely
that fourth hen was the same bird as first hen, whose young only left
nest on July 20th. The three earliest nests were within a plot about
50 yards square. The latest nest was 70 yards from the nearest of
the other three which further points to the bird being a separate
hen.

CESSATION OF SONG AND DEPARTURE.

Towards the end of July a distinct change of manner
becomes apparent among some of the males. There is an
atmosphere of restlessness and growing disinterest. The
number of birds in nesting territories has noticeably increased ;
they comprise adult hens, whose last broods have left the
nest, and fully fledged young.

By about August roth the number of birds is considerable.
The males, which have not already departed, hold their song-
perches as less sacrosanct. Small parties of birds may be
seen congregated around a male’s perch, while others shame-
lessly trespass on the privacy of a hen still nesting. The
air becomes full of birds flying hither and thither and fluttering
about aimlessly over the corn fields. The “ t¢p-a-t1p’”’ notes
are heard everywhere.

VoL. xxvil.] HABITS OF CORN-BUNTING. 25

As already stated, some males, with their hens and young,
have vanished before July is quite out, but most males are
still present. rae

About the end of the first week of August the diminution
of song becomes noticeable, and thereafter song continues to
lessen and finally to cease. By August 18th, 1933, song had
completely ceased in all the observed territories ; this is four
days earlier than in 1932.

The first real flock of wandering birds, consisting of about
thirty, was seen on August 8th, 1933, and another of fifty
to sixty birds on the 15th. On the 25th, numerous birds
were noted on inland uplands, far from any nesting haunt.

However, we must make it clear again that nesting opera-
tions are not all over in August. A good proportion of birds
are still incubating eggs laid in late July and also feeding
nestlings and fledglings, but as the month advances, males
‘become increasingly uninterested. Indeed, so strongly,
in the end, does the impulse to depart and to join a flock
appear to grip the males, that some of them completely
desert their hens and leave them to rear their nestlings
‘unwatched and unhelped.

For example, the five hens (three in 1932 and two in 1933),
‘which laid late clutches in early August, were all deserted
iby their males before the young were fledged. In each
‘case, however, the hens remained staunch to duty. One
‘particular hen, in 1932—a bird belonging to a “‘ group”’ of
four males—was the only Corn-Bunting left in the territory
‘when her nestlings were seven days old; _ her chicks left
itheir nest on September 2nd, and, on the 3rd, they and their
‘mother had vanished and may have moved a mile away ;
‘they could fly strongly an hour after the nest was quitted.

On August 26th, 1933, all the observed territories, with the
‘exception of a few loiterers (mostly young birds) in a “ group ”’
iterritory, were found to be empty of birds. On the 30th,
mo bird at all could be found in any nesting haunt, and we
iwere able to “ lay down tools ”’, at last, with clear consciences.

A last word on the cessation of song. With some males
it ended abruptly. A male in good song to-day would be
‘silent to-morrow and his voice not heard again, although he
‘remained at his post for some days longer.

As regards the break-up of the nesting season and cessation
of song, our observations of the two years showed no note-
worthy variation in either year in reference to the time of
‘the occurrences of these events.

26 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

SomE CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.

Being birds of placid temperament, Corn-Buntings show
no resentment towards nesting neighbours. In this district,
Stonechats are their most usual neighbours. Three of the
latters’ nests were found close to those of this Bunting, and,
in one instance, two concurrent nests were only ten feet apart.
One Corn-Bunting built her nest about fifteen feet from a
Nightjar brooding her two young. Other species noted were
Meadow-Pipit, Linnet, Hedge-Sparrow, Wren, Sky-Lark,
Whitethroat, Sedge-Warbler and Blackbird.

That Corn-Buntings in this district are not immune from
victimisation by the Cuckoo was proved in 1932. It was on
August 3rd, a very hot day, when we heard the shrill calls of
a young Cuckoo. We soon found the bird perched high on a
dead gorse bush and sat down to watch. A male Corn-
Bunting was singing vigorously nearby. Soon a hen Corn-
Bunting appeared with a grub and fed the Cuckoo.

We spent about five hours watching, but never once, during
that time, did the male help his mate. He continued to sing
persistently. The hen was indefatigable and, although she
flew a great distance away for each grub, fed the noisy Cuckoo,
on an average, every three or four minutes.

Occasionally the latter took wing and flew strongly towards
a distant cornfield. This caused much consternation in both
the foster parents, which hotly pursued it and seemed to head
and drive it back to its perch. Even a neighbouring male
joined in these chases. The birds evidently did not desire
the Cuckoo to quit the territory, although it was a fully
fledged bird.

During a short rest between feeding journeys we saw the
hen settle on a perch near her mate, which instantly trod her
(she built no nest subsequently). The incident appears to
have been a kind of reaction after the prolonged labours of
family cares. We have observed similar coition among
Shags with fledged young standing near the nest ledge, and
no eggs have been laid later.

We would desire to place on record here our thanks to
Mr. G. H. Harvey, “‘ Peatswood ”’, Penzance, for his valuable
assistance and encouragement in the compilation of these
records.

RAVEN’S NEST WITH TEN EGGS.
w Anglesey, on March roth, 1934, we found the nest of a
Raven (Corvus c. corax) in which were ten eggs. We believe
hat never more than seven eggs have been recorded before
n the British Isles, so this clutch was probably the product of
wo hens. ae

An interesting fact which supports this supposition was the
yresence of another, apparently new, nest about twenty yards
tway which—although empty—was newly lined.

Never more than two birds were seen near the nest at the
same time, and their behaviour was in every way normal.
[hus it may have been that the first hen was killed after
aying her eggs, and that the hen which took her place laid
ler own eggs in the same nest, although another nest was
ouilt, or, at least, relined.

Unfortunately the birds deserted a few days later but the
ges were still there on March 2gth.

We visited the nest again on April 7th when we intended to
ake the eggs to ascertain whether they were fertile or not.
However, the eggs were gone and the lining was torn out,
srobably the work of a Carrion-Crow.

The overhang of the cliff prevented our getting an adequate
»hotograph, even with the aid of a rope.

Five of the eggs seemed to be more densely spotted than the
-emainder. E. F. ALLEN

J. M. Natsu.

PALATE MARKINGS OF NESTLING SKY-LARK.
(Plate I.)
THE portrait of the female Sky-Lark (Alauda a. arvensis)
with young, reproduced in Plate 1, was taken at a roadside
nest near Buxton on June Ist, 1932. The rendering of the
nestlings’ palates was made possible by low but favourable
ighting, somewhere about 9.0 a.m. (true time).
After feeding two of the four young, the Sky-Lark proceeded
o brood them in the rear half of the nest, ignoring the re-
maining two which seemed eager to be fed, opening wide their
mouths repeatedly. The cock announced his arrival by
ittering a low warble, the signal for the hen to leave the nest,
ind he then fed the nestlings shown in the illustration.
JOHN ARMITAGE.

28 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

FIRECREST IN HAMPSHIRE.

AT about rr a.m. on April 13th, 1934, I watched an adult
Firecrest (Regulus 1. ignicapillus) at the edge of a birch wood
on Hengistbury Head.

I had it under observation for at least half an hour, in a
very good light. At times it was less than four feet away.

I wrote down a full description while it was in view, and
made a rough sketch of its head. Besides the typical black
and white head-markings, I particularly noticed its light
forehead, greenish mantle, light underparts and the yellowish
patch on the side of its neck. While I was watching it, a
hen Goldcrest came into view several times, so that my notes
were made largely by comparing the two. Though tame it
was extremely restless.

On April 14th the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain and I again
saw it in the same place for a short time, at about 3.45 p.m.
Mr. Jourdain thought it was probably a male, as its reddish
orange crown was so bright.

Four occurrences are mentioned in The Birds of Hampshire
and the Isle of Wight (Kelsall and Munn, 1905), but several
have been recorded since then. K. B. Rooxke.

SONG-THRUSH ALIGHTING ON SEA AND KILLED
BY LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL.

WHILST travelling between Finisterre and Ushant on the even-
ing of April 3rd, 1934, on the direct Gibraltar-Plymouth
route, my attention was drawn to a Song-Thrush (Turdus
Philomelus ? subsp.), which had been following the ship for
the past twenty minutes. This bird had suddenly flown
forward, hovered over the donkey-engines on the forward
well-deck as if contemplating landing, circled round the ship
and joined up with a small company of seven Sky-Larks
(Alauda a. arvensis) which were flying close alongside to
starboard.

After flying steadily with the Larks for a few moments
the Thrush dropped gently down on to the sea with outspread
wings, and appeared to be riding the water comfortably
enough till a Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus f. fuscus)
swooped down upon it from behind, killed it with a sharp
blow delivered at the back of the head, and carried it off.

The Thrush’s action in alighting on the water seemed quite
deliberate and the bird did not appear unduly exhausted.
Had it not felt confident that landing on the sea was perfectly
safe it seems likely that it would have chosen to land on the

VOL. XXVII,] NOTES. 29

ship instead. It is noteworthy that, as in the case of a
Redstart reported as alighting on the sea (antea, Vol. wey.
p. 80), there was a swell on the water but the surface was
smooth. W. J. EGGELING.

BLACKBIRD’S NEST WITH SEVEN EGGS.
Ir may be of interest to record that a Blackbird (Turdus m.
merula) is now (May roth, 1934) sitting on the unusual number
of seven eggs, just outside Kegworth station (actually in
Nottinghamshire). A. ROEBUCK.
[I have records of four other cases of seven eggs and two
of eight.—F.C.R.J.]

JACK SNIPE IN INNER LONDON.

Mr. F. A. Ruopes, of 3, Charing Cross Road, W.Cx, brought
to the Zoological Gardens on May 2nd, 1934, a Jack Snipe
(Limnocryptes minimus) which he had picked up in Pall
Mall the same day.

The bird had an injured wing, evidently having flown
against a telegraph wire. D. SETH-SMITH.

(The Jack Snipe has very rarely been recorded for Inner
London (see Vol. XXII., p. 242).—EDs.]

GLAUCOUS GULL IN CORNWALL.

As the Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) is only an irregular
visitor to Cornwall it may be well to record an immature
example that I saw on the shore north of Sennen Cove on
March 25th, 1934. It was in a mob of other Gulls, Greater
and Lesser Black-backs, Herring, Common and_ Black-
headed, and as it stalked about among them, all except the
Greater Black-backs, its compeers in size, edged away from
it, careful to give it place. From a distance its freckled,
creamy-buff coloration picked it out at once from the other
Gulls, and in flight the absence of black in primaries and
tail made it even more conspicuous. CHAS. OLDHAM.

ICELAND GULL IN HAMPSHIRE AND DORSET.

On April 6th, 1934, at about 10 a.m., I watched an immature
Iceland Gull (Larus leucopterus) on the sea off Branksome
Chine, Poole, Dorset. It was resting on the water near some
Herring-Gulls, several of which were immature, and so
afforded good material for comparison. The following is a
summary of my notes made at the time: About the same
size as a Herring-Gull, certainly not larger. Noticeably
white in comparison with the immature Herring-Gulls,

30 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII,

showing, however, distinct ashy-brown markings on the
mantle. No dark markings on the primaries. Bill—basal
half, light ; distal half, dark. |

In flight it appeared very white, and as it got farther away
the dark markings were lost to view, for after I had watched
it for about five minutes it flew off towards Bournemouth
Pier, and when it again settled on the water it was a mere
speck, as seen through my telescope. In flying east it passed
far over the Hampshire boundary, which is less than half
a mile away.

From its close resemblance to the bird I saw at Bristol
in the early part of 1933, I should say that it was in its second

ear.
r Only three records are given in The Birds of Hampsiure
and the Isle of Wight (1905), and none in The Birds of Dorset
(Mansel-Pleydell, 1888), though about four have occurred
in the latter county since then. K. B. ROOKE.

ICELAND REDWINGS AND FAEROE SNIPE IN KENT.—Dr.
J. M. Harrison records (Ibis, 1934, pp. 395-6) the occurrence
of specimens of Turdus musicus coburni at Shoreham (Darenth
Valley) on February 14th, and of a Capella gallinago faeroeensis
near the same place in mid-December, 1925.

LONG-EARED OWL BREEDING IN ISLE oF MAn.—Lieut.-Col.
H. W. Madoc informs us that on March 4th, 1934, he found
a nest of a Long-eared Owl (Asto 0. otws) in an old nest of a
Magpie in the Isle of Man. It then contained six eggs. On
March 26th there were six eggs and one newly-hatched
chick. As incubation begins with the first egg as a rule in
this species, and the eggs are laid at intervals of about 48
hours, this only gives approximately the incubation-period
(31-32 days). Other observations give varying periods
from 27 to 30 days.

Seven is an unusual number in England for this species,
though recorded on several occasions, while eight eggs have
been met with a few times. In France, Raspail states that
out of eleven nests examined all contained seven eggs except
one, which held eight! The date is also unusually early
for this species, though clutches have been recorded as early
as March 2nd.—F.C.R. J.

+ TEMMINCK’S STINT’? OBTAINED IN HEREFORDSHIRE—
Correctton.—In our issue for April, 1934 (Vol. XXVIL., p. 340),
a bird sent to the Museum, Hereford, as a Stint, was recorded

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 31

as a Temminck’s Stint, but unfortunately this was a wrong
identification, and the bird, which we have now seen, was a
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) in winter plumage.—Ebs.

REVIEWS.

Bird-Life in the Isle of Man. By Colonel H. W. Madoc, C.B.E., M.V.O.
pp. 200. 12 Plates from Photographs. (H. F. & G. Witherby).
6s. net.

Tuis little book is not a history of the birds of the Isle of Man, although

the matter is arranged systematically under species, but is a popular

account of the birds which the author has met with personally on
the island. It is written in a colloquial style and in many respects
recalls the works of Joseph Whitaker on Nottinghamshire birds.

Every page carries on it the mark of the field naturalist ; not neces-

sarily a scientific ornithologist, but at any rate the work of a man who

knows a bird when he sees it. Comparing it with Ralfe’s Birds of the

Isle of Man (1905) and its supplement (1924), it will at once be seen

that many species which have been recorded on more or less satisfactory

evidence, but did not come within the observation of the author, have
been omitted. On the other hand not only has Colonel Madoc brought
his book up to date, but he has added no fewer than eleven species
which are not included in the other works. All but one of these are

“ sight-records ’’, but in some cases the writer had already made the

acquaintance of the species in other lands, and in others the birds

themselves were seen under such favourable circumstances, or were so
readily identifiable, that there can be little doubt as to their identity.

The one case in which the specimen was actually obtained is rather an

interesting one, a Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) having

been killed accidentally at the Point of Ayre Lighthouse on September
231d, 1926. All previous records of Phalaropes from Man have belonged
to the Grey Phalarope (Ph. fulicarius). The other species which do
not figure in P. G. Ralfe’s books (although some are mentioned in
supplementary papers in British Birds, XXV., pp. 18-21, etc.) are

Lapland Bunting, Marsh-Tit, Wood-Lark, Montagu’s Harrier, White-

eyed Pochard, Long-tailed Duck, Velvet-Scoter, Eider, Great Snipe,

and Little Gull. We venture to doubt the statement that Mr. L. Sim
had met with the Great Snipe in Japan and was therefore competent
to identify it (p. 169). “‘ Least fearless ’’, on p. 29, should apparently
be ‘‘ most fearless’’.

As a handy guide to the birds likely to be seen on the island and
their status, this unpretentious little book can be heartily recommended
and is likely to prove extremely useful. sc. Rk. JOURDAIN.

LOCAL REPORTS.
Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists’ Society for 1932-33.

THis issue contains an interesting article on Harriers by Major Anthony
Buxton, who has made a special study of these birds at Horsey. The
article is illustrated with a number of very excellent photographic
plates, of which those showing phases of the “‘ pass ”’ of prey from the

-cock to the hen are particularly interesting. In some notes from Horsey

/on various birds, contributed by the same author to the vearly report,
we find mention of a Ferruginous Duck (Nyroca nyroca) being shot at
flight and of two or three more being seen a few days later, but no
dates are given. 7

32 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

Report of the Cambridge Bird Club, 1933.

Tus Report is reduced to a few pages as the Club has decided to finance
the publication of a county list, the preparation of which is now ad-
vanced. In a short list of birds for 1933 we note an Alpine Pipit
(Anthus s. spinoletta) on the Sewage Farm on December 20th; the
Hobby (Falco s. subbuteo) breeding in the same wood as in 1932, three
young being reared; a pair of Montagu’s Harriers at Wicken Fen,
but they did not breed; a nest of Garganey (Anas querquedula) found ;
and a small colony (six nests were seen) of Black-headed Gulls (Larus
vidibundus) nesting in Burwell Fen—the first record of breeding for
the county. Itis curious that the bird was first recorded as nesting in
Oxfordshire in the previous year.

Transactions of the Carlisle Natural History Society, 1933.

THESE transactions contain an interesting annotated list of birds
noted in Carlisle by B. Johnston; a paper by the same author on the
Barnacle-Goose on the English Solway, in which references are made
to past changes in rivers and marshes and their effect on the status of
this goose on the Solway, and a short article on the Buzzard by E.
Blezard.

Journal of the Derbyshire Archeological & Natural History Society, 1933.

TuIs contains an “‘ Ornithological Record ’’ for 1932-33 by the Rev.
F. C. R. Jourdain. In an interesting note on a Wagtail roost in
Dr. Hollick’s garden at Ashbourne, it is stated that a few Pied Wagtails
were noticed before March 22nd when 20-30 arrived and roosted in
a large rhododendron. They increased until April 13th, when there
were 50-60, and two Yellow Wagtails. On April 19th it was estimated
that there were 200 Wagtails, but by the 27th they had all gone. The
Yellow Wagtails were never in great numbers though as many as 34
were once counted, and the association of the two species at the roost is
interesting. Mr. C. B. Chambers gives an account of a Tufted Duck
taking its brood a long and intricate journey across country. Ex-
ceptional records for the county are a Velvet-Scoter shot on the Trent
in November, 1932, and two Little Stints identified at Williamthorpe
Reservoir in September.

Report of the Marlborough College Natural History Society for 1933.

Tuis Report contains a lengthy list of birds and is embellished with
reproductions of photographs taken by boys of the Stone-Curlew and
of nests of Lapwing and Coot. It is stated that Herring and Common
Gulls now very frequently pass over Marlborough, whereas formerly
they were seldom seen, and that Black-headed Gulls now frequent the
north end of the Salisbury Avon Valley in considerable flocks in winter,
though previously the bird was regarded as an uncommon visitor.

REPORT on the ‘“‘ BRITISH BIRDS”
CENSUS OF HERONRIES, 1928

by E. M. NICHOLSON
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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 2, VoL. NXVIII., JULY 2, 1934.

PAGE
Birds of Inner London. By A. Holte Macpherson te *, 34
Recoveries of Marked Birds Py: ey pas “ee a 36
Notes :
Rose-coloured Starling at Lundy wad os ey =e - 49
Chaffinch Nesting in Disused Swallow's Nest (W. J. Eggeling) — 49
Two Nests of Golden-crested Wrens in One Tree (A. Astley) ... 49
Woodchat seen in Sussex (G. Crowe) 50
Blackbird utilizing Discarded Nest (R. D. English) ... Pn 50
A Census of Nightingales in S. Worcestershire (A. J. Harthan) 50
Brood of Five Common Buzzards (S. Lewis) 52
An Unrecorded Essex Heronry (Dr. J. W. Campbell) ... 52
Little Bittern seen in Devonshire (M. J. Ingram) 53
‘ Paget’s Pochard "’ and Ferruginous Duck in Norfolk (B. B.
Riviere) 53
Kentish Plovers in Dorset and Hampshire (K. B. Rooke) 53
Little Stint in Sussex in Winter and Spring (N. F. Ticehurst) 54
Dates of Laying in a Gullery (H. W. Robinson) ae
Short Notes :—
Spruces Ringed by Woodpeckers. Spoonbill seen in Car-
marthenshire. Two Moorhens Laying in Same Nest 55

(34)
BIRDS OF INNER LONDON.

BY
A. HOLTE MACPHERSON.,

ADDITIONAL SPECIES.

THE Northern Guillemot (Uvia a. aalge), caught in Finsbury
on December 15th, 1933 (Vol. XXVII., p. 263), makes an ad-
dition to the list published in this magazine in 1929 (Vol.
XXII., pp. 222-244) and subsequently extended.

ADDITIONAL NOTES IN 1933.

For some years the Greenfinch (Chloris ch. chloris) has been
increasing steadily in London. In March I counted a flock
of twenty-six on one tree in a busy Kensington thoroughfare.

The Golden-crested Wren (Regulus rv. anglorum ?) was
seen by Mr. E. G. Pedler in Kensington Gardens on January
24th and February 13th, and by Miss S. Cropper on October
21st in Hamilton Terrace, Holland Park.

Birds which appeared to be Greenland Wheatears (inanthe
ce. leucorrhoa) arrived in some numbers on May 3rd in Regent’s
Park (D. Seth-Smith, Report to H.M. Office of Works).
There can be little doubt that some of these birds pass regularly
each spring through this park, which, until the last few years,
has received but little attention.

A Redstart (Phenicurus ph. pheemicurus) was seen on April
24th by Miss M. Rew in Regent’s Park, and another by Mr.
E. G. Pedler, on August 20th, in Kensington Gardens. It
is rather surprising that others were not noticed, for in Rich-
mond Park the species was more numerous during the summer
than I have ever known it. .

A pair of British Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Dryobates
major anglicus) excavated a nesting-hole 25 feet from the
ground, in the trunk of a chestnut, in the grounds of Holland
House. On May 5th, when their work appeared to be
complete, they were attacked and ousted by four Starlings,
which subsequently continued the battle for possession among
themselves. If the Woodpeckers endeavoured to nest else-
where, I failed to discover the spot.

The Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus) was heard, as usual,
in spring; and others were seen between July 23rd and
August 8th in St. James’s and Hyde Parks, and Kensington
Gardens, while the Hon. Guy Charteris informed me that he
saw one (August 2nd) in Berkeley Square.

VOL. Xxvill.} BIRDS OF INNER LONDON, 35

Col. A. E. Hamerton saw a Sparrow-Hawk (Accipiter n.
nisus) chased by Black-headed Gulls in Regent’s Park on
December roth (D. Seth-Smith, f.c.).

A Goosander (Mergus m. merganser) was observed by
Mr. E. G. Pedler on December 14th. It was a red-headed
bird and was on a small piece of open water at the east end
of the Serpentine, most of which was then covered with ice.
The presence of a crowd of tame ducks and gulls had given
it confidence and it was floating a few yards from the shore.

On October 7th, Mr. E. M. Nicholson saw an immature
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) feeding among
ducks, close to the bridge in St. James’s Park (C. S. Bayne,
Report to H.M. Office of Works). This species is not known
to have visited this park before, though it has been recorded
once from the Serpentine.

A Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia t. turtur) was noted on May 15th
in Regent’s Park (D. Seth-Smith, ¢.c.). Two Snipe (Capella
g. gallinago) were seen by Capt. Sir Bryan Godfrey-Faussett,
R.N., on December 21st in Hyde Park, not far from the Marble
Arch (Times, December 23rd, 1933).

A Woodcock (Scolopax yr. rusticola) was noticed flying
across Green Park, towards Piccadilly, on the morning of
March 29th, by Mr. Willoughby Radcliffe and two friends,
one of whom, like Mr. Radcliffe, was a sportsman well ac-
quainted with Woodcock. Both these gentlemen noticed
that it was a very dark bird.

In connexion with the Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed
Gull (Larus f. fuscus), seen over the Thames at Millwall by
Mr. H. G. Attlee on November 4th (antea, p. 305), it may be
remembered that it was this reach of the river which produced
the first record of this species from Inner London. About the
date of Mr. Attlee’s observation several of these birds were to
be seen in the London district.

The occurrence of a Landrail (Cvex crex) on Duck Island,
St. James’s Park, on December 5th, wasreported by Mr.
Hinton, the bird-keeper. Curiously enough, in November,
1932, a bird of this species was found caught in a wire enclosure
on this island.

(36)
RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

*Indicates that particulars have already been published of previous
recoveries of the same bird.

Carrion-Crow (Corvus c. corone).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
RT.6673 Penicuik (Midlothian), 1.6.33, Near where ringed, 21.4.34,
for Midlothian O.C. by D. Stewart.
RT.7733 Rugby (Warwick.), 4.6.33, for Desford (Leics.), —.8.33, by
Rugby School. H. Clarke & Sons.
RS.2321 Skokholm (Pembs.), 16.5.33, Angle (Pembs.), 5.2.34, by
by R. M. Lockley. A. Rickard.

Rook (Corvus f. frugtlegus).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
AG.377 Great Budworth (Ches.), 9.7.32, Near where ringed, —.3.33,
by A. W. Boyd. by ringer.
AG.389 Ditto O77.32 Barnton) (Chess) 20.3385

(e) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.
RR.8813 Chipping Norton (Oxon.),- Stone (Staffs.), 29.3.34, by
transported to and released by R. Johnson.
aie (Opsoyeel |[are) som S118],
; 24.2.33, by Oxtord Orn. Soc.
RS.5479 Ditto 2AU2, 28s LUC MIM mn Uettss)| jn 2 5:4-S45
by, Dr. Poster.
AK.344 Chipping Norton, released Near Manningtree (Essex),
Cambridge, 30.12.31, by Di. Hi. 22.1.34, by Miss Johnson.
Harrisson.

Jackdaw (Coleus m. spermologus).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
RT4359 Culham (Berks.), 29.5.32, by Henley-on-Thames (Oxon.),

Tks Hes Syontiewke. 20.5.34, by Capt. Noble.
RT.6288 Lisnagry (Limerick), 12.5.33, Clonlara (Limerick), 6.4.34,
by M. Goodbody. by S. Campbell.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
RT.4271 Dalston (Cumb.), 2.6.32, by R. H. Brown. 14.4.34.
RS.2771 Malvern (Worcs.), 22.5.30, by W. A. Cadman. TA.8.346
RR.359 Leamington (Warwicks.), 23.5.27, by P. K. Chance. 25.4.34.
RR.3746 Canterbury (Kent), 1.6.30, for St. Edmund’s Sch. —.12.33.
RR.1408 Ditto 22.5.27. 7eAas a
RT.4241 Ditto 28.5.32. 18.4.34-

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
RS.5464 Chipping Norton (Oxon.), Near Arnhem (Guelderland),
transported to and released Holland, —.4.34, by N. H.
Oxford, 24.2.33, by Oxford Museum, Leiden.
Ome SOc,
RT.4257 Charing (Kent), 14.4.33, for Where ringed, 2.5.34, by
St. Edmund’s Sch. G. Hines.

VOL. XXvilI.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS

No.
FA.469
FE.499
LP.477
BF.958

FA.80

FA.697
P.1465
R.1278
R.1302

$.4658
5.4662
5.4605
T.4404
GF.64
N.3887
TF .34

FB.703
FB.746

GF.210

YF.547

Starling (Sturnus v. vulgaris).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.
Ullswater (Cumb.), —.5.33, by
H. J. Moon.
Ullswater (Westmor.), —.6.33,
by H. J. Moon.

Wolsingham(Durham), 14.5.32,
by R. Martinson.

Heslington (Yorks.), 11.5.33:
for Bootham Sch.

Doveridge (Derby.), 11.5-33;

by H. Bamford.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE

37
Recovered.
Dalemain (Cumb.), 3.4.34;
by E. Gardner.
Tirrll (Westmor.), 3.1.34,

by R. Dent.
Stanhope (Durham), 14.5.34,
by L. Vickers.

Murton (Yorks.), 17.4.34;
by C. Creaser.
Marston Montgomery,

(Derby.), 30.5.34, by Mrs.
Weston.

RINGED.

Ullswater (Westmor.), —.5.33, by H. J. Moon. 7-4-34.-
Great Budworth (Ches.), 17.5.32, by A. Boyd. 15.12.33.
Ditto 20,5.31. QRS.
Ditto 20.5.31. 10.12.39;

70-83;
Ditto E7.5.30> 24.1.33.-
Ditto 17.5.30. 29.1.33-
Ditto 17.5.30. 6.3:35.
Ditto 18.5.29. 16.6.33.
Ditto G7. 23, 24.1.33.
Oxford, 16.5.32, by O.0.S. Ais Bey he
Laindon (Essex), 16.7.33, by L.N.H.S. 15.3-34+

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

York, 21.1.34, for Bootham
Sent.

Ditto 16.2.34

Great Budworth (Ches.),

18.1.33, by A. W. Boyd.

Ditto 7.12.95

Ditto 30.1.34

Ditto 17.1.26

Peover (Ches.), 5.11.33, by
A. G. Haworth.

Ditto T1133

Birmingham, 30.10.33, by
W. E. Kenrick.

Ditto 15.12.33

Pocklington (Yorks.),
10.4.34, by J. R. Stubbs.

Bolsward (Friesland), Hol-
land, 31.5.34, by N. EH.
Museum, Leiden.

St. Helen's (Lancs.), 13.2.34,
by J. Grice.

Niederung, [East Prussia,
21.5.34, by Vogelwarte,
Rossitten.

Zidikai, N. Lithuania,
29.4.34, by Prof. Ivan-
auskas.

Nordenham, Oldenburg,
Germany, 30.4.34, by
Vogelwarte, Heligoland.

Runcorn (Ches.), 9.4.34, by
R. Johnston.

Dassow, Mecklenburg,
—.4.34, by Vogelwarte,
Rossitten.

Tamworth (Staffs.), 24.1.34,
by Inspector Brooks.
Forncett-St.-Peter (Norfolk),

24.4.34.

38 BRITISH BIRDS.

[VOL, XXVIII.

Starling (continued).
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED (continued).

No. Ringed. Recovered.

BF.110 Birmingham, 15.11.33, by Nuneaton (Warwicks.),
H. G. Alexander. 25.1.34, by W. Beesley.

VF.542 Malvern (Worcs.), 23.2-33, by Stratford-on-Avon, 1.3.34,
P. E. A. Morshead. by Miss Bell.

Vieig79) Ditto 3.3.33 Droitwich (Worcs.), —.1.34,
by D. Copson.

FL.677. Evesham (Worcs.), 7.12.33, by Near Walsall (Staffs.),

A. J. Harthan. 15.1.34, by W. Pritchard.

R.5667 Oxford, 2.11.30, by Oxford Cumnor (Berks.), 6.2.34, by

Orn. Soc. J. Clayton.

P.6778 Ditto 16.2.32 Whaddon (Bucks.), —.3.34,
by R. Meacham.

FL.200 Ditto 22.1.34 Wieksniai, Lithuania,
15.4.34, by Prof. Ivan-
auskas.

R.5537 Ditto 31.10.31 Marienburg, East Prussia,
23.4.34, by Vogelwarte,
Rossitten.

FH.705 Ditto 23.11.33 Bartenstein, East Prussia,
15.3.34, by Vogelwarte,
Rossitten.

V.8660 Ditto 12.12.28 .Starogard, Pomerellia,
Poland, -20:3.34, by oF:
Duwe.

AN.9436 Ditto 25.1.33 Enkoping, Upsala, Sweden,
1.4.34, by Sec. British
Legation.

FN.805 Friern Barnet, London, 20.1.34, Chelmsford (Essex), 11.2.34,

formleonds Nits: by J. Thompson.

FK.680 Ditto 5.11.33 Luton (Beds.), —.1.34, by
W. Lawrence.

EN.778 Ditto 14.1.34 Duxford (Cambs.), 6.4.34,
by A. Webb.

FK.609 Ditto 28.10.33 Alphen-on-Maas, Guelder-
land, Holland, —.3.34, by

‘ M. Spoon.

T.3598 Appledore (Kent), 21.12.31, by Stone - in - Oxney (Kent),

© B. Licebunsts 27.4.34, by M. Titterton.

XF.79 Seaton (Devon.), 14.12.33, by Near Somerton (Som.),

A. Mavo. 19.4.34, by H. Gould.

FD.73 Belfast (Antrim), 14.12.33, by Cambusbarron (Stirling.),

J. Cunningham, 27.4.34, by V. Gianandra.

(d@) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Kilbarchan (F. J. Ramsay). R.1169 2.3-31 25.2.33
AN.7180 Talk2. 33 17.11.33 | R.1176 3-3-31 20.1.33
Carlisle (J. N. D. Smith). pase ee 7-1-3
pe “gt Tae Tee ee cae oe
Wilmslow (E. Cohen). T.4195 7.1.29 nee
*T.9922 14.7.29 175934 | Magen 26.2.29 16,12.32%
Great Budworth (A. Boyd). [Jan., May, Oct., Dec., 1933
IPL toy I1.4.32 24.,1.33) | (GEando 9.12.32 7.0338

VOL. XXvIII.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 39
Starling (continued).
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED (continued).

No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Evesham (A. J. Harthan). Kelling (R. M. Garnett).
VF.155 26.1.33 19.12.33 | S-7516 11.3.3! 24.17.34
Birmingham (W. Kenrick). Bluntisham (E. Peake).
ae t7t 17.3.33 13.11.33 | P.5784 24.7.31 Jan., Feb.,

Oundle (J. Fisher). P.7241 10.1.33 ioe
AN.8396 30.12.32 8.1.34 [Jan., Feb., 1934
Oxford (O.0O.5.). P.7256 28.3.33 20.1.34
G.5488 19.1.29 21.12.33 | *T.5106 72.29) 5.3.34
P.2621 29,02. 30 31.10.33 | *T.5109 £3.2.29 20. 12:33
Shey 8.2.32 20.2.34 | *T.5129 10.3.29 25.1.34
.6685 25.1 .32 TO,2.32 ;
ss on py te Buckhurst Hill (L.N.H.S.).
P.6711 24.1.32 30.3.34 | AN.3327 = 20.12.31 22.5-34
P.6755 og is Oe i! 24.12.33 : .
Ross Seas ‘yaa ; Friern er (..N.ELS,);
LF.673 9.11.32 29.12.33 | PK-615 OP20:33 5-34
Salisbury (O.O.S.). Shanklin (J. F. Wynne).
U.9696 23.12.29 21.4.34 | P7736 D3.02.31 23.3-34
Greenfinch (Chloris c. chloris).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered.
NC.703 Duddingston (Midlothian), Portobello (Midlothian),
18.5.33, by D. Bryson. —.1.34, by T. Spence.
F.B.32 Doveridge (Derby.), 20.6.33, Near Stoke - on - Trent
by H. Bamford. (Staffs.), 28.1.34, by C.
Allcock.
XF.213 Cumnor (Berks.), 28.5.33, for Oxford, 20.12.33, by W. A.
Oxford Orn. Soc. Cadman.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
FC.759 Shipley (Yorks.), 28.6.33, by Near Stratford - on - Avon
C, W. Smith. (Warwicks.), 13.1.34, by
P. Carr.
FP.596 Malvern (Worcs.), 28.2.34, by Near Lichfield (Stafts.),
P. E. A. Morshead. 26.3.34, by T. Garbett.
FP.529 Ditto 26.2.34 Wakefield (Yorks.), 25.4.34,
by J. Wilcock.
FH.693 Beckley (Oxon.), 18.12.33, for Lakenheath (Suffolk),
Oxford Orn. Soc. 15.3-34, by W. Rolph.
N.3872 Reading (Berks.), 14.12.32, for Hanwell, London, 20.4.34,
Oxford Orn. Soc. by O. Bishop.
FJ.899 Branscombe (Devon.), 25.12.33, Exeter (Devon.), 20.1.34,
by P. E. A. Morshead. by G. Densumbe.
FJ.833 Ditto 24.12.33 Avonmouth (Glos.), 20.1.34,
by Cage Birds.
FJ.1000 Ditto 29.12.33 Dawlish (Devon.), 28.2.34,
by D. Weston.
FJ.798 Ditto 24.12.33 Whitchurch Canonicorum

(Dorset.), 28.4.34, by E.
Spiller.

40 BRITISH BIRDS.

|VOL. XXVIII.

Greenfinch (continued).
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
Shipley (C. W. Smith).
VF.763 122.33 10.3-33;
: : [pu2-33) 5 10:3.34
VF.786 19.2.33 19.3-33 >

25-3-34
VF.809 19.2.33 Feb., Mar.,
[1933 $ 10.3.34
VF.834 2233 Feb., Mar.,
4 imo33); 1073634
VF.850 252.33 26.2.33 ;
3 3-2-34
VF.851 252.33 PISO IOS}3)
1.1.34
VF.864 26.2.33 diye ltpsy:)
10.3.34
VFE.878 26.2).33 Mar., 1933
(2); Feb., Mar., 1934
YF.804 TA sya) Wlanees IAGo)-5
: [1933 ; 20.1.34
YF.815 128.33 25.3-34
YF.836 222333 11.3.34
YF.854 19.3.33 Tiassa
YF.930 28.4.33 Wit 3y7
Great Budworth (A. Boyd).
* 7.5661 II.5.30 Tess
* 7.5992 23.06.30 IAG) D2
i or22 16.5.31 20.3.33
K.8678 62.31 Zou
IX.8695 18.1.31 PHP) its %
: 30.1-38
KX.8764 Tome si 252.88
PSS 7470 27. oT ZO ASS :
[Dec., 1933 (3)
L.6006 Boats DEC. tosh

KG ysreaemins £032 (3) 5 4.91.32 5
[Jan., Feb., 1933

L.6008 2502). 3\0 ZO UA a
[SOS 3h 10 7)239

L.6023 29.12.31 TOMmes2e
2s

L.6087 10.1.32 119). 383
Orme 16.1.32 Jan., 1932
MENS 2455.32.53 2.218

E6122 PS}. Jtg 372 BARR
L.6145 ZO.1.32 PR
Ieee

L.6159 Bowles 2 Slee oe
Ley. t 33" 2e ene

IL en 5 152532 DAR
L.6241 05.2-32 8.1.33
L.6291 2O2.32 19.2.33
L.6305 A.3-32 9.2.33
1.6339 PB 10.2.33

No. Ringed. Recovered.

L.6341 ZT eo? ZR Zi

i2osim. 32) Ostaes

L.6342 ZE.ByAz 205 Gee

Gal 7as\-

L.6365 9.4.32 Pato Gia

(aes so. ie Azass

GF.33 Ths} 3X2 2Oe5 e325

[L.6300] 6.1.33

GF.39 26.06.32 9.2.33

GF.163 ZOZ32 1O:3.3255

[L.6297] [24.12.32; Jan., 1933 (3)

WE.162 Aeee8S Feb., 1933

[(2) ; 22.3.33 ; 22.7.33

WEF .202 12-2.38 Tenlzes6

WE.249 2022-38 5.333315

5.012238

WE .266 PA Paks) IDYeXe5 4 HO)3133 ((7))

WE.323 4.3.33 27 les

Birmingham (W. Kenrick).
TF.169 ~ T263.38 202.33);
PARI2.38
Oxford (O.0.5S.).

P.3968 (o) 1333} 252.385

18.12.33

EO 0.2.32 152-34.
[L.4623]

B.558 PUGPa BS} 2.4.34

TF.206 23.1.33 Jane, Pebs

[Mar., 1933; 8.2.34

Ane a1) Ayana | falidl, 1EEIO)-

[1933 ; 14.2.34

TF.220 5.2.33 Feb., Mar.,

1934

TF.505 6.2.33 Feb., 1933

[(4) ; Dec., 1933 (2)

TF.509 Here 13.2.34

Beckley (O:0'S.).

TF.330 28.2.33 To.02s38
Bluntisham (E. Peake).
J.5280 iG). 73 331! 2301 Bal
L.3193 28253 3.1.34
sl aay 379 1.3.31 Jan., 1934 (3)
L.3993 8.3.31 T5034
AL A079 20.4.31 TOs2s3
Texsien 1.5.31 BOMI2. 3B):

Deitel
N.3142 (yn Be 29.12.33
N.3150 Tite 37 6.3.34
N.3253 ez ene 23.1.34
NR.562 53233 14.12.33
*TU.384 16.2.31 Jan.,Feb.,1934

Shanklin (J. F. Wynne).
SF.694 0L.3.33 25.3.34

VOL. XXvilI.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 41

Greenfinch (continued).
(e) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
GF.162 Great Budworth (Ches.), re- Where ringed, 14.1.33, by
leased 44 m. N.W., 11.1.33; ringer.
by A. Boyd. :
NL.gor Marlow (Bucks.), released 6m. Where tinged, 25.1.33, by
5.5. W., 17.1.33, by H. Pease. ringer.
NM.916 Ditto released 7 m. away, Where ringed, 15.3.33, by
LA. D333 ringer. —
WF.467 Hemsby (Norfolk), released Where ringed, 6.2.33, by
3 Mm. away, 5.2.33, by J.- ringer.
Ferrier.
MF.632 Branscombe (Devon.), released Beer (Devon.), 9.2.34, by
m. W.N.W., 7.1.33, by C. Thomas.
P. Morshead.
Goldfinch (Carduelis c. britannica).
L.1989 Beckley (Oxon.), 29.10.31, ad., Where ringed, 23.2.34, by
for Oxford Orn. Soc. ringer.
Linnet (Carduelis c. cannabina).
M.87 Kirkham (Yorks.), 20.5.33, Near Oulton Broad (Suffolk),
young for Bootham Sch. 21.4.34, by B. Youngs.
Chaffinch (Fvingilla c. celebs).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
FA.17 Stanway (Glos.), 21.5.33, by Where ringed, 20.3.34, by
Hon. G. Charteris. ringer.
CF.440 Strood (Kent), 18.5.33, for Higham (Kent), 30.4.34, by
Sutton Valence Sch. W. Brice.
M.4900 Battle (Sussex), 7.6.32, by Where ringed, 1.1.34, by
H. Whistler. C. Jacoby.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
FM.342 Great Budworth (Ches.), Goederede, Zuid Holland,
20.1.34, by A. W. Boyd. 27.3.34, by K. van der
Wende.
FF.862 Redditch (Worcs.), 10.2.34, by Stanway (Glos.), 23.2.34, by
Hon. G. Charteris. T. Buggins.
FF.890 Ditto 10.2.34 Ditto 23.2.34.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Arnside (J. Barnes). Oxford (O.0O.S.).
NJ.813 4.1.33 20.12.33 | N.3944 24.10.32 rae eft
e a ae (A. meer | er ae mtisham (E. Peake).
WF.328 9.3.33 1O:3¢:35) ; 399% ei3-31 Beka ce :
ZA. 38 ‘3:34
Malvern (P. Morshead). M Battle (H. Whistler).
N.6783 30.7.32 22.4.34 | ™.4908 18.2.33 14.3-34
Evesham (A. J. Harthan). Lisnagry, Limerick (M. Goodbody).
VF.723 1.4.33 5-1.34 | CF.697 14.5.33 7.5.34

42 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. XXVIII.
Tree-Sparrow (Passer m. montanus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered.
K.8928 Great Budworth (Ches.), 4.6.31, by A. W. Boyd. 20
19.0.33
K.8929 Ditto 4.6.31. YO) Oy. 3}1
T7-7-33
L.6392 Ditto 30.5.32. 13.5.33.-
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
H.5789 Great Budworth (Ches.), 28.7.29, by A. W. Bayd. 23.4.33.
L.6424 Ditto 3.6532. ZOG ease
Yellow Bunting (Emberiza c. citrinella).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Great Budworth (A. W. Boyd). | L.5970 Grenades 18.1.33
D.5021 e220 10.1.34 | L.6039 Sr c2eL 10.5.33
H.5397 28.5.:29 12.02.33) |) Jej608n Gur e2 ight hgey \:
*H5946 6.3.30 Buizess Ge Nees} 3
J.5049 8.5.30 23 0.380 ee Omom Ooms 2 6.5.33
L.5861 9.8.31 6.5.38) |) 0867) 22,4..32 ean 3;

Reed-Bunting (Emberiza s. scheniclus).
No. Ringed. Recovered.
L.2476 Wilmslow (Ches.), 27.1.32, ad., Where ringed, 3.2.32; March,
Dye. Cohen: 1934 (2), by ringer.
Sky-Lark (Alauda a. arvensis).

NA.904 Malvern (Worcs.), 25.2.33, ad.. Where ringed, 21.1.34, by

by A. Morrison. P. E. A. Morshead.

iL..2007 Beckley (Oxon.), 1.12.31, ad., Where ringed, 23.2.34, by

for Oxford Orn. Soc. ringer.
Meadow-Pipit (Anthus pratensis). .

H.6971 Oxford, 24.1.31, ad., for Oxford Dec., 1932; Jan., Feb., 1933;

Orn. Soc. 20.12.33, by ringer.
Great Tit (Parus m. newtont).
M.2409 Peover (Ches.), 10.12.32, ad., Nantwich (Ches.), —.12.33,
by A. G. Haworth. by H. Walley.
Blue Tit (Parus c. obscurus).
N.2466 Kilbarchan (Renfrew.), Balfron (Stirling.), 17.2.34,

Biat2.30, ad. by aaa by Miss McAllister.
Ramsay.

VOL. Xxvill.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 43

Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca).

No. Ringed. Recovered.

K.4649 Rydal (Westmor.), 20.6.32, Ambleside (W estmor.),
young, by Miss Higgin- 25.5.34. by M. Gladding.
botham.

Willow-Warbler (Piylloscopus t. trochilus).

NS.403 St. Catherine’s Light (1.0.W.), Williton (Som.), 2.5.34, by
11.4.34, On migration, by J. R. Townson.
Jj. F. Wynne.

Mistle-Thrush (Turdus v. viscivorus).
RINGED AS NESTLING.

AP.3382 Langwathby (Cumb.), —.6.32, Thenay (Loir - et - Cher),

by H. J. Moon. France, 26.11.33, by Chas-

: seur Francais.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN. |

AP.6920 Shipley (Yorks.), 15.4.33, by Where ringed, 27.1.34, by

C, Wontner-Smith. ringer. —
YF:794 Ditto 5.3.33. Ditto HO:12:33\5 “BFLSas

Song-Thrush (Turdus ph. clarket).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

’ (a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

FA.637 Penrith (Cumb.), —.5.33, by Hospital (Limerick), 25.1.34,

H. J. Moon. by J. Fogarty.
FD.629 Ditto —.5.33 Ballybunion (Kerry), Winter
1933, by P. Buckley.

T.3357 Ullswater (Cumb.), —.4.29, by Dalemain (Cumb.), Summer

H. J. Moon. 1933, by E. L. Gardner.
CF.188 Wensleydale (Yorks.), 27.4.33, Near Penzance (Cornwall),
for Bootham Sch. 9.1.34, by Mrs. Johns.
R.1200 Great Budworth (Ches.), Near Oldham (Lancs.),
26.4.31, by A. W. Boyd. —.4.34, by J. Tate.
CF.950 Bealings (Suffolk), 2.5.33, by Near Cirencester (Glos.),
A. Mayall. 30.1.34, by R. Brain.
FC.246 Canterbury (Kent), 24.5.33, for Near Lannion (Cétes-du-
St. Edmund’s Sch. Nord), France, —.1.34, by

Y. le Mével.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED,

FG.325 Penrith (Cumb.), —.6.33, by H. J. Moon. 5.4.34.
FB.540 Near York, 13.6.33, for Bootham Sch. 26.4.34.
YF.928 Shipley (Yorks.), 30.4.33, by C. W. Smith. 3.4.34.
$.4588 Northwich (Ches.), 26.4.30, by A. W. Boyd. 16.22.33
S.4829 Great Budworth (Ches.), 6.6.30, by A. W. Boyd. 18.3.33.
P.1374 Ditto 24.5.32. 18.1.33.
FC.255 Charing (Kent), 28.5.33, for St. Edmund’s Sch. 21.1.34.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN,
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
AN.4380 Bridge of Allan (Stirling.), Longford, Ireland, 24.2.34,
21.3.32, by Miss Bickersteth. by Miss Ferrall.
TF.137. Birmingham (Warwicks.), Balsall Heath (Warwicks.),
28.1.33, by W. E. Kenrick. 23.2.34, by Mrs. Chester.

oe BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Song-Thrush (continued).

(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered. | No. Ringed. Recovered
Wilmslow (E. Cohen). GF.288 28 es 1933
: Z 4); 0.12.33
EN Aney BOW Be 15-334 | GE 312 aires Jame, Uda
[(4) ; 6.12.33
Great Budworth (A. Boyd). ih. eet
«T e y Birmingham (W. Kenrick).
ee 30:9.26 T5-3-33 | TE.105 27.11.32 12,7330
T.4316 23,.2.29 Jan., 1933 (3) 27.1.34
9.4528 9:3 3° Se TF. 136 28.1.33 13.0298
*R.II47 4.1.31 Dec., 1932; | Cheltenham (Cheltenham Coll.).
[Jan., Mar., Oct., Nov., 1933 | FG.547 13.7-33 25-334
GF.67 17.£0,32 Jan., 1933
Riess aero Bluntisham (E. Peake).
GF.189 ieers8 250.338 3, |) dear2e6 i 3) 1A 2472 Ses
A.D2,33 230.34
Blackbird (Turdus m. merula).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. : recovered.
AP.2114 Almondbank (Perths.), 28.5.33, Blairgowrie (Pertaacn)s
by Lord Scone. 29.3.34, by W. Hendry.
S.1821 Penrith (Cumb.), —.5.29, by Horseleap (Westmeath),
ieee Noon: 21.2.34, by Mrs. Craven.
$.5502 Ditto —.6.29 Melkinthorpe (Westmor.),

—.8.33, by E. L. Gardner.

X.4973 Ullswater (Cumb.), —.5.26, by Stainton (Cumb.), 2.3.34, by
Jal. Jf Muleyonar. 18, IL, (Caveeharese.

FD.589 Ditto —.5.33 Ballydehob (Cork), 28.1.34,
by Miss Collins.

XF.966 Ingleton (Yorks.), —.5.33, by Arkholme (Lanes.), 2.4.34,

isi |e Moon: by J. Stewart.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
isorseeberth,, £2.5.20, by Perth Nerins, 22) 32348
PF.315 Ingleton (Yorks.), —.6.32, by H. J. Moon. 24.4.34.
AN.4334 York, 18.6.31, for Bootham Sch. 23,.3-346
EBs A4e Ditto! 26.5.33. 12.4.34.

*T.6049 Great Budworth (Ches.), 29.5.29, by A. W. Boyd. 26.2.33;

; 29.5.33:;) TO raises
R.1340 Ditto NO2653 0. ZAW2 Bey
EF.342 Alethorpe (Norfolk), 29.4.33, by R. Noel-Hill. 5234s
T.9536 Canterbury (Kent), 26.6.29, for St. Edmund’s Sch. 16.5.34.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(¢) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
SF.131 Wilmslow (Ches.), 12.10.32, by Hayfield (Derby.), 26.2.34,

iy ‘Cohen. by Miss Gee.
R.1409 Great Budworth (Ches.), Near Warrington (Lancs.),
10.3.32, by A. W. Boyd. 28.3.34, by J. Leah.

SF.435 Brent Knoll (Som.), 14.8.32, by Ballingeary (Cork), 23.2.34,
Bee G. Elolt. by P. Hoare.

VOL. Xxvul.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 45

Blackbird (continued).

(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
Dornoch (E. Cohen).
NP.545 uy By a 6.2.34
Broughty Ferry (T. L. Smith).
T.5432 16.2.29 9.1.34
Kilbarchan (fF. J. Ramsay).
AN.7161 25.2.32 Eee
Holy Island (O.0.5.).
MF.181 27.9.32 —.5.34
Shipley (C. W. Smith).

PVE .781 19.2.33 £O.12:35'5

7:3-34
YF.823 E755530 28.6.33 5

[10.10.34 ; 10.3.34

*YT.838 173,33 Jan., Mar.,
1934

Gt. Budworth (A. W. Boyd).
*R.1161 WAG ars! Ge Be Fe bi

(2.2.32; Jam... Feb., Ap. july,
[Dec., 1933

PR 1672 2.3.31 Jan., Feb.,
(1OS9 <) Ta, 02.Re

R.tr81 9.3.31 6:12,33
*R.1349 30; 7.51 20.2:4555
10.12.33

K.1350 30.7.31 Jan., Feb.,
1933

R.1352 2.8.31 28.1.33
*R.1357 29.8.31 Jan., 1933 (3)
R.1358 25.10.31 Jan., Feb.,
- (1933; 14.12.33
R.1359 26.10.31 Jan., 1933
((4) ; Dec., 1933 (2)

R.1360 28.10.31 Dec., 1931
[(2); Beb:, Mar., 1932;

[Jan., Feb., 1933; 9.12.33

IR.2377 8.2.32 Feb., Mar.,

[1932 ; 11.11.32; Jan., Feb.,
[1933; Nov., Dec., 1933

R.1380 14.2.32 TO.2, 390
[Jan., Mar., 1933

R.1384 10.11.31 S1,.12.403
9.3-33

*R.1387 22.01.35 Dec, 1952
(3); Jan., Feb., 1933

R.1388 6.12.3 Feb., Mar.,
(ORas TS 51.32;

[Jan., Feb., 1933

R.1391 ES.22.3 25.22, 47-5

ease; 2Er.38

No. Ringed. Recovered.
R.1401 20.2.32 Feb., Mar.,
[1932; Jan., Feb., 1933

R.1404 3.3.32 Mar., 1932

[(3) ; 9.12.32; Jan., Feb.,
[Ap., 1933; Dec., 1933 (3)

R.1410 EN.3.32 14.35.32);
29.1.33
*5.4539 19.3.30 Jan., Feb.,
1933
*T.4052 20.00.25 Jan, eb-:,
1933
*T 4330 1.3.29 Jan., Feb:,
(1933; 11.12.33
*W 5091 Beta 0.12.52;
[25.1.33°5, 6.12.48
W.5428 ee LL27 221.33
*W 5431 07.02.27 4.12.32
GF. 101 26.11.32 Jan., Feb:,
[1933 ; 13.12.33
GF.292 201.33 Jan., Feb.,
(1933 ; Dec., 1933 (3)
VF.997 26.1.33 7 ee ko ae
[A.02.33

Peover (A. G. Haworth).
AN.4669 27.1.33 Jan., 1933

(3) 5 25.02.35

AN.4672 18.21.33 2.0.32 >
EA 12.98
AN.4680 PL33 27.2, 23
28.1.34
Birmingham (W. Kenrick).
BF.138 iy ts Jan., Feb.,
1934
BF.143 10.7.33 Dec., 1938
[(2) ; Jan., Feb., Mar., 1934
SF.788 16.10.32 9.12.32 ;
[Jan., Mar., 1934
SF.797 6.11.32 Dae or
[Dec., 1933; Jan., Mar., 1934
TP Aaa Ti. 12.32 19.2.33 ;
1.1.34
Stanway (G. Charteris).
AP.5776 7.1.33 W334
Blenheim (O.0.S.).
MF.200 2.3.33 5.3.34
TF.627 %.3:33 5-3-34
Oxford (O.0O.S.).
AN.9538 28.2.33 2.2.34

46 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.
Blackbird (continued).
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED (continued).
No. Ringed. Recovered, No. Ringed. Recovered.
Bagley Wood (0.O.S.). Cambridge (Sanctuary Club).
. AIF 70 Z2Ost.3i0 AL Zno2
Boe T4.1.33 Jens eae L.1780 27 leat Jan. Febs
AN.68 oe tas [moar ; 29,1.35
-6890 7.2.32 gree P.3768 7.1.32 Feb., 1932
x Saree [(7) ; Feb., Mar., 1933
AN6or1 Bie 32 oe P.3799 7.3.37 Mar., 1931
[(3) ; 29.1.33
AN.3057 lossy 25.1.33
Bluntisham (E. Peake). ss aaa (J. F. Wynne).
*P.7166 TE 2 21.12.33 ue sina } AAO Oe
Belfast (J. Cunningham).
RF.148 15.10.33 And
(e) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.
No. Ringed. Recovered.
P.3766 Cambridge, released 2% m. Where ringed, 7.3.33, by
away, 21.2.33, by Sanctuary ringer.
Club.
Robin (Evithacus r. melophilus).
RINGED AS NESTLING.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
NW.932 Stanway (Glos.), 30.5.33, by G. Charteris. 10.4.34.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
MH.313 York, 3.3.34, for Bootham Sch. Wigginton (Yorks.), 2.4.34,
by G. Howard.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Kilbarchan (F. J. Ramsay). Shipley (C. W. Smith).
N.2463 XO) WAS Syat 9-1.325 | NR.r24 28.1.33 19.2.33 ;
N.5178 3-3-33 20.3.34 bee
, : ae 4 NR.127 29.1.33 53-33 5
Arnside (J. A. G. Barnes). 20.1.34
*H.6562 12.12.30 Dec., 1932 | *NR.137 20.183 Ti7eLe oes
[(5) 5 10.9.33 [Jan., Feb., 1
“3 -» 1934
L.1610 6.1.32 Guess
L.1620 8.1.32 Dec., 1932, NR.157 29.1.33 Mar., 1934 (2)
[1933; Jan., 1933, 1934 *NR.197 5-3-33 Jan., Mar.,
NJ.786 22.32 IDyele, 100) 332,, 1934
[1933; Jan., 1933, 1934 | *NR.213 9.3.33 Mar., 1934 (2)
NJ.791 gg 31.12.32; | NR.215 tIg:33 Mar., Ap.,
- [17-1.33 5 9.9.33 I ; Mar.
NM.974 17.1.33 20.12.33 [1933 ; Mar., 1934 (3)
NM.975 DL.2-33 9.1.34

VoL. Xxvil1.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 47

Robin (continued).

(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED (continued).

No. Ringed. Recovered.
Wilmslow (E. Cohen).
*KK.6005 7.8.30 6.5.33 3

[11.11.33 ; —.2.34

L.2473 25.0,32 Jan., Feb.,
[1932 ; —.2.34

*N J .837 9.8.32 Ap., May,

[1933 ; 21.1.34
Great Budworth (A. Boyd).

es 732 18.7.31 Dec., 1932
(4); Jan., 1933 (2)

*L.5948 25.9.31 Nov., Dec.,
[z932; Jan., Feb., Ap.,

(1933; 7-11.33

L.5982 9.72.40 W6c., 198m

[Jan., Feb., May, 1932;
ja7.20.32%7 Mart, Ap., 19855
[Nov., Dec., 1933

L.5993 LO.12.31 Feb., Mar.,
(Ap, 1932 ; Dec., 1932 (3)

'L.6287 2A.2.32 21.1.33
'N J.306 30.9.32 Oct., Nov.,
[Dec., 1932 ; Jan., Feb., 1933;
[9.11.33

'NJ.375 22.5.33 Jan., Feb.,

[1933 ; 7-12.33

Evesham (A. J. Harthan).
‘NR.116 9.2.33 LO.L1.33

Birmingham (W. Kenrick).

‘N K.929 29.09.32 Oct., Nov.,
[Dec., 2632; jan, Feb.,

[Oct., Dec., 1933; 5.1.34
INL.48 16.10.32 UN
[Feb., Mar., Oct., Nov., 1933

YNL.80 18.2.33 Mar., 1933
[(12); Dec., 1933 (5)

YNL.81 18:2. 33 28.1.34

Birmingham (H. G. Alexander).
WNR.329 9.3-33 28.1.34

No. Ringed. Recovered.
Rugby School.

M.3661 2A £1.31 20.11.53
Oxford (O.0O.S.).

NB.439 {5.00.32 3.3.34

NB.552 2.3.33. Mar., 1933

[(4) ; 18.11.33 ; 3.2.34

Bagley Wood (0.0.S.).
L.4664 28.1.33 02.72.33
L.4671 5.2.33 Feb., Mar.,

[1933 ; 25.11.33

Bluntisham (E. Peake).

*N.2063 14.12.31 Dec., 1933 (2)
N.2064 T4,.02,.3% Jan., Feb,
[Ap., 1932; 18.12.33 ;

(15-1.34

N.5157 28.2.33 20.2.34
NK.660 12.10.32 59.0533:3
[15.12.33 ; 20.2.34

NK.663 8.11.32 PB AIs

[Nov., Dec., 1933

Cambridge (Sanctuary Club).

*L.2168 $2.31 Jan., Feb.,
[Mar., 1933

L.2253 E71r.3r Nov., Dec.,
[togr; Jan., Feb., Mar.,
[Nov., Dec., 1932; Jan.,

[Feb., Mar., 1933

L.2259 Sr.L%.32 Jan., Feb.,
[Mar., Nov., Dec., 1932;

[Jan., 1933

L.9750 153.32 Mar., 1933

[(6)} 232,32
Addlestone (P. Hollom).

(e) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.

No. . Ringed.

L.2268 Marlow (Bucks.), released 2m. Where ringed,
N.E., 14.1.33, by H. Pease.

F.9382 13.5.33 26.12.33
Battle (H. Whistler).
NR.637 28.4.33 5-3-34

Recovered.
3-2.33, by

ringer.

48 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occidentalis).
RINGED AS NESTLING.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
NR.259 Shipley (Yorks.), 24.5-33, by C. W. Smith. 3.9.33; 10.1.34))
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Kilbarchan (F. J. Ramsay). L.6043 31.12.31 Jan., Feb.,
N.5172 12.2.33 23.32.34 ; imo32); Heb: Jmllyn 1o35
6.4.34 | L.6350 29.3.32 23 A. 32i
9.5.33

Ullswater (H. J. Moon). 1.16266 TA.A.22 18.4.
«TZ. 74, : ; 217.2.34 3 4-4-3 4-33

he 7-3-3 et | Birmingham (W. Kenrick).

Shipley (C. W. Smith). *NIX.g15 20.9.32 28.1.34 ;
NR.123 2or.38 9.11.33 3-3-34
*NR.202 1253.33 7-1.345 | NL.46 Te One 2 Oyeie., Dae,
24.3.34 imog2'; Man. (Oct. aNove,
NR.228 4:4.33 Ap., 1933 (2); [1933; Jan., Mar., 1934
ZOni3 Aree Ne lene ereeeoe o02.3en

[Mar., Oct., Nov., 1933 ;

Wilmslow (E. Cohen). [Feb., 1934 (4)

Nix.491 27a0).32 12.12.33 | ne 56 13.12.32 5.12.33 ;

NK.. 22.10.32 835385) eee 7 2

497 3 ee mee ue ae Base cee
NR.474 S53} | eNO e5 Dees Se, ie = e

[1933 } 27.1.34 94 3-33 34

; NL.96 25.83.33 Dec, 1933 (2)

Peover (A. G. Haworth). NL.97 ZiseseBe 3.3.34

NM.188 x MGi2538 2620-88 Oxford (0.0.S.).

Great Budworth (A. Boyd). *NM.328 25.1.31 Nov., 1933
*].6051 25.7.30 Feb., Mar., | [L.1313] [(2); Jan., Feb., 1934
fee 1933 Bagley Wood (0.0O.5.).

K.8632 Trig rebe poe L:4676 5.3.33 8.4.34
eee es Pre Bluntisham (E. Peake).

[11.12.32 ; 4.3.33 L.4001 10.3.31 24.1.34

L.5950 25.9.31 PAY AO) Byes Cambridge (Sanctuary Club).
(eeu ye ey |) ‘lL ar'7or) Zora Feb., Mar.,
*L.5952 28.9.31 Biya} © 1933
: ALT2238) 5) eno7am Pgh Poe? PSD ©
*L.5907 30.10.31 TOMuneay ii. 3988
[Jan., Mar., May, | *NL.760 222o i, Dec., 1932
[Decs nos3 | een zon) ie); Bebr Man. moss

Swallow (Hirundo r. rustica).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
MC.726 Skirwith (Cumb.), —.6.33, by Dalmellington (Ayr),
H. J. Moon. 29.5.34, by P. Mulligan.
N.1636 Yarm (Yorks.), 24.8.31, for Birmingham (Warwicks.),
Lt.-Col. Pollitt. 3.5.34, by S. Jones.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
N.5092 Great Budworth (Ches.), 26.6.32, by A. Boyd. 1655.33%
NW.195 Wenterden (Kent), 1116.33, by Nee. Ticehutst. 19.5.34-

ROSE-COLOURED STARLING AT LUNDY.

‘WHILE at Lundy, Bristol Channel, on June 18th, 1934,
Messrs. F. R. Willcox, G. Stretton Smith, A. P. Harman
and myself had excellent views of a Rose-coloured Starling
(Pastor roseus), which, from its fine plumage, appeared to be
an adult male. It was first noticed on the half-way wall at
a distance of about 20 yards and it then flew out of sight
beyond the quarter-wall. A short while later 1t was again
watched at close quarters about the half-way wall and on
boulders along the east-side slopes, when the crest, the
glossy black head, wings and tail and the rose-pink upper
parts and breast were easily noted. Though for the most
part silent its call-note on one occasion, when taking wing,
closely resembled that of the Starling (Stwrnus vulgaris).

Although there do not appear to be any authentic records
during recent years, this species used apparently to be a
regular spring visitor to the Island (see Loyd, Lundy Hist.
and Nat. Hist., 1925, p. 153). H. H. Davis.

CHAFFINCH NESTING IN DISUSED
SWALLOW’S NEST.
On May 18th, 1934, I was shown at Christon Bank Farm,
Northumberland, by R. Robinson, Jr., the nest of a
Chaffinch (Fringilla c. celebs) in an unusual situation. It
was built within the disused nest of a Swallow (Hirundo r.
rustica), placed against one of the beams supporting the roof
of an empty engine-house. Entry to the room was effected
through an open half-door. The nest was constructed of
the usual materials, and its rim protruded only just above the
top of the Swallow’s cup. From the ground neither the nest
nor the sitting female were visible. When I visited the nest
the bird had been brooding four eggs for just over a week.
There appeared to be plenty of more normal nesting sites
in the near vicinity. W. J. EGGELING.

TWO NESTS OF GOLDEN-CRESTED WRENS
IN ONE TREE.
For more than thirty years a large yew tree in a Westmorland

garden has almost invariably held the nest of a pair of Golden-
‘crested Wrens (Regulus 7. anglorum). In June of this year

D

50 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

(1934) two pairs of the birds have nested in this tree. The
nests are on the same side of the tree, and are about six feet
apart, the lower being about ten feet from the ground. The
birds have been watched at both nests, and on June 7th an
inspection showed that both contained eggs, one eight and the
other ten. It is surely unusual for two pairs of these birds
to nest in such close proximity. A, ASTiEY,

WOODCHAT SEEN IN SUSSEX.

ON May 16th, 1934, while walking along Bremere Rife, at
Pagham, my attention was drawn by the peculiar dipping
flight of a dark-headed bird with pied plumage. It was
comparatively tame and allowed me to examine it with glasses
on successive perches at a distance of ten yards, when I made
out that the back of the head and nape were a rusty brown,
the forehead, sides of neck and wings brownish-black, the
latter with a white wing-bar and the under-parts white. It
had the typically hooked upper mandible of a Shrike and I
have no doubt that it was a Woodchat (Lanius senator).
It eventually crossed the stream, which was too deep for me to
follow, and I lost sight of it, but I had had it under observation
for quite seven minutes. GEOFFREY CROWE.

BLACKBIRD UTILIZING DISCAKDED NEST.

ONE day during April the nest of a Blackbird (Turdus m.
merula) was found on a garden path at Sutton Valence
School, Kent, having been pulled out and thrown there by
someone unknown. The finder picked it up and placed it
in the corner of a wooden rack built against the wall of the
Fives Courts. A few days later it was taken possession of
by a Blackbird and when the school re-assembled on May
4th she was sitting on three eggs. A week later she deserted,
no doubt owing to the constant traffic past the rack and the
noise of the Fives’ players. I have not been able to ascertain
the original site of the nest, but the probability is that it was
at no great distance and, of course, it is possible that it was
the original owner that laid in it after the move.

R. D, ENGLISH.

A CENSUS OF NIGHDTINGALES IN
S. WORCHS TERSEIERE.
DuRING- May, 1934, I made a careful census of singing
Nightingales (Luscinia m. megarhyncha) in a rectangular
area approximately five by four miles, including some 12,000

VOL. XXVIII] NOTES. 51

acres. This area is north-west of Evesham in south Worces-
tershire, comprising the south portion of low hills rising to
300 feet high, which extend from Birmingham and lie between
the Severn and river Avon valleys. Geologically the country
consists of Blue Lias clay with surface drifts of Keuper
marls. The steep banks facing the river valleys are wooded
with oak as the predominant tree, and skirted with thickets
of low bushes of thorn and gorze.

The area contains about 1,000 acres of woodland, repre-
sented by ten large woods and fourteen spinneys under one
acre in area. The thorny scrub-land surrounding the wooded
hill slopes is about 300 acres. Probably two-thirds of the
land under farming is pasture. War

Altogether forty Nightingales were heard singing. Each
bird was checked three times between May 4th-25th and many
were checked more often. The following details of distribution
were noted :—

Thirty birds in scrubland of thorn and gorse bushes.

Five birds in gardens attached to houses. One garden
lies in the centre of a village, and this is the first year
that Nightingales (two) have been heard there.

Five birds in roadside spinneys under one acre in area.

Nineteen birds sang from territories adjacent to streams
of running water. The others were short distances
from small pools of stagnant water which, I imagine,
dry up quickly.

Divided into the following categories there appear to be :—

In the whole area—one Nightingale in 300 acres.
In woodland plus any adjacent thickets—one in 23 acres.
In open, thorny thickets—one in Io acres.

_ This suggests that, in this area, Nightingales show a very
_ marked preference for the open, sunny thickets of thorn, with
patches of tufty grass between. Their liking for this type of
territory was shared by about a dozen Nightjars (Caprimulgus
.e. europeus) and Grasshopper-Warblers (Locustella 1.
‘nevia). Mention of these two latter species will, perhaps,
igive a better idea of the area than can be expressed in words.

Some half-dozen pairs used to frequent spinney woodland
‘bordering a small estate adjacent to the town of Evesham.
‘As the pasture near these spinneys has been ploughed up for
wegetable growing, Nightingales have decreased, though the
sspinneys remain. One was present last year, but I have
theard none this year.

52 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

It is probable that the number of Nightingales in the area
surveyed is as great, or larger, than any other area of similar
size in this county, owing to the large area of derelict land
that they seem to favour. Perhaps other bird-watchers will
undertake similar surveys to afford figures for comparison.

It was repeatedly noted that Nightingales sang during the
sunset chorus of other birds but then fell silent until they
began again between 10.30 and II.30 p.m.

The first survey and subsequent check of the results ob-
tained was done on foot or bicycle. The third check was done
by bicycle and car. All took place between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
The weather was calm and the birds could be heard singing
from a distance up to half a mile. A. J. HARTHAN.

BROOD OF FIVE COMMON BUZZARDS.
A FRIEND of mine climbed to the nest of a Common Buzzard
(Buteo b. buteo) in a pine tree in Somerset on June 2nd, 1934,
and found that it contained five strong and healthy young
Buzzards. Five is a fairly frequent number of eggs with this
species in Somerset. STANLEY LEwIs.

AN UNRECORDED ESSEX HERONRY.

On March 25th, 1934, I was taken by Mr. L. V. G. Barrow
to investigate a number of nests of the Heron (Ardea c. cinerea)
which he had seen last winter on Rolls Farm, near Tollesbury,
Essex. On our approach, nine Herons left the nests, which
are placed in two adjacent elms in a hedgerow bounding a
field sloping down to a stretch of fresh marsh, with the sea-
wall and Blackwater estuary beyond. We counted twelve
and five nests in the two elms respectively. Across the field
in the next hedge, which is not part of Rolls Farm, there were
four more nests also in elms. I paid another visit to the
heronry on April 7th, 1934, and again counted twenty-one
nests, the counts being thirteen, five, two and one, for the
four occupied trees. Fifteen Herons were disturbed from the
nest trees. It was impossible to determine how many nests
were actually in use. Mr. Burr, of Rolls Farm, informs me
that to his personal knowledge the heronry has been in
existence on the present site for thirty-four years and, accord-
ing to local report, for many years previously. Last year
there were also twenty-one nests.

This heronry, which is situated in the parish of Tollesbury,
on the north shore of the Blackwater estuary, about one-and-
a-quarter miles south-west of Tollesbury village, has not
hitherto been recorded,

VOL. XxvitIr.] NOTES. 53

Since the village of Goldhanger is only approximately
two-and-a-half miles from the present site, the presence of a
heronry at Rolls Farm may provide a possible explanation
for the alleged site at Goldhanger referred to, in square
brackets, in the British Birds Census of Heronries (antea,
Vol. XXII., p. 299). I wish to acknowledge my thanks to
Mr. L. V. G. Barrow for informing me of the existence of the
heronry at Rolls Farm. James W. CAMPBELL.

(For previous correspondence regarding a possible heronry
in the neighbourhood of Tollesbury, see Vol. XXV.,
pp. 160-1.—Eps.]

LITTLE BITTERN SEEN IN DEVONSHIRE.
WHILE fishing on the Tavy in Devonshire during the last week
in April, 1934, I saw on two occasions a Little Bittern (/xobry-
chus minutus), on one of which it flew past me at close range
in bright sunlight. It had been noticed several times pre-
viously by other fishermen and on one occasion it was seen to
perch inatree. There are usually a good many people fishing
on the Tavy and no doubt the open nature of the river and
the lack of reeds accounted for the bird being so often
disturbed. MERVYN J. INGRAM.

“ PAGET’S POCHARD ” AND FERRUGINOUS DUCK
IN NORFOLK.
A DRAKE hybrid Ferruginous Duck x Common _ Pochard
(Paget’s Pochard) was shot at Hickling on December 2nd,
1933, and presented by Lord Desborough to the Norwich
Museum. I did not see this bird until its return from the
_taxidermists some months later, so was unable to record it
in my “ Ornithological Report for Norfolk ”’ for 1933. This
appears to be the ninth Paget’s Pochard which has been
killed in Norfolk, five being in the Norwich Museum collection.
I learn from Major Anthony Buxton that a female Fer-
ruginous Duck (Nvroca mnyroca) was shot at Horsey in
December, 1932. This also was not recorded in my notes
for that year. B. B. Rivikre.
[A reference to the Ferruginous Duck at Horsey was
made (antea, p. 31) but no date was available—Eps.]_

KENTISH PLOVERS IN DORSET AND HAMPSHIRE.

As only three Kentish Plovers (Charadrius a. alexandrinus)
thave been obtained or seen in Dorset, so far as is known,
iit is worth recording that on April 27th, 1934, I had one

D4 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

under almost continual observation for over four hours
on the south side of the entrance to Poole Harbour.

After satisfying myself as to its identity, I rang up Dr.
A. C. Coles of Bournemouth, and he kindly came over with
his wife to confirm my identification. Fortunately the
bird remained in the same place. It was feeding with a
small party of Ringed Plovers and afforded excellent chances
of observation at close range. As it lacked any bright
head-markings, and its half-collar was brown, it was un-
doubtedly a female. Besides the more obvious __field-
characters, we especially noticed its relative length of leg ;
the remarkable difference of its note from that of the Ringed
Plover also drew my attention.

The next day it had gone, though the Ringed Plovers
were still there.

It is interesting to note that a Kentish Plover was seen in
what appears to be the same place on April 24th, 1925 (antea,
Vol. 2X35 p: 227).

After this experience I] was much surprised to meet with
two female Kentish Plovers near Mudeford, Christchurch,
Hants., on the afternoon of April 30th, 1934. They were
feeding on the sand in exactly the same place in which Dr.
A. C. Coles has seen one, on two occasions in September.

Fortunately I had only just left another ornithologist,
Mr. R. Dobson, a little way along the beach, so I immediately
called him. Up to then I had seen only one bird, but he
found that there was also a second. He is thoroughly familiar
with this species and at once confirmed my identification.

The Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain went to look for them the next
day, but, as in the case of the Poole bird, they had gone ;
this shows how little delay there is on the spring passage.

Kentish Plovers have been recorded slightly more frequently
from Hampshire than from Dorset. KBr ReokE.

LITTLE STINT IN SUSSEX IN WINTER AND SPRING.

Boru mid-winter and spring occurrences of the Little Stint
(Calidris minuta) seem to be sufficiently unusual as to be
worth recording. On January gth, 1934, I found one on the
shore at Bulverhythe, between St. Leonards and Bexhill.
When first seen it was by itself, feeding on the edge of the
water, but when disturbed it joimed some Ringed Plover
that were feeding near by. On the roth it was seen again
by my son, when it was again in company with Ringed
Plovers.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. D5

May 13th was a wonderful day for migrant waders at the
Midrips on the Sussex border of Romney Marsh, thirteen
species being identified, one of which was a single Little Stint
in summer plumage. It was feeding beside one of the pools
with a single Ringed Plover, and kept apart from the other
waders. ; N. F. TrcEHURST.

DATES OF LAYING IN A GULLERY.

As very little seems to have been recorded about the workings
of a Gullery in spring, perhaps my experiences in a well-known
north of England one this year may be of interest. In 1933,
April 15th saw the first eggs of the Black-headed Gull (Larus
r. ridibundus) deposited. This year (1934), although on the
site in enormous numbers and the 15th and 16th were warm
days with plenty of sunshine, they had not even constructed
their nests, probably owing to the cold spell that followed.
The first eggs of this species were deposited on April 25th,
when only eight were seen, but on April 27th the number
had increased to 59. On April 29th there had been a tremen-
dous increase, 579 eggs being counted, of which 534 were
singles and pairs and 15 clutches of three. The Sandwich
Terns (Sterna s. sandvicensis) on the latter date had also
started, when Ig scrapes contained one egg, and two a pair
apiece. Of Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus f. graellsit)
three single eggs were seen.

On April 30th the Black-headed Gulls’ eggs were uncount-
able, one pair having a clutch of four. The Sandwich Terns’
eggs had increased to over a hundred, and eight single eggs
of the Lesser Black-backed Gull were seen.

Among other birds, Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula)
had full clutches on April 25th and 27th, and Oyster-Catchers
(Hematopus o. occidentalis) on the 30th.

Common, Arctic and Little Terns were showing no signs
‘of nesting up to the last day of April. H. W. RosINnson.

SPRUCES RINGED BY WOODPECKERS.—With reference to
jprevious notes on this subject (Vol. XXVII., pp. 260-261
cand 362), Dr. C. Chidell informs us that in July, 1922, he
noticed a series of rings a few inches apart, about 40 or 50
iin number, on the trunk of a spruce on the Schiahorn at
\Davos, Switzerland. A careful search in the neighbourhood
rresulted in the discovery of about half a dozen similar cases,
sall in spruce. No birds were seen at work, but Great Spotted
vand Green Woodpeckers were common in the Graubiinden
forests.

56 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

SPOONBILL SEEN IN CARMARTHENSHIRE.—Miss_ Ethel
Falkener reports that a Spoonbill (Platalea 1. leucorodia)
was seen by a local gunner, who was fortunately unable to get
a shot at it, on a salt-marsh in Carmarthenshire, in mid-
February, 1934. She remarks that this is the third occurrence
in South Wales in four years.

Two MooruEens LAYING IN SAME NEST.—Although
Moorhens (Gallinula ch. chloropus) not infrequently lay in
one another’s nests, judging from the evidence of the eggs,
it is not always possible to prove that such cases are due to
two or more hens laying together. Mr. W. H. Payn writes
that there were three Moorhens’ nests on a small pond on a
Suffolk farm, of which one contained two eggs, the others being
unfinished. Three days later there were eight eggs in the
nest and when the banks were beaten three Moorhens were
flushed from the brambles overhanging the water. On
account of the drought many ponds in the district have
almost dried up, and evidently two females had been forced to
share the same pond and were laying in one nest. The eight
eggs were of two distinct types, four being heavily marked and
elongated and the rest exactly the opposite. Next day the
eggs unfortunately disappeared.

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 3, VoL. XXVIII., AuGusT I, 1934.

PAGE
Notes on Territory in the Dartford Warbler. ae En x: We
Venables ... 58
The Races of the Ringed Plate, By G. iuisoidiies Low a 64
Recovery of Marked Birds re eae +5 a es 67
Notes :—
The VIII. International Ornithological Congress 73
The British Trust for Ornithology 75
Birds on Lundy (D. Lack) 77
Nest Mortality (S. Baron) a: wa 77
The Clutch of the Golden Oriole (Major V W. M. ‘Caan e) 78
Apparent peamny of the Willow-Warbler = H. Trahair
Hartley) ... 78
Strange Nest- Building by ween Blackbird (Phy llis
Gardiner) 79
Large Brood of Alpine Ring- -Ouzels s (Major W. M. y Sipanis i, 81
Possible Black-eared Wheatear seen in Putiodiadies
(E, Mann) as eis ae ane ies 81
A Census of Nightingales in N.W. Surrey (PB Pp. A. D; Hollom)... 81
A Census of Nightingales in Gloucestershire (M. P. Price) ... 82
Some Breeding-Habits of Kingfishers (R. L. Brown) ... aus 83
Little Owls’ Nest under Railway (H. S. Vickers) ae its 84
Hobby in Cheshire (E. Cohen) ... ei nist es oh 85
Scarce Birds in Lancashire (E. Hardy) ... ye Ber 7 86
Ringed Plover’s Double Brood (T. G. Powell) ... ee eh 86
Census of Breeding Skuas on Noss (L. S. V. Venables)... oe 87
Short Notes :—
Early Nesting of Corn-Bunting in Skye. Pied Flycatcher
Nesting in Perthshire. Merlin Breeding on Dartmoor,
Devon ore 87

Letter :—
An unrecorded Essex Heronry (E. M. Nicholson) nae oe 88

E

(58)

NOTES ON TERRITORY IN THE DARTFORD
WARBLER.
BY
L. S. V. VENABLES.

(Plate 2.)

A RESIDENCE of three years in Surrey has enabled me to make
some systematic observations on the territorial habits of the
Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata dartfordiensis). Several
facts of interest have emerged, especially in view of the recent
review of the territory theory by D. and L. Lack (1).

DENSITY OF THE BREEDING POPULATION.

During 1933 all the nests were located over a large area.
The most densely populated portion is shown on Map 1,
the nests being indicated by a black dot except for those
to which special reference is made, which have distinctive
signs. Excluding the area of burnt heather, there were
39 pairs on about 1,000 acres, or about one pair to each 254
acres. But in places the density was much higher than this.
Near the centre of the moor an area of about 280 acres held
22 pairs, about one pair to each 12.7 acres. Considering
only the seven nests marked {, these occupied about 10.6
acres, and the density works out at one pair to each 1.5 acres.
On the other hand, both here and in other parts of Surrey, large
stretches of apparently similar heather were unoccupied or held
only one ora few pairs. This strongly suggests that the species
is not up to its optimum breeding population. This is
probably due in part to its destruction in periodic hard winters,
the birds recovering in the intervening years, and partly
to the ravages of heath fires and egg collectors.

TERRITORY, ““ ANXIETY AREAS’”’ AND FEEDING AREAS.

From the map, the random distribution of the pairs is at
once apparent. Some nests were isolated, some spaced more
or less equidistantly and some in clusters. It may be noted
that there was little gorse present to influence the distribution, ~
almost all the nests being built in the heather itself, which was
fairly uniform throughout the area.

Some of the pairs were completely isolated, not only from
their own but from all other species, this being a fairly common
occurrence on the dry Greensand moors with their low bird
population. In these cases the birds always stayed in the
vicinity of their nests, and did not come into contact with
other pairs of their own species. There was what might be
termed an “ anxiety area’ round each nest. When I entered
this area, the pair would come round scolding, and would
accompany me until | left the area, when they would fly

British Birds, Vol. XXVIII., Pl. 2.

DARTFORD WARBLER AT THE NEST.
U pper—Female waiting to clean nest—a momentary attitude.
Lowerv—Male feeding young.

(Photographed by H. N. Southern.)

_eeee enone -- --=- ee
sere Pa ~~.
> a eae
ae ee ae 2,
a es <<
e a
/ e ids
A. _ =
/ se .
‘ BS e
% Fairy a:
' by SHORT -
i Aur HEATHER I
'
i ‘
i ‘ G0oD
\
i ’ HEATHER H
! '
\ HERE ;
! Burnr '
!
1 NERY SHOT ! 3
| MEAT HER \
!
i
( ?
' '
| {
{ ‘
!
} °
1 7 ;
' Pr og ™* a
Se -
! *
: *
! % :
\
1 . '
| . :
\ pa x !
| 2 e 4
\ \
" e o J \
\
a \
‘
’ * . a \
\ e ’
' ‘
' e
‘
‘ e \
\
' \
\
|
\ P :
‘ ALL GOOD HEATHER HERE
e e |
{
‘
aed y
es e + o—~"eovony. J
Se F
aK ,
~ -
ae
Tee e gt
= *
See P
a .
= -
tig, i
Nas -

SKETCH-MAP No. I
{Distribution of Dartford Warblers’ nests on a Surrey Greensand moor.

~S.V.V.
May, 1933. L.S.\

60 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

back towards their nest. Most of the feeding also appeared
to be done in this area.

The breeding pairs marked * were fairly close together, and
appeared to be convincingly territorial. One pair of birds
would come out to meet me and, scolding incessantly, would
escort me to about half-way between their nest and the next,
where a second pair would appear and accompany me until
near the third pair, when the latter would take over, and so on
until I came to the last pair, which would accompany me
some distance from their nest and I would be left alone.
However, rather more patient watching revealed a discrepancy
in the apparently territorial behaviour. On some occasions
these “‘ anxiety areas’ overlapped, and there would be four
birds scolding round me. On these occasions I observed no
signs of frontier-fighting. Incidentally, frontier-fighting is
recorded by Nethersole-Thompson (2) but I have never
witnessed it, against either their own or any other species.

A much more marked case of the “ anxiety areas ’’ being
shared by more than one pair of birds occurred with the
three nests marked +, which were extremely close together.
Here all six birds would come out to meet me and escort me
clear of the last nest, in this respect being almost “ colonial ”’
rather than territorial in their behaviour. These three
pairs fed all over their common “ anxiety area’.

A situation intermediate between these two was found in the
nests marked {. In this area I always had two or three pairs
scolding me simultaneously, but not the whole group, since
the birds on one outer edge did not come right across to the
other side. Their “anxiety areas” did not extend so far as this.
In this area the birds wandered here and there among the nests,
finding adequate food on an area which might be supporting
only one pair on an adjacent and similar part of the moor.

The Dartford Warbler is a member of a family of birds
considered to be among the most territorial of all Passerines,
and the male has a song which it utters from a conspicuous
perch. If my observations on the species had been confined
to places where it was distributed no more thickly than the
pairs marked *, I might well have considered that the bird
was strictly territorial, that this territory was used as a feeding
area and that territorial behaviour set a limit to the density
of the breeding population. But these conclusions are com-
pletely invalidated by the observations made where the birds
were thickly distributed. In commenting on the Lacks’
criticism that “‘ there is no real evidence ’’ that “ the pugnacity
of the male sets a definite limit to the number of pairs in a
given area’, Huxley (3) considers that territories are partially
compressible but their compressibility is not complete.

VoL. Xxv.] THE DARTFORD WARBLER. 61

Eventually a limit must come. In the Dartford Warbler,
however, this problem is met differently. If one may term
the “anxiety area” and the feeding area a territory, the
territories are not compressed when the birds are thickly
distributed. Instead, they remain about the same size,
but are shared, apparently without any friction, between two
or three pairs. Hence territorial behaviour does not set a
limit to the density of the breeding population in this species.
Nor do the pairs which nest close together and share a feeding
territory seem to meet any difficulty in finding adequate
food for their young.

The Dartford Warbler is exceptional among Warblers in
remaining in England throughout the winter, though the
breeding areas themselves are often deserted. Possibly its
territorial behaviour is also exceptional, but I cannot help
wondering to what extent the observations made above apply
to other so-called territorial Passerine species. I may
specially reter to Brock’s (4) observations on territory in the
Willow Warbler, which are not dissimilar to my own on the
Dartford Warbler.

The above observations refer primarily to the period after
the nest has been built. Very possibly territorial behaviour
has some significance in connexion with courtship and the
selection of a mate, but detailed observations were not made
on this point. However, it is clear that in the Dartford
Warbler, territory does not limit the population density and
does not restrict the feeding area. Perhaps, therefore, the
species should not be termed territorial.

EARLY SPRING BEHAVIOUR.

The February fighting recorded by Howard (5), and
attributed by him to territory, seems to be unknown on these
Surrey moors. At that time I have seen a great deal of
general excitement commencing (flying round, calling, singing,
etc.), but I would very much hesitate before interpreting this
as territorial behaviour, for in this district, at least, it is
very unusual to find a pair breeding on the place where they
spent the last part of the winter. Nesting territories are
not usually claimed until the end of March or the beginning
of April, and some pairs do not arrive until well into May.
In my experience, no animosity is apparent between these

early and late arrivals.

To determine when the nesting grounds are first occupied,

;a small moor, which was a great favourite with breeding Dart-
‘ford Warblers, was carefully quartered at intervals during
‘one winter and spring. In the previous year about Ig pairs
thad nested there.

62 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. KX VIM,

November 24th. One bird, apparently immature.
December 19th. One pair.
January 25th. None.

March 8th. None.
March 28th. None.
April 6th. Six pairs.

Unfortunately, on April roth, most of the moor was burnt
and most of the birds disappeared again, except for three
pairs which nested on the unburnt portion.

THE MOVEMENTS OF A SINGLE PAIR DURING THE YEAR.

One pair was resident in 1933 on a moor close to my house,
thus enabling me to keep a fairly full account of their move-
ments (see Map 2). The moor was quartered in May, 1933,

HEATHER AND SMALL PINES .

B. group of io foot PINES.

A. ISOLATED GORSE BUSH.

SKETCH-MAP No. 2 L.S.V.Vv.

and only one pair was located, breeding at C. The young left
the nest shortly after the middle of the month, and the whole
family then worked up to A, taking about 48 hours to cover
the whole distance (of about 1,000 yards). Here they centred
round an isolated gorse bush, from which the male frequently
sang. After a stay of a few days, they all went back to the
breeding territory, and a second nest was built from which

VoL. xxvil.] THE DARTFORD WARBLER. 63

the young flew prematurely on June 25th. While the second
brood was being reared, the young of the first brood were always
to be found near the second brood nest ; they usually skulked
at the bottom of the heather, but occasionally would sit up
high and scold. When the second brood left the nest, both
adults and both broods again moved to A, this time taking
about a week on the journey. They remained here until early
autumn, after which they scattered about the east side of the
moor (fairly near A, but remote from C).

On November 29th I carefully quartered the moor, and
found them thinly distributed, but still on the eastern portion.
During the winter I occasionally saw a pair (possibly always
the same individuals) around the north and east of the moor,
but did not quarter it again until early April, 1934. At that
time a pair were scolding and singing from A and I could
locate no other pairs. By the end of the month this pair had
forsaken the gorse and were always to be seen and heard at
the pines at B. I again thoroughly worked the ground on
May 5th and found the B pair still present and another pair
back at C, singing and scolding. On May 8th I found the
nest and eggs of the C pair close to that of the previous year
but the pair at B had disappeared. There was a little valley
about two-thirds of a mile to the north-west where a pair
had nested in 1930 and 1931, but not 1932. I carefully
quartered this but they were not there. On May 12th, how-
ever, a pair had arrived here, and they subsequently bred.
It seems probable that these were the pair originally at B.

The above notes do not apply to sufficient pairs to permit
of any general conclusions. The most remarkable point was
the removal of the 1933 pair from the nesting area, so soon
as the young were fledged, to a spot about 1,000 yards away,
where the male began to sing as if staking out a new breeding
ground, a conclusion nullified by his subsequent return to the
original breeding ground for the second nest. I may add
that in Surrey the first brood young by no means invariably
remain round the second brood nest.

REFERENCES.
fr Lack Diand I, = - Territory Reviewed, antea XXVIL.,
Pp-_ 179-199.

2. Nethersole-Thompson, D. The Field Habits, Status and Nesting
of the Dartford Warbler, ‘« Oologists’
Record ’’, September, 1933.

A Natural Experiment on the Terri-
torial Instinct, antea XXVIL.,
Pp. 270-277, especially 276-277.

3. Huxley, J. S.

'
'

4. Brock,S.E. - - - The Willow Wrens of a _ Lothian
Wood, ‘‘ Zoologist”’, XIV., pp. 410-
417, IQIO.

5. Howard, H. E. - - British Warblers, Vol. IX., 1914.

(64)
THE RACES OF THE RINGED PLOVER.

BY
G. CARMICHAEL LOW.

Linnzéus (Syst. Nat., ed. X., 1, 1758, p. 150) described the
Ringed Plover as Charadrius hiaticula “‘ Habitat in Europa
& America ad ripas ”’. .

Seebohm (Hist. British Birds, III., 1885, p. 20, 1d. Geograph.
Distrib. Charadriide, 1888, p. 126) differentiated two races,
a large and a small, the large resident in the British Isles, the
small from the Continent. He said that the upper-parts
of the large race were paler in colour and the legs and feet
stouter than in the smaller race. He called the large or
British race Charadrius iaticula major.

Dr. P. R. Lowe (Ibis, 1914, p. 395) in “ A note on the Com-
mon Ringed Plover of the British Isles (Charadrius hiaticula
major) Seebohm ”’, differentiated the two races, but incorrectly
named them as he took it for granted that specimens from the
type locality were the small race. In a subsequent paper
(Bull. B.O.C., XXXVI., December,1915, pp. 7-9) he corrected
this mistake and named the small race #gtalitis [Charadrius]
hiaticula tundra. He could not determine with the material
at hand (this including skins from Sweden) whether the
typical race breeding in Sweden was different from the
English race, but mentioned the fact that Dr. Hartert did
not think there were sufficient distinctions to separate the
two races.

Schigler (Dansk. Ormith. Foren. Tidss., March, 1915, II. and
IIl., pp. 161-181—Translated by C. B. Ticehurst, British
Birds, 1X., 1915, pp. 79-80), in a paper entitled “‘ Races of
the Ringed Plover ’’, proposed four races as follows :—

1. The typical 4gialitis [Charadrius] h. hiaticula, Linneus, with an
average wing length 131 mm. for males and 132 mm. for females ;
colour of upper-parts brown-grey; orbital margin strongly marked,
whereby the shape of the head is arched and roundish.

It breeds in mid and south Sweden, Denmark, south coast of Norway
and north coast of Germany.

2. Thenorth-eastern Agialitis h.intermedia(Ménétries) [= Charadrius
hiaticula tundve, P. R. Lowe, correct nomenclature], with an average
wing measurement of about 124-125 mm.; colour of the upper-parts
as in the typical form, but the whole bird is small, its bill and legs
are weaker, and as the orbital margin is not so well marked the head
seems less arched.

It breeds in north Sweden, Kola, north Russia and the Arctic Coast
of Siberia, east to the Tschuki Peninsula.

3. The English 4:gialitis h. majoy (Seebohm), which in size is quite
like the typical form and resembles it in the shape of the head. It
differs in the pale grey not brown-grey colour on the upper-parts.

VOL. xxvi1I.] RACES OF RINGED PLOVER. 65

It breeds in the British Isles and possibly on the coast of Holland,
Belgium and west France. ;

4. The Icelandic (to which should probably be joined the Green-
landic) 4° gialitis h. septentrionalis (Brehm). It stands in size between
the typical and the north-easterly forms; it resembles these forms
in the appearance of the colour of the back; the shape of the head
is doubtful and the race requires more minute examination. a

After a complete study of all the material in the British
Museum, together with some of my own, the conclusions one
has come to are as follows :—

Charadrius hiaticula tundra, P. R. Lowe, is a good race or
sub-species and occurs in the British Isles.

Description—Size distinctly smaller than the typical
C. h. hiaticula, wing shorter, bill and legs more slender and,
as Schiyler says, orbital margin not so well marked, making
the head less arched. More delicately formed all through.
Colour of upper-parts darker than in C. h. hiaticula specimens
from Sweden and England.

Measurements —3 Wing 125-129; tail 50-59; tarsus
24-26; bill from feathers 14-15 mm. (Twelve breeding birds
measured, six from Siberia, three from Spitsbergen and three
from the extreme north of Norway).

@ Wing 120-128; tail 50-55; tarsus 24-26; bill from
feathers 13-15. (Four breeding birds measured, three from
Siberia and one from north Norway.)

Distribution.—Extreme north of Norway, Spitsbergen,
north Sweden, Kola, north Russia and north coast of Siberia.

The following table gives a few of the definite occurrences
of Charadrius h. tundre in the British Isles and is sufficient
for the inclusion of that species in the British List :—

Locality and : 5s
Reg. No Date. . Sex. Age. Wing. Tail from Tarsus
‘aes feathers.
*1. Pagham Harb. 3.ix.1874 2 Adult. 128 54 4 25mm
(1874.10.12. 46)
*2. Whitstable, 28.ix.1900 @Q Juvenile 126 57 15 24mm
Kent. moulting
(1914.9.30. 427) back &
upper
breast.
*3. Pagham Harb. 3.ix.1898 jg Adult. 125 54 14 25mm
(1914.9.30. 433)
*4. Whitstable, 20.ix.1900 Q Young. IIg 52 15 23mm

Kent.
(1914.9.30. 423)
5. RyeHarbour, 20.x.1915 ¢ Juvenile. 124 52 14 24mm
Sussex.
(C. B. Ticehurst
1448)
*British Museum (Natural History).

66 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Locality and Bul
Re Aa Date. Sex. Age. Wing. Tail from Tarsus
Bot a feathers.
6. Rye Harbour, 20.x.1915 ¢@ Juvenile. 123 47 13 24mm
Sussex.
(C. B. Ticehurst,
1449)

7. Langley Sewage 2.viii.1926 ¢ Juvenile. 123 52 16 25mm
Farm, Bucks.
(G. Carmichael
Low, No. 1)
8. Blakeney, Z0.ix,.1032 ¢ Adult: 125 55 14 25mm
Norfolk.

(Col. W. A. Payn)

There is not sufficient evidence at present to separate
the typical or Swedish race, Charadrius h. iaticula, Linneus,
from the so-called British race, Charadrius h. major, Seebohm,
therefore the latter name becomes a synonym of the former.
The only point of distinction would seem to be in the colour
of the back in breeding birds, e.g., brown-grey for Scandi-
navian birds, pale grey for British; but, as the late Mrs.
Meinertzhagen has pointed out, British birds are darker in
colour in winter and so the distinction is lost. The measure-
ments are the same (vide also Bull. B.O.C., LIV., 1934, pp..
126-127).

The Icelandic and Greenlandic race is doubtful and in my
opinion cannot stand.

No.

L.8578
N.W.425
N.W.476

27574

RS.2042
RR.4528
RS.2637

AG.444

AA.4282

79598
79710

RS.1745
77934
IRT.5768
IRT.1051
IRT.7804

(67)

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.
(Concluded from page 48.)
Kingfisher (Alcedo a. ispida).
Ringed. Recovered.

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Pollokshaws (Renfrew.), Near Paisley (Renfrew.),
10.7.32, for J. Bartholomew. 18.5.34, by R. L. Brown.
Crookston (Renfrew.), 27.5.33, Crossford (Lanark.), 13.4.345

for J. Bartholomew. by T. F. Kerr.
Cathcart (Renfrew.), 30.6.33, Eaglesham (Renfrew.),
for J. Bartholomew. —.12.33, by D. Boyd.

Little Owl (Athene n. vidalit).

RINGED AS NESTLING. :
Swanmore (Hants.), 26.5.29, by Near Bishop’s Waltham
M. Portal. (Hants.), 4.3.34, by S.
Wild.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN. |
Hulme End (Staffs.), 11.5.33, Where ringed, 9.5.34, by

for A. W. Boyd. J. Armitage.

Great Budworth (Ches.), 2.6.31, Where ringed, 31.5.33, by
by A. W. Boyd. ringer.

Baddesley (Hants.), 16.5.30, by Where ringed, 26.4.34, by
B. Campbell. J. Sibley.

Barn-Owl (Tyto a. alba).
RINGED AS NESTLING.
Northwich (Ches.), 28.6.33, by Lytham (Lancs.), 14.2.34;
A. W. Boyd. by N. Whewell.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Comlongan(Dumfries.),24.9.33, Caerlaverock (Dumfries.),
by Lord Scone. 27.1.34, by J. Drysdale.

Merlin (Falco c. @salon).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Elsdon (Northumb.), 20.6.31, Powburn (Northumb.),

by Mrs. Hodgkin. —.5.34, by A. Sisterson.
Cumberland, 19.6.26, by R. H. Lydiate (Lancs.), 23.3.34, by
Brown. J. Ashcroft.

Kestrel (Falco ¢. tinnunculus).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Scone Estate (Perth.), 27.5.33, Where ringed, 29.1.34, by

Lord Scone. J. Ritchie.
Kirkconnel (Dumfries.), Leadhills (Lanark.), —.10.33,
30.6.25, by T. K. Craven. by Prof. Ritchie.
Near Shipley (Yorks.), 25.5.33, Near Sheffield (Yorks.),
by C. W. Smith. 28.2.34, by J. Broomhead.
Near Cambridge, 15.6.33, by Market Harborough (Leics.),
W. R. Harrisson. 20.12.33, by T. Mighall.

Houghton (Hunts.), 11.6.33, Near where ringed, 7.1.34,
by C. S. Clarke. by ringer.

68

No.
109673

105028
105029
107006
109286
109291
109295
109296
TO4164
112003

I13216

113275

112731

112756

AG.292

AA5057

RT.5995
RR.4839

RS.4604

73147

73148

BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Heron (Ardea c. cinerea).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed.
Loch Shieldaig (Ross.), 13.7.33,
for Midlothian O.C.
Almondbank (Perths.), 19.5.33,
by Lord Scone.

Ditto 19.5.33
Uldale (Cumb.), 31.5.30, by
R. H. Brown.

Henley - on - Thames (Bucks.),
—.5.33, for Lt.-Col. Pollitt.

Ditto —.5.33

Ditto —.5.33

Ditto —.5.33

Faringdon (Berks.), 12.5.29,
for Oxford Orn. Soc.

Mepal (Cambs.), 5.5.33, by
Cc. S. Clarke.

Rochester (Kent), 19.5.34, by
P. Hollom,

Ditto 19.5.34

Beckley (Sussex), 5.5.34, by
P. Hollom.

Ditto 6.5.34

Recovered.

Loch Sunart (Argyll.),
24.5.34, by W. Wilson.

Latheron (Caithness.),
—.1.34, by J. Ross.

Rothesay (Bute), 9.5.34, by
J. Cameron.

Where ringed,
ringer.

Where ringed, 20.12.33, by
D. Gordon.

South Petherton (Som.),
—.1I1.33, by P. Cooper.
Otmoor (Oxon.), —.12.33,

by W. B. Alexander.

Radley (Berks.), 4.2.34, by
G. B. Robinson.

Near Lilandilo (Carms.),
7.5.34, by F. Thomas.

Dulverton (Som.), 29.12.33,
hy A. Mayo.

Lille (Nord), France, —.7.34,
by P. Boone.

St. Gérard (Namur), Bel-
PIM, 127-34, by Te
Ledoux.

Lille (Nord) France, —.7.34,
by P. Boone.

Ditto

10.5.34, by

—.7.34.

Mallard (Anas p. platyrhyncha).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.

Leswalt (Wigtown), 7.3.32, by Where ringed,

M. Portal.
Hickling (Norfolk), 25.2.33, by
J: Vincent.

DT. 12.33, bi
J. Law.

Audruicq (Pas - de - Calais),
France, 20.11.33, by Chas- ~
seuy Francais).

Teal (Anas c. crecca).
RINGED AS YOUNG.

Blair Atholl (Perths.), 4.7.33,
for Oxford Orn. Soc.

Almondbank (Perths.), 27.6.33,
by Lord Scone.

Armagh,
b

Ireland,
R. L. Davis.

27.1.345

Dorchester (Dorset.), 10.1.34,

by H. Fetherstonhaugh-
Frampton.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Leswalt (Wigtown), 14.3.32, by Where ringed, 28.9.33, by

M. Portal.
Netherby Estate

1.3.33, for the late Sir IK.

Graham.
Ditto

(Cumb.),

J. Law.
Where ringed, 8.2.34, by
AN, Ieyelil.
T3533 ee ringed, 8.1.34, by

. H. Gibson.

VOL. XxvulI.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 69

73134

Netherby
105

RS.1785

AA.8307

112149

112356

104464
108969
108997

109679

112489

112504

RS.1591
RS.5959
IRT.7487
IRT.5283

Teal (continued).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN (continued).
Ringed. Recovered.
Netherby Estate (Cumb.), Borgue (Kircudbr.),
1.3.33, for the late Sir Rs 28.12.33, by T. Clark.
Graham.

Ditto 1.3.33 Athlone (Westmeath),
18.2.34, by W. Walsh. |

Ditto 20.2.32 Solia (Santander), Spain,
23.12.33, by R. Shall-
crass.

Pintail (Anas a. acuta).
Loch Leven (Kinross.), 10.6.33, Falcarragh (Donegal)
juv., by Lord Scone. —.1.34, by J. Doohan.

Tufted Duck (Nyroca fuligula).
Molesey (Surrey), 8.10.33, ad., Eynsham (Oxon.), —.1.34,
by P. Hollom. by W. B. Alexander.

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax c. carbo).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Skomer (Pembs.), 29.6.33, by Tremont (Lot-et-Garonne),

R. M. Lockley. France, 1.1.34, by Chas-
seuy Francais.
Ditto 29.6.33 Dunraven Bay (Glam.),

22.5.34, by A. Sims.

Shag (Phalacrocorax a. aristotelis).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Coppay I., Sound of Harris, Near where ringed, 2.3.33,

2.7.29, by E. C, Sharp. by W. MacKay.

Handa (Suth.), 27.6.33, by Barra (Outer Heb.), —.1.34,
E. C. Sharp. by Miss Fraser.

Ditto 29.6.33 Arisaig (W. Inverness.),

9.12.33, by D. McDonald.
I. of Canna (W. Inverness.), Barra (Outer Heb.), —.2.34,
19.6.33, for Midlothian O.C. by J. L. Campbell.

Gannet (Sula bassana).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Grassholm (Pembs.), 2.7.33, by 30m. off Mine Head (Water-

R. M. Lockley. ford), 4.4.34, by Skipper
Jennings.
Ditto 21.7.33 30m. off Plymouth (Devon.),

17.3.34, by A. Granger.

Wood-Pigeon (Columba p. palumbus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Almondbank (Perths.), 30.4.33, Errol (Perths.), 24.2.34, by
by ‘Lord Scone. J. Logie.
Glenorchard (Stirling.), 18.6.32, Where ringed, 16.3.34, by
by J. Bartholomew. ringer.

Penrith (Cumb.), —.7.33, by Stamfordham (Northumb.),
H. J. Moon. 10.2.34, by G. Johnson.
Kirkham (Yorks.), 31.5.33, for Staxton (Yorks.), 9.3.34, by

Bootham Sch. W. Robertson.

70

No.
RT.5923

RS.1960

AA.1235

RT.5765

RR.4481

AH.917

AN.8979

AP.6233

AP.4410
5.8367
T.1039
T.6389

P.5327
R.8254
AP.8506
RR.5826

AP.7392

BRITISH BIRDS.

Stock-Dove (Columba cnas).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed.

Shipley (Yorks.), 2.9.33, by Drighlington

Ca W..srith:

Evesham (Worcs.), 27.6.33, by Capbreton (Landes), France,

A. J. Harthan.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Great Salkeld (Cumb.), 3.5.33,

by HH. J. Moon’

Shipley (Yorks.), 30.7.33, by Where ringed, 17.3.34, by

CG) Wis smich

Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia t. turtur).

Great Budworth (Ches:),
25.7.20, ad., by A. W. Boyd.

Oyster-Catcher (Hematopus o. occidentalis).

Walney I. (Lancs.), 21.6.31,
young by H. W. Robinson.

Ringed Plover (Charadrius h. hiaticula).

Blakeney (Norfolk),
by H. Gillman.

2B. 01825

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
Pte. de

Logiealmond (Perths.), 26.5.33,
by Lord Scone.

Cambusmichael (Perths.),
Dgf sxay, oye levered ol IN| BLS),

Isle of Iona, 19.6.31, by Miss
Bickersteth.

Glenorchard (Stirling.), 12.6.28,
for J. Bartholomew.

Kirkconnel _ (Dumfries.),

22,5205) Dy) Le Ke Craven
and W. Bone.

Penrith (Cumb.), —.5.31, by
H. J. Moon.

Ditto —.6.30

Ditto —.5.33

Langwathby (Cumb:), 16.5.28,
by H. J. Moon.

Ullswater (Cumb.), —.5.33, by
H. J. Moon.

Where ringed, 6.5.34, by

Where ringed, 14.7.33, by

Askham-in-Furness (Lancs.),

Where ringed, 23.2.34, by

Filey (Yorks.), —.4.34, by
Near Ennis (Clare), 23.12.33,
Charleville (Cork), 3.2.34, by

Near Tullamore (King’s Co.),

Athy (Kildare), 30.1.34, by
Cahir (Tipperary), 20.1.34,
Montejaque (Malaga), Spain,
Chorley (Lancs.), —.12.33,

Puerto Real (Cadiz), Spain,

[VOL. XXVIII,

Recovered.
(Yorks.),
25.4.34, by A. Bentham.

7.11.33, by Chasseur Fran-
cats.

W. Howe.
(In Tawny Owl’s nest.)

ringer.

ringer.

10.4.34, by H. Brown.

L. Coddington.

Grave (Gironde),
France, 1.3.34, by Chas-
seuy Francais.

J. Pooley.

by P. Moroney.

J. Cronin.

15.1.34, by J. Dooley.

Day.
Dyan shord:
7.1.34, per Foreign Office.
by C. Stobart.

4.2.34, by M. F. Mara.

VOL, XXVIII.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS

No.
AP.3350

AP.5062

AR434
AR394

R9895

AP.5426

U.4572
AN.2140

RR.6625

T.6599

S.2550

W.7977
AN.213
/AN.1067
sAP.5048
AP. 3495

IRT.7349

29643

AP.384

"W.5997
\W.8809

71

Lapwing (continued).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS (continued).

Ringed.
Tebay (Westmor.), —.6.32, by
H. J. Moon.
Kirkby Lonsdale (Westmor.),
—.5.33, by H. J. Moon.

Mytton (Lancs.), 23.7.33, by
C. Oakes and E. Battersby.
Near Whalley (Lancs.), 3.7.33;
by C. Oakes and E. Bat-
tersby.

Mobberley (Ches.), 4.6.31, by
A. G. Haworth.

Handforth (Ches.), 26.5.33, by
E. Cohen.

Prestbury (Ches.), 16.6.28, by
R. M. Garnett.

Hungerford (Berks.), 23.5.31,;
by G. Brown.

Canterbury (Kent), 18.5.30, for
St. Edmund's Sch.

Rye (Sussex), 20.5.29, by H.
Barlow.

Steart I. (Som.),
BG. Holt.

2.6.29, by

Recovered.
Near Largs (Ayr.) 23.4.34,
by J. Tumath.
Arcos de la Frontera (Cadiz),
Spain, —.2.34, by W. H.
Riddell.

Padiham (Lancs.), 25.3.34;
by H. Walmsley.
Ribadesella (Asturias),
Spain, —.12.33, by A.
Pidal.

Pujols-sur-Ciron (Gironde),

France, 19.12.33, by Chas-
seur Francais.

Concepcion (Huelva), Spain,
1.1.34, by H. Maidment.

Carrington (Lancs.), 22.4.34,
by J. Moore.

Nantes (Loire Inf.), France,
25.2.34, by Chasseur Fran-
cats.

Biarritz (Basses Pyrénées),
France, 15.12.33, by Chas-
seur Francais.

Navacerrada
Spain, 12.2.34,
British Embassy.

Near Dax (Landes), France,
8.3.34, by Dr. Lassalle.

(Madrid),
by Sec.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED,

Tiree (Inner Heb.), 7.5.27, for Lt.-Col. Pollitt.
Glenorchard (Stirling.), 8.6.31, for J. Bartholomew.
Rockcliffe (Cumb.), 25.6.32, by E. Blezard.
Penrith (Cumb.), 4.5.33, by H. J. Moon.

Clapham (Yorks.), —.6.32, by H. J. Moon.

Curlew (Nwmentus a.

Eee be
6.2.34.
1.4.34.

be a
7-4-34-

arquata).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Penrith (Cumb.), —.6.33, by
H. J. Moon.

Ditto —.6.31

Where ringed, 24.1.34, b
W. Howe. eee

Holy I., Anglesey, —.1.34,
by G. Dean. ~

Woodcock (Scolopax r. rusticola).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Alnwick (Northumb.), 12.5.32,
by the Duke of Northumber-
land.

Holker (Lancs.),
Col. Porritt.
Abbeystead (Lancs.), 1927, by

H. W. Robinson.

1.5.30, for

Wooler (Northumb.), 4.1.34,
by T. Trevelyan.

Near where ringed, 5.1.34,
by ringer.

Where ringed, 29.12.33, by
ringer.

72
No.
5.7348

P.6249

AP.4301
AP.3191

AR.1007

AR.2434

RT.5981

AA.5319

AA.1885

T1I2154

RT.2060

AM.o11I

RT.3599

BRITISH BIRDS.

Sandwich Tern (Sterna s.

| VOL. XXVIII.
sandvicensis).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed.
Scolt Head (Norfolk), 7.7.30,
by R. M. Garnett.

Salthouse (Norfolk), 27.6.31, by
R. M. Garnett.

Ditto Z2Os22

Ditto 30.06.32,
by H. Gillman.

Ditto 6.6.33,
by E. Cohen.

Ditto 8.6.33,

Common Gull (Larus

Near Inverness, 24.6.33, young,
for Oxford Orn. Soc.

Recovered.

Cabourg (Calvados), France,
—.4.34, by Chasseur Fran-
cats.

Joal, Senegal, W. Africa,
19.4.34, by Pére Ezanno.

Ditto 19.4.34.

Keta, Gold Coast, W. Africa,
21.4.34, by C. Amegayibor.

Ditto 9.5-345
by Sec., Colonial Office.

Lobito, Portuguese W.
Africa, Winter 1933-34,
by L. Davis.

c. canus).

Duntulm, I. of Skye, 24.4.34,
by J. Wilds.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus f. graellsit).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Walney I. (lamncs:); 2716:33,
by H. W. Robinson.

Ditto 14.60.33

L’Aiguillon-s.-Mer (Vendée),
France, 5.11.33, by Comte
de Germond.

Lisbon, Portugal, 18.5.34,
by C. Diniz.

Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus).

Skokholm (Pembs.), 27.6.33,
young, by R. M. Lockley.

Near Launceston (Cornwall),
12.34, Dy .o. cull:

Kittiwake (Rissa ¢. tridactyla).

Farne Is. (Northumb.), 27.6.32,
young, for Mrs. Hodgkin.

Off Dogger Bank, North
Sea, 15.12.33, by Chasseur
Francais.

Razorbill (Alca torda).

Handa (Suth.), 29.6.32, ad.,
by E. C. Sharp.

Moor-Hen (Gallinula c.

Wittersham (Kent), 28.3.33,
ad., by R. G. Williams.

Near Middelfart (Fyen), Den-
mark, 1.1.34, by C. Ander-
sen. -

chloropus).
Stone (Sent); m5.0-345. big
ine, Leybullle

THE VIII. INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGICAL
CONGRESS.

1£ last time the International Ornithological Congress met
England was in 1905 under the Presidency of Dr. R.
ywdler Sharpe, in London. Now after the lapse of nearly
irty years it has returned to England again, but on this
casion it was decided to hold it at Oxford, and Rhodes
ouse was placed at the disposition of the Congress by the
‘ustees. The choice of site proved to be a happy one, and
voured with glorious weather and a large attendance, the
mgress was a great success. The President was Dr. E.
resemann ; Graf Murany, Rear-Admiral Lynes and Prof.
r. E. Lonnberg were elected Vice-Presidents ; the Rev. F. C.
. Jourdain was General Secretary, and Mr. B. W. Tucker acted
Treasurer and Secretary of the Local Reception Committee ;
r. P. R. Lowe and Dr. H. Balfour were Chairmen of the
iglish and Oxford Executive Committees.
A new feature (though already well established at A.O.U.
setings in America) was the Art Exhibition of the works
living British artists, under the charge of Mr. B. B.
‘maston. This was supplemented by a fine exhibit of
.otographs arranged by Messrs. W. H. B. Somerset and
W. Tucker. Both were much admired and are likely
tbecome permanent features of future Congresses.
‘Official Receptions were given by the Mayor of Oxford
the Town Hall and by the Vice-Chancellor at the Ash-
lean Museum on July 2nd; while the R.S.P.B. also held
Xeception in the Hall of Exeter College on the evening of
hy 4th. The Congress Dinner, at which all the foreign
vitors were entertained, was held in the Hall of Christ
urch on July 5th.
“he short excursions included visits to Lilford Hall and
<warren Park on July 3rd, and Whipsnade on July 5th, the
mbers being most hospitably entertained on these occasions
(Lord Lilford, Mr. A. Ezra, and the Zoological Society of
udon. ;
ot only were nearly all the European countries represented
tthe Congress but delegates also attended from Japan,

74 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

China, India, Egypt, and S. Africa, and the United States and
Canada were also represented by some 13 or 14 delegates
and members.

Space does not permit us to give details of the numerous
papers which were read, but it is hoped to publish these
later in the transactions. Films of bird life were shown by
Messrs. O. G. Pike, H. A. Gilbert and Prof. J..S. Huxley,
while Herr Siewert’s slides of the Osprey were much admired.

The Congress closed on Friday evening amidst great
enthusiasm and it was announced that the next meeting would
take place in France in 1938. Prof. A. Ghigi was elected
President and M. J. Delacour Secretary.

The long excursion, which was organized by Mr. H. F.
Witherby with the assistance of Mr. R. M. Lockley and
Commander A. T. Wilson, R.N., took place from July 7th
to gth. One hundred and forty-five members took part and
proceeded from Oxford to Tenby by road on Saturday the 7th.
On Sunday morning they embarked at Pembroke Dock in
H.M. Destroyers ‘“Windsor’’ (Commander T. Troubridge, R.N.)
and ‘‘ Wolfhound ” (Lieut.-Comm, Adams R.N.), kindly put at
the disposal of the Congress by the Admiralty, and proceeded
to Skokholm, where they were received by Mr. and Mrs. Lockley
and shown the numerous and interesting birds breeding on that
island. Re-embarking after lunch the party was conveyed to
Skomer and landed there by kind invitation of the owner, Mr.
W.F. Sturt. After visiting the large colonies of sea-birds on
this island the members were once again conveyed in boats to
the Destroyers, which now proceeded to Grassholm, and
steaming slowly and close in twice round this island, gave
the company an impressive view of the magnificent colony of
Gannets. Finally, on the way back to Pembroke Dock,
large flocks of Manx Shearwaters were encountered in Broad
Sound. The excursion was favoured by glorious weather
and a calm sea and the arrangements made by the officers
and men of the Destroyers for the comfort of the members
and for rapid landing and re-embarking were perfect. On
Monday a return to Oxford was made by road, the party
being kindly entertained to tea at Stanway by the Earl and
Countess of Wemyss and the Hon. Guy Charteris.

We may add that on July 1st Col. Meinertzhagen received
members of the Congress at his home in London, and on
July roth the Trustees of the British Museum arranged a
exhibition of skins and books in the Whale Room, an
entertained the Congress members to tea.

~I

cu

7OL. XXvil.] NOTES.

THE BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLOGY.

HE British Trust for Ornithology, which has been formed in
der to provide a clearing-house and directing centre for the
ise of field ornithologists in this country, held its first annual
yeneral meeting at Rhodes House, Oxford, on Thursday,
July 5th. Although the field work under the Trust will be
yermanently centred in or near Oxford, the general meetings
vill normally be held in London; the reason for having this
me in Oxford was the presence of a large number of orni-
thologists there for the International Ornithological Congress.

Lord Scone, M.P. (Chairman of the Trust), took the chair,
and was supported by Mr. H. F. Witherby (Vice-Chairman),
Mr. B. W. Tucker (Hon. Treasurer), Mr. E. M. Nicholson (Hon.
Secretary), and the Hon. G. Charteris and Prof. Julian S. Huxley
(Members of Council). There was an attendance of fifty
persons. Reporting on the progress so far made the Chairman
outlined the stages which had led up to the scheme for a
national Institute of Field Ornithology, the steps taken
towards the formation of the Trust, the difficulties which had
been met, and how far they had been overcome. He em-
phasized the additional handicaps which had been imposed
oy the national economy campaign of 1931-33, and the ob-
stacles raised by the Board of Trade in holding up the Trust’s
mcorporation. He expressed the thanks of the Trust to
the Vice-Chancellor and the University of Oxford for their
aelpfulness in recognizing the scheme, in setting up the
Dxford University Committee for Ornithology to help in
.dministering it, and for their support in other directions.
He also expressed the appreciation of members for the
renerosity of Mr. H. F. Witherby in presenting a capital sum
ff £1,400 as the nucleus of a permanent endowment for the
trust, and to Mr. H. M. Wallis for his gift of {100 with the
ame object. He gave an account of the efforts which were
ing made to improve the financial position of the Trust,
thich was still by no means satisfactory in view of the scale
' work required, and appealed to members to help in finding
ew subscribers, in suggesting lines of attack and so forth.
ce also referred to the summary report on field work which
ad already been circulated to subscribers. Mr. Tucker
itlined the financial position of the Trust, and moved a
ssolution, which was carried unanimously, that during the
‘tial period of working the Treasurer should be empowered,

ecessary, to spend in any one year up to one-third of money
tbscribed under the appeal, excluding funds which are

76 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

ear-marked for capital account. The Chairman explained
that these powers were only sought for the ensuing year.

Mr. W. B. Alexander conveyed to the meeting Mr. R. M.
Lockley’s offer to accommodate at cost on the island of
Skokholm members who might wish to visit it for ringing
or observation purposes, and was asked to thank Mr. Lockley
on behalf of the meeting. It was announced that members who
wished to avail themselves of this offer should write to Mr.
Lockley at Skokholm, Marloes, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire,

In response to the Chairman’s invitation for suggestions.
Dr. N. H. Joy suggested that the Trust should do some
investigation of problems of instinct and intelligence; Mr.
H. Morrey Salmon (as President of the Zoological Photographic
Club) explained the possibilities of co-operation in the forma-
tion of a collection of bird photographs; Captain H. A.
Gilbert suggested the stirring up of some of the many county
associations which formerly took an interest in birds, but had
now frequently turned archeological. The possibilities of
recruiting fresh members and of raising funds through universi-
ties, public schools and so forth, by means of lectures or
otherwise, were discussed on the initiative of Mr. Charteris.

After the discussion Dr. Carmichael Low moved and Dr.
Landsborough Thomson seconded a resolution adopting the
Chairman’s report and instructing the present members of
the Council to continue to act for the ensuing year or until
the general meeting due to be held immediately after incor-
poration, whichever was the shorter period. To this was
prefaced, on Mr. A. Holte Macpherson’s suggestion, a provision
confirming that pending incorporation the objects and
regulations of the Trust should be those contained in the
draft Memorandum and Articles of Association recently
submitted to the Board of Trade, so far as these are applicable.
Dr. Landsborough Thomson expressed on behalf of the
meeting appreciation of the work which the Council had done
and the combined resolution was carried without a dissentient.

The Chairman thanked members for attending in such num-
bers in spite of the heavy demands which the International
Congress had made on them, and for the many constructive
suggestions they had made, which would be carefully con-
sidered. In response to a request from Mr. Kinnear he
promised that the Council would endeavour if possible to
arrange for the next general meeting to be held in London
on the same day as a British Ornithologists’ Club dinner, in
order to suit the convenience of a number of members living
at a distance.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 77

BIRDS ON LUNDY.
DURING a visit to Lundy I had excellent views on June 24th
and 26th, 1934, of the Rose-coloured Pastor, which has already
been recorded (antea, p. 49).

Other birds seen during my visit which have not often
been recorded from Lundy (see T. H. Harrisson, antea, Vol.
XXV., pp. 212-219, and C. Oldham, p. 275) were a Turtle-
Dove (Streptopelia turtur) in Marisco, on June 24th, and three
adult Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus) which flew over
the island on June 28th. A party of six Curlew (Numenius
ayquata) was seen each day from June 24th to 30th, but were
not breeding. We saw only about five pairs of Stonechat
(Saxicola t. hibernans), which is a big decrease on the numbers
recorded nesting in recent years. Davip Lack.

NEST MORTALITY.
THE following notes on nest mortality were obtained near
Ulceby, in north Lincolnshire, during April, 1934. The
weather was fairly favourable for early nesting, there being
little rainfall and no extremes of temperature. A little more
than 40 per cent. of the eggs laid were successfully fledged.

Destroved. Destroyed.

Species, Nh, Bags Human Natural sratcheg Human Natural Pedged
Blackbird Renee tt gI 39 11 41 fo) 9 32
(T.m. merula).

Song-Thrush ... 16 62 13 10 39 2 8 29
(T. ph. clarket).
Mistle-Thrush... 5 17 o ) 17 fo) 4 13
‘T.v. viscivorus).
Hedge-Sparrow 4 14 fo) 4 10 2 oO 8
IP. m. occidentalis).
Robin ... ne! 18 4 fo) 14 oO 4 10
LE. vr. melophilus).
Chaffinch eae 13 4 fo) 9 oO 3 6
FF. c. celebs).
Wren ... me, 2 12 5 fe) 7 o oO 7
IT. t. troglodytes).
\lagpie 3 17 1 oO 5 fe) oO 5
P. p. pica).
Vood-Pigeon... 4 8 o oO 8 fo) e 6
°. p. palumbus).
aawny Owl ~ 8 o 2 6 2 fo) 4
>. a. sylvatica).
song-eared Owl 2 5 fe) I 4 fe) fo) 4
1. 0. otus)
soorhen ses 3 22 fe) 2 20 Not ascertained.
*.c. chloropus).
Species aaa FP BST 77 30 180 6 30 124

€ BARON.

78 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

THE CLUTCH OF THE GOLDEN ORIOLE,
No mention is made in the Practical Handbook of the apparent
fact that clutches of three eggs and no more, are by no means
uncommon in the case of the Golden Oriole (Oviolus o. ortolus).

In a considerable experience of this species in Spain, France,
Hungary and Roumania, I have frequently found full com-
plements of three eggs. While clutches of four eggs are the more
common, I have yet to see one of more than that number.

In Transylvania, in 1934, Captain H. H. V. Christie and I
had under observation eight nests, three of which contained
three eggs only, and the remainder four. Iam inclined to think
that approximately 40 per cent. of Orioles’ nests have full
complements of no more than three eggs. W. M. CONGREVE.

[When the paragraph in the Practical Handbook was pub-
lished in r91Qg, it seemed possible that the records of clutches
of three eggs referred to incomplete sets, but further experience
has shown that the three clutch occurs commonly in France,
Holland, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Roumania and Spain,
from all of which countries I have records. Five eggs are
scarce, but I have seen a freshly taken set of five from
Holland and this number also occurs at times in Germany
and elsewhere. Six have apparently only once been recorded
(see Zeitschr. f. Ool., Oct., 1906, p. 104) —F.C.R.J.]

APPARENT POLYGAMY OF THE WILLOW-WARBLER.
In May, 1934, the territories of two cock Willow-Warblers
(Phylloscopus t. trochilus) at Sutton, in Surrey, were mapped
and one of them was selected for more careful observation,
though the second was frequently visited for short periods,
Young flew from the nest in the first territory on June 17th.
Search was then made for the nest in the second territory.
and it was found that there were two nests twelve yards apart.
One nest contained well-feathered young which flew on June
r8th or 19th. The second held at least four young which were
fledged on June 27th or the morning of the 28th.

Only one bird was in attendance at each nest on June 17th,
when they were under observation for four hours. No song
was heard so that presumably both these birds were hens.
They seemed to be on friendly terms—foraging for food in the
same places, continually passing close to each other’s nests
without arousing resentment, and, most interesting of all,
exchanging their plaintive “alarm’”’ notes in the manner
usual with paired birds, each hen being perched above her
own nest during these duets. Thesecond nest was watched on
June roth, 23rd (for four hours), 24th, 26th, and on all occasions
only one bird fed the young. P. H. TRAHAIR HARTLEY.

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 79

STRANGE NEST-BUILDING BY WOUNDED
BLACKBIRD.
A pair of Blackbirds (Turdus m. merula) had built for several
successive years in an evergreen honeysuckle. This year
(1934) the same site was chosen and the eggs were laid in the
beginning of April. When the young were about ten days
sid, however, they were found one morning on the lawn

eelow, having been pecked to death, while the hen bird,
widently in defending her offspring, suffered a broken or
iislocated wing, which prevented her from flying any more.

After a few days, during which time the pair of birds were
xen hopping about the lawn in the vicinity of the old nest,
fue female was discovered sitting on the disused nest of a
mg-Thrush. This nest had been built in a laurel bush
id forsaken later. It was about six feet from the ground

80 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

and the bird could reach it easily by hopping up the branches
of the bush. It was in a rather bad state of repair, having a
tear on one side and tilting over slightly on another. On
several occasions the bird was seen to be occupying this nest,
although she laid no eggs in it. A few days later she began
to follow a strange procedure. She was first observed to be
collecting bundles of dead grass and moss and carrying them
into the laurel bush. The material was being deposited in a
fork of the bush about a foot and a half below the nest on the
side over which the nest was slightly tilting. The significance
of this work was not clear at this stage, but meanwhile the
bird continued with increasing energy, working feverishly
from morning to evening and piling up mass upon mass of
hay and moss. The male bird took no part in the proceedings
and seemed entirely unaware of what the female was doing.
Here was no normal nest-making but something in which he
was apparently unable to co-operate. He was never seen to
make the slightest contribution to the growing pile in the bush.
He did, however, assist in a different way, by taking up a point
of vantage from time to time and warning his disabled mate
if anything in the nature of danger appeared, when she would
bound off into cover.

The object of the pile was soon to be seen. It was evidently
intended as a prop to hold up the sagging part of the nest.
Day after day for about a week, the hen bird added to this
extraordinary though rather clumsy structure, until she at
last had built it up to the base of the nest. Then, and not
until then, did she pay any attention to the repair of the
nest itself. She quickly mended the tear and strengthened
the rim of the nest. Finally she relined it with dried grass
and laid four eggs.

The reason for the bird making use of an old nest instead
of building a new one had evidently some connexion with her
damaged wing, although it is difficult to see what advantage
was gained, considering that it involved her in far more labour
to repair the old nest. The material that was used was
certainly as much, if not more than would be required for
building a new nest.

Actually, the prop, as such, although correct in principle,
was not an efficient structure, for the dried grass was rather
too loosely packed for it to be capable of acting as a strong
support if it had been needed.

Unfortunately, the Blackbird’s efforts were in vain, as
the eggs were again stolen, probably by the previous offender,
about the time that they were due to hatch.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 81

The hen then gave up nest-building and devoted herself to
foraging, a laborious task in this lean and unfruitful summer.
PHYLLIS GARDINER.

LARGE BROOD OF ALPINE RING-OUZELS.
On May 4th, 1934, at about 4,000 feet above sea-level, on the
slopes of Mount Retyezat, Transylvania, Captain H. H. V.
Christie and I discovered and carefully identified the nest of
an Alpine Ring-Ouzel (Turdus torquatus alpestris), situate
some four feet from the ground in a young conifer tree, con-
taining no less than six young some two or three days old.
There appears to be no recorded occurrence of such a large
brood. The season was an abnormally hot, dry and forward
one, and snow, normally present at this date, was conspicuous
by its absence. W. M. CONGREVE.

POSSIBLE BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR SEEN
IN PEMBROKESHIRE.
IN an isolated place about a mile and a half from St. David’s
Head, Pembrokeshire, on June 26th, 1934, I came upon two
Wheatears. Only fleeting glimpses were obtained of one
bird, but close and clear views were had of the other, and the
following are my notes taken at the time.

My first impression was a white bird with a _ jet-black
‘eye splash and black wings. Closer views showed a white
itail with a little black or brown at the edges ; head and back
‘slightly buffish; legs and bill dark. Owing to the white
(tail the white rump was not conspicuous in flight as in our
itypical Wheatear ((Enanthe cenanthe). Both birds were
ssilent. A little previously I had seen a party of eight
YWheatears, all of the typical form.

I have since examined specimens of the Black-eared
Wheatear (Enanthe hispanica) at the British Museum, and
sapart from being a little more sandy coloured on the head
vand back, and showing more black in the tail, they agreed
wery well with the bird I saw.

The possibility of the bird being a pied specimen of Ginanthe
venanthe cannot, of course, be overlooked, but in that case
one would not expect the sandy-buff on the head and back.

E. MANN.

MA CENSUS OF NIGHTINGALES IN N.W. SURREY.
. READ with interest of Mr. A. J. Harthan’s census (anlea
op. 50-52) of singing Nightingales (Luscinia m. megarhyncha),
m Worcestershire as I did a similar survey in north-west
surrey in May, 1933. The area counted, chosen not for
ny special abundance of Nightingales but because I live in

82 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

it, was the six square miles covered by the six-inch Ordnance
Survey Map, Surrey, sheet XI., S.W. The eastern portion
of this area, which includes part of Addlestone, is rather built
over, but the rest is chiefly small woods, rough copses, pasture
and parkland, with some nursery gardens and very little
arable land. There are practically no thickets of thorn or
gorse. In these 3,840 acres were 26 singing Nightingales,
or one per 148 acres, roughly double the density found in
south Worcestershire. They showed no marked preference
for water, but, like Mr. Harthan, I found it was of no use to
begin to count before Ir p.m., and that there was a
considerable falling off of song after 2 a.m. The birds were
located between May the oth and 23rd, and although each
bird was not specifically checked, the majority were heard
many times. Pp. A. D: Horrom:

A CENSUS OF NIGHTINGALES IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

REFERRING to Mr. A. J. Harthan’s report in the last number
(antea, pp. 50-52) on Census of Nightingales (Luscinia m.
megarhyncha), I may say that I have been collecting similar
material over the last three years. My survey covers an area
of about 2,000 acres on the west side of the Severn Valley in
Gloucestershire and lies in a roughly oblong patch from a point
four miles due west of Gloucester to the foot of May Hill,
a well-known outlier of the Forest of Dean. The geological
formation also is Keuper marl. The greater part of the land
is agricultural and nine-tenths is pasture. There are two
streams traversing the west side with winding meadows and
some scattered copses of oak, ash, willow and birch. In the
east end of this area there is a block of about 200 acres of oak
and hazel coppice which is interspersed with cider orchards.

I have observed and noted the male Nightingale song terri-
tories for the seasons 1932, 1933 and 1934. I have also located
pairs and nests and noted the broods reared during this period.
I find that the nesting sites remain extraordinarily constant
for the three years. The same site was inhabited by one
pair (I can’t say it was the same pair, of course, but I hope
to catch and ring them another year) for all three seasons, and
the nest was in each year within 20 yards of the sites in the
other two years.

The song territories were all in two types of vegetation
association: (xz) On the edge of full shade oak and hazel
coppice woods and the nests were in half shade on the edge
of these woods, where bramble and dog-rose is able to form a
ground cover. (2) In small patches of derelict ground, of

VOL. XXVIIT.] NOTES. 83

which there are few outside the woods. These are unculti-
vated and allowed to run wild with hawthorn, privet and sloe,
and with tufts of woodland grasses and creeping bramble.
I am convinced that, if woodland owners would allow half an
acre on the edge of their woods here and there to go derelict
in this fashion, they would assist in increasing the Nightingale
population.

The census is as follows :—

1932—7 song territories, 2 nests, 2 broods reared.
1933—6 ,, _ re sae ss
1934—7 _ » ” + 3 ” ”
This works out as follows :—
1932—1 Nightingale in 285 acres.
1933—1 » Sas 94
1934—I ” 285 ”
The greater part of the Nightingales were on the woodland
side of the area. The density here was :—
1932—1 Nightingale in 76 acres.
1933—1I ” II5 »
1934—I ” 37» Dae.

On the other hand no nests were found in either of the three
years, nor were any fledged young seen in the outlying copses
or patches of derelict land along the brooks. All the nests
‘were found on the edge of the woodland area on the east side.
‘The singing birds on the west, unwooded side, were apparently
‘all unmated cocks. M. PHILIPS PRICE.

SOME BREEDING-HABITS OF KINGFISHERS.
‘AsoutT February 20th, 1934, a pair of Kingfishers (Alcedo a.
spida) came to the district of Netherlee, Renfrewshire, and took
possession of a sandy bank now containing nine nest-holes.
hey are still there (July 7th), sitting on a third clutch of seven
eggs, first and second broods having flown. Incubation of the
first clutch commenced about April 8th, and when the young
ere barely a fortnight old, the parents became very active
and made three new nest-holes in the same bank. The best
of these was selected and a second clutch of seven eggs was
said, and incubation began before the birds were entirely free
from their first brood. When the second brood reached the
same stage as the first the old birds again became very active,
ind cleared out the partially dried refuse and remains in the
irst nest, and another seven eggs were produced. This time
. full week was spent in incubation before the second brood
>ft their nest-hole.

I hid up in a nearby tree one evening and saw the hen leave
Nhe nest-hole containing the third clutch of eggs, probably

84 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

after nearly a day’s incubation, and she returned very quickly,
and simultaneously with her mate, both carrying fish. The
cock alighted first on the roots at the side of the bank, turned,
and faced the nest-hole containing the young, and then flew
in and delivered his fish. On reappearing he splashed in the
river several times to free his plumage from dirt, and again
returned to the roots; this time, facing the other nest-hole,
he flew in to spend the evening on the eggs.

This is the first time I have ever seen or known any bird
feeding young and brooding eggs in different nests at the one
time.

The following cases of Kingfishers destroying the nests
and eggs of others are, I think, worth recording. A
pair of Kingfishers crushed themselves into a small stretch
of territory on the Kittoch, and produced seven eggs. There
were two nests containing young on either side of its position
and very near to it. The nest-hole was very conspicuous,
and was known to the parents of both these nests, each having
in turn overhauled it before finally choosing a site. While
the eggs of the interloper were almost fresh they were
destroyed. The second occurrence took place in the district
of Stamperland. A first brood of six young was reared
successfully, but just before they flew another pair of King-
fishers took possession of a very conspicuous bank near the
mouth of the Kittoch, and only about 150 yards distant.
Here they excavated a nest-hole without any interference on
the part of their near neighbours, and seven eggs were pro-
duced, and incubation proceeded for a fortnight, when
suddenly, after an absence of twelve days, the pair that had
already reared a brood returned, bent evidently on rearing a
second brood. They inspected their old hole and their neigh-
bour’s as well, and cleared her out as well as her eggs, which
were well on the road to hatching. The despoilers ultimately
laid their second clutch in the nest-hole from which their
first brood flew. Ropert L. Brown.

LITTLE OWL'S NEST UNDER KAlIrWAY,

THE nest of the Little Owl (Athene n. vidalii), shown in the
accompanying photograph, was discovered by chance. It is
situated in a small shallow pit, once used for housing
mechanism, adjoining an electric-railway. Entering and
leaving, the birds pass under the line on which a service of
fast electric-trains operates day and night. It must also be
extremely noisy when trains are passing overhead. On the
other hand, of course, it is warm and dry. The pit is covered

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 85

by an iron plate and, being unused by the railwaymen, nobody
would, normally, ever raise the plate. One of the Owls was
seen one day to pass under the rail and enter the pit. It
was this that led to the discovery of her home.

The mother Owl is very tame and can be handled freely
and with impunity. She never flies away when visited and
when photographs were taken she immediately resumed her
place. On one occasion when I visited her I found no fewer

”
.

than nine dead mice in the “ larder The dead bird which
is visible in the photograph is a Greenfinch. I also found one
day what appeared to be a Sparrow’s wing.

H. S. VICKERs.

HOBBY IN CHESHIRE.
On June 4th, 1934, a farmer near Alderley Edge, Cheshire,
unfortunately shot a Hobby (Falco s. subbuteo) in mistake
for a Sparrow-Hawk. He gave the bird to me and it was
identified by Mr. H. Britten at the Manchester University

86 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVILI.

Museum, as well as by Mr. A. W. Boyd. A skin has been
made of it and it proved to be a male in breeding condition.
The records for Cheshire are few and far between.

In the plumage Mr. Britten found the louse Degeeriella
fusca (Nitz). EDWIN COHEN.

SCARCE BIRDS IN LANCASHIRE.

Tue record of a Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) from
Carmarthenshire during mid-February, 1934 (antea, p. 56),
induces me to put on record the occurrence of one, perhaps
the same bird, on the Lancashire coast during the winter of
1933-4. The bird appeared on the Hesketh Bank and later,
further down the coast, at Formby. I first heard of it from
wildfowlers, and the bird was there when I was on the coast
in November, and I was assured later that it was not shot.
It is very difficult to record names and scheduled birds when
records are obtained with the help of wildfowlers, and it
might be added that a Spoonbill was shot on the coast north
of Liverpool seven years ago, but not recorded.

A CoMMON BuzzArRD (Buteo b. buteo) visited the outskirts of
Liverpool between Knotty Ash and Knowsley during the
first week of April, 1934, when we watched it after Wood-
Pigeons. This is the first record of the Common Buzzard
I have for the bounds of Liverpool, and it was probably one
of the pair that frequented the west Lancashire dunes between
Southport and Formby during the past winter and early
spring, a haunt that Buzzards occasionally visit for rabbits
and Wood-Pigeons (the latter from the pinewoods) in winter.
On April 14th, 1934, I watched a drake Garganey (Anas
querquedula) on the lake at Knowsley Park. This is
another addition to the records for the birds of Liverpool,
though specimens have been noted at Formby in the north,
and Marbury Mere, Cheshire, in the south, as well as at other
localities in Lancashire.

In February, 1934, I watched a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) on
the Liverpool Corporation Sewage Farm, and obtained
confirmation of the record from Mr. W. Cutmore, formerly
keeper of vertebrates at Liverpool Museum, who some time
later informed me he had watched two on the same sewage
farm at the same period of February. Eric HARDY;

RINGED PLOVER’S DOUBLE BROOD.
I HAD again this year pretty clear evidence of the double-
brooding of the Ringed Plover (Charadrius h. hiaticula),
from the same spot as in 1930 (see Vol. XXIV., p. 109),

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 87

On April 22nd I found a nest with eggs in a large, enclosed,
waste field in E. Suffolk. These eggs were successfully hatched
and the brood went off. A single pair continued to frequent
the field (which is an easily-observed one), and on July Ist
I found, about 50 yards from the first nest, another complete
clutch. No more than one pair was ever seen in the field.
T. G. POWELL.

CENSUS OF BREEDING SKUAS ON NOSS.

On June 21st, 1934, I took a census of the breeding pairs of
Skuas on Noss, Shetland, and found that there were from
sixty-seven to seventy pairs of the Great Skua (Stercorarvus s.
skua) and forty-eight to fifty pairs of Arctic Skuas (S. para-
siticus). Two years ago Mr. Jamison counted fifty pairs of
breeding Bonxies and estimated the Arctic Skuas a year or
two before that at sixty pairs. These latter are said to
fluctuate in numbers a great deal from year to year without
any apparent cause. The increase of the Bonxie is welcomed
by the farmers, as they say that it drives away the Ravens,
Hooded Crows and Great Black-backed Gulls, that might
otherwise attack “‘ foundered ”’ sheep. L. S. V. VENABLES.

EARLY NESTING OF CORN-BUNTING IN SKYE.—Mr. Seton
Gordon informs us that a brood of Corn-Buntings (Emberiza c.
calandra) in the north of Skye left the nest on June r1gth,
1934. This is a very early date for so far north.

PIED FLYCATCHER NESTING IN PERTHSHIRE.—Mrs. H.
Barbour reports that a Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa h.
hypoleuca) was seen and its nest found in an old Woodpecker’s
hole near Pitlochry, on June 3rd, 1934, by Col. Ronald
Campbell.

MERLIN BREEDING ON DARTMOOR, DEVON.—Mr. W.
Walmesley White informs us that Messrs. Palmer and Gray
found a pair of Merlins (Falco c. esalon) breeding on Dartmoor
this year (1934). The nest, apparently a deserted one of
a Buzzard, was in a willow tree in a secluded gully and
contained three Merlin’s eggs on May 2oth. Mr. White
inspected the nest on May 31st when he found the male
Merlin sitting tight on the three eggs.

Mr. Walmesley White states that he has no doubt that
Merlins have bred for many years on Dartmoor, but that,
so far as he knows, this is the first definite record of their
having done so.

AN UNRECORDED ESSEX HERONRY.
To the Editors of BritisH BirRDs.

Srrs,—With reference to Dr. Campbell’s note (antea, p. 52), serious
difficulty was encountered at the time of the 1928 census in getting
the estuaries of this part of the coast properly covered, and several
of the heronries have only come to light since publication of the original
report. In my Supplementary Report (antea, Vol. XXIII., pp. 330
and 337), I referred to Harting’s record of a former substantial heronry
at Tollesbury, which was stated to have been among reeds, and in my
Supplementary Notes (antea, Vol. XXV., pp. 160-161) I included and
discussed a letter from Mr. W. E. Glege expressing doubt whether
such a heronry ever existed. In this letter Mr. Glegg mentioned that
he had put the question to the late Dr. J. H. Salter, of Tolleshunt
D’Arcy, a veteran sportsman and naturalist, who, from his reply,
evidently knew nothing of this heronry, although it was within four
miles of him. As so much has been discovered since the original
report it seems worth recapitulating that the estuarine heronries now
known in Essex as one goes north from the Thames, are :—
1. Bolt Hall Farm, Canewdon, R. Crouch, 32 nests in 1933
(Brit. Birds, Vol. XXVII., p. 29).

2. Mundon, R. Blackwater, some 4-5 miles north of the last, 35
nests or less in 1928.

3. Rolls Farm, nr. Tollesbury, also R. Blackwater, about the same
distance beyond Mundon, 21 nests in 1934.

4. St. Osyth Park, Colne Estuary, some 11 miles E.N.E. of Tollesbury,
with 75 nests in 1928.

5. Skippers Island, Thorpe-le-Soken, on Hamford Water, some 8
miles N.E., with 7-8 nésts in 1928.

The fact that all these colonies have existed for years without any,
except St. Osyth, being recorded before the 1928 census, suggests
that there is still room for profitable investigation in apparently
suitable areas where further unrecorded heronries may exist. If the
thirteen nests in one tree mentioned by Mr. Campbell were all occupied,
Tollesbury can equal in this respect the largest count returned for any
one tree in the 1928 census. E. M. NicHOLson.

REPORT on the “ BRITISH BIRDS”’
CENSUS OF HERONRIES, 1928
by E. M. NICHOLSON
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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 4, VoL. XXVIII., SEPTEMBER I, 1934.

PAGE
Additions and Alterations to the British List. By H. F.
Witherby ... “ke sini nie aes nA? eo a go
Breeding of Temminck’s Stint in Scotland. By Geo. R. Edwards 97
The Gannet Colonies of Iceland. By Brian Roberts, M.B.0O.U. 100
Movements of Ringed Birds from Abroad to the British Isles and
from the British Isles Abroad. Addenda III. By H. F.
Witherby and E. P. Leach ane ies axe ae awa 106

Notes :—
Great Tit Hatching Blue Tit’s Eggs (G. Marples) iin sits 113
Song-Thrush Attacking Lizard (Rev. F.C. R. Jourdain) ... 113
Robin with Four Broods (B. B. Osmaston) ... = avy 113
Black-headed Gulls Nesting in Trees (A. W. Boyd) ... dee II5

Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull in Somerset and
Gloucestershire (K. B. Rooke and K. D. Smith) ... maa) SPRY

Short Notes :—
Pomatorhine Skua in Flight. paces Tit Building Under-

ground. Black-tailed Godwit in S. Devon ... ae das,» LAS
Letters :—
Differences in the Breeding-Habits of Sussex and Cornish
Corn-Buntings (D. H. Meares) Tt wie Bis =s ILO
Blackcap in Atlantic in June (Dr. Ernst Mayr) tbe dion 11g
Merlins Breeding on Dartmoor (F. H. Lancum) me me
Essex Heronries (W. E. Glegg) ... owe ace ies “ak 120

(90)

ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS TO THE
BRITISH LIST.

BY
H. F. WITHERBY

A summary of the additions and alterations to the List
was given in June, 1932 (Vol. XXVL., p. 16), and since then
some further alterations were notified in June, 1933 (Vol.
XXVIL., pp. 2-3).

As a result of the deliberations of the British Ornithologists’
Union List Committee some further necessary additions and
alterations have now been published (bis, 1934, pp. 632-638).
These are given below, and the numbers and former names
refer to the systematic list printed in the last part of the
Practical Handbook and reprinted in the Check-List.

ADDITIONS.

5A. THE SCANDINAVIAN JACKDAW.—Coleus monedula
monedula (L.).

Corvus MonEDUILA Linnzus, Syst. Nat., ed. X., I., p. 106 (1758—
“ Habitat in Europe agris’’. Restricted typical locality Sweden
from first reference Fauna Svecica No. 72.)

In the Practical Handbook (Vol. I., p. 19, footnote) it was
stated that this bird might be an autumn immigrant, but
that we had not examined a specimen. In his Birds of Suffolk
Dr. C. B. Ticehurst showed that the bird did occur, and he
has recently exhibited to the Committee two specimens
of this form from his collection, taken by Mr. E. Knight at
Corton, near Lowestoft, on March 3rd, Igrr.

DEscRIPTION.—This form is more tinged with grey on the under-
parts than C. m. spermologus and has a small patch of white or creamy-
white feathers at the base of the sides of the neck; usually also the
silver-grey ‘‘ collar’”’ is paler than in C. m. spermologus.

Mr. Jourdain supplies the following :—

DisTRIBUTION.—A broad.—Southern Sweden north to between 63°
and 64° N. lat. In Norway it is resident in the south (Sgrland, Ostland
and Trondelag), but does not occur north of 69° 30’. It also breeds
on the Aland Isles and southern Finland up to 61° 30’ on the western
side ; and apparently in Esthonia.

BREEDING-HABITS.—Resemble those of the Central European race,
nesting in church towers, chimneys, hollow trees, etc. Eggs 5-7,
no appreciable difference in size in series of 13 measured. Breeding-
season rather later; first week in May in south, two to three weeks
later in north. .

VoL. Xxvi1.] ADDITIONS TO BRITISH LIST. 91

373A. THE ARCTIC RINGED PLovER.—Charadrius hiaticula
tundre (P. R. Lowe).
JEGIALITIS HIATICOLA TUNDR& P. R. Lowe, Bull. B.O.C., So VL.
p. 7 (1915—Yenesei River, Siberia).

This form is also mentioned in the Practical Handbook
(Vol. IL., p. 519, footnote) as possibly occurring in the British
Islands, but the late Mrs. Meinertzhagen was unable to
differentiate it in winter plumage.

Dr. Carmichael Low has recently gone very fully into the
question in these pages (antea, pp. 64-66) and has given a
description and an account of its distribution. The identified
occurrences he enumerates refer to Norfolk, Kent, Sussex
and Buckinghamshire, and the dates range from August
2nd to October 2oth.

443A. THE BRIDLED TERN.—Sterna anethetus Scop.

STERNA ANA:THETUS Scopoli, Del. Faun. et. Flor., Insub. II., p. 92
(1786—Panay Island, Philippines).

STERNA ANATHETA FULIGULA Licht., G. Mannering, Bull. Brit. Ool.
Assoc., Vol, IIL., No. 9, p. 97.

A Bridled Tern, sometimes called the Lesser Sooty Tern or
Panayan Tern, was found dead by Mr. Guy Mannering on the
beach, two miles inland from Dungeness, near the Hoppen Pits,
on November roth, 1931. The bird was considerably decom-
posed, but Mr. Mannering managed to preserve it. It was a
male and the stomach was empty. Mr. Mannering thought
that it had been struck down by a bird of prey as there was a
wound in the breast. It was an adult moulting from summer
to winter plumage, the new feathers on the crown being
streaked with white, and those on the mantle being tipped
with grey.

The bird agreed best with specimens from the Red Sea,
the primaries and tail-feathers having less white, and the white
of the under-parts being more greyish than in birds from the
West Indies. The inner web of the outer primary was white
at the base with a wedge of dull white running up from it,
while the inner web of the next primary was pale brown with
white only at the base. The outer tail-feather was white with
a dark tip on the inner web and the next tail-feather was dark
brown with only the base of the inner web greyish-white,instead
of white with a brown tip as in birds from the West Indies.

The measurements were : wing 250 mm., longest tail-feather
(worn) 145, bill from feathers (some forehead feathers lost)
approximately 41, tarsus 20.

92 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

A good many forms of Sterna anethetus have been described,
but the validity of some of these appears doubtful, and
consequently it is proposed at present not to define the sub-
species. Mr. N. B. Kinnear and the present writer have
examined the series in the Natural History Museum as well
as the type of Swainson’s Sterna melanoptera from Gambia,
kindly lent by the authorities at Cambridge, this being the
only specimen available from West Africa. The latter bird
measures: wing 264.5, bill 41.5, outer tail-feather 182,
tarsus 22 mm. It differs from western Atlantic specimens—
S. a. recognita (Mathews)—by having less white in the outer
primaries and outer tail-feathers, but it is difficult with the
material available to make out any constant differences
between it and birds from the Red Sea, which have been
separated as S. a. fuligula Licht., or between these and birds
from the Indian Ocean which have been called S. a. antarctica
Lesson and the typical form S. a. anethetus Scopoli from the
Philippines.

The Bridled Tern may be briefly described as follows :—

Adult male and female, summey.—Forehead white, this extending in
a stripe over the eye; crown, nape, lores and stripe through eye
black ; back of neck grey; mantle, back, wings and tail grey-brown
(outer tail-feathers and inner webs of primaries more or less white as
described above) ; under-parts white tinged grey. Winter.—Feathers
of crown and lores streaked white and those of mantle tipped grey.

Juvenile.—Crown, nape, back of neck and lores streaked greyish-
white and black-brown, forehead and stripe over eye white; rest of
upper-parts dark brown, feathers narrowly tipped whitish.

First wintey.—Appears similar to adult winter, but crown more
streaked with white.

Measurements.—Specimens from the Ked Sea measure as follows:
adult male—wing 245-260 (one 265) mm. ; tail: outer feather 155-174,
central 70-76 ; tarsus 20-21.5; bill from feathers 39-44 (12 measured) ;
Q wing 237-252. ;

Soft parts.—Bill, legs and feet black.

Mr. Jourdain supplies the following :—

DisTRIBUTION.—A broad.—Excluding the Bahaman and West Indian
form (S. a. vecognita), also the races from Mexico (S. a. nelsoni) and
the Mascarene Isles (S. a. antarctica), we have the Red Sea form (S. a.
fuligula), which is resident in the southern part of the Red Sea and the
Gulf of Aden, eastward to the Persian Gulf and Mekran coast and south
along the East African coast to Mozambique. The typical race
(S. a. anethetus) breeds in the Philippines, Celebes and on islands off
the Chinese coast.

BREEDING-HABITS.— Usually on islets, where the single egg is laid on
the ground. No nest is made but advantage is taken of rocky out-
crops, long grass, etc., to provide concealment. Average size of

VOL. Xxvil.] ADDITIONS TO BRITISH LIST. 93

52 eggs of S. a. fuligula: 44.2 x 31.2; Max. 52 X 32.4 and 46 X 34;
min. 41.3 X 31.3 and 45 x 30.2. Ground-colour varies as a rule from
creamy to deep salmon-buff, occasionally greenish or bluish, blotched
and spotted all over with red-brown and ashy. The breeding-season
from late May to August, but most eggs are laid in June-July.

The following notes by Mr. G. C. Madoc on the breeding-
habits of this Tern as observed in the South China Sea,
and the excellent photograph accompanying them, have been
sent to us by his father, Col. H. W. Madoc, who kindly
permits us to publish them here.

“On June 14th, 1934, Ryves and I visited the Pulau
Burong on the advice of Mr. C. N. Chasen. The Pulau
Burong is a group of four small rocky islets, or stacks, preci-
pitous and surrounded by deep water, some 11 miles west of

Bridled Terns at the nest, Pulau Sepoi, June 19th, 1934.
Part of the egg can be seen in the right-hand corner of the crevice.

Pulau Tioman. This Tern was breeding in great numbers
all over the four stacks. We found eggs only a few feet above
the tide-mark laid on the bare rock, others on the cliffs, and
yet more concealed in the grass at the summits. These
latter were laid on the bare earth, always sheltered by some

94 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

rocky outcrop, and were approached by tunnels through the
grass. Some of the eggs laid on the rocks were placed on a
few strips of dry grass, but these seemed to have got there
more by accident than design. Probably they had blown
down from above. On the following day some Johore Malays
arrived and proceeded to rob the nests systematically on the
three climbable stacks. On June rgth we found another large
colony of these Terns on Pulau Sepoi, a small island north-west
of Tioman. This island resembles a very large stack, being
guarded on all sides by cliffs; but the top, which is strewn
with boulders, is also covered with large trees. Here the birds
were undisturbed and therefore very tame. We were able to
take photographs at ranges of only ten feet. On the other
hand the eggs were more closely concealed. They were all
at the top of the cliff, concealed under boulders and even
amongst the roots of outlying trees. Many of them had been
laid on soft mould and were very soiled in consequence.
Only one egg is laid, of remarkable size for the bird.
In shape the eggs are oval, slightly pointed at one end—not
nearly so pointed as most Tern’s eggs. The ground-colour
when fresh is pale stone-colour, but when incubation is
advanced the egg takes a greenish tinge. This appears to be
a permanent alteration of the pigment as the colour is retained
after blowing. The eggs are thickly spotted and blotched all
over with lavender and dark madder brown. In one case there
were a few jet-black blotches. The markings, which are very
variable, predominate at the larger end. Although in many
cases incubation was far advanced we found no young
birds ”

In the Practical Handbook (Vol. I1., p. 720, Note) it is men-
tioned that a specimen of this Tern was said to have been taken
on a lightship at the mouth of the Thames in September,
1875, as recorded by Howard Saunders (Zool., 1877, p. 213),
but the same author did not consider the evidence sufficiently
perfect to warrant the introduction of the species as a British
bird in the fourth edition of Yarrell (Vol. III., p. 566). The
authorities at the Booth Museum, Brighton, where this bird
now is, kindly sent it up for examination, and it was found that
it was completing a moult from winter to summer plumage
with a number of new (still in sheaths) entirely black
feathers on the crown and mantle. The date, September,
must therefore be wrong, and this is a final reason for rejecting
the record.

VoL. xxvit.] ADDITIONS TO BRITISH LIST. 95

NEWLY DESCRIBED BRITISH SUBSPECIES.

In the January, 1934, issue of The Ibis, Colonel R. Meinertz-
hagen described the following new races of birds from South
Uist, Outer Hebrides, and these have been added to the List
by the B.O.U. Committee.

20A. THE HEBRIDEAN TwitE.—Carduelis flavirostris
bensonorum (Meinertz.).

ACANTHIS FLAVIROSTRIS BENSONORUM Meinertzhagen, Ibis, 1934,
p. 55 (S. Uist, Outer Hebrides).

In a series the Twites from S. Uist are decidedly darker
on the upper-parts than birds from the mainland.

In 1921, in Berajah, p. 1, Pastor Kleinschmidt described
the English bird as distinct from the typical form, naming
it ‘‘ Loxia Flavirostris parallelicolor,” but we could not agree
to this (see Practical Handbook, Vol. I1., p. 888), and Colonel
Meinertzhagen confirms that he is unable to distinguish the
differences, but Pastor Kleinschmidt had not seen Outer
Hebridean birds.

187A. HEBRIDEAN STONECHAT.—Saxicola torquata theresae
Meinertz.

SAXICOLA TORQUATA THERESAE Meinertzhagen, Ibis, 1934, p. 56 (S.
Uist, Outer Hebrides).

In this form the female is decidedly darker and less yellowish
on the upper-parts and of a deeper colour on the breast and
flanks, while the males are slightly darker on the upper-parts
than in S. ¢. hibernans.

Colonel Meinertzhagen considers that Scottish birds are
intermediate and that birds from the west coast of Scotland
are perhaps the same as the Outer Hebridean birds. He also
considers that Stonechats from Portugal and Brittany are
more like S. ¢. theresae than S. t. hibernans.

200A. THE HEBRIDEAN HEDGE-SPARROW.—Prunella
modularis hebridium Meinertz.
PRUNELLA MODULARIS HEBRIDIUM Meinertzhagen, Ibis, 1934, p. 57
(S. Uist, Outer Hebrides).

Darker on the head and under-parts, more red on the upper-
parts and with the black streaks of the feathers of the upper-
parts blacker and broader and thus more prominent than in
English birds.

96 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Colonel Meinertzhagen also described the Irish Hedge-
Sparrow as distinct under the name Prunella modularis
hibernicus, Ibis, 1934, p. 57. These were intermediate in
colour between the Hebridean form and P. m. occidentalis,
but the Committee could not agree that the Irish birds were
suciffiently distinct for recognition.

It may be mentioned here that the same author in the
article referred to states that the breeding form of the Starling
in S. Uist is Sturnus v. zetlandicus.

He also states that ten Redwings collected on the island
in November and December were all of the Iceland form
Turdus musicus coburnt. This form has also been recorded
from Ross-shire, Fair Isle, cos. Galway, Mayo and Donegal,
and Kent.

A Dipper obtained in S. Uist in January, Colonel Meinertz-
hagen states, was even darker than birds of the Irish form,
but it may not have been a resident bird. He also states that
three Dippers from Arran (west Scotland), now in the British
Museum, are of the Irish form.

ALTERATION OF NAMES.

The List Committee propose in this Report that the name
of the British Song-Thrush should be altered to Turdus
evicetorum ertcetorum Turton, British Fauna, I., p. 35, 1807,
and consequently the Hebridean Song-Thrush to Turdus
evicetorum hebridensis. In the case of the Continental Song-
Thrush, however, an error appears to have been made in
proposing to change its name to Turdus ericetorum planiceps
Ehrenberg, 1833. The name flaniceps does not, as was
supposed, antedate philomelus, a confusion having arisen in the
division of the two parts (one published in 1828 and the other
in 1833) of the Symbolae Physicae in which the name planiceps
appeared. We propose therefore to postpone making any
change in the names of the Song-Thrushes in these pages
until this point is cleared up.

(97)

BREEDING OF TEMMINCK’S STINT IN
SCOTLAND.
BY
GEO. R. EDWARDS.

On June 13th, 1934, I was in Scotland with Mr. Vernon S.
Crapnell for the purpose of making cine-films of nesting birds.
I had just seen my companion into his hide tent and was
returning along a loch side when a small wader came off her
nest at my feet. The flight was typical of a wader leaving
eggs, fluttering and slow. For a few seconds this bird dragged
her feet in the water, then made off at top speed.

I passed on and some hours later when Crapnell returned
I showed him the nest. The bird had not returned, and as a
heavy thunderstorm was working up we left as quickly as
possible to allow the bird’s return. For two hours heavy
rain fell and that evening we visited the nest to determine
the species, but to our disappointment the bird had not re-
turned and the eggs and nest were very wet.

Bad weather continued on the 14th and 15th and in the
evening of the latter date I filmed the eggs in the nest, then,
having completely satisfied ourselves of the desertion, care-
fully packed them in moss.

We obtained a very close view of the birds during that
Friday evening. The distance was twenty feet and we both
had field-glasses so that we were able to make accurate notes
of plumage, notes and flight.

The eggs were sent to Dr. P. R. Lowe of the Natural
History section of the British Museum for identification. He
has been very kind in having them blown (they were hard
set) and he has gone to some pains for accurate information.
The eggs were shown to Mr. J. L. Chaworth Musters and to
Dr. M. Schénwetter, who identified them as belonging to the
same species as Dr. Lowe and ourselves arrived at independ-
ently, namely Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckit). We
have presented the eggs to the Museum.

When we left the district on June 16th the birds were dis-
playing, and on arriving home I wrote to Mr. Ralph Chislett,
hoping that he might go up and photograph them. Un-
fortunately he was away and it was not until July 13th that
he and I were able to proceed to the spot. Much to our dis-
appointment we were unable to find the birds again not-
withstanding a very intensive search of the whole shore of
the loch. We can only hope that the birds will appear again
next year.

98 BRITISH BIRDS. [voL. XXVIII.

The following are details :—

Nest.—On a small loch side. The nest was eight feet from
the water’s edge. Sand reached for about two feet, then
came short grass and a few reeds. Scattered on the grass
was a mass of dried vegetation left by high water during the
winter months. In the short grass was the nest quite exposed.
It contained not the slightest collected material but was
quite a deep, cup-shaped hollow. The ground was so soft
that each egg had bedded itself into a little hollow also.

Eccs.—At the first glance likea Dunlin’s. Ground colour,
olive-green. Underlying markings of purplish-brown and
darker brown above.

Birp.—The best description possible is, exactly like a small
Common Sandpiper, both in colour and plumage and in general
outline.

The head, back and wings were light brown with greyish
edges to some wing-feathers. Down each side of the middle
back could be detected four tips of dark brown like four black
dots. On the rump could be seen a very slight touch of
rust.

A faint bar was on the wing but only showed when the
wing was spread. The throat was very pale brown. The
breast and all under-parts pure white. Rump and tail
dusky and white in flight. Bill and legs very dark
coloured.

FLicut.—Swift and erratic. The birds’ movements in the
distance were very like Sand-Martin’s, although the actual
wing beats were typical of the Sandpiper’s well-known
jerky flight. A most noticeable action was to fly swiftly to
about twenty feet high then turn and glide right down to
water level with wings held stiffly V shaped (as in Common
Pigeon), all the while uttering its call. On shore the bird
always ran swiftly with head down and hunched into the
shoulders, and with the tail up. The wings were often
lifted high above the head for periods of about two or three
seconds and this action was always practised before taking
flight. The under-side of the wing was silvery white.

SonGc.—A short, high-pitched trill, duration about three
seconds on the ground and longer when uttered during the
gliding flights. When flushed suddenly from the loch side
this call was short and sharp like a Snipe’s call.

The call was at no time as sustained as the Dunlin’s, which
we both know well having just completed a film of this
species on the Yorkshire hills.

VOL. Xxvill.] BREEDING OF TEMMINCK’S STINT. 99

(Dr. P. R. Lowe has very kindly supplied us with the
following measurements and weights of the eggs. Dr. Lowe
remarks that six Dunlin’s eggs weighed on the same delicate
balance averaged 490 milligrammes.

Measurements in millimetres Weight in milligrammes
(x) 29.2 * 20.7 300 =
(2) 20.4 X 20.9 300 +
(3) 297.5 x 20.5 300 +
(4) 28.4 X 20.4 300 +

In connexion with the above record of the breeding of
Temminck’s Stint in Scotland, it is a fact of much interest
that this species has recently extended its breeding range In
Scandinavia considerably to the south. Up to 1929 Its
most southerly breeding-place near sea-level was on the
Lofoten Islands, but it was known to nest at considerable
altitudes round Reros (about 70 miles S.E. of Trondhjem).
In 1930 Mr. J. L. Chaworth Musters published an article
in the Norsk Ornitologisk Tidsskrift in which he showed that
breeding had taken place at sea-level in Nordmgre, near
Surendalsgren, in May, 1929, where a nest is also said to have
been found in 1917. Mr. Chaworth Musters also informs us
that during the present season Herr H. L. Lévenskiold has still
further extended the breeding range southward in Norway,
but the details of this discovery have not yet been published.
—EDs.]

(100)
THE GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND.

BY
BRIAN ROBERTS, M.B.0.U.

THE following notes on colonies of the Gannet (Sula bassana)
in Iceland are based on two personal visits in 1932 and 1933,
and on one by my brother, Sub.-Lieut. P. L. Roberts, R.N.,
in 1934. There are at present six islands off the Icelandic
coast where Gannets breed, and four of these—Brandur,
Hellisey, Sulnasker and Geldungur, are close together in the
Vestmannaeyjar, a small group of volcanic islands off the
south-west coast. There is also a colony on Eldey off
Reykjanes, and another on Grimsey off the north coast.

In his monograph on the Gannet (1), J. H. Gurney mentions
all of these except Hellisey, which is the largest colony in the
Vestmannaeyjar group, but the information he was able
to obtain was scanty, and his estimate of the numbers was,
in his own words, “ open to amendment ’’.

On August 18th, 1932, I visited the Vestmannaeyjar
colonies in company with J. A. Beckett. A full account of
this expedition, together with a map and photograph, has
already been published (2), so a short summary only will be
given here. It was too rough to land on any of the islands,
but we were able to form a fairly accurate estimate of the
number of breeding-birds by sailing slowly round each rock
close under the cliffs. The method of assessing the numbers
was to count all the adult birds on the rocks themselves. The
census was greatly facilitated by the geological structure of —
the rock, which caused the birds to sit in definite rows on the
ledges, and it would otherwise have been almost impossible
to count them. The following table shows the result of our
' census. The two figures for each cliff-face represent our
independent counts :—

Brandur ten noe it 0 404 418
Hellisey—E. cliff... ss me 973 1,028
re N.W. cliff... ve ise Ne GOOe 6.550
ih Remainder rhe oe «= 400 489
Sulnasker—S.E. cliff at “at 303 312
i Remainder (counting
together) ... aig G17
Geldungur (counting together) re C. 200

These figures are an absolute minimum, and the estimate
for Geldungur may be rather low, as it was beginning to get
dark when we reached the island, and there were a number of

VOL. Xxvil.] GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND. 101

birds on the upper part of the rock which could not be dis-
tinguished very clearly. Adding these figures together, we
have a maximum of 3,764 birds for the four colonies and a
minimum of 3,636. Taking the lower figure, this gives an
estimated total of 3,636 birds actually at the nests, but as,
in a proportion of cases, both birds of a pair were at the nest,
it may be assumed without exaggeration that they represent
3,000 breeding pairs. Calculating on a minimum basis,
we get a total of over 3,900 pairs if only 30 per cent. be added
to those on the breeding-ground to allow for pairs of birds
away fishing and those in flight over the colony. C. M.
Acland and H. Morrey Salmon (3) allowed 50 per cent. for
the birds away from the nests in their census of the Gannets
on Grassholm, but I consider this figure to be rather excessive.

J. H. Gurney put the number at 4,000 birds, a figure which
is based on a very rough guess by N. Annandale and E. Gurney
in 1898. The former wrote an interesting account of a fowling
expedition to Sulnasker which they undertook in September
of that year.(4)

In 1933 I spent five days (July r9th-23rd) on Grimsey with
G. C. L. Bertram and D. Lack. This is the most northerly
breeding place of the Gannet. In 1819 Faber (5) found
“only three [pairs] breeding on Grimsey [itself], but ten or
twelve on an isolated rock standing close by’. Hantzsch (6),
in 1903, records ‘‘ between 50 and 70 pairs on Hafsilastapi
and on the cliff opposite ’’.

In 1933 we found 21 occupied nests. The colony is on a
wide ledge about 170 feet down the 400 feet cliffs at the north-
eastern end of the island. The stack opposite (Hafsilastapi)
has collapsed, and all the birds are now breeding on the main
cliff. We descended to the colony with ropes so no nests can
have been overlooked. There were at least 28 non-breeding
birds present, but only one in immature plumage.

A further Gannet colony is on Eldey, one of the group of
volcanic islets off Reykjanes, the south-western point of
Iceland. Eldey has achieved fame as the last-known breeding
place of the Gare-fowl (Alca impennis) and it was here that
the last one was killed in 1844. Newton and Wolley (7) have
collected together all that is known of its early history in this
connexion, so it will not be repeated here.

The few estimates as to the number of Gannets on the rock
in the past are not very enlightening. Gurney quotes P.
Nielsen, who was informed by an Icelander, Hjalti Jonsson,
that “there might be 20,000 Gannets on Eldey in 1870”,

Eldey from S.S.W. |
(Photographed by Lieut. R. C Egan, R.N.)

VOL. Xxvill.] GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND. 103

but in 1904 the same correspondent considered that “ 6,000
or 8,000 was perhaps enough”’. Nielsen himself, however,
wrote in 1919, that ‘‘ about 10,000 Gannets nest yearly ”’ (8).
This figure is repeated in Newton’s Ootheca Wolleyana
(Part IV., p. 458), but when Nielsen was asked whether it
represented birds or pairs, he was unable to say.

During April and May, 1934, H.M.S. Cherwell was in Ice-
landic waters for fishery protection duties; and as our
trawlers were working off the south and west coasts, she was
able to visit Eldey. I am indebted to my brother, Sub.-Lieut.
P. L. Roberts, R.N., who was on board, for sending me the
following account :—

‘‘ We passed within a quarter of a mile of Eldey when on patrol on
April 24th, but it was getting dark and raining so we did not stop.
The small glimpse we had was very impressive and we decided to
examine it more closely if an opportunity arose.

Eldey from N.N.E. at about 500 yards.
(Photographed by Petty Officer R. G, Hatcher, R.N.)

“In the middle of the next month we were working off Reykjanes
again, and at 4 p.m., on May 22nd, closed the island. It was visible
from forty miles away, a landmark that we knew well.

“The rock is 226 feet high with vgrtical cliffs all round. It is
roughly pear-shaped, with a flat top of about 3 acres gently sloping
towards the broad end at the north. Asa result, although we could

104 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

see the whole of the top from a distance of 400 yards, none of it was
visible from closer in, and without landing a reliable estimate of the
Gannets would be impossible. But a rough guess, based on the area
of the top and the average concentration of the Gannets, gives
about 14,000 birds. In addition there were at least 500 on the
cliffs and many hundreds in the air.

“From a distance the top appeared so thickly covered with
Gannets that it was almost a uniform white and the air was thick
with birds disturbed by our approach. We lowered the skiff to
pull round and look more closely. Seals appeared all round us and
we saw them playing in the surf under the cliffs. There were also
large flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes resting on the water, and a
few Puffins. The cliffs were covered with broken ledges, and these
were packed tight with Gannets, Kittiwakes and Guillemots, shoulder
to shoulder, and usually well mixed, but the top appeared to be used
exclusively by the Gannets.

‘““ At the north-east end there is a small flat ledge which is the
only possible landing place. The first men to land left chains hanging
from the cliffs and cut footholds in the rocks, but these are so old
now that they must be dangerous to rely onalone. Anyoneintending
to climb the cliff should come well provided with ropes of his own.

““ The south end of the island is the finest; the ledges there are
very narrow and were mostly occupied by Guillemots. We took
several photographs on the way round, but it was too rough to land.
After the ship had picked us up we steamed once more round the
island and then continued on patrol.”’

If we allow 30 per cent. for birds away fishing or in flight
over the colony, we may estimate approximately 9,000 pairs
of Gannets breeding on Eldey, a figure which is nearly double
that of Gurney, who allows 9,500 birds for Eldey and Geir-
fugladrangr together. Careful enquiries about the latter
island, which is about g miles south-west of Eldey, have
produced no evidence of a Gannet colony there. According
to the Arctic Pilot this rock is scarcely 30 feet high, so it
appears unlikely that any birds breed there. Only one landing
has been made on Geirfugladrangr, by a Dane, Count F. C.
Rabben, who accompanied Faber when collecting material
for his fauna of Iceland in 1821. An account of this expedition
is given in Faber’s work (9), but no mention is made of
Gannets breeding there at this time and it only states that
some were shot near Geirfugladrangr. The party did not
go near Eldey.

The six occupied Icelandic Gannet colonies would seem,
therefore, to consist of about 13,600 pairs, made up as follows :

Grimsey he sais a eae 2I pairs.
Bidey ..< cat Sat a sss 865,9;000) 5,
Vestmannaeyjar—

Brandur ... aoe see want, (Ch Oar se

Hellisey :.. — at sis. Ca SHOOT Gy

VOL. xxvi.] GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND. 105

Geldungur ... a in 0 @ ‘260 pairs
Sulnasker ... gh aa dia Ge DBOO. 55
Reports of Gannet colonies on Drangey, Langanes and

Mevenklint are without foundation.

REFERENCES.
tr. Grmey, J. EH. - The Gannet, a Bird with a History. (London,
1913), pp. 271-288.
2. Roberts, B: B. - ‘Notes onthe Birds of Central and South-

East Iceland”. Jbis. Series 13. Vol. VI.,

1934, Pp- 245-248.
3. Acland,C.M.,and ‘‘ The Grassholm Gannets in 1924—a great

Salmon, H.M. - increase. British Birds, Dec., 1924,

pp. 178-185.

4. Annandale, N. - The Faroes and Iceland. (Oxford, 1905).
pp. 117-123.

5. Faber, F. - - Pyodromus dey islandischen Ornithologie.
(Copenhagen, 1822.)

6. Hantzsch, B. - Beitrag zuy Kenntnis der Végelwelt Islands.
(Berlin, 1905.)

7. Newton, A. - - “Abstract of Mr. Wolley’s Researches in

Iceland respecting the Gare-fowl or Great
Auk (Alcaimpennis, L.).”’ Ibis. Series I.,
Vol. III., 1861, pp. 371-399.

5. Nisisen, P: - - ‘‘Optegnelser vedrorende Islands Fugle,
tildels efter egen iagttagelse i en laengere
aareke.’’ Dansk Ornithologisk Forenings
Tidsskrift. Copenhagen, 1919, XIII.,

4 PP. 33-79-

9. Faber, F. - - Ueber das Leben der hochnordischen Vogel.

(Leipzig, 1825.)

(106)

MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS FROM ABROAD
TO THE BRITISH ISLES AND FROM THE
BRITISH ISLES ABROAD.

ADDENDA Iii

BY
H: FF. WITHERBY anv EE. P. DEACH,

THE following must be added to the list of stations previously

given :—

A bbrevia-

tion Inscription Organization. Director
used. on Ring.

BP. Ornithologia Budapest Ko6niglich Ungarisches J. Schenk.
Ornithologisches In-
stitut.

ROOK (Corvus f. frugilegus).

Only in the last few years have we obtained records to
show the origin of our winter immigrant Rooks, but the
information is now gradually accumulating.

So far we have no ringing record of a British-bred Rook
migrating oversea. .

RINGED ABROAD IN BREEDING-SEASON.

Ringed. Recovered.
R. D58512 East Prussia 2.6.32 Lincolnshire 25.2.34
R. D52754 Hannover, Germany 17.5.31 Norfolk —-.11.32
R. D54955 Ditto 18.5.32 Suffolk 26.2.34

JACKDAW (Coleus m. spermologus).

This is the first record of a ringed Jackdaw migrating
from or to the Continent.

RINGED IN GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULT AND RECOVERED
ABROAD IN BREEDING-PLACE.
Ringed. Recovered.
Oxford 24.2.33 Guelderland, Holland —.4.24

STARLING (Sturnus v. vulgaris).

So many additional records have come to hand under
categories (a) and (c) that it has been thought well to give here
a revised map.t We have now 164 records of ringed Starlings

*For previous parts see Vol. XXV., pp. 110-128 ; 174-192; 245-268 ;
357-300. Vol. XXVI., pp. 352-361.

+We have had lantern slides prepared of some 25 maps illustrating
this series of articles. These slides were shown at the International
Ornithological Congress, and are now available for loan to British
Birds ringers under certain conditions. Those desiring to borrow the
slides should apply with details to H. F. Witherby, at 326 High
Holborn, W.C.1.

b

VOL. XxvuI.| MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 107

showing where winter visitors to this country were bred,
besides many others, in category (b), which were probably
not far from their breeding place. Though it is not possible
in so small a scale to plot positions with accuracy, the map
gives a good idea of the areas from which our immigrants
come.

q
Al

DP

wh,
“

LD Y

Lins] My

pomaA,
No.
ip

tae

!
"

}

~

gi Ul
Dd

ul
‘
e
°

STARLING
(Sturnus v vulgaris.)

Map to show origin of winter visitors to British|Islands.

@ Ainged here as native. Recovered British Isles between October&April.

Recovered hereas breeding bird, Ringed Great Britain between October&March.

Ringed here probably on migration Recovered British /sles in winter.

Recovered here-uncertain whether migrant or native. Finged Great Britain -
between October & March.

(a) RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG OR IN BREEDING-SEASON,

Ringed. Recovered.
Ra. 42212 Livonia, Latvia 30.5.31 Shropshire eer
Ra. 39607 Ditto 4.5.30 Warwicks. —.3.33
Ra. 39752 Ditto 8.6.32 Kent 12.11.32
Ra. 37433 Ditto 6.6.31 Somerset.

—.1.32

108 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.
STARLING— (continued).
Ringed. Recovered.
Ra. 36578 Kurland, Latvia 12.6.33 Lancashire Onin
Ra. 21186 Ditto 6.6.30 Norfolk 2.3.34
Ra. 36160 Ditto 2.6.33 Meath Or2-33
Ra. 61454 Latgale, Latvia 4.6.33 Northumb. 18.1.34
Ra. 32257 Ditto 7.6.31 Yorkshire 2s
La. F5947_ Birzai, Lithuania 10.6.33 Cheshire LZ se
La. F5336 Vabalninkas, Lithuania 6.6.33 Kerry 8.3.34
H.660436A Hannover, Germany 72.6138) Devour —.II.33
RePirz2zor Ditto 3.6.32 Ditto 9.2.34
H. 696802 Westphalia, Germany 2.0.30 Ditto —.12.31
Stav. 6327 Stavanger, Norway 29.5.33 Fermanagh 22.12.33
G. B5256 Vastmanland, Sweden 4.6.33 Dublin Dees
St. D4769 Elfsborg, Sweden 5.6.33 Kildare 6.2.34
St. D5672 Halland, Sweden 10.6.32 Beds. 272.28
G. B5915 Scania, Sweden 2.6.32 Lancashire 208.88
St. D3008 Ditto 29.5.32 Gloucester. Osha
St. D5654 Ditto —.6.32 Cornwall 26.2.34
Sk. T10o741 Jylland, Denmark 5.7.33 Carmarthens. 25.12.33
See loos. Ditto 26.5.33 Somerset. ZOTAR
R. F84823 Schleswig-Holstein 22.5.33, Hereford: —.12.33
Ee 37420 Ditto 27.5.33 Carmarthens. 8.3.34
H. 680734 Ditto 29.5.32 Ditto 8.12.33
H. 743805 Ditto 30.5.33 Glamorgan. Lit yit
H. 700249 Ditto 24.5.32 Cornwall 29.12.32
H. 6994A Ditto 24.5.32 Ditto Tewi2.83)
H.616675A Oldenburg, Germany 195.33 Jeicester. 22.34.
H.622138A Ditto 1.6.32 Essex PNG] IR aX}
(6) RINGED ABROAD. UNCERTAIN WHERE BREEDING.
Ra. 36984 Livonia, Latvia 25.9.30 Norfolk 25.1.33
La. F8104 Memel Territory 14.7-33 Staffs. 24.11.33
Ean S757) Ditto 2272.88) Glolcester 28.1.34
as 28324 Ditto 17.7.33 Suffolk —.1.34
La. ¥F4499 Ditto 25.6.33 Warwicks. 16.12.33
R. F125394 Ditto 25.6.33 Cheshire 9.12.33
R. F149347 Ditto 20.7.33 Worcester. TOM2Z.88
R. F150545 Ditto 14.8.33 Norfolk GIES) 232)
R. F125494 Ditto 26.6.33 Gloucester. 4.2.34
R. F149094 Ditto 77238) Ne uIL 15.4.34
(dead some time)
R. F1r48285 Ditto 4.7.33 Sussex —-.1.34
R. F122666 Ditto 23.60.33 Hampshire S2.33
R. F150469 Ditto 5.8.33 Ditto 4.2.34
R. F150329 Ditto 2.833 scilly Is: 8.12.33
H. 722142 Pomerania, Germany 29.3.32 Wilts. 22.02.33
H. 734570 Schleswig-Holstein 28.10.32 Sussex Ty T3333
HA. 735695 Heligoland 28.10.32 Yorks. a2 Qa
H. 735671 Ditto 29.10.32 Essex S;02.33
HA. 750751 Ditto 14.10.33 Cornwall —.1.34
H. 748574 Mellum, North Sea 17-7.33 Wincolnshire 12i11.33
H. 748534 Ditto 17.7.33 Norfolk —.12.33
H. 748587 Ditto 17.7-33 Pembroke. 2.02.39
L. 104277 Zuid Holland 28.10.31 Yorks. HILT, AS

VoL. Xxvill.] MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 109

STARLING—(continued).

Ringed. Recovered.
L. 94051 Zuid Holland 26.3.31 Wilts. 19.1.33
L. 67027 Ditto 19.2.29 Essex 10.2.34
L. 100521 Ditto 13.12.31 Ditto 25.2.34
L. 96599 Ditto 1.4.31 Kent 19.1.33
L. 106572 Ditto 25.10.32 Dorset. 8.11.33
L, g78ong Ditto g.11.29 Devon. 9.4.32
L. 96171 Ditto 3.4.31 Ditto 6.3.33
L. 96500 Ditto 8.4.31 Ditto 20.2.33
L. 103687 Ditto 17.10.31 Glamorgan. 17.4.32
L. 106785 Ditto 18.9.33 Ditto —,12.33
L. 89584 Ditto 17.10.30 Carlow 19.12.32
B. CC313 W. Flanders, Belgium 16.9.31 Warwicks. —.4.32
B. CC8141 Ditto 30.10.33 Berks. 31.3.34
B. CC8188 Ditto 30.10.33 Ditto 24.1.34
BB; €Caoz Ditto 19.9.32 Suffolk 22.5.33
B. CC1239 Ditto 1.12.32 Sussex 21.12.32
(c) RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS WINTER VISITORS OR
MIGRANTS AND RECOVERED ABROAD IN BREEDING-PLACE.
Ringed. Recovered.
Oxford 22.1.34 Vieksniai, Lithuania 154-34
Cheshire 30.1.34 Zidikai, Lithuania 29.4-34
Ditto 17.12.33 East Prussia, Germany 21.5.34
Oxford 31.10.31 Ditto 23-4-34
Ditto 24.1.33 Ditto 3550
Ditto 23.11.33 Ditto 15-3-34
Ditto 12.12.28 Pomerellia, Poland 20.3.34
Cheshire 1.11.33 Mecklenburg, Germany —.4.34
Ditto 17.1.26 Oldenburg, Germany 30.4.34
Devon. 16.1.33 Bremen, Germany 11.4.33
Oxford 25.1.33 Upsala, Sweden 11.4.34
Cheshire 30.1.33 Smaland, Sweden 19.4.33
Worcester. 5.3.33 Fyen, Denmark 29.5.33
Middlesex 28.10.33 Guelderland, Holland —.3.34
Yorks. 16.2.34 Friesland, Holland 31.5.34
SISKIN (Carduelis spinus).
RINGED ABROAD AS ADULT,
Ringed. Recovered.
H. 8023063 Breslau, Silesia 12.10.33 Shropshire 1.3.34

LINNET (Carduelis c. cannabina).

South-west France remains the southern limit of those
of our Linnets which migrate, at least so far as ringing records
show. All those reported so far have been ringed as nestlings
and none north of the midlands.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Gloucester. 21.5.33 Gironde, France 10.10.33
Bucks. 4.6.32 Ditto 23.10.33

110 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

CHAFFINCH (Fringilla c. celebs).

The three records below are the first Chaffinches ringed in
the British Islands that have been reported from abroad.
So far none of the records show where our immigrant
Chaffinches breed.

RINGED ABROAD, BREEDING-PLACE UNCERTAIN.

Ringed. Recovered.

B. BB8848 Brussels, Belgium TOMO. 0) eECeniE 22,3182
B. AAtgo5 _ Ditto 11.296 6Londondéerty “11.1.32
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN, RECOVERED ABROAD, BREEDING-PLACE
UNCERTAIN.

Ringed. Recovered.
Cheshire 20.1.34 Zuid Holland 27.3.34
Worcester. 4.3.33 Antwerp, Belgium 2210-88
Oxford 2.2.33) Ditto Te 10,33

BRAMBLING (Fringilla montifringilla).

It is very difficult to account for this Brambling being
found so far south of the bird’s breeding limit at this date ;
and its position is curious when considered in relation to its
visit to us in the winter of 1931.

Ringed. Recovered.
Cheshire 4.2.31 Krajina, Yugoslavia 1227.38

YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla f. vayt).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING.
Ringed. Recovered.
Surrey 5.6.33 Landes, France 20.9.33

MISTLE-THRUSH (Turdus v. viscivorus).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS,
Ringed. Recovered.
Cumberland —.6.32 Loir-et-Cher, France 20.11.33
Fife. 2.5.32 Gers, France 5.12.32

BRITISH SONG-THRUSH (Turdus ph. clarkei).

These and other cases already recorded show that some of
those of our Song-Thrushes which migrate, winter in northern
France, while others go as far south as southern Portugal
and east central Spain.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Kent 24.5.33 Cdtes-du-Nord, France —.1.34
Suffolk 24.5.33 Morbihan, France Z2s4)

BLACKBIRD (Turdus m. merula).
Only two ringed British-bred Blackbirds have so far been
reported from abroad, from which it is evident that only a
very small proportion of our birds migrate. On the other

VOL. Xxvill.| MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 111

hand, records showing the origin of winter visitors have
increased considerably during the last few years and it seems
worth while to give a revised map of these.

BLACK BIRD.
(Turdus m.merula/
Map to show origin of winter visitors to
British Islands.

@ Ringed here. Recovered in British /sles
between November&March

t+ Recovered here. Ringed in Great Britain
Decemberjyo March.

RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

Ringed. Recovered.

Sk. 17737 Jylland, Denmark 8.7.32 Ayrshire E7.11.33
T572 Sjelland, Denmark 18.60.32 Berwick-on-Tweed
27.1.33
RINGED ABROAD, PROBABLY AS MIGRANTS.

Ringed. Recovered.
H. 736314 Heligoland 1.11.32 Middlesex — 125
H. 742143 Ditto 30.10.33 Ditto 30.11.33
H. 64023A _ Ditto 9.10.31 Dublin 16.1.34

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS WINTER VISITOR OR MIGRANT
AND RECOVERED ABROAD IN BREEDING-PLACE.
Ringed. Recovered.
Yorks. Coie en Stockholm, Sweden 6.7.33

BRITISH ROBIN (Erithacus r. melophilus).
This is only the third ringed British-bred Robin to be
reported from abroad.

Ringed. Recovered.
Hereford. 22.5.30 Seine Inf., France 11.12.35

112 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

CUCKOO (Cuculus c. canorus).

This second recovery in north Italy of a Cuckoo bred in the
British Islands is of considerable value, and the four European
records, which can now be shown on the map, confirm the
south-eastern route taken by this species.

It may be mentioned that all these four Cuckoos had
Meadow-Pipits (Anthus pratensis) as foster parents, and that
the one recovered in the Cameroons was in a nest of a Pied
Wagtail (Motacilla a. yarrellit).

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING,

Ringed. Recovered.
Kildare 29.6.33 Brescia, Italy 20.10.33
ry = cs wy peer, 10 ee nei oie ace
SSS Zen 4
== 4 Mvacon OO

N

%
ol

Dongola
Timbucktuo

)

= ——- a ae

Khartoum®

Fashoday /

CUCKOO.

‘Cuculus C.canorus)
Map showing recovery postions of birds ringed as
nestlings in Great Britain

LONG-EARED OWL (Asio o. otus).

RINGED ABROAD.
Ringed. Recovered.
LZ. 102661 Noord Holland 8.6.32 Bucks. 3.01.32

(To be continued.)

GREAT TIT HATCHING BLUE TIT’S EGGS.

A BuveE Tir (Parus c. obscurus) had possession of one of my
nesting boxes in Hampshire and laid an egg on each of four
successive days. The next day, May 8th, no egg was laid, but
another appeared on the gth. I should say that I numbered
each egg the day it was laid. On May roth I found, to my
surprise, three new eggs, two belonging to the Blue Tit and
another decidedly larger. The 11th saw another large egg,
and the large eggs were explained by the presence of a Great
Tit (P. m. newtoni) which I caught sitting in the box. The Blue
Tits now disappeared. The Great Tit continued to lay, produc-
ing one egg each day except the 15th, which was blank, and the
18th, on which two eggs appeared. There were now seven
Blue Tit eggs and ten Great Tit eggs in the nest. As the
embryos were required for an investigation eight of the Great
Tit eggs were removed at different stages and she was left
with two eggs of her own and the seven laid by the Blue
Tit. On these she sat and in due course all were hatched,
and both sets of young were fed and safely got off by the
Great Tits. GEORGE MARPLEs.

SONG-THRUSH ATTACKING LIZARD.
IN a garden at Southbourne, Hants, Miss Ansell saw a Song-
Thrush (Turdus ph. clarkei) attacking a common lizard
(L. vivtpara) which shed its tail and managed to escape.
The tail was, however, seized and swallowed with some diffi-
culty by the Thrush. The case is interesting, as showing that
the power of shedding the tail has at times, as might be
expected, a real survival value. The Mistle-Thrush has been
recorded as attacking a slow-worm (Anguis fragilis), but I
have no previous records of Song-Thrushes adopting this
unusual habit, but probably the long drought has caused
great privation among them. F. C. R. JOURDAIN,

ROBIN WITH FOUR BROODS.
A cock Robin (Erithacus r. melophilus) has frequented my
garden in Oxford for the past three years at least. In
November, 1933, I decided to try and tame him. With the
aid of mealworms this was soon effected and in less than a
fortnight he would hop on to my knee and take food from my
hand or mouth.

114 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Early in March, 1934, he found a mate and the hen started
building in another garden across the Banbury Road. The
position of the nest was discovered by me on March 28th
by watching the male carrying mealworms, supplied by me,
to the hen. The nest contained five fresh eggs.

On April 8th these eggs hatched and all went well till
April 13th, when a cat discovered the nest and destroyed
the whole brood.

On April 18th the hen Robin commenced building her second
nest in my garden, in a box placed in ivy on a wall.

On April 27th she was sitting on five eggs, four of which
hatched on May oth-roth.

On May 22nd the hen started building Nest III. in a hole
in the tool-shed, 35 yards from Nest II.

On May 23rd the young left Nest No. II. and from then on
were fed entirely by the male until June 7th.

From June 3rd the cock fed the hen on the nest occasionally
as well as the young.

Three out of the four eggs in Nest III. hatched on June
11th-12th, and both birds fed the young in the nest, but
chiefly the male, till June roth when the hen started building
Nest IV. in the box which had been occupied by Nest II.
(the old nest having been removed by me after the young
had left).

On June 23rd the young left Nest III. Nest IV. now
contained two eggs.

On June 26th the hen commenced sitting on five eggs in
Nest IV. The male Robin continued feeding the young of
Nest III. till July 3rd, after which he fed the female on
Nest IV.

On July 8th-gth the five eggs in Nest IV. hatched off.

July roth to 14th. Both Robins feeding young in nest
but specially the male.

On July 15th a cat discovered the nest and destroyed the
half-fledged brood.

On July 20th the male Robin began its moult, and the female
disappeared. Up till July 18th the cock Robin sang at inter-
vals between feeding young. After the moult commenced
he ceased singing and became apparently nervous, often giving
his alarm note (a click). He is now tailless and in full moult.

The points of special interest in the account of the breeding
of these Robins seem to be :—

(x) The overlap in time between Nests II. and III. and

still more III. and IV. In the first case the female

VOL. XXVIII.} NOTES. 115

started building Nest III. one day before the young
left Nest IJ. and similarly the building of Nest IV.
started four days before the young left Nest ITI.

(2) The female did all the building unassisted by the male.

(3) The male fed the young after leaving the nest (and in
the nest after the commencement of the next nest)
unaided by the female.

(4) The male disposed of the feeces removed from the nest
invariably by flying up into a tree and wiping them
off on to a twig. They were never dropped during
flight as is so commonly the practice with other birds.

(5) The male attacked anyone approaching the nest too
closely, pecking them viciously on hands or head.

The overlap of the nests is shown below in tabular form :—

Nest I. Nest II. Nest IIT. Nest IV
March 16th Building nest.
March 28th Sitting on 5
eggs.
April 8th 5 eggs hatched.
April 13th Young des-
troyed by cat.

April 18th ... a Building nest.
Apmlezard ss: aya Ist egg laid.
April 27th ... ne Sitting on 5
eggs.

May 9-1oth ... we 4 eggs hatched.

1 addled.
May 22nd ane a ia ... Building nest.
May 23rd =... We .. Young left

nest.
May 29th ... aes ow vas ... Hen sitting
on 4 eggs.
June 11-1r2th ees <a = ... 3 eggs hatched.
1 addled.
June roth wus ... Building nest.
June 22nd ... oe <a ess ao eae -.. Ist egg laid.
ijime gard ... <n’ nae sik ... Young left 2nd egg laid.
nest.
June 26th ... ens < Hee Re sate .. Sitting on 5
eggs.

July 8th ene ia re =P ev me --. 5 eggs hatched.
July 15th ... ees << ee a oe .-. Young des-

troyed by cat.
B. B. OSMASTON.

BLACK-HEADED GULLS NESTING IN TREES.
A MARSH at the end of Oakmere, in the Delamere Forest
district of Cheshire, has been used since 191g as a breeding-
place by Black-headed Gulls (Larus r. ridibundus) (British
Birds, Vol. XIV., p. 165). This year (1934) they returned

116 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

as usual and I have learnt from George Rock, the keeper, that
they came back about March 2oth but during the daytime
only, and first stayed for the night on April 15th; they then
settled down and nested in plenty and he estimated that
there were some 300 or 400 pairs.

The mere has in recent years been used as a town’s water-
supply, and the consequent drawing of water from it and the
drought have combined to bring the level of the water very
low; as the water receded and the marsh grew drier, foxes
got among the Gulls and by June 27th, when I revisited the
mere, had driven them all away with the exception of two
pairs which nested in Scots pines. One of these nests was
built in the crown of a tree in the topmost twigs, as will be seen
in the accompanying photograph. It was between twenty

Site of nest (shown by arrow) of Black-headed Gull at Oakmere,

Cheshire, June 27th, 1934. Normally the grassy area in foreground

is covered with water, and the Gulls nest in tussocks of reeds to the
right of it.

and twenty-five feet from the ground and was quite open to
thesky ; there wasa foundation of hay and grass about three
inches thick and a lining of rushes from the marsh and it
contained three typical eggs.

The other nest—in another tree—was made of rushes only,
and was built on a horizontal bough about twelve feet above
the water, over which the bough projected ; it also contained

eggs.

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 117

On July 8th three youngsters from the tree-top nest were
swimming safely in the mere, and the other nest, beneath which
a dead chick had been found, still held one unhatched egg.

ih eee 2 ‘f
VA

Site of nest of Black-headed Gull at Oakmere, Cheshire, June 27th, 1934.
Che nest is in the higher of the two horizontal boughs.

The Practical Handbook states that the Black-headed Gull
“exceptionally has nested . .. on low trees,” and it is
evident that a nest built in the top of a tree is most unusual.
It is interesting to note that the nearly allied American
species, Bonaparte’s Gull (Larus philadelphia) habitually
nests on tree and bushes (Dresser: Manual of Palearctic
Birds) and on the side-branches of spruce firs (Practical

Handbook). A. W. Boyp.

SCANDINAVIAN LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL IN
SOMERSET AND GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

IN view of the fact that little is known of the status of the
Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus f. fuscus)
in the West of England, it will be of interest to record that we
had one under observation for over an hour at Sea Mills,
Bristol, on July 21st, 1934.

Several adults of the British race (Larus f. graellsti) were
flying round close to us, and we had just remarked how easy
it was to distinguish them from Great Black-backed Gulls
by the very noticeable difference between the black on the
primary tips and the comparatively pale slate of the mantle,
both of which appear uniformly black in the Great Black-
backed. Shortly afterwards a gull with a very dark mantle

118 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

flew towards us, which, in spite of its rather small size, we
took to be a bird of the latter species. When it turned, how-
ever, it clearly showed its bright yellow legs—it was only
fifteen yards away at the time and the light was exceptionally
good. Several times it flew past close to us, but even through
binoculars the mantle and wing tips looked uniformly black ;
there was no question of a tricky light, for adult British Lesser
Black-backed Gulls were flying past in the same place and in
them the difference was strikingly obvious. That we were
watching an adult of the Scandinavian race there was no
possible doubt. The colour of the mantle of the British birds
is well known to vary, but in all of them the mantle is easily
seen to be paler than the wing tips, when anything like a good
view is obtained.

It frequently settled both on the Somerset and Gloucester-
shire banks of the Avon, and, as far as we can find out, this
subspecies has not previously been definitely recorded from
either county. K. B. Rooke.

K. D. Smit.

POMATORHINE SKUA IN FLIGHT.—The accompanying photo-
graph of a Pomatorhine Skua (Stercorarius pomarinus) as

viewed from below has been sent to us by Lt.-Com. R. R.
Graham, R.N. He took the photograph in November, 1933,

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 119

off the coast of Portugal, and as it gives a good idea of the
appearance of the bird when flying overhead it 1s reproduced
here by his kind permission.

Great Tit Burtpinc UnpERGROUND.—Mrs. D. E. Bucksey
of Hambledon, Hampshire, writes that a Great Tit (Parus m.
newtoni) built a nest and safely reared young in the tube of a
turncock, which is some ten inches underground. Although
the opening was covered with an inverted flower pot, extra
protection had to be provided in case of heavy rain to prevent
the nest from being flooded.

BLACK-TAILED Gopwir IN S. Devon.—Mr. K. D. Smith
informs us that he watched a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa
limosa) at Slapton Ley on August 8th, 1934. It was a bird
of the year and exceedingly tame.

LETTERS.

DIFFERENCES IN THE BREEDING-HABITS OF SUSSEX
AND CORNISH CORN-BUNTINGS.

To the Editors cf British Birnps.

Srrs,—With reference to the extremely interesting article by Lieut.-
Col. and Mrs. B. H. Ryves on the breeding-habits of the Corn-Bunting
as observed in north Cornwall (Vol. XXNVIII., pp. 2-26) and Mr. John
Walpole-Bond’s detailed study of the Sussex Corn-Buntings (Vol.
XXV., pp. 292-300), it may be of interest to record that from 17th to
2oth of June, 1934, on Salisbury Plain, about mid-way between the
two districts referred to above, I saw a considerable number of Corn-
Buntings feeding young ones out of the nest. I caught several of
them and found that they could fly quite well for short distances. The
areas where I observed these young birds were cultivated, so that the
nests must have been in the growing crops.

The first eggs in these cases must have been laid about the middle
and certainly not later than the end of May. It would therefore appear
probable that Wiltshire Corn-Buntings conform more closely to the
Sussex birds both in regard to the commencement of nidification and
the choice of nesting-sites for their first clutches than they do to Cornish
birds. It would be interesting to ascertain how much further west
the differences in habits became more pronounced.

But perhaps it would be misleading to attempt to draw conclusions
from a few days’ experience in any particular locality. D. H. MEAREs.

BLACKCAP IN ATLANTIC IN JUNE.
To the Editors of BritisH Brrps.

Strs,—On the way to attend the International Ornithological
Congress I observed a male Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) far away from
land. It was on June 30th, 1934, at 8 p.m., at the geographical
position 49° 24’ N and 13° 8’ W. There was a slight north-westerly
breeze at the time. The bird was following the ship and apparently
trying to come on board ; it was, however, inadvertently chased away

120 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

by one of the passengers and flew away in a westerly direction. The
date, which is in the middle of the breeding-season of this species,
seems to be the most interesting detail of this observation.
AMERICAN MusEuM oF NATURAL HISTORY, Ernst MAyr.
New York.

July 28th, 1934.

[The position indicated by Dr. Mayr is over 300 miles west of Lands
End.—Eps. ]

MERLINS BREEDING ON DARTMOOR.
To the Editors of BRITISH BirRDs.

Sirs,—With reference to Mr. W. Walmesley White’s note
(antea, p. 87), I write to say that on May 16th, 1920, I flushed a female
Merlin which was sitting on four eggs near Cadover Bridge. In this
case the nest was on the ground among heather and other herbage. On
a subsequent visit I was able to identify the bird beyond question.

To my knowledge Merlins have bred in the same district on at least
one other occasion ; and a fairly long and intimate acquaintance with
southern Dartmoor induces me to believe that the species is less rare
there than is generally supposed. On at least a dozen occasions I have
seen Merlins in keepers’ galleries in woods bordering Dartmoor, and
last June I was sorry to see a pair nailed up in a plantation some three
miles west of Cadover. F. HowarpD LANCUM.

ESSEX HERONRIES.
To the Editors of BritisH Brrps.

Si1rs,—Mr. E. M. Nicholson’s letter in the August number (antea p. 88)
would have been passed by me without comment but for the fact that
he introduces quite unnecessarily my name and that of the late Dr. J. H.
Salter. As Mr. Nicholson’s letter might create a false impression I
feel it advisable that the matter should be reviewed. My reason for
quoting the views of Dr. Salter was the intimate knowledge he had of
the Old Hall Marshes, for if there had been a heronry in the reed-beds
near Tollesbury these particular marshes would have been the most
likely locality. It is true that I expressed dissatisfaction with the
evidence adduced by Mr. Nicholson, and he was apparently satisfied
with my claim for he placed this record in square brackets and he has
brought forward no information to justify their removal. I have
difficulty in understanding why this matter should be reopened.

In regard to the additional Essex matter which has come to light,
it should not be overlooked that this county has had an important
stimulus in the shape of an ornithology published in 1929, to say
nothing of many useful papers which have appeared in the pages of
The Essex Naturalist. WILLIAM E, GLEGG.

[Mr. Nicholson did not reopen the question of the reed-bed site,
which he still agrees cannot be taken as authentic without fresh histor-
ical evidence. Dr. Salter was. mentioned in connexion with the
recently-recorded Rolls Farm heronry to show how even a keen observer
can miss a heronry in his own neighbourhood. Essex is not by any
means the only county where this has happened.—Eps.]

ne aa ie

REPORT on the ‘“ BRITISH BIRDS”
CENSUS OF HERONRIES, 1928

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 5, VOL. XXVIII., OCTOBER I, 1934.

Se PAGE
A Census of Water-Birds on the Highgate and Kenwood Ponds.

By Julian S. Huxley and Alan T. Best.. —. ar aaa 122
An Attacking Tawny Owl. By W. A. Cadman as 130
Movements of Ringed Birds from Abroad to the British ales

and from the British Isles Abroad. Addenda III. By

H. F. Witherby and E. P. Leach “ wel ae ake 133
Notes :—

Snow-Buntings from Inland in Kent (Dr. J. M. Harrison) ... 142

Spotted Flycatchers Protecting Nestlings from Heat of Sun

(S. Lewis) wis Tr me ani 142
A Chiffchaff Triangle (H. G. Hurrell) e eae : 142
Whinchats Early Nesting and Building again while Feeding

Young (W. J. Eggeling) ne ‘ oot 144
Numbers and Destruction of — of Nigetnsales in

Suffolk (A. Mayall) oe «aa dus a ae ae 145

Swallow Clutches and Broods (Rev. H. J. Emmet) ... ae 146

Swallow Utilizing Robin’s Nest (N. F. Ticehurst) es a 146

Mortality amongst Nestling Lesser pakios: .

(S. Lewis) an 147

An Unrecorded Rough- legged Fiateeed: Sos Kent (Dr. }. M.

Harrison) nee ane 147

Sheld-Duck Nesting in diteave Stace ee Vv. J. "Bian ase 148

Buff-breasted Sandpiper in Sussex (Dr. J. = Harrison) one 148

Extension Southward of T cae s Stint’s Breeding-range in

Norway (Dr. H. L. Lévenskiold) us be 148
Spotted Redshanks and Temminck’s Stint in Llucothshice

(Dr. J. M. Harrison) ... ne ase 149

spot Redshank in Sussex in Spring (N. F. Techieess — 150

Large Clutches of Eggs in Terns (H. W. Robinson) ... <x E50
Short Notes :—

Notice to Ringers. Young Mute Swan Diving. Shag Inland

in Went’ .< oe oh aoe ee aS eee was 150

Letters :—

Birds Laying while still attending Brood from Previous

Clutch (D. W. Musselwhite) ... : 151
Black-headed Gulls coe in Thess | at Twigmoor cw. B.

Alexander) nee ‘ fe a 152
I >.

(122)

A CENSUS OF WATER-BIRDS ON THE
HIGHGATE AND KENWOOD PONDS.

BY
JULIAN S. HUXLEY anp ALAN DT. BEST.

THIS census was undertaken during the six months’ period
from New Year’s Day to the end of June, 1934. Observations
were made on the water-birds on the communicating chain of
ponds in Kenwood and Highgate, on the east side of Hampstead
Heath. There are in all nine bodies of water, three in Ken-
wood and six on the Heath, which we shall refer to as K1-3
and Hr1-6 respectively. Kz is a very small pool overhung by
shrubbery ; K2 is a good-sized pond with a large growth of
yellow and white water-lilies, open to the north and bordered
by the wood of Kenwood to the south. K3 is similar in
situation but has less cover and fewer rushes along its banks.
Hz is a smaller pond, with dense rush cover at its upper end,
a path along its lowerend. 4H2 is larger; it again has a mass
of rushes at its upper end and above these is a stretch of moist
grass with a stream running through it, much frequented by
feeding Moorhens. At its lower end is the women’s bathing-
place. H3 is of about the same size, with rushes almost all
round its banks; a rushy embayment leads from its south-
west corner up to a stretch of moist grass with a stream.
Observation is difficult on this pond. H4 is larger, is the
model yachtsmen’s pond, and has no cover of any description
on its banks, which are everywhere accessible to the public.
H5 is of about the same size, and contains the men’s bathing-
place. It has a path along either end, but shrubbery along
the east bank and a growth of rush, iris, etc., along the west
bank. H6 is again one of the larger ponds. It has no rushy
cover, but the west and south and part of the east banks are
overhung with trees, and the public does not have access here.
On the east are two small bays with trees.

The species noted were eight in number, as follows : Mute
Swan (Cygnus olor) ; Mallard (Anas p. platyrhyncha) ; Pochard
(Nyroca f. ferina) ; Tufted Duck (N. fuligula) ; Coot (Fulica
a. atva) ; Moorhen (Gallinula ch. chloropus) ; Black-headed
Gull (Larus vr. ridibundus) ; Common Gull (L. c. canus) ; Dab-
chick (Podiceps r. ruftcollis). Visits were most frequently
made between 8 and 9.15 a.m, but also at various other times ;
whenever possible all ponds were visited on any one occasion.
The number of visits was 33, including 25 occasions on which
all the ponds were visited. By months, the visits were as
follows (number of visits comprising all ponds in brackets
after the totals) :—

January 9 (5) April 2 (2)
Bebruary ~.. 7 (6) May 4 (4)
March 8 (7) June 4 (2)

VOL. XXvl.] CENSUS OF WATER-BIRDS. 123

On two occasions, one in January and one in February, the
ponds on the west side of the Heath were also visited. Un-
avoidable absences from London reduced the number of
visits after the end of March. Whenever possible both ob-
servers were present, armed with binoculars.

The number given for Swans is complete, and for the
various Duck species approximately so, at any rate until
April, when the herbage began to provide more cover where
birds could remain unnoticed. Those for Coots are also
probably almost complete, but those for Moorhens are inevit-
ably below the actual, since it is very easy to overlook in-
dividuals of this species among the rushes, or when they stray
into the shrubbery to feed: nevertheless the figures show
perfectly definite trends for this species too. No attempt
was made to assess the precise numbers of the Gulls.

The chief facts revealed have been the surprising amount
of movement shown by all the species observed; the con-
tinued decrease of some species, such as Moorhens, during the
period of observation; the small number of young produced
by most species ; and the changes noted in the sex-ratio of the
Ducks.

It will be best to take the species in order.

1. GuLtts.—Very few words will be needed here The
figures given are in this case only approximate, as only
estimates were made, not accurate counts.

Up to February 7th Gulls were abundant, totalling roughly
from 75 or 80 up to 350 or so. In this period they averaged
200-250, except for the period January roth to 14th inclusive,
when they showed a sharp temporary decrease to below r00.
From February 11th on they began to decrease, averaging
below 150 in the latter part of February, and never reaching
roo after March rst. Between March 15th and 2tst the final
main exodus occurred, leaving only stragglers. The last
Gull, a single bird, was noted on April 8th.

The Gulls almost all belonged to the Black-headed species
(L. ridibundus). The first note of birds with dark heads
occurs on February 27th, but we may not have recorded this
precisely. By March 1st many were in breeding plumage.

No Gulls were ever noted on the Kenwood ponds (Kr-3),
and they were always few on Hr and Hz. The most
favoured pond was H6. H4 was also constantly favoured,
but with fewer numbers. H5 sometimes had many birds,
sometimes few or none, and the same was true of H3, where,
too, on the whole the numbers were lower. There was great
mobility, numbers often leaving and arriving in the space of
a few hours.

Common Gulls (L. canus) were also present, both in adult
and immature plumage. They were noted sporadically: on

124 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

some days none were present, on others up to 10 or 12. The
last was seen on March 15th.

2. Swans (C. olor).—The total of Swans was at its highest in
January, reaching 19: considerable mobility was in evidence
between the various ponds. On one occasion (January 14th)
9 others were noted on the five Hampstead ponds, making 28
Swans present on the Heath south of the Spaniards road.
Only 3 were present on these five ponds on February 6th.
In the last week of January the number on the Highgate side
fell to the lower level of 12, which it kept with slight fluctu-
ations and with some mobility between different ponds until
the beginning of the fourth week in February. After a brief
fall to 9, the total remained constant at 11 until the end of
March, with much diminished mobility. From then on to
the end of June it has oscillated between rr and 13, with
considerable mobility.

A curious feature was the small amount of territorial
hostility on some of the ponds. Another was the fact that on
certain ponds only a single bird took up its quarters, in spite
of others harbouring more than a pair.

As regards the first point, I may cite H6. Here in early
January there were 8 birds, including one in immature
plumage. After the middle of the month the number
dropped to 7, with one day when only 6 were present. The
immature bird was still present, and continued to be so later
in February when the numbers dropped to 4 (and to 2 on one
occasion), and again in March, when they rose to 6. By
early April the number was again 4, at which it remained until
the end of June save for one occasion when it was 6. The
immature bird was present until mid-May, but after this all
birds noted were adults. Very little fighting or hostility was
seen except on the part of one pair during March, and the
result of it was merely to reduce the numbers from 6 to 4.
No nest was even attempted on this pond.

As regards the second: point, Hr is relevant. Here again
a pair of birds was present until January r9th; then none
(I on two occasions) until March 1st ; then until the end of
June a single bird (which was absent on one day in April).

The birds that tried to nest were a pair on H5. They
started to build a nest during March, and a bird was seen
sitting on it during May ; but either no eggs were laid or they
were stolen. On this pond a mated pair, presumably the
same throughout, was seen on every visit during the whole
period, except for one occasion in early February, when only
one bird was present, and one in late February, when an extra
bird, apparently from H6, was present.

A pair had successfully reared a brood on H3 in 1933, but
this year Swans were absent from this pond on all visits

VoL. XxvilI.] CENSUS OF WATER-BIRDS. 125

except four—one bird once in late February and a pair once in
March and twice in May. On K2 a pair early took up their
abode, and both showed intense territorial behaviour towards
other species of birds and towards human beings. However
they appear not even to have built, and changed their quarters
to K3. Towards the end of June they were again on K2, but
evinced no aggressiveness.

3. Ducxs.—Here the Mallard (A. platyrhyncha) is by far
the most abundant species (59 to 221 individuals) with Tufted
Duck (N. fuligula) next (o to 50) and Pochard (N. ferina) last
(o to 14). No other species were noted. The curves for all
species are irregular. The maximum for Mallard was in mid-
January, that for Tufted in late March. Pochard disappeared
entirely by the end of March, Tufted before mid-May (apart
from stragglers later). No Tufted bred on the ponds this
year, though, as usual, a number of Mallard reared young.
A spell of severe weather in late January caused a simul-
taneous increase in all three species. After that, from
February 1st to April Ist, there was a marked inverse cor-
relation between the number of Mallard and of Tufted (the
number of Pochard roughly following those of Tufted). After
this the numbers of both species fell simultaneously and
markedly.

The fall marked the end. of the presence of the Tufted for
the season (except for a few stragglers later), but was followed
by a rise for the Mallards.

Throughout the period the sexes were counted separately
for Tufted Duck and Pochard, and from the beginning of
March for Mallard. With Tufted Duck and Pochard there
was an interesting positive correlation between total number
observed and high male sex-ratio up to the end of February.
After this period, however, the correlation disappeared. This
is shown in the following Table.

Number of Jan. 1-Feb. 28th Mar. tst-end of June
birds observed

on the g ponds 33d per So per
at one visit A Obes 100 birds oS 100 birds

0-10 6 33.3 18 55:5
II-20 68 42.6 19 52.6
21-30 88 56.8 131 54.2
31 and over 180 57.8 138 49.3

The same correlation appeared to exist in the Pochard,
though here the numbers were too few to be sure. The
figures to the end of February were as follows :—

Less than Io birds seen ata visit, total, 39 ; percentage 3,
27.7. More than Io seen ata visit, total, 25 ; percentage $j,
68.0. Hardly any Pochard were seen after this.

126 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Unfortunately, as mentioned, the sexes of Mallard were not
noted separately during the period up to February 28th.
After this date the most noticeable feature was a rise in the
male sex-ratio irrespective of numbers. This rise was slow, from
March 3rd to April 8th (from an average of about 50 to one
of about 53 per cent., ranging between 49 and 56 percent. on
separate days), then (after a period when no observations
were made) a rise to about 70 per cent. during the first half
of May (ranging from 64-75 per cent.), then a fall to about
60 per cent.

During this period from March rst to early April there
was no change in the sex-ratio with change in the number of
birds present. This varied from 104 to 155 per visit, and the
male percentage was identical at 51.9 for the group 100 to 130
per visit and that of 130-160 per visit. In May, as already
recorded, the male sex-ratio had markedly increased ; and
this change was correlated with a sharp drop in numbers,
these ranging from 58 to 86 per visit during the month. In
spite of the high male sex-ratio, the total number of males
present at one time was reduced in May (average 47 per visit,
as against 70 for March and 59 (2 visits) for April).

By mid-June a number of males were moulting into eclipse
plumage, and towards the end of the month it was often im-
possible to be sure of the sexes.

These facts would appear to indicate (a) a considerable
mobility of both sexes of Mallards in this region from March
onwards, (b) a progressive departure of birds, of both sexes
but first and predominantly females, which began early in
March but only became marked by the middle of April.
Presumably the birds were scattering to more suitable breed-
ing grounds, and those that remained included a large pro-
portion of non-breeding males. The state of affairs thus
reached continued unchanged during May.

Comparatively few families seem to have been raised, and
the mortality among these was usually severe. The maximum
number of families seen on one visit was 12 (June 23rd), and
the numbers of families with different number of young were
as follows :—

Numbers of young per family

2 Sard ou
Numbers of families ase Sede ee Bo ad gee ab

4. Coots (Ff. atva).—This species shows the phenomenon of
rapid rise from hardly any birds to a higher level, followed by
a fall to an intermediate in the actual breeding-season. The
numbers rose almost without a break from 1 in early January
to 12 inmid-February. Then, until March 2tst, they showed
a slight and oscillating decline to 8 or 9, followed by a sudden

decline to 5 or 6, at which level the population remained until

VoL. xxvil.] CENSUS OF WATER-BIRDS. 127

mid-May. By the end of the month the numbers had fallen
once more to 3 (excluding the one brood of young birds), and
finally only to this one family, of 2 adults and 5 young.

The first signs of hostility between birds was noted on
January 23rd on H3. By February 3rd this same pond har-
boured a flock of 6, which fed and swam amicably together.
This state of affairs continued for over a month, the numbers
going up to 7 and 8 by the arrival of single birds during the
fourth week in February. In the first week of March a pair
had separated from the flock, and on March r1th one of the
pair was constructing a nest. The flock, now reduced to 4,
left between March 21st and 27th, leaving the pair. Young
were first seen on May 11th. The family remained on H3
until June 23rd, but by June 29th had moved to H4 in spite
of its bare banks.

The state of affairs on H3 was peculiar. A single bird had
appeared here early in January. By January 23rd it was
joined by a second, and the pair remained here until March 3rd,
with the curious exception of February 21st, when no Coots
were present on any of the Kenwood ponds. We were sure
that this pair was intending to nest here, when on March 11th
we found that they were no longer present. They did not
appear again; a single bird on May 3rdand two on May 6th,
like a single bird on Kz on April 5th, being undoubtedly
other birds on the move. It is possible that K3 was aban-
doned at the approach of the nesting-season on account of
its lack of suitable nesting-sites ; but if so it is hard to see
why the pair did not simply move over to Kz, which was
unoccupied by others of the species and apparently very
favourable for nesting.

H2 harboured a pair on most visits from February 21st to
May 3rd, often with one or two odd birds in addition. The
hen was observed incubating on May 3rd, but after this the
birds disappeared (a single bird noted on May 3oth being
presumably a straggler).

The late staking-out of territory and small amount of
breeding in this area is peculiar.

5. MoorueEns (G. chloropus).—A surprisingly large popu-
lation of Moorhens is carried by these ponds in winter, the
maximum observed being over 80, an average of over g per
pond. As one pond (H4) is unsuitable for Moorhens with
its bare banks, and was never seen to harbour more than two
Moorhens (once, and one bird twice), and another (Kz) is
extremely small and usually held only one pair (3 birds twice),
the number for the more favourable ponds is nearly 12 per
pond. It is, furthermore, certain that a few birds were
overlooked, so that we may reasonably put the maximum
present at about go, or about 13 per favourable pond. For

128 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

the whole of January, and the first week of February (ex-
cluding one day unfavourable for observation), the total seen
ranged between 71 and 82, averaging over 76.

For the next period, up to March 11th, the numbers were
almost as high—64 to 79, with average of just under 72
(again excluding one day with bad visibility). Thencamea
distinct drop for the period to the end of the first week in
April, the total keeping close at or under 70 with average 66
(excluding two days when owing to wind or other reasons
many of the birds were apparently skulking in shelter). When
observations were resumed in early May the numbers had
fallen to between 40 and 45 (average 42.5) and a further drop
was noted in late May and June to 25-35 (average just under
30). Young birds of the year are not included in these figures.

§0 MOORHENS

—*

MR
7 XN

SWANS and COOTS
S

12 22 u a 7] 21 Mu

' 1 10
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE
Fic. 1.—Population of Moorhens (scale on left) and of Swans
and Coots (scale on right) on the Highgate and Kenwood ponds in
1934. The4 points joined to the main Moorhen graph by dotted
lines represent observations taken in unfavourable conditions,
and therefore likely to be well below the actual number present.

MALLARDS SEX RATIO te

*
ie oe
2L0 x
x
200 “I 50

MALLARD

DIVING DUCKS
5

" al " a 3) 10 20 © «630

‘ '

JAD MAR APR MAY JUNE
Fic. 2.—Population of Mallard (scale,on left) and of Tufted Duck
and Pochard (scale on right) on the Highgate and Kenwood
ponds in 1934. Inset, the percentage of male birds in the Mallard
population during the period March to June inclusive: x ,single
observations ; © means.

voL. xxvul.] CENSUS OF WATER-BIRDS. 129

On one occasion (February 6th) the five ponds on the Hamp-
stead (south and west) side of the Heath were visited and
23 Moorhens seen, making 97 birds for the Heath south of
the Spaniards road.

Among the Moorhens again, although fights were not
infrequent, hostility and territorial behaviour in general
seemed to be both later in onset and less in amount than in
more normal environments.

The amount of nesting was also small. One nest on H6
was robbed. The total number of hatched broods noted was
5, one on each of the five highest ponds (K1-3, H1-2). The
number of surviving young per brood at the end of June was
three in 1 brood, two in 3 broods, one in 1 brood. ;

A marked peculiarity of this species appears to be its very
large variation in size, some adults appearing roughly about
twice the weight of others. Kz was tenanted by a “‘ dwarf ”’
pair, both members of which were far below normal bulk.

The most peculiar fact in regard to this species appears to us
to be the progressive reduction in numbers in a series of steps,
the drops occurring about February 7th, March r2th-14th, mid-
April, and mid-May. The most marked drop was during April.

DaBcuick (P. ruficollis)—One was seen on March 31st on
H3. No Herons (Ardea c. cinerea) or Kingfishers (Alcedo a.
ispida) were noted during these visits, although Herons have
been seen in other years, and Kingfishers reported by ob-
servers of our acquaintance.

We may conclude with some brief notes on interesting
species other than water-birds noted by us on our visits.
Carrion-Crows (Corvus c. corone) were’common during most of
the period. Magpies (Pica p. pica), Greater Spotted Wood-
peckers (Dryobates major anglicus) and Stock-Doves (Columba
enas) noted in Kenwood. Redwings (Turdus musicus) were
noted, sometimes warbling, until March 21st. A Lesser
Whitethroat (Sylvia c. curruca) was heard singing in Kenwood
on June 23rd, and another during late June and early July.
‘Green Woodpeckers (Picus viridis) were occasionally noted
‘near H5. A family of Long-tailed Tits (githalus c. roseus)
‘was seen on February 11th, a Coal-Tit was seen in

- Kenwood on April 4th, on May 3rd a Garden-Warbler (Sylvia
(borin) in song and a pair of Whinchats (Saxicola r. rubetra)
‘were seen by Hi and a Sedge-Warbler (Acrocephalus scheno-
\benus) was seen and heard singing by Hz.

In conclusion we would say that, while we realize that
tthese data are very incomplete, and that it is difficult to draw
rmany conclusions from them, they show that an organized
‘investigation by a number of observers of the water-bird
— of Central London could not fail to yield interesting
rresults.

(130)
AN ATTACKING TAWNY OWL.

BY
Ww. A. CADMAN.

SomE few years ago I decided to enlarge upon the ordinary
types of nesting-boxes, with which the garden was already
overstocked, and to branch out on a new line. Accordingly
I constructed three very large and spacious boxes, which I
deemed would be quite irresistible to the pair of Tawny Owls
(Strix a. sylvatica) which, almost nightly, hooted down my
chimney ; I also made a smaller box intended for the use of
Jackdaws. These with great labour I fixed in various trees
about the garden.

The result of all this was that the Starling population of
the garden increased by four pairs. However, in 1933, when
on my round of ringing young Starlings, I found that a Tawny
Owl had actually laid in one of the boxes—the smallest one
intended for Jackdaws—but that one of the eggs was cracked
and the bird had deserted. I removed the eggs and placed
some peat moss in the bottom of the box.

This year I started my first tour of inspection in April.
Much to my surprise not one of the usual Starling boxes was
in use; most had new nests in them, but these were all
deserted and one had freshly-broken eggs within. As I
climbed up to the Jackdaw box a fine Tawny Owl flew out,
and I was pleased to find that she had laid two eggs.

I was not at home again till May 14th, when I climbed up and
and ringed the two Owlets, which were about half grown and
getting their feathers nicely. There was no food in the nest.
The next day the old bird flew off the nest as I climbed up
and I found the remains of an almost fully-fledged young
Rook in the box. This was rather a surprise to me, for only
the previous day a friend had accused me of harbouring an
Owl which had been ‘“‘ throwing young Rooks out of their
nests’ in his rookery near by; of course I had indignantly
upheld the honour and integrity of my Owl.

I had a further surprise the next day. I had climbed
about halfway up the tree when I suddenly received a thump
on my right shoulder ; as I turned round I saw the old Owl
gliding softly away ; the force of the blow can be judged by
the fact that her claws left a clear imprint on my shoulder
and that in spite of a thick jacket and pullover. That
evening I climbed up again, this time in an old mackintosh ;
she came for me four times, one of which was a false stoop

voL. xxvil.] AN ATTACKING TAWNY OWL. 131

missing me. The impact of each of the other blows was
plainly audible from the ground below where a friend was
watching. ;

Well, I refused to be bullied by a creature towards which
I had shown the utmost hospitality (I was even feeding the
young Owlets in order that I could keep arecord of what she
was bringing to the nest; but after the first day or so she
removed any surplus food as well as much of what I brought),
so I decided she must be caught, severely reprimanded and
ringed. Accordingly, on the following day, I wound an old
length of tennis netting round my shoulders and climbed up,
fondly hoping that her claws would become entangled in the
net. Sure enough she came almost at once and planted her
feet well and truly on the one part of my back which was not
covered by the net.

During the next two days she attacked four times and
three times respectively, hitting me on the back of the hand,
coat collar, shoulders and back; at the end of this time I
had to admit defeat, at least so far as the tennis net was
concerned.

On May 2oth I constructed a kind of glorified butterfly
net out of three short bamboos and some netting. Armed
with this I once more ascended the tree; the Owl came
almost at once, and before I could even raise the net she had
struck me a glancing blow which turned my jacket right
back over my shoulder. She struck me in all five times, and
each time she managed to choose the exact moment when I
was unable to use the net. Her most effective coup was one
to the seat of my trousers !

By this time the whole affair had become quite a personal
matter between us ; I almost believe she was enjoying it all
as much as I was. Anyway, as I was going away the next
day, I decided to have one last attempt that evening. I
managed to get myself firmly seated on a branch about
halfway up the tree before she arrived ; thus I was completely
ready when she came and with a cunning sweep of the net I
caught her. She was quite submissive and readily allowed
herself to be extricated and ringed ; I then gave her a good
talking to and released her; she shook her ruffled dignity
and glided off to the Scots pine where normally she spent the
day.

The following day, however, I could not resist paying one
last visit to the nest, chiefly to find out what effect yesterday
had had on her morale. As I climbed up to the nest I could

132 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

see her on her usual bough; presently she came as before,
but at the last minute her courage failed her and she swerved
off. I climbed on up to the nest-box (by this time the Owlets
had come to regard me as a supernumerary parent and readily
accepted Sparrows, small rats, etc., out of my fingers); while
I was there the old bird came again. Usually she came on
the same level as that at which I was ; on this last and final
occasion, however, she came on a level a good three feet
above my head and, half closing her wings, dropped feet
foremost through a gap in the foliage, hitting my shoulder
with a terrific impact. It was the best attack she had accom-
plished. As I climbed down I had to admit that after all
she had undoubtedly carried away the honours.

As far as I could make out the main items of food supplied
to the young were nearly fledged young Rooks, Blackbirds,
Starlings and Thrushes ; on one occasion I found the fresh
leg and thigh of a young Little Owl, and a neighbour accused
this bird of taking half-grown chickens; although I found
no evidence to support this, an Owl had been seen to carry
off a chicken in daylight near by, and an Owl which attacks
human beings might be capable of anything. Most of the
young Rooks brought to the nest were nearly fully grown.

(133)

MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS FROM ABROAD
TO THE BRITISH ISLES AND FROM THE
BRITISH ISLES ABROAD.

ADDENDA III.

BY
H. F. WITHERBY anp E. P. LEACH.
(Concluded from page 112.)

COMMON HERON (Ardea c. cinerea).

The list of Herons ringed abroad and visiting us contains
further records of birds migrating to this country from an
area to which some of our birds migrate.

The bird from central Spain is the furthest south reached
by a Heron ringed in this country. The recent records of

—————

SS SS Es ————
SS ——
——— —————
neg, pH)
eT ios =
A RR
— i,

os ———— ae ‘.. y

fica

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|
,

|

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H

——————
——————
aN
—————————
——————————
——————
——————
—————
——
———
————

———————
—————
ss
_——
_——
SS SS

COMMO
(Ardea C.c/inere2)
+ Recovered here. Ringed in Southern fngland as nes tings
¥ fiinged here as nestlings. Recovered jin Great Britain

134 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

birds ringed in Kent and Sussex migrating to northern
France are of considerable interest. The two from Sussex
are from the same heronry (Aldershaw) as the only emigrants
abroad in our previous list (Vol. XXV., p. 175). Those from
Kent were ringed at High Halstow. It is remarkable that
one of these and two from Aldershaw were shot at the same
time at a carp pond.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Bucks. 29.4.28 Ciudad Real, Spain 16.11.33
Kent 19.5.34 Namur, Belgium 12-7284)
Ditto 19.5.34 Nord, France 17.6.34
Sussex 5.5.34 Ditto 17.6.34
Ditto 6.5.34 Ditto 17.06.34
RINGED ABROAD AS NESTLINGS,
Ringed. Recovered.
Stav. 255 Ryfylke, Norway 25.5.33 Cork 9.2.34
B. K858 W. Flanders, Belgium —.6.32 Hampshire 6.9.32
Ve O596 Pas-de-Calais, France 3.5.31 Bucks. —.3.32
WA O891 Ditto 10.5.32 Glamorgan. 24.2.33

GREY LAG-GOOSE (Anser anser).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ringed. Recovered.
Rk. 2.84 Odadahraun, Iceland 25.7.33 Wexford Bieb2es8)
MALLARD (Anas p. platyrhyncha).

There are now 45 records of Mallards ringed here in winter,
but all in two localities only, and recovered abroad.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULTS IN WINTER.

Ringed. Recovered.
Norfolk 8.3.30 Aboland, Finland 19.4.33
Wigtown 7.3.33 Baltic Coast, Poland 13.10.33
Ditto 14.3.32 Swedish Lapland Autumn, 1932
Ditto 6.3.33 Elfsborg, Sweden 3.8.33
Norfolk 26.2.33 Ostergotland, Sweden T0188
Ditto 27.233 DATO —.10.33
Ditto 8.3.30 Jylland, Denmark T8228
Ditto 21.2.33 Pas-de-Calais, France 3.12.33
Ditto 25.2.33 Ditto 20.11.33

RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ld. Dio110o L. Ilmen, Novgorod,
Russia 15.7.32 Cheshire —.12.33
St. B1237 Varmland, Sweden 17.7.30 Perthshire 19.10.33

GADWALL (Anas strepera).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ringed. Recovered.
Sk. V4780 Husavik, Iceland 4.8.29 Galway 14.1.34

VOL. Xxvill.}] MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 185

TEAL (Anas c. crecca).

The bird ringed in Cumberland and reported from N. Spain
cannot be taken as a British Teal migrating south. There is,
of course, no evidence as to where it was bred, but it might
well have been on its way to a northern breeding ground
when caught in Cumberland. It is, however, the first case of
a duck ringed here and found to the south of the British
Islands.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULTS IN WINTER.

Ringed. Recovered.

Cumberland —.1.31 Norrbotten, Sweden —.9-33
Ditto 20.2.32 Santander, Spain 23.12.33
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

Ringed. Recovered.
Sk. V4797 Husavik, Iceland 22.6.30 Yorks. 26.12.33
Rk. 5.61 Skagerfjérdur, Iceland 6.8.33 Wexford 15.11.33
Rk. 5.36 Myvatn, Iceland 16.7.33 Down 15.11.33
Rk. 5.42 Ditto 10.7.33 Wexford —.11.33
RINGED ABROAD AS ADULT, PROBABLY AT BREEDING-PLACE.
Ringed. Recovered.
Rk. 106 Vidiker, Iceland 24.7.32 Wexford 7k

(Caught in moult.)
M. E15769 Lake Ladoga, Russia 22.4.30 Tipperary 15.11.33

(Netted.)
RINGED ABROAD FROM DECOYS.
Ringed. Recovered.
Sk. M.1329 Fané, Denmark 12.10.31 Dumfries. 22.01.85
Sk. M.1150 Ditto 24.9.31 Lancashire 2.1.34
Sk. M.1429 Ditto 20.10.31 Shropshire 16.12.33
Sk. M.2276 Ditto 22.9.31 Staffs. 24.1.33
Sk. M.1492 Ditto 24.10.31 Lincolnshire 26.12.32
Sk. M.1217 Ditto 1.10.3t Norfolk —.9.33
Sk. M.1813 Ditto 2.10.31 Suffolk 18.2.33
Sk. M.1257 Ditto 6.10.31 Wicklow 20.2.34

L. 104030 Naardermeer, Holland 14.10.31 I. of Wight 13.1.34

WIGEON (Anas penelope).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

Ringed. Recovered.
Ra. 3767 Livonia, Latvia 2.8.29 Caithness 122.35
Sk. V3565 Laxa, Iceland 14.7.27 Cheshire 13.12.33

PINTAIL (Anas a. acuta).
This is the first Pintail ringed here and found abroad.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULT.
Ringed. Recovered.
Cumberland 1.3.33 Schleswig-Holstein, Germany —.9.33

136 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII

TUFTED DUCK (Nyroca fuligula).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG OR IN BREEDING-SEASON.

Ringed. Recovered.

Rk. 4.44 Myvatn, Iceland 19.6.33 Westmeath 26.11.33
(breeding adult).
Sk. V6539 Jylland, Denmark 5-7.33 Ditto —.12.33
SCAUP-DUCK (Nyroca m. marila).

Ringed. Recovered.
Sk. V6996 Myvatn, Iceland 5-7-33 , Kirkcudbright 3.3.34
Sk. V6169 Ditto (breeding adult) 29.7.31 Antrim 9.10.33
Rk. 3.171 Ditto (breeding adult) 19.6.33 Mayo 29.12.33

CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax c. carbo).

Out of some 190 recoveries of Cormorants 41 have been
reported from abroad, whereas only two Shags out of 135 have
been found abroad and these travelled only a short distance.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Pembroke. 29.6.33 Finistére, France 5.LE33
Ditto 29.6.33 Vendée, France 30.10.33
Ditto 29.6.33 Lot-et-Garonne, France ate sal

GANNET (Sula bassana).
The bird from Cape Ghir in S.W. Morocco is the furthest
south a ringed Gannet has so far been reported.
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Grassholm 26.6.33 Vendée, France —.8.33
[Pembroke.]
Ditto 26.6.33 Cape Ghir, Morocco 2S
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULTS.
Grassholm 2.7.33 Atlantic, off S. Ireland 4.4.34
Ditto 21.7.33 English Channel 17.3.34

MANX SHEARWATER (Puffinus p. puffinus).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULT.
Pembroke. 1.4.33 Loire Inf., France 28.8.33
WOOD-PIGEON (Columba p. palumbus).
This is the first ringed British-bred Wood-Pigeon to be
reported from abroad.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING.
Ringed. Recovered.
Berks. 7.6.31 Sarthe, France 15.11.32

STOCK-DOVE (Columba e@nas).
This is the first ringed British-bred Stock-Dove which has
been reported from abroad.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING,
Ringed. Recovered.
Worcester. 27.60.33 Landes, France 7WLLess

VoL. xxvil.}] MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 137

STONE-CURLEW (Burhinus @. edicnemus).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING.
Ringed. Recovered.
Oxford 17.5.33 Landes, France 16.10.33
LAPWING (Vanellus vanellus).
Ninety-six Lapwings ringed in this country have now been
recorded abroad. It will be noticed in the following list

LAPWING
(Vanellus vanellus)
+ Recovered here Ringed in Great Britain as nestlings. ® O Ringed
ere as nestlings or breeding Pecovered in British ldies
In this connexion Mrs. Rait Kerr wrote us from Gibraltar
that there were immense numbers of Lapwings in the neigh-
bourhood and that the birds were so tame that they could
be approached within a few yards. Sefior A. Gil Lletget
also informs us that at Rincon, near Candeleda, on the south
side of the Gredos mountains in central Spain, Lapwings were
very numerous in the winter of 1933-4, and that many died
and others could be caught in the hand owing to an unusually

K

138 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

severe frost. So it is evident that the birds did not altogether
escape the adverse weather by travelling south.

Mr. W. B. Alexander informed us that during the cold
spell he and Mr. H. J. R. Pease motored on December 11th,
1933, from Oxford via Northampton to Norfolk and returned
from there via Ely and Bedford on the 16th and failed to see
any Lapwings. About the same time his brother, Mr. H. G.
Alexander, saw none between Birmingham and Cambridge and
the next week he saw none between Cambridge and Reigate,
nor did Mr. W. B. Alexander see any between Oxford and
Reigate. On the 27th Mr. W. B. Alexander motored north
from Oxford and the first Lapwings seen were a few in Stafford-
shire, but on the following day very large flocks were en-
countered in southern Scotland, where there had not been
the hard weather experienced in England.

In the list of those ringed abroad and recovered here the last
entry of a bird from Hungary must be accounted as
abnormal.

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Kent 15.5.32 Somme, France 10.6.33
Angus 31.5.33 Finistére, France O,1i. 33
Yorkshire —.5.28 Ditto Dia2.33
Berkshire 23.5.31 Loire Inf, Hrance 25.2.34
Perthshire 26.5.33 Gironde, France 1.3.34
Cumberland —.6.32 Ditto —.3.33
Yorkshire —.6.31 Ditto 5.2.33
Cheshire Ai6.30 “Ditto Toate.aS
Norfolk 1.6.32 Ditto 2223-88
Somerset 2.6.29 Landes, France 8.3.34
Wiltshire 27.5.29 Basses Pyrénées, France UPA Pasha}
Kent 18.5.30 Ditto 15.12.33
Radnor 4.5.27 Vizcaya, Spain 70238
Cheshire 10.6.26 Santander, Spain 72a
Oxford Sone — IDitexo) QArl2.3 2
Fife 3.5.33 Asturias, Spain Té/02.33)
Lancashire . 3.7.33 Ditto —.12.33
Gloucester. 10.5.30 Lugo, Spain 22,028
Sussex 20.5.29 Madrid, Spain 12.2.34
Worcester. 30.4.33 Oporto, Portugal 15.12.33
Cumberland —.6.33 Alemtejo, Portugal 29.12.33
Worcester. 31.5.33 Badajoz, Spain —.12.33
Cumberland —.5.33 Seville, Spain 12.1.34
Ditto —.6.29 Huelva, Spain ZanI2. 88
Yorkshire —.5.33 Ditto 23 02.33
@heshire | 26.5.33 Ditto Teds Sa
Cumberland —.5.33 Cadiz, Spain 4.2.34
Westmorland —.5.33 Ditto —.2.34

Cumberland —.5.33 Malaga, Spain 7.1.34

VOL. Xxvill.] MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 139

LAPWING (continued).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG OR IN BREEDING-SEASON.

Ringed. Recovered.
R. E75052 Hamburg, Germany 5.6.32 Lincolnshire 15.11.33
St. Eg82 Varmland, Sweden 13.6.32 Oxford —.11.33
G. 17217C Gotland, Sweden 25.5-33 Yorks. —.8.33
St. A5255 Oland, Sweden 19.6.32 Dublin 22.1.34
St. D7242 Ditto 2.6.33 Westmeath 16.1.34
Sk. X1797 Sjelland, Denmark 28.5.33 Lincolnshire 15.11.33
Tarup VII. Fyen, Denmark 18.5.33 Westmeath 27.8.33
[Private]
L. 55405 Texel, Holland 7.6.27 Norfolk 4.1.32

BP. 75183 West Hungary Spring 1933 Lincolnshire 21.8.33

REDSHANK (Tringa t. totanus).

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.
Ringed. Recovered.

Northumberland 5.6.33 Charente Inf., France 15.10.33
Norfolk 16.5.33 Ditto 17.10.33

CURLEW (Numenius a. arquata).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

Ringed. Recovered.
G Dror81 Kono Sweden 14.7.32 Berwick 28.1.33
St. A5829 rebro, Sweden 6.7.33 Fife 2.9.33
st. B483r Ditto 20.6.33 Galway —.11.33
G. D1r3920 Oland, Sweden 24.6.31 Essex 30.1.33
St. A2930 Scania, Sweden —.6.30 Cornwall 17.8.33
FAZSROE SNIPE (Capella g. feroeensis).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ringed. Recovered.
Sk. T2581 Myvatn, Iceland 7.7.33 Donegal 20.10.33
WOODCOCK (Scolopax r. rusticola).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING.
Ringed. Recovered.
Perthshire 20.4.33 Cdtes-du-Nord, France 20.12.33
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ra. 45702 Kurland, Latvia 19.7.32 Derbyshire 16.12.33
RINGED ABROAD AS ADULT.
H. 547601 Heligoland 20.10.32 Hampshire 5.1.33

SANDWICH TERN (Sterna s. sandvicensis).
Attention may be drawn to some of the entries in this
list representing late dates for birds so far south.
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Norfolk 19.6.33 Somme, France 18.8.33
Ditto 7.7.30 Calvados, France —.4.34
Ditto 2.7.32 Barcelona, Spain 5-3-33

Ditto 27.6.31 Senegal, W. Africa 19.4.34

140 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XX VEIL,

SANDWICH TERN—(continued).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered,
Norfolk 22.6.32 Senegal, W. Africa 19.4.34
Aberdeenshire 20.6.32 Gold Coast, W. Africa NO.3:33
Fife. 1386232) Ditto 25.10.33
Norfolk 14.6.32 Ditto 252.33
Ditto 30.6.32 Ditto 21.4.34
Ditto 6.6.33 Ditto 9.5.34
Ditto 8.6.33 Portuguese W. Africa Winter 1933-34
Down 9.7.32 Ditto —.12.32

BLACK-HEADED GULL (Larus r. vidibundus).
The list of birds of this species ringed abroad and recovered
here now amounts to 230. No new districts are recorded

below.
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG,

Ringed. Recovered.
Hs. C9836 Helsingfors, Finland 8.6.30 Suffolk 8.4.32
Hs. C16197 nr. Helsingfors, Finland 4.6.33 Yorks. 26.2.34
R. E80260 Rigen, Pomerania 19.6.33 Surrey 7 T2EOS
G. 11131C Vastergotland, Sweden 9.6.29 Somerset 9.10.32
G. 12807C Halland, Sweden 5.7.29 Surrey PA MPSS
G. 28289C Oland, Sweden 27.06.33 Norfolk 20.9.33
G. 17408C Ditto 225032 Ssex UW aite 3333
G. 10686C Gotland, Sweden 30.6.28 Middlesex 29.1.33
G. 11741C Maklappen Is.,

S.W. Sweden 1.7.29 Norfolk 6.4.33
Ga20o77G. sito 5.7.33 Ditto 15.9.33
Ga 163626) Ditto 20.6.30 Essex —.1.33
G. 25025C Ditto 27.60.32 London 22.238
G. 24439C Ditto 20.6.32 Somerset. Z3u0.88
G. 12543C Ditto 5.7.29 Devon. 18.3.33
C. Z2741 Jylland, Denmark 12.6.33 Leicester. 6.2.34
C. Z3699 Ditto 1.6.33 Kent 2.6.34
R. E69657 Schleswig-Holstein An Sim COlkKkses —.10.33
R. E70054 Ditto 4.7.31 oulffoll: 30.1.34
Tye, 1aypeay. AD rye) Wings IO Sexe 5.Ln.33
H. 565448 Ditto 877,33) ) olntey; I9.4.34
H. 560073 Ditto 22.6.33 I. of Wight —.11.33
L. 79865 Texel, Holland 31.5.30 Gloucester. 15.3-34
H. 564414 Saxony, Germany 6.7.33 Dublin 2.10.33
L-P. 20508 North Bohemia 255.22 (aor Washt 20.12338

RINGED ABROAD AS ADULT.
AH. 549862 Mellum, North Sea T7993 Norhimb) 25:10:38

COMMON GULL (Larus c. canus).
Recoveries recorded in this country of Common Gulls
ringed abroad now number 133.
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

Dir 2864 “Oesel, Estonia 2316.27 ants. 3.4.34
ile 3152 Ditto 1.7.27 Kent Autumn, 1932
R. E75510 WHiddensee, Pomerania 10.6.32 Norfolk 7.2.34

VoL. xxvill.] MOVEMENTS OF RINGED BIRDS. 141

COMMON GULL—(continued).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG,

G. 17617D Halland, Sweden 14.6.33 Yorks. 23-4-34
G. 8018D Ditto 4.7.29 Lincolnshire 10.9.32
G. 9223D Ditto 29.6.31 Ditto —.10.32
G. 14309D Ditto 3.7.32 Ditto 8.2.33
St. A5297 Ditto 5.7.31 Ditto — .8.33
G. 3763D Ditto 21.6.32 Suffolk 3.9.32
G. 7299D Hallands Vaderé, Sweden 5.7.29 Kent 15.3-33
G. 13121D Tylon, Halland, Sweden 29.6.31 Cheshire —.1.33
G. 13273D Ditto 29.6.31 Lincolnshire 16.11.32
G. 15299D Ditto 25.6.32 Essex —.2.33
G. 3615D Oland, Sweden 4.7.27. Lancashire 29.3.33
G. 12257D Maklappen Is.,

S.W. Sweden 18.6.32 Kent 4.12.32
Sk. D12096 Jylland, Denmark 12.7.33 Hertford. 4.10.33
H. 560150 Schleswig-Holstein 22.6.33 London EF12-33
H. 562194 Ditto 1.7.33 Sussex 29.3.34

HERRING-GULL (Larus a. argentatus).
RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.

L. 137379 Texel, Holland 19.7.33 Norfolk I1.9.33
L. 100874 Ditto 5.7-32 Suffolk 22.10.32
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus f. grelisii).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLINGS,

Ringed, Recovered.
Lancashire 8.6.33 Finistére, France —.8.33
Ditto 21.6.33 Vendée, France 5.11.33
Ditto 18.6.3 Charente Inf., France 12.3,53
Ditto 14.6.33 Lisbon, Portugal 18.5.34

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus).

RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS YOUNG,

Ringed. Recovered.
Pembroke. 19.7.33 Asturias, Spain 25.11.33

RINGED ABROAD AS YOUNG.
Ringed. Recovered.
Hs. D6564 Nr. Petsamo, N. Finland 19.6.33 Glamorgan. 15.1.34

KITTIWAKE (Rissa t. tridactyla).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS NESTLING.
Ringed. Recovered.
Northumberland 27.60.32 Dogger Bank, North Sea 15.12.33
[Farne Is.]

RAZORBILL (Alca torda).
RINGED GREAT BRITAIN AS ADULT.
Ringed. Recovered.
Sutherland 29.6.32 Fyen, Denmark 1.1.34

MOOR-HEN (Gallinula ch. chloropus).
RINGED ABROAD AS ADULT.

Ringed. Recovered.
L. 809872 Noord Holland 18.5.32 Hampshire 26.12.33

SNOW-BUNTINGS FROM INLAND IN KENT.
As records of the Snow-Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) from
inland districts in the south are comparatively few, the follow-
ing would appear to be of interest despite the fact that one of
the occurrences has remained unrecorded for over sixty years.
This refers to an adult male which was shot by Mr. F. Wynne
in March, 1876, below Ide Hill Church, near Sundridge. It
was a single bird, and through the kindness of Mr. Wynne and
his son is now in my collection. Two more were seen by the
late Mr. Cross a few days before Christmas, 1928, at Wood-
lands, Kemsing. The identification in the case of these two
birds was made by Mr. Cross, who was thoroughly familiar
with the species in Norfolk, where he had lived for many
years. Being in doubt at first lest a confusion had arisen
between this bird and the Brambling, I showed him skins of
both species, when he at once picked out the Snow-Buntings
as being the birds he had seen. JAMES M. HARRISON.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS PROTECTING NESTLUINGS
FROM HEAT OF SUN.
In June, 1934, a pair of Spotted Flycatchers (Muscicapa s.
striata) produced five young in an old tea-kettle fastened to the
east wall of my house at Cheddar, this being the fourth year of
their occupation of this quaint home. When the sun topped
my neighbour’s house its rays fell upon the kettle, the inside of
which became like an oven for several hours. The nestlings
were in a very distressed condition, stretching their necks over
the side of the nest, and gasping, with mouths wide open.
The sense shown at such times by the adult birds was
remarkable, and very interesting to watch. One would stand
at the entrance on the frayed edge of the kettle, in a rather
elongated position, and fan, sometimes very rapidly, with
both wings, for varying periods of time. It would then fly
on to the overhead electric wire, when the other bird would
quickly alight in the same spot and perform a similar duty.
It was obvious to me that the distress of the nestlings was
owing to the suffocating heat inside the kettle, which the old
birds alleviated by fanning air to them. STANLEY LEWIS.

A CHIFFCHAFF TRIANGLE.
THE Central Park, Plymouth, is an area of grassland, scat-
tered trees and a small valley in which there is some rough

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 143

gorse and bramble. This area is a mile long and between
1 and 4 mile wide and is effectively isolated by the wide
belt of houses surrounding it. In the valley—the
part most favoured by birds—there were five nesting
pairs of Willow-Warblers (Phylloscopus t. trochilus) and
one male Chiffchaff (Ph. c. collybita) in 1934. Between
April 9th and April 28th the song of the male Chiffchaft
was heard on fourteen different days, nearly always in the
middle part of the valley. On April 29th, 30th, May Ist,
and, 3rd, he was stationed farther up the valley, where
he was seen with a hen Chiffchaff. This hen began building
a nest there on May 2nd, laying her first egg on May
8th and completing the clutch of five by May 12th, but I
never found her incubating and the eggs remained cold and
deserted. Meanwhile, on May 4th, two days after the nest
was begun, the male was ranging quite a quarter of a mile
up*and down the valley and after that date he was usually
in the lower part of the valley. It is strange that just as
this clutch was being completed and for three consecutive
days from May 14th he seems to have established himself so
far away. From May 26th onwards for the whole of the
remainder of the nesting season he was very constant in
occupying the middle part of the valley where he had first
appeared. It was in this middle part that on June 2nd, a
month after the commencement of the first nest, I was
astonished to find that the male was helping a female to feed
young ones in a nest 180 yards from the first and further
down the valley. These young birds left the nest fully fledged
on June 4th. It was obviously impossible for the female of
the deserted nest to have relaid and reared young by this
date and subsequent events confirmed my belief that this
could only have resulted from a second hen laying her eggs
a few days before those found previously.

The Chiffchaff is certainly normally monogamous and single
brooded, so it was a surprise to find that this male mated with
two hens and a further surprise on June goth to find that the
unsuccessful hen was building another nest only thirty yards
up-valley from the nest in which the young had been reared.
This new nest had a very wide platform of leaves in front of
the entrance. During the next few days the lining was added.
On one occasion I saw this persevering female fiercely chased
and set upon by her successful rival who temporarily left her
duties of escorting and feeding her brood for this purpose.
The first egg was laid in the new nest on June 13th and the
other four eggs on subsequent days. On July 2nd the young

144 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

hatched. This gives an incubation period of fifteen days,
which is two days over the normal time.. This may be
accounted for by the fact that for two days after the full clutch
had been laid the hen was not found sitting.

The young were successfully tended and fed by their
mother (alone, as far as I saw) and were within three or
four days of leaving the nest when, on July 12th, it was
found to have been pulled out. Three days later I heard both
hens giving the alarm note and there was another savage
chase and the illfated hen again had to flee from her pursuer.

The male’s song lasted a few days longer, being last heard on
July zoth. He had probably never heard another male
Chiffchaff throughout the whole season. I heard him on forty-
seven different days and there was never more than the one
bird singing. It is quite inconceivable that in the course of
my regular daily visits I could have missed another male had
there been one.

The rivalry of the two hens is interesting as it normally may
play an important part in the maintenance of the usual pairs,
for Col. Ryves remarks on the absence of this characteristic
in the polygamous Corn-Bunting (By. B., Vol. XXVIIL.,
page 21). The fact of the male leaving the territory of the
first-found nest is the only explanation I can offer of the
desertion of that nest. The female refused to brood while the
male kept right away out of sight.

The female which rebuilt and relaid did not do so in the
usual period of about five days but waited a whole month until
after the rearing of the other hen’s young, in which the male
took part, was completed. Evidently until then the male was
not free to give her sufficient attention. LH, G, EUORRELL.

[In the few cases of recorded evidence the male took no
part in incubation or feeding the young.—F.C.R.]J.]

WHINCHAT’S EARLY NESTING AND BUILDING
AGAIN WHILE FEEDING YOUNG.

Durinc the latter part of May, 1934, I had under observation
on some moors on Snipe House Farm, near Alnwick, three
pairs of Whinchats (Saxicola r. rubetra) of which two pairs
nested exceptionally early.

On the 26th the first pair were discovered feeding young
which had already left the nest and which were able to fly.
These appeared at least sixteen days old.

On the 27th a second pair of fledged young of about the
same age was found and an hour or so was spent watching
these early next day. After both the male and female had

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 145

been observed feeding the young the female was seen to fly
on several occasions to one particular tuft of grass. On
visiting this tuft a half-built nest was discovered and further
watching through binoculars proved definitely that the
female was engaged in nest building in the intervals of feeding
the young. The male was not seen to assist her.

I had, unfortunately, to leave the district on the 29th
and cannot say whether eggs were laid in this nest or not.
Double brooding does, however, appear to be indicated,
and it is interesting to read in the Practical Handbook, in
reference to this: ‘‘ Said by Saunders to be double brooded,
but this seems very doubtful ”’.

With regard to the third pair located no nest was found but,
from the behaviour of the birds, they seemed to have a clutch
on the 2oth, and food was not yet being carried on the 25th,
when they were visited for the last time. W. J. EGGELING.

NUMBERS AND DESTRUCTION OF BROODS OF
NIGHTINGALES IN SUFFOLK.
NIGHTINGALES (Luscinia m. megarhyncha) have this year
(1934) been unusually abundant in east Suffolk, as in several
other districts. In one area, comprising a circle of roughly
one mile radius, I marked down thirty-six nests, while at least
ten additional pairs were nesting in the same area, to judge
by the number of singing males and the alarm notes of the

birds, though I did not actually discover their nests.

The destruction of eggs and of broods of young has, however,
been very marked. Out of seventy nests that I have observed
this season the contents of at least twenty-five have perished.

Vermin of various sorts have been almost the sole cause
of this destruction. Mice have sucked the eggs, while stoats
and rats have devoured the unfledged young.

Probably the mildness of last winter is the cause of the
prevalence of abnormal numbers of these pests of which the
local keepers make especial complaint this year ; and in several
cases when the birds, having lost their first clutches or broods,
have built a second nest, the contents of the latter have been
similarly ravaged.

Number of Nests :—containing Number of Eggs or Young.
+4 6

I ;
44 ~_ 5 (two being second nests)
17 oan 4 (four re 5

I o 2 (a second nest)
Of the above, eleven clutches of eggs and nine broods of
young were destroyed by vermin, a total loss of fifty-two eggs
and forty-two nestlings.

146 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

The eggs of six other nests were destroyed before the
clutches were complete. A. MAYALL,

SWALLOW CLUTCHES AND BROODS.
Durinc the summer of 1934 five pairs of Swallows (Hirundo
y. rustica) nested around my house and outbuildings at
Stoughton Vicarage, near Chichester, Sussex. From them
the following data were obtained :—
Eggs: <Addled or Fatehed. Young : Fledged.

Nest, Clutch. Destroyed. Died.
A 5 fo) 5 5 fe)
B 5 fo) 5 fe) 5
Cc 5 I 4 fo) 4
D 5 fo) 5 I 4
E 3 3 fe) = -
AA 4 fe) 4 fo) 4
DD 4 il 3 fo) 3
7 nests am 5 26 6 20

The first five nests (A to E) were all May nests; nests AA
and DD were the second nests of the pairs at A and D respec-
tively, and were in July. The brood of five in nest A all died
from the effects, presumably, of the intense heat in the latter
half of June. The nest was close up under some slates in an
outhouse, and the heat there was appalling.

Thus, for the seven nests recorded, the average clutch was
4.43, the average fledged brood 2.86. Of the total 31 eggs
laid, 83.87 per cent. hatched, 64.52 per cent. became fledged
young birds. HowarpD J. EMMET.

SWALLOW UTILIZING ROBIN’S NEST.

In a carpenter’s shop forming one side of the yard of a house
in S.W. Kent five or six pairs of Swallows (Hirundo r. rustica)
annually nest, most of them rearing two broods. In 1934 a
Robin (Evithacus vr. melophilus) built her first nest, and reared
a brood, on the horizontal beam along the top of one of
the side walls to which the rafters are fixed. She then built
a second nest on the same beam in an angle made by one of
the rafters, and above and just to one side of the door. Here
she reared her second brood of four, which were ringed on
June 24th and flew soon after. A Swallow then took posses-
sion, added a narrow rim, about a quarter of an inch high
and thick, of mud and fine straws, and a plentiful lining of
chicken’s feathers. She laid her first egg on July 15th and
her four young were ringed on August roth. The nest is
still (September 9th) being used by them for roosting.

N. FEF. TicEHURSE:

VOL. XXviI1.] NOTES. 147

MORTALITY AMONGST NESTLING LESSER SPOTTED
WOODPECKERS.

In May, 1934, I located two nests of Lesser Spotted Wood-
peckers (Dryobates m. comminutus) in order to photograph
the fledged young at the nesting-hole, if possible. In the
first nest the young hatched off, and the domestic affairs
seemed to be going on successfully, when suddenly the nest
was forsaken. The old birds were not seen to visit the tree,
so after a few days’ waiting the shaft was opened up, and the
four almost fledged nestlings were found dead in the nest.
They were in fine condition and very plump. After this
occurrence, the other nest was visited and found to be aban-
doned. Here again the shaft was opened up, revealing
exactly the same state of affairs, the young, also four in num-
ber, in the same condition and state of plumage, were dead
in the nest. Little Owls were at first suspected of killing
the adult birds, but this was proved not to be the case; the
old birds were seen and heard. Plenty of water was in close
proximity to both nests. In the absence of further proof
there seems to be only one conclusion, namely, that these
nestlings died from suffocation during the heat-wave which
prevailed in the severest drought in recent history. Both
nests were situated so that the sun shone upon the entrance
holes for several hours each day, consequently the heat at the
bottom of the shafts must have been intolerable. The nesting
trees were situated six miles apart so that the mortality
seems to have been general. STANLEY LEWIS.

AN UNRECORDED ROUGH-LEGGED BUZZARD
FROM KENT.
A FINE example of the Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)
was obtained at a place known as Brans Hatch, East Hill,
Kemsing. The bird had been seen the day previously and
was secured in a trap baited with a rabbit. The existence of
this specimen was first brought to my notice by the late Mr.
W. Williams, who was under-keeper on the Beechy Lees
Estate at the time of its capture by the then head-keeper, the
late Mr. Daniells. This bird is now in the possession of Mr.
Daniells’s son at Offam, near Wrotham, where I have been
able to see it. I have gone carefully into this record and am
Satisfied with its authenticity ; that it was obtained in this
part of Kent there can be no doubt, and at the end of February
or early in March, and as to the year, I am assured that it
was more than thirty years ago, thirty-six to thirty-eight
years ago was stated to be its age, which I think means

148 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

that it is even a few years older and belongs to the 1892
invasion of Rough-legged Buzzards. JAMES M. HARRISON.

SHELD-DUCK NESTING IN STRAW STACK.

THE nest of a Sheld-Duck (Tadorna tadorna) which was built
in the side of a stack of threshed straw was reported to me this
May by Mrs. Christy, of Lordington, near Chichester, Sussex.
There were nine eggs, but, unfortunately, the bird was killed
on her nest by a stoat or rat. Later, I was able to visit the
nest myself and found that it was built on the ground-level
and about one foot into the side of the stack.

It was approached by a tunnel from opposite ways which
ran along in the loose straw at the side of the stack, and
parallel to the side of the stack. The tunnel was four feet
in length, with the nest in the middle, so that the duck could
approach her nest from opposite sides, each tunnel from the
entrance to the nest being two feet. The nest was lined in
the usual way with the duck’s own down.

The nearest tidal water would be at Emsworth, three miles
away. HowarpD J. EMMET.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER IN SUSSEX.
On August 2Ist, 1934, an example of the Buff-breasted Sand-
piper (Tryngites subruficollis) was obtained at Rye Harbour.
The bird was a single one and was feeding on one of the
numerous small mud patches on the saltings. It was con-
spicuously sandy coloured. On dissection the bird proved to
be amale. It was in fat condition and is apparently adult, as
the cranial vault is evenly ossified. Identification in the flesh
was confirmed by Dr. Arnold McMillan of New Romney. The
specimen, which has a wing of 133.5 mm., is now in my
collection. JAMES M. Harrison.

EXTENSION SOUTHWARD OF TEMMINCK’S STINT’S
BREEDING-RANGE IN NORWAY.

THE following notes on the southward extension of the range
of Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckit) in Norway, have a
special interest in view of the recent discovery of a nest in
Scotland.

On June 7th, 1934, I visited a place called Sandhoug, in
the middle of the Hardanger Vidden, which is about 4,000
feet above sea-level. On my way there and during my stay
I occasionally saw some small waders flying about at a
great pace which I was unable to identify. On June 23rd,
while crossing a bog near Sandhoug and near a small pool,

7

VOL. XXVIII] NOTES. 149

I almost trod on a bird which rose from a nest with four eggs,
only about a couple of inches from my foot. The bird re-
minded me very much of Temminck’s Stint, which I had found
breeding on Fokstuen, on the Dovrefjeld, some years pre-
viously. It was very shy and would not allow a close approach
when sitting. Next day I found a Dunlin (Calidris alpina)

sitting close by, and after comparing the eggs was satisfied
that I had stumbled upon a most interesting discovery. By
concealing myself near the nest I had a good view of the bird
and saw that it was Temminck’s Stint, and was able to secure
a series of photographs of the sitting bird, of which one is
reproduced here.

The eggs were considerably incubated, but as there seemed
to be several pairs breeding here, I took the eggs, which are
now in the Stavanger Museum. HERMAN L. LOVENSKIOLD.

SPOTTED REDSHANK’S AND TEMMINCK’S STINT IN
LINCOLNSHIRE.
A SPOTTED REDSHANK (Tyringa erythropus) was shot at Tetney
Haven on August 16th, 1934. The bird is a male in immature
dress. A second example, an immature female, was shot
on September 7th at North Cotes. An immature female
Temminck’s Stint (Calidris temminckit) was caught in a
Plover decoy at Conisholme on September 25th, 1931. All
three birds were received by me in the flesh and are now in
my collection. JAMES M. HarRISON.

150 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

SPOTTED REDSHANK IN SUSSEX IN SPRING,

On May 13th, 1934, my son, Hugh F. Ticehurst, saw a bird
at the Midrips, which, from his description, cannot have
been anything else than a Spotted Redshank (Tvinga erythro-.
pus) in full summer plumage. It was wading breast deep
and feeding in company with a number of Bar-tailed Godwits
(Limosa l. lapponica). As compared with them it was
slightly smaller, with a much shorter, straight bill, and jet
black all over except for a white tail-patch. I was a few
minutes too late to see the bird myself, but I afterwards
received confirmation of its identity from Mr. H. E. Lynn-
Jones who had seen it independently. N: EB. Ticknursr

LARGE CLUTCHES OF EGGS IN TERNS.

THE summer of 1934 was remarkable for the size of the clutches
among the Common Terns (Sterna h. hirundo) nesting in a
north Lancashire colony, over go per cent. of the early ones
having clutches of three or more. Among the latter were one
clutch of five and eight of four eggs. I once saw a clutch of
five eggs in the Isles of Scilly (Vol. XVIII., p. 112). Possibly
some of these were due to two hens laying in one nest. The
later eggs, deposited on June 28th and 30th, were for the most
part clutches of two.

Among the Common Terns the first young were seen on
June roth to the number of thirteen. Last year this happened
about June 8th when forty-eight were counted, and in 1931,
on June 6th, when there were five young.

As regards Sandwich Terns (Sterna s. sandvicensis) there
were no clutches of three eggs here, but in the Ravenglass,
Cumberland, colony there were three clutches of three each.

. H. W. ROBINSON.

NoTIcE TO RiInGERS.—Ringers are reminded that all
schedules with lists of birds they have ringed during the
season should now be sent in. A special form for the list
of totals ringed has already been issued to each ringer, and
it is particularly requested that this form shall be used.
Separate lists should be sent in at the same time of all birds
recovered, and those who have done any considerable amount
of retrapping are asked to apply for a special form for
recording retrapped birds only.—H.F.W.

YounGc MutTE Swan Divinc.—Mr. J. C. S. Ellis informs
us that while helping the keepers at Bretton Park, near
Wakefield, Yorkshire, to pinion some cygnets of the Mute

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 151

Swan (Cygnus olor), a single bird got away from the rest and
had to be pursued closely. When the keeper was in the act
of netting it the bird dived and swam under the boat to re-
appear some yards astern. Mr. Ellis states that under the
water it swam with neck outstretched and the wings held
close to the sides, only the feet being used for propulsion.
It must be specially noted that this bird dived under stress
when it was cornered and dead beat, and none of the others
which were caught more easily attempted to dive.

SHac INLAND IN Kent.—Dr. J. M. Harrison informs us
that on August 22nd, 1933, he watched an immature Shag
(Phalacrocorax aristotelis) on a small natural pond in a garden
in Seal, near Sevenoaks. The bird was remarkably tame and
allowed a close approach and actual handling, although
rather inclined to use its beak! It remained for one day
swimming about and diving for fish or sitting on the bank.
By early next morning it had gone.

LETTERS.

BIRDS LAYING WHILE STILL ATTENDING BROOD FROM
PREVIOUS CLUTCH.

To the Editors of BritisH Brirps.

Sirs,—Mr. R. L. Brown, in his interesting notes on the Kingfisher
(antea, p. 83), reports a pair of birds having a clutch several days
incubated when they had at the same time a brood in an adjacent nest.
The experience especially interested me because two cases of the kind
have come within my own observations.

The first was in Egypt of a Pallid Shrike (Lanius excubitor elegans)
having a clutch of eggs about five days incubated when a brood from
the previous clutch, which I judged had not been out of the nest more
than two or three days, was being attended by the old birds. This
was in semi-desert country where small clumps of suitable bushes were
few, and there was certainly only the one pair in possession of the
territory. The question of bigamy was dismissed as I witnessed
more than once the dual task of the female. The two nests were
about 15 yards apart.

The second case was a Great Tit (Parus m. newtoni) occupying a
nest box. Before the young left, four eggs ofa second clutch had been
laid in the nest. Further details are recorded in Vol. XXIV.,
ps7 5s D. W. MussELWHITE.

[Although not many such cases have apparently been recorded the
habit is perhaps more frequent than it appears. Mr. B. B. Osmaston
noted a case in a Robin in our last number (p. 115), and an instance
is referred to by Mr. W. J. Eggeling in his note on the Whinchat in
the present issue. I may note here that in June 1926, Mr. N. Tracy
showed me at King’s Lynn a Redstart (Phenicurus phaenicurus)
which had laid five eggs of a second brood and was still feeding the

152 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

fledged young of the first. This year (1934), at Gracious Pond Farm,
Surrey, the first brood of a Pied Wagtail (Motacilla a. yarvellii) left
the nest on June 8th and on the 16th the hen was feeding them and
building a new nest alternately. She did not, in fact, finish this nest,
but laid a second clutch in the old nest and had by then stopped feeding
the young. At the same place some young Blackbirds (Tuvdus m.
mevula) left the nest on May 19th and the hen was still feeding them
on the 25th when she had nearly completed a new nest, the first egg
being laid on the 27th.—H. F. WITHERBY.]

BLACK-HEADED GULLS NESTING IN TREES AT TWIGMOOR.
To the Editors of BririsH Birps.

Strs,—Mr. A. W. Boyd states (antea, p. 117) that a nest of a Black-
headed Gull built in the top of a tree “‘is most unusual’’. At the
gullery on Twigmoor, Lincs., there were several nests high up in pine
trees this summer (1934). Col. O. Sutton Nelthorpe, of Scawby Hall,
on whose property the gullery is situated, informed me that there are
some nests in one particular group of pines every year, though there
are plenty of other trees equally suitable round the ponds and, of
course, plenty of room on the ground. Some nests are also usually
built on the roof of the boathouse and some on a bridge which connects
one of the islands with the mainland.

That the habit of building in trees has persisted for at least twenty-
five years at Twigmoor is evident on reference to the Rev. F. L.
Blathwayt’s article on ‘“ Lincolnshire Gulleries’’ in the Zoologist
for 1909, for he mentions (p. 141) “ some of the birds even building on
the branches of fir-trees overhanging the water”’

W. B. ALEXANDER.

[The Twigmoor colony was founded about 1840 (Kirkman) and was
well established by 1843, as recorded by Yarrell. At that time the
colony was surrounded by heath land with birch trees and dwarf
shrubs. Seebohm, writing in 1885 (Hist. Brit. Birds, III., p. 311),
quotes W. Becher as stating that within the last fifty years the heath
has been planted with larch, oak, pine and birch trees. ‘“‘ Last year’’,
he says, a Gull bred on a dead birch; and “this year’’ a nest was
built on a Scots pine, seven or eight feet from the ground. Since that
date nests have been met with on trees here on many occasions.
O. Grabham (Field, 7th June, 1902) refers to nests on trees on outskirts
of colonies : Riley Fortune saw nests in “ firs ’’ during a visit described
in the Naturalist, 1910, p. 95: cf. Br. B., III., p. 379. I have myself
visited the locality on three occasions, in 1912, 1913 and 1918. Each
time a pair or two were breeding in trees and the keepers reported that
this has usually been the case for as long as they could remember.
Sometimes a nest was placed on the roof of a low shed near the water.
It is clear from this evidence, and that given by Mr. Alexander, that
breeding on trees has been known in this gullery for at least half a
century and it was on these grounds that I wrote in the Prac. Handbook
that the Black-headed Gull has nested exceptionally “on sheds... .
and on low trees’’. With the exception of this one locality, I am not
aware of any instance of tree building in the British Isles, except that
recently recorded by A. W. Boyd. On the Continent, however, it is
said to have bred in deserted nests of Rooks and Herons.—

F.C. R. JouRDAIN. | ae. Mine

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Py "CONTENTS OF NUMBER 6, VoL. XXVIII., NovEMBER I, 1934.
Box —— PAGE
“<* Supplementary Notes on the Breeding-Habits of the Corn-
Bunting as observed in North Cornwall in 1934: By Lt.-Col.

and Mrs. B. H. Ryves ... 154
Some Breeding-Habits of the British Willow-Tit. By G.
Temperley ... ad : hd 165
Notes :—
Colour of Bill of Hebridean Twite in nee
(Rev. J. M. McWilliam and A. B. Duncan) ... 170
Results of Ringing and Trapping Swallows in Carmarthenshire
Cheb. homes)... cas AY ar 170
The Food of Nestling Sw allown't (J. F. Thomas). ium: 9 EO
Swallow Flying through Narrow Aperture (H. M. W allis) eas 172
Late Passage of Swifts to Ireland (B. Lloyd) ... are re 172
Alpine Swifts in Pembrokeshire (Miss C. M. Acland) ... ee 174
Water-Weed in Kingfisher Castings (P. A. Clancey) ... ay 174
Avocets in Hampshire (B. J. Ringrose) ... a<s ae aor 174

Short Notes :—

Hedge-Sparrow Building in Blackbird’s Nest. Ospreys in
Yorkshire and Huntingdonshire. Dotterels in Hampshire.
Arctic Ringed Plover in Hertfordshire. Black-tailed
Godwits in Cheshire and Cornwall. Little Gull in Essex.
Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Devon say 174

Reviews :—
The Role of Environment in the Life a Birds. By S. Charles

Kendeigh 176
Sea Terns or Sea Sw allows, isis Habits, ‘Legian Aueiais por

Departure. By G. & A. Marples re ve ne ie 178
Habitat Selection in Birds. By David Lack ... wei ney 179
The Birds of Cambridgeshire. By David Lack a erie ee key

Letters :—

Birds laying while still attending Brood from eagle Clutch

(S. Lewis) és an : den pee 182
Fulmar Petrel Inv peadition fede (G. Ww Eeeconl.. 182
The Gannet Colonies of Iceland (R. M. Lockley anid H. M.

Salmon) ... = aA nee : ; 183

(154)

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES ON THE
BREEDING-HABITS OF THE CORN-BUNTING AS
OBSERVED IN NORTH CORNWALL IN 1934.

BY
ILiupiopr—(Cfoye,, Assn) INGRSE 1B}, ISL, IRAY WIE)S)

THESE notes on the Corn-Bunting (Emberiza c. calandra) are
the results of further observations undertaken during the
breeding-season of 1934 and should be read in conjunction
with the work already done and published in British Birds,
Vol. XXVIII., pp. 2-26.

The main purport in deciding to embark on a third year’s
investigation was twofold :—

Firstly, to check and consolidate the conclusions already
formed.

Secondly, to ascertain whether polygamy was possibly
even more extensive than previous research had shown.

A teeling of doubt had been taking shape gradually. In
earmarking so many as twenty-four males for close observa-
tion in 1933, had rather more been undertaken than could
properly be dealt with? In other words, had the wideness of
the field resulted in obtaining only partial records °

With this doubt in the mind, itwas agreed to limit the number
of observed males to fifteen. Even with this reduced number, it
cannot be asserted with absolute conviction that every nest or
even every hen was located. Probably eight males only would
have offered a better prospect of securing complete records.

The fifteen males were chosen from the territories observed
in 1933 with one exception, namely, an “ isolated” bird in a
territory untenanted both in 1932 and 1933.

The disposition of males was as in 1933, with the following
two notable differences: (a) No. 2 “isolated” male’s territory
was shared by a second bird, and (6), group III. held five
in place of four males.

Four of the observed males were in the “ Isolated’ and
eleven in the “ Group” categories respectively, but only a
proportion of the latter were selected, the remaining birds
of the groups being completely ignored.

Each of the fifteen birds was proved to be polygamous.
Possibly, if not probably, some of them at least may have
owned more hens than those enumerated below :—

Four males owned definitely 2 hens each aus 8 hens.
Seven 5 3 ‘s ee
Two .y. A 4 * i Se
ive, i 7 " von As

Total x St dens.

~~ atte

VoL. xxviil.] NOTES ON THE CORN-BUNTING, = 155

The total of nests actually found (by observation alone) was
fifty-three, and each was kept under systematic inspection.
In addition, one nest evaded detection, although the hen was
watched feeding nestlings and, later, on the day they quitted,
two of the fledglings were found and inspected. Two other
nests, although their existence had been suspected, were
never located ; but chicks from each were discovered which,
from their appearance, had, obviously, only recently left their
nests. Had these not been missed, the total of nests would
have been fifty-six.

A scrutiny of the figures discloses the fact that males were
polygamous to a far greater extent than the work of the two
previous years had shown. Either there had been failure to
establish the existence of a good many breeding hens, or hens
in 1934 were actually in greater numerical strength.

Whichever it may be, the fact stands out that Corn-Buntings
definitely are ordained to be polygamous and that, to this end,
Nature arranges for the production of females in considerable
excess of males. This excess may vary in different years.

In regard to some of the sections in the previous article,
there are only a few additional points which seem to merit
mention here, and page references to the previous article
are given :—

Song Perches (p. 6).

The most favoured stances of two males were closer to a nest
with eggs than hitherto recorded, namely, in each case, under
ten yards.

Types of Nests (p. 9).

Five nests only were lined with coils of thick, black hair,
covered by fine grasses. A good many contained a few
feathers woven into the main fabric.

Nest Sites (p. 9).

One nest was marked down to a really vigorous field of hay
and clover. It was built at the foot of thick clover where a
few small thistles were also growing.

Under this heading there is one important point which only
came to light this year. Whereas the majority of hens owned
by one male seem to prefer nesting in close or fairly close
proximity to each other, there is a type of hen which seeks
complete isolation. This she secures either by distance or by
some natural obstruction (as well as distance) which screens
her from the owners of all other nests.

The nests of four such hens were discovered. Two of them
will be dealt with under a later section. The third hen was
one of four owned by one male. The nests of three of these

156 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

were in the “ territory proper ”’ and fairly close to each other.
This bird sought sanctuary in a separate patch of gorse about
170 yards distant, where, by the lie of the land, she was
quite cut off from all other hens of her kind. She reared a
brood of five, but the male took but little interest in her, and
her identity was only established by seeing him (he had a
cracked voice), on four occasions only, chase her back to the nest.
Also, she was seen three times to leave her eggs and fly straight
to the male, alighting by his side.

The fourth hen was one of two owned by amale. She spent
two days in site-hunting and one in building, the male in
close company and much excited on these three days. Her
nest was about 220 yards from the other hen, which was
feeding nestlings at the time she laid. Her clutch consisted
of only two eggs and these she safely hatched and reared in
solitude, for the male vanished (presumably with the other
hen and her brood) when her chicks were two days old (the
two youngsters left the nest on August 16th).

Males’ Behaviour.

The habit of accompanying incubating hens to their meals
was noticeably less regular than in the two previous seasons.
No difference, however, was noted in the persistency with
which males watch or chase their hens back to eggs or young.
Period of Nesting-Season (p. 7).

July again proved to be the month in which breeding
activity was at its greatest height. Cessation of song and of
breeding and complete evacuation of nesting territories oc-
curred considerably earlier than previously recorded. One
can only attribute this to the exceptionally early harvesting
of both the hay and corn crops which afford the main sources
of the birds’ food supply.

In June, twenty-three clutches were laid, the earliest bird
depositing her first egg on the 1st. The first eggs of the re-
maining twenty-two clutches were laid on dates varying
between the 11th and 30th.

In July, thirty clutches were laid, the latest bird completing
her set of four on the 28th.

In August, no clutches were laid.

INCUBATION (p. 12).

The dates of laying and incubation-periods were recorded
at sixteen nests. Eggs, except in one case, in which a day
was missed between the second and third egg (two similar
records were obtained in 1933), were laid on consecutive days.
The results were as follows :—

vot. xxvi.] NOTES ON THE CORN-BUNTING. = 157

(a) In four nests incubation was only commenced on the day
the clutch was completed (there had been no previous
‘brooding ”). In each, the full clutches were hatched
on the thirteenth morning after the laying of the last
egg. Incubation-period 12 days.

(b) In eight nests all the eggs except one were hatched on the
twelfth morning after the completion of the clutch.
The (presumably) last-laid eggs were hatched on the
thirteenth morning. IJncubaiton-period 12 days.

(c) In one nest in which the hen “ brooded”’ daily from the
laying of the first of her five eggs, one was hatched on
the thirteenth and two on the fourteenth morning after
the laying of the last egg. Two eggs were addled.
Incubation-period indefinite.

(d) In one nest (a clutch of five) four eggs were hatched on the
thirteenth and one egg on the fourteenth morning after
the laying of the last egg. Incubation-period 13 days.

(e) In one nest (a clutch of five) three eggs were hatched on
the twelfth and one on the thirteenth morning after the
laying of the last egg. One egg was addled. Incuba-
tion-period uncertain but probably 12 days (if it be
assumed that the addled egg was one of the first four
laid).

(f) In one nest (a clutch of four) three eggs were hatched on the
thirteenth morning after the last egg was laid. One
egg was addled. JIncubation-period 12 days (if the
addled egg was the last one laid which seems likely).

The above records show that the average incubation-period
was much nearer 12 days than the 12} days in 1933.

In the (0), (d), (e) and (f) nests “incubation proper ’’ was
reckoned to have been commenced on the day the last egg
but one was laid. In all of them earlier eggs were “ brooded ”’
(in two, from the first egg onwards). Nests (a) and (c)
require no comment.

CLUTCHES (p. 15).

The clutches laid were :—
Two eggs in I nest (definitely a full clutch).
Three eggs in 10 nests (one held also a Cuckoo’s egg).
Four eggs in 13 nests.
Five eggsin14nests. Total 38 nests.

The remaining 15 nests, found with chicks, held :-—
Two young in I nest; also one addled egg.
Two young in I nest; also two addled eggs.
Three young in 3 nests.
Three young in I nest ; also two addled eggs.

158 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII

Four young in 6 nests.
Four young in x nest; also one addled egg.
Five young in 2 nests. Total 15 nests.

From the above records it will be seen that “ four-egg ”’
and “ five-egg’”’ clutches ran each other close for premier
place. In 1933 “ four-egg”’ clutches held a big majority.
Clutches of six eggs in this district may be reckoned as very
rare. Out of 138 nests inspected in three years, only one
record of six has been secured (a nest holding six young in 1932).

MorTALITY AND REARING OF THE YOUNG (p. 16).

The results of the 53 nests were as follows :—

(a) In thirteen nests the chicks were destroyed (no disaster
befell any nest while holding eggs). In two of these
the chicks died through being deserted. In one nest
the reaper killed the chicks. In another a weasel
was caught red-handed; three of the nine-day-old
chicks had already been disposed of, the nest being
dishevelled and full of feathers and a few gory remains.
The fourth youngster was lying on the edge of the
nest, quite intact except for deep punctures through the
skull, and still warm. The remaining nests showed no
signs of violence ; they were merely empty but other-
wise in perfect condition. Possibly adders, which
have frequently been encountered in the vicinity of
nests, may account for many disasters.

(0) From forty nests, young safely left (in no case was a nest
so recorded until a fledgling or two had been located
or the hen observed to be feeding young out of nest).
From these a total ot 144 chicks entered upon the world.
Thereafter, it was impossible to keep in touch with them.

In twenty nests the ages of the chicks on departure were
recorded. In six of these they were 12 days old, in four 9 and
ro days and in the remainder 11 days. Only a few cases have
been recorded of a chick remaining in the nest for a few hours
or a day after the others had vacated it.

A correspondent has written that the pale green caterpillars
previously alluded to (p. 18) could not be those of cabbage
butterflies. Not being entomologists nothing could be said,
but the fact’ remains that in the feeding grounds of these
Buntings “white butterflies’’ abounded and that these
butterflies themselves were often fed to the young. This
year there appeared to be a comparative paucity of white
butterflies and, significantly perhaps, green caterpillars were
less in evidence in the beaks of the hens.

VOL. xXvitt.] NOTES ON THE CORN-BUNTING. 159

In any case, the insect diet of the young appeared to be of
amore varied nature. Grasshoppers were identified on several
occasions, and a hen was watched killing one by beating it
against the ground much in the manner of a Song-Thrush
dealing with a snail.

Males were sometimes seen to be feeding on seeds fallen
to the ground. This had not been noted before. Hens have
never been observed feeding themselves, and their diet
during the breeding-season was not ascertained. —

There is one important point to which no allusion has been
made and on which we have been challenged. Although
“nesting” territories are definitely defined and sacrosanct
to their owners, it is quite a different matter with “ feeding ”’
territories. The latter are common property of all and sundry.
Observation definitely established this fact. A good deal might
be written on this subject were time and space of no moment.

It may be of interest to record observations made of a hen
brooding young in inclement weather. It was truly an awful
day—torrential rains driven by a south-westerly gale. Won-
dering how a certain nest holding four chicks, which the hen
had ceased to brood by day, would be faring (particularly
as it was on the weather side of a patch of low gorse), I
(B.H.R.) visited it, at intervals, three times. Each time,
the hen was found crouching on the rim of the nest, with
her widely-fanned tail pointing towards the storm. Her
wings were also open and drooped over the walls. Her body
appeared to be elongated so that the bill reached the far edge.
Late in the evening, when the rain had almost ceased, the
nest was again visited. The chicks, though very hungry,
appeared to be perfectly happy, and the cup of the nest was
quite dry. Eventually, the whole brood was safely reared.

The nest which held three eggs and one of a Cuckoo was in
the identical territory in which, in 1932, a hen Corn-Bunting
was observed feeding a young fledged Cuckoo. The egg of
the Cuckoo and two of the Bunting hatched out early on June
27th and one egg was addled. At 3 p.m. on the 29th the nest
held the Cuckoo and one chick. The other chick, which was
alive, and the egg had been ejected, but we replaced them.
At 5 p.m. the Cuckoo had not re-ejected the contents of the
nest and the outraged chick seemed quite to have recovered.
Unfortunately further observation was cut short, for, on the
30th, the nest was found to be empty.

The early intelligence of Corn-Bunting chicks appears to
be evidenced by the following incident: On the usual daily
round of inspection we arrived at a nest known to hold three

160 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

chicks, now ro days old. One dead chick (quite recently
dead) lay in it, but the other two chicks were standing on the
edge, evidently about to depart.

After standing by the nest for about half a minute, one of
the youngsters quietly toppled over on to its side and, with
closed eyes, lay motionless. It looked as if it had expired,
and we were about to pick it up to examine it when it suddenly
sprang to its feet, and, uttering lusty screams, shot into the
air, fluttered a few yards and dived into thick cover. The
other chick instantly followed suit and hid itself in the opposite
direction.

There seems to be some insidious disease which sometimes
overtakes nestlings. At a nest holding five eggs, four were
hatched on July 20th (one egg was addled). The chicks ap-
peared to be perfectly fit up to the 26th, and the weather was
dry and warm. On the 27th the hen was brooding (abnor-
mally old for young to be brooded) three apparently healthy
chicks and one which appeared to have just died, and this we
removed. On the 28th the nest held only one chick ; evidently
two more had died and been removed by the hen. This single
youngster survived and quitted the nest, leaving the egg intact,
on the 30th. It was seen again on the 31st.

COITION.

Reference has already been made to coition late in the season
without egg-laying following (p. 26). Apparently this is not
very unusual.

This year, in the latter part of July, coition was noted on
several occasions, and even occurred with hens carrying grubs
to recently fledged young. None of these covered hens
nested subsequently.

Early in the season, coition was also observed which did
not seem to be connected with egg-fertilization, for the hens
did not build until about a fortnight later. For years,
coition has been noted among Herring-Gulls quite considerably
in advance of egg-laying.

DOUBLE-BROODING (p. 18).

After a third year’s work we have come to the conclusion
that the Corn-Bunting is not extensively double-brooded.

In 1933 only five records were secured where a second brood
could reasonably be presumed.

This year only three such records were obtained, though
there were three other more or less probable ones. But it
must be admitted that the breeding-season terminated
unusually early.

VoL. xxvill.] NOTES ON THE CORN-BUNTING. 161

The majority of nests were almost certainly cases of single-
brooding. A few might be categoried as ‘‘ doubtful” in
that they may have been second attempts after failure with
first nests at an early stage—nests which were not detected.

We are convinced that the laying of a third clutch after
two broods have been successfully reared would be a freak
case of extreme rarity.

CESSATION OF SONG AND DEPARTURE (p. 24).

A distinct diminution of song became noticeable about July
25th. The “‘tip-tip’’ notes had been heard several days
earlier. On the 30th only a few males sang sparingly.

On August 2nd several territories had been completely
vacated. On the 3rd and 4th two or three males only sang
spasmodically. By the 9th song had absolutely ceased, and
birds were only to be found in a few territories. On the 18th
all nesting haunts had been deserted except for short visits
paid by a few stragglers for two or three days longer.

To revert to July. On the 29th a lengthy visit was paid to
a group territory occupied by two males, one of which owned
seven and the other three hens. Two hens only, both belong-
ing to the “ seven-hen ”’ bird, still had nests in which young
two and three days old, respectively, were being fed.

Both males were “ singing themselves hoarse ’’, crashing
about everywhere in mad excitement and chasing hens and
numerous young birds, which seemed equally excited. In
the midst of this bewildering spectacle the two nesting
hens carried on their duties unmolested, unheeded and
unheeding.

On the 30th, every bird, including the two males, had
vanished, not to return again. Only the two hens with nests
were left to complete their tasks alone.

On August Ist one of the nests had been destroyed, but the
hen of the other was carrying on and was now in complete
isolation. On the gth her four chicks left their nest, all of
them being located. Late on the roth not a trace of either
the fledglings or their mother could be found.

Gatherings of a similar nature, though of fewer birds, were
observed in other territories and culminated, as above des-
cribed, in evacuation.

On August 2nd, at a “group” territory of five males,
every bird, except one nesting hen, had already departed.
This lonely hen was incubating a clutch of four eggs, com-
pleted on July 28th. In complete isolation she remained
staunch, and hatched three eggs on August 8th and one on the

162 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

gth. On the 11th it was noticed that the hen was not feeding
her small young. Though very hungry they seemed to be
well and strong. A visit six hours later revealed that they
were all dead.

Whether the utter loneliness had become too much for her
and caused her to desert her chicks, or whether she had fallen
a victim to some foe, can only be a matter of conjecture.

This is our only record of a male deserting an incubating
hen. Desertion of hens with nestlings is almost common.

An “ ISOLATED’? MALE OWNING SEVEN HENS.

This male occupied the territory held in 1933 by “ Isolated ”’
male No. 3 (see Tables of Polygamy, p. 21). A description
of our observations at this territory—a veritable mine of thrills
—can hardly be omitted without loss.

The first nest (that actually of the second hen) was found
on June 20th in the earliest stage of construction. On the
24th she laid the first egg of a clutch of four, three of which
were hatched on July 8th and one on the gth. The full brood
left the nest on the 2oth.

The second nest (that actually of the first hen) was never
found, although its existence had been suspected. It must
have been at least 200 yards from the other’s nest on the oppo-
site flank of the territory, and a line of tall gorse isolated the
two birds. On July roth, after an inspection of the first nest,

we chanced to pull up the car at this flank, and at once ©

spotted a hen, with a grub, drop into cover. At her next
two visits she was seen to drop into different, though nearby,
patches of gorse. It was now obvious that this hen was
feeding fledglings, and so a search was made and one of them
located. It had down on the head and could flutter only a
few yards. When it rose, the hen was at once joined by the
male, both birds showing great agitation. It was obvious
that the brood had left their nest very recently. Reckoning
the dates backwards this bird must have laid her first egg
about June 23rd. Thus the two nests were contemporaneous,
and it is significant that between them lay ideal nesting cover
which was readily seized later by the other five hens.

On July 14th four hens were watched building at the same
time (simultaneous building was observed in three other
territories, two nests, in one instance, being fifteen feet apart).
Each had her special hunting ground for materials, and none
of them ever clashed. The male was beside himself with
excitement, and seemed quite bewildered upon which of them
to lavish his attentions !

Ser arete

VOL. Xxvill.}] NOTES ON THE CORN-BUNTING. = 163

On July 16th the seventh hen began building. These
latter five (practically) contemporaneous nests were placed
within a circle of a radius of about fifteen yards.

Clutches of 3, 5, 4, 4 and 4 respectively were laid, the
first of each being deposited on July 15th, 315th, 17th,
18th and 19th respectively. Each of the five hens hatched
all her eggs, with the exception of one which had a single
addled egg.

On August 8th the chicks in one nest were very vociferous
and ravenously hungry. On the gth they were all dead.
There can be but little doubt that the mother had met with
an untimely death.

The young of the four remaining hens safely left their nests
on August roth, roth, 11th and 13th respectively.

On August 11th and 12th many hours were spent in observa-
tion from the car, which had always been used for this
territory. The scene on both days was truly amazing.

Youngsters were leaping out of cover everywhere, only to
drop a little further on. The hens, carrying grubs, crossed
and recrossed each other. Eight to ten full-grown, though
“bibless’’, young birds were dashing about everywhere.
Often they hovered over the various chicks, obviously marking’
them down. The air was filled with “ &p-tip’’ notes. Some
of the young birds had grubs, and gave every indication that
they were feeding some of the chicks. The shifting of a chick
from one bit of cover to another was the instant signal for
several of them to follow and to flutter over it. At one
nest the “ baby’”’ was still present. At one time, four
“ bibless ’’ birds perched together on one of our “ landmark
sticks’, two of them holding grubs. The latter dived
simultaneously to the nest, remaining in it for about fifteen
seconds. One nest-only still held its complete brood, and in
this the young birds were also keenly interested, crowding
round it sometimes to such an extent that the mother had
almost to push her way through them to reach her chicks.

The parent hens showed no discernible concern or annoy-
ance over this extraordinary invasion. The male, only
occasionally in evidence, showed no apparent interest in
anything at all.

On the afternoon of August 14th the whole territory was as
vacant of Corn-Buntings as it would be on a mid-winter day.
All had vanished, including the four chicks which had only
left their nest the morning before, when twelve days old.

Throughout our observations of this territory, from start
to finish, never once was the male seen to help any of his

164 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

hens except the one owning the first nest found. For this
bird he appeared really to have some affection. From the
day the latter’s chicks were hatched he helped in feeding
them, thus giving us our first record of a male assisting at
such an early stage. His bouts of energy, of course, were
never of long duration, nor were they in any way continuous.
On some days, during three or four hours’ watching, he was
the normal idle male. Often he would alight, with a grub,
at the nest and pour out several bars of full song as a pre-
liminary to the dive into it to deliver the goods.

Unless some of these seven hens had nested previously
elsewhere as the mates of another male or males—a supposition
that does not bear even a passing thought—there can be little
doubt that they all were examples of single-brooded birds.

* * * ** *

Before laying down the pen may we—in spite of it being
so obvious—stress the fact that the information this and the
previous article present to ornithology could not have been
secured had egg-collectors been working the district.

While fully admitting the value of the knowledge obtained
through eggs in the past, that phase of usefulness is now surely
past so far as this country is concerned. Indeed the whole-
sale taking of eggs is in direct opposition to the advance of
ornithology, because it cuts short further observation under
natural conditions, and in the case of the scarcer species it
seriously limits the number of birds that can be so observed.

We would, therefore, take this opportunity of making an
earnest appeal, and we believe it to be in the best and widest
interests of ornithology, for a halt to be called in egg-collecting.
All serious students cannot doubt that egg-collecting is a severe
handicap to intensive work in much less explored fields of
research such as incubation, rearing of the young and other
events which follow the completion of the laying of the
eggs. Incubation alone still offers a wide field for valuable
investigation. Egg-collecting and investigation of such points
cannot work together and there is no question which is the
more valuable from the scientific point of view.

Finally, we would appeal to egg-collectors to reconsider
their aims. We can take no special pride in our discoveries,
because we realize that our “story’’ and many another
could have been told years ago by others had their desire to
add to our .knowledge of the bird’s life history not been
overwhelmed by their keenness to possess the egg-shells.

(165)

SOME BREEDING-HABITS OF THE BRITISH
WILLOW-TIT.
BY
GEORGE W. TEMPERLEY.

Mr. H. F. Wiruersy has recently described methods by
which the Willow-Tit (Parus a. kleinschmidtt) bores its nesting-
hole (antea, Vol. XXVII., pp. 320-324). Unfortunately
the pair of birds which he had under observation deserted the
site before the nesting-hole was completed ; so that he was
unable to give any account of their subsequent nesting
habits. The following observations on the nesting of a pair of
Willow-Tits in County Durham, though unavoidably dis-
connected, carry the matter a little further. It is interesting
to note to what extent these birds acted in the same manner
as those described by Mr. Witherby.

On April 18th, 1934, I was rambling through what remains
of the woodlands of Ravensworth Park, near Gateshead, on
the look out for early spring migrants. Approaching a glade,
usually frequented by Wood-Warblers (Phylloscopus stbilatrix),
whose arrival was almost due, I was listening intently for their
accustomed song. Suddenly the opening notes of the expected
song were heard; but the full phrase was not completed—
no shivering trill followed the introductory passage. This
was unusual enough to attract attention, and I entered the
glade to look for the singer. No Wood-Warbler was to be
seen, however, and the notes were not repeated. Sitting
down upon a fallen trunk to wait, I suddenly heard, close
behind me, a loud “‘ chur, chur, chur’’. The deep tone of the
alarm note seemed distinctly unusual and it flashed into my
mind that I had read somewhere that the song of a Willow-Tit
was like the opening notes of that of a Wood-Warbler, and
that its alarm notes were loud and deep. I slowly turned my
head and there, close beside me, were two Willow-Tits
uttering excited notes of alarm. There was no doubt about
it. With my glass I was able to discern every feather—the
dull cap, the lighter wing-patches and the pinkish-buff flanks.
After watching their actions for a few minutes I felt sure that
they must have a special interest in the territory in which I
was sitting, but I had then no time to look for a possible
nesting-hole.

Four days elapsed ; it was April 22nd before I was able to
visit the wood again. As I cautiously approached the spot
I saw a Tit fly away from a dead branch close to the fallen
tree on which I had been sitting when I first saw them. The

166 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

dead branch, six or eight inches in diameter, and very rotten,
was propped up, almost vertically, against the trunk of a
living thorn bush. Presently the Tit returned, flew to the
dead branch and disappeared from sight. Changing my
position I was able to see, in the side of the branch about
four feet from the ground, a small round hole. In a few
moments, out of this hole popped a Tit, bearing a morsel of
some yellow substance in its bill. It flew into a neighbouring

Willow-Tit feeding young.
(Photographed by TY. Russell Goddard.)

tree, but not before I had recognized it as one of my Willow-
Tits. Back it came, the yellow burden gone, and re-entered
the hole. In a few seconds, out it came again with another
yellow mouthful, and again it disappeared into the tree. This
process was continued for some time. I changed my position

_

VOL. XXviI.] BREEDING OF WILLOW-TIT. 167

again so that I could see the bough which it visited when it
left the nesting-hole. Every time it alighted thereon 1t put
the fragment of yellow wood, for that is what 1t was carrying,
on the branch and broke it up with its bill, so that only small
sawdust-like pieces fell to the ground, where they were lost
amongst low-growing shrubs. Then for a time it ceased work
and disappeared. I went up to the nesting-hole to examine
it. The narrow entrance turned downwards and opened out
into a bottle-shaped hollow, the bottom of which I could not
see ; from the look of it I judged that the work of excavation
had been going on for some time and must be near completion.
I did not then make any detailed examination or measure-
ments as I was anxious that the birds should have no cause for
desertion. I looked at the patch of earth immediately below
the hole, which was then quite bare, and noticed that in spite
of the fact that so large an amount of material had been
excavated, only a tiny crumb or two of the wood had fallen
to the ground. How different from the handiwork of a
Woodpecker, which makes no effort to conceal its chips !
At this stage the birds must have seen me, for one of them
suddenly appeared upon the scene, very fussy and uttering
low and hurried ‘‘ churs”’. From its behaviour I concluded
that this must be the cock bird, and although I have no proof
of this, I will so refer to it in future. I retired to give it
time to calm down, which it very soon did. It then ap-
proached to within a few inches of the hole, looked carefully
round, and, being reassured, called to the hen, which imme-
diately appeared, entered the hole at once, and resumed her
labours. The cock, satisfied that all was well, soon flew off.
During the time I was watching it was the hen which did all
the work of excavation. After a spell of steady work she
would go off, but soon reappeared. The cock only put in an
appearance when the hen was disturbed or when she returned
to the scene after a resting period. The two would then
return together ; but the cock never entered the hole while I
was watching. He contented himself with escorting the hen
to within a few feet of the branch. The demeanour of the
two birds was always so different that I had no difficulty
in deciding which was which, in spite of the similarity of their
plumage,

I could not see where the cock went when he left the nest:
He rapidly became lost in the surrounding foliage; but he
cannot have been far away as he appeared immediately I
disturbed the hen. I never heard any repetition of the song,

168 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

but as there were now two cock Wood-Warblers in full song
not far away, the Tit’s notes could hardly have been detected.

I noticed that the presence of other birds—Willow-Warblers,
Chaffinches and Blue-Tits—near the nesting-hole never called
forth any protest from the hen. A pair of Chaffinches were
building close by and constantly passed and repassed the hole,
sometimes perching on the same twigs which were used by the
Tits when they came and went to their hole. Except when
the cock was present the hen worked in absolute silence.

It was not until May Ist, nine days later, that I was again
able to visit the glade. When I reached it no birds were to
be seen. I kept as still as the midges would permit, with
my eyes fixed upon the hole. Nothing happened for a long
time. So long, that I began to think that the nest had been
deserted. Very slowly I began to approach the hole, when,
suddenly the cock, which must have been on guard somewhere
near, flew down towards the branch uttering a loud “ chur,
chur, chur’’. I retired and, soon after, out of the hole popped
the hen, and the two flew away together. In about five
minutes the hen returned alone, flew directly to the mouth of
the hole, where she paused to look about her before she went
in. As she did not appear again I concluded that she must
be sitting, and as nothing happened for a long time I withdrew.

On May roth the hen was still sitting. In the space of an
hour and a half the cock twice called the hen out and fed her
on a twig near the nesting-hole. On each occasion she
returned to the hole immediately after she had taken the food.

On May 13th the cock was still feeding the sitting hen. He
flitted down from branch to twig until he was within two feet
of the hole ; then he uttered a sharp little call and, instantly,
the hen came’ out of the hole. She flew to the twig and with
quivering wings accepted the mouthful of food. In a moment
she was back in the hole and the cock flew off. In a very
few moments he was back again ; but this time he alighted
on the lip of the hole and I could just see the bill of the hen
as she reached up to receive the food. Next time the cock fed
the hen from a twig about three inches from the hole and on
a fourth occasion he entered the hole himself and remained
there fora moment. These four visits occupied the space of
ten minutes; but though I waited for a long time the cock
did not reappear and I was obliged to leave without seeing
any repetition of the feeding that day.

On May 25th, my next visit, both birds were hard at work
feeding young in the nesting-hole. The young must by this

VOL, XxviI.] BREEDING OF WILLOW-TIT. 169

time have already been well developed, for their appetites
were enormous. Cock and hen were coming and going every
few minutes. They took no notice whatever of me or of my
camera set up within two feet of the hole ; and I could stand
beside the camera, with no “ hide’, with my hand upon the
release, without their being in the least disturbed. They
came and went in silence. Their movements were extra-
ordinarily rapid. They alighted on the rim of the hole and
popped in without a moment’s pause. Their exit was even
swifter—a bill appeared out of the hole followed by a blur
and the bird was gone. In the half-light under the trees, now
in full leaf, a rapid exposure was impossible and photography
hopeless. Nevertheless my friend, Mr. T. R. Goddard, suc-
ceeding in capturing a fleeting likeness of the cock bird. Up
to June 1st the feeding of the young was still being carried on.
After that date I was unable to visit the spot until after the
young had flown, when only an addled egg remained in the nest.

An examination of the empty nesting-hole shows that it was
lined to the depth of one inch with a layer of very fine material,
chiefly vegetable fibres, small fragments of moss and down
from seeds, with a few rabbit hairs.

The branch was that of a sycamore, very much decayed, the
centre almost “‘ touch-wood ”’ and the bark very loose. The
hole was made just above a slight bulge in the branch; the
circumference of the branch near the entrance being 22 inches,
while four inches lower it was 244 inches. The entrance was
almost circular, rather ragged at the edges, and 14 inches in
diameter.

The excavation was 9} inches from roof to floor, thus,
allowing for the nesting material, the surface of the nest was
7 inches below the lower lip of the hole. The cavity wasat
its widest at about the level of the surface of the nest, where it
was 3} inches. At this point the thickness of the outer wall
was reduced to 7/20 inches, of which 5/20 inches consisted
of loose bark—the actual wood being only 1/ro inch from being
bored through. It is interesting to compare these measure-
ments with those recorded by Mr. Witherby.

It will be noted that I obtained no data as to the number of
eggs laid or the number of young hatched. I was so anxious
that the birds should not desert that I ran no risks of dis-
turbing them. The hole was too deep for me to see to the
bottom and I did not examine it with flash-light and mirror.
My visits were not frequent enough to enable me to calculate
the period of incubation and fledging; but the hen was
certainly sitting between May Ist and May 13th inclusive.

COLOUR OF BILL OF HEBRIDEAN TWITE IN
NESTING-SEASON.

In the Scottish Naturalist, 1926, p. 159, O. H. Wild and J. M.
McWilliam showed that the bills of the Twites (Carduelis
flavirostris) in Islay, in the nesting-season, were not yellow,
but definitely horn-coloured, with no trace of yellow. In
May and June of this year, 1934, J. M. McWilliam carefully
examined the Twites nesting in South Uist, and found their
bills to be horn-coloured. He watched a _ considerable
number at close quarters and examined three in the hand,
two males and one female.

Two males from South Uist (June 6th and 7th, 1934) and
two females from Bute, in the Clyde (June r8th, 1934, A. B.
Duncan and J. M. McWilliam), agree with a winter series
(December-February, 1933-4) of four males and eight females
(A. B. Duncan) from North and South Uist in all respects
except in the colour of the bill, which in all the summer birds
is bluish-horn and in the winter birds is clear yellow.

The summer colour of the bill seems a distinctive feature
of C. f. bensonorum, and the fact that the colour of the bill
is less bright in the breeding-season than in the winter is
remarkable. The further distribution of this form remains
to be worked out. J. M. McWILi1am.

ARTHUR B. DUNCAN.

RESULTS OF RINGING AND TRAPPING SWALLOWS
IN CARMARTHENSHIRE.

AFTER having caught and ringed 20 pairs of Swallows (Hirundo
y. rustica) in August, 1933, I retrapped their sheds during
August, 1934. The recoveries were exceedingly satisfactory
and a great improvement on those of other years (see Br. B.,
Vol. XXIV., p. 1273 Vol. XXVI., p. 253, and Vol. Xviae
p. 202). Of the 4o birds marked last year 12 turned up again
this year.

Sheds I-5. Not nesting in August.

Shed 6. Not nesting in August; female 50 yards
away with different mate.

Shedi7. a. Not nesting in August; male 200 yards

away in Shed 14.
Sheds 8-12. Different pairs.

ate

ee

a

VOL. XXVIIL.] NOTES. 171

Shed 13. Different male, its mate not caught ; former
male 1,100 yards away, its mate not caught.

Shed 14. Female same, male different.

Sheds 15 & 16. Males same, females different.

Shed 17. Male same, female not caught.

Shed 18. Female same, male not caught.

Sheds 19 & 20. Same pairs.

Possibly the most interesting fact is that in Sheds 19 and 20
the same pairs nested two years running; similar results
might have been obtained from Sheds 17 and 18.

Dr. Uchida, in his article ‘‘ Studies of Swallows by the Band-
ing Method”, which appeared in Bird Banding, Vol. IIL.,
No. 1, January, 1932, gave evidence that in the case of the
Japanese Swallow (Hirundo r. gutturalis), which is closely
allied to ours, the birds will return to their old nesting houses,
and if both of a pair are alive, they naturally nest there again ;
if one of a pair has disappeared, the other may either nest in
the same place or be attracted by a new mate to another house.
My results certainly agree with this, and, like him also, I
have so far had no proof of both birds returning and pairing
otherwise than as before.

I have now had a total of 40 Swallows ringed as adults and
recovered breeding in a subsequent year, and of these, 30
(75 per cent.) have nested in the same sheds as before, while
the remainder have been caught elsewhere; Dr. Uchida’s
proportion is exactly the same—go3 out of 124.

In addition to the 12 recoveries mentioned in the table
above, I was fortunate enough to catch two Swallows which
had been ringed as nestlings; these two were breeding 13
miles and 4} miles from their original nests. J. F. THomas.

THE FOOD OF NESTLING SWALLOWS.

In August, 1933, a first attempt was made to discover what
kind of food was brought to nestling Swallows (Hirundo r.
rustica), and a summary of the results was published in
Br. B., Vol. XXVII., p. 231. I now give below a second list
of insects, obtained during August, 1934, in south Carmarthen-
shire ; these were all taken from the beaks of adult Swallows
as they were going to feed their young. The present list
repeats several of the Diptera (including a horsefly) recorded
in 1933, and contains also two very small beetles, a small
moth and an ichneumon fly.

There does not seem to be any connexion between the size
of the insect and the age of the nestling, for some of the largest
flies were intended for young birds 4-6 days old.

172 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

I am greatly indebted to Miss D. Aubertin, of the Natural
History Museum, S. Kensington, who has very kindly
examined all the material and identified it so far as was

possible.
DIPTERA.
BIBIONIDZ Dilophus febrilis L.
STRATIOMYIID Microchrysa flavicornis Mg.
Sargus ? cuprarius L.
TABANID Hematopota italica Mg.
SYRPHIDZ Syrphus ? balteatus de G.
CALLIPHORIDA Onesia ?
Muscipz& Ortheilia cesavion Mg.
ANTHOMYIIDZ Hydrotea dentipes F.
CORDYLURID& Scatophaga stercovaria L.
SEPSIDZ Sepsis cynipsea L.
SPHHROCERIDZ Spherocera subsultans Latr.
OPOMYZIDZ Opomyza geryminationis L.
COLEOPTERA.
CRYPTOPHAGIDZ Ephistemus gyrvinoides Marsh
STAPHYLINIDE Tachyporus terysus Er.
LEPIDOPTERA.
CRAMBIDZ Crambus ; ?
HEMIPTERA.
CAPSID Stenodema calcavatum Fall.
HYMENOPTERA.
PIMPLID#& Lissonota basalis Brischke.

M. flavicornis occurred on two occasions (12 flies in all),
but only one specimen each was obtained of the others, except
D. febrilis, of which there were two. J. F. THomas.

SWALLOW FLYING THROUGH NARROW APERTURE.
SWALLOWS (Hirundo r. rustica) nesting in a small stable at
Mount Stead, Ben Rhydding, Yorkshire, could gain access
to it when the door was closed only by a hole below the latch.
This hole measured 23 in. by 2 in. and through this the birds
passed in flight without a check. Under these conditions, in
1933 four broods were brought off from two nests, and in
1934 two broods were successfully reared from a single nest.
Miss Dorothea Steinthal, Leicester House, Burgess Hill,
Sussex, who gives me the above particulars, speaks of the
parent birds taking the aperture “like a flash”. H.M.WALLIs.

[I have seen Swallows fly through vertical ventilating slits

in a stable door about 2 in. wide, in order to reach a nest.
—F.C.R.J.]

LAIE PASSAGE OF SWIFTS TO IRELAND:

WHILE staying at the Tuskar Rock Lighthouse, six miles off
the Wexford coast, Charles Oldham and I observed, on June
28th, 1934, what appeared to be the fag-end of a small late

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 173

movement of Swifts (Apus apus) to Ireland. At 4 a.m.,
soon after light, a party of three passed the Rock ; and these
were followed by a single bird at 4.15 a.m., two at 5.10 a.m.,
four flying low over the sea at 5.25 a.m., and four at 7 a.m.
(sun-time). ;

All these birds were heading straight for Greenore Point,
the nearest Irish land to Strumble Head on the Welsh coast.
In view of our previous observations (1930 and 1931) in north
Pembrokeshire, where we watched in the spring a daily coast-
wise passage of Swallows and Swifts—and particularly at
Strumble—it is probable that these Swifts had just come
from there.

While staying at Strumble Head Lighthouse on May 4th and
5th, 1930, we noticed many Swallows, some House-Martins,
and a few early Swifts congregated at one spot on the adjacent
mainland cliffs. Many Swallows passed the lighthouse
heading almost due west or W.N.W.; and we also saw two
Swifts on this course.

Strumble Head district appears to be a regular “ taking-
off’ place for Hirundinide and Swifts bound for Ireland.
The distance thence to the Irish coast (Rosslare) is under sixty-
two miles, and it seems likely that this line is recognized and
used by the birds as well as by human beings as the shortest
sea-route from Wales to Ireland.

As regards the date, it may be mentioned that W. Eagle
Clarke in Studies in Bird Migration (1912) gives June 23rd
as the latest “‘ spring’”’ migration date for the Swift, though
he notes one passing Eddystone Lighthouse on June 24th.
But remarkable signs of mass movements still later in the year
have been noted in Hertfordshire. Though the local Swifts
usually leave Tring shortly before mid-August, great numbers
can sometimes be seen crossing the reservoirs there less than
six weeks earlier. Thus, on June 27th, 1929, I saw hundreds

‘passing; and C. Oldham has recorded a big passage move-
ment on July 2nd, 1931, from these reservoirs (Tvansactions
Herts. Natural History Soctety, XIX., 176-7). He writes:
“On June 29th and 30th, there were virtually no Swifts or
Hirundines about the reservoirs, but on July 2nd at 3 p.m.,
with wind fresh from the W., a score of Sand-Martins and
perhaps 200 Swifts at Startop’s End reservoir. At Wilstone
reservoir there were hundreds of Swifts and Sand-Martins
and a good many House-Martins . . . it was easy to see that
a movement was in progress. Birds of all three species
drifted intermittently S.W. The Swifts were not all close to
the water, but more or less in column form—some very high

ce

174 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

in the air....’’ He adds that at the same place on the next
day he saw little more than a score of Swifts and House-Martins
altogether, and no Sand-Martins at all. BERTRAM LLOYD.

ALPINE SWIFTS IN PEMBROKESHIRE.

On September 14th, 1934, at 5.30 p.m., at St. David's,
Pembrokeshire, I saw two Alpine Swifts (Apus melba) flying
at first at a considerable height above the cliffs. I had them
under observation with field-glasses for about twenty minutes,
when they descended at times to a lower level. Their larger
size, though this is difficult to judge when there is no other
bird near by for comparison, mouse-brown upper-parts,
white throat, brown breast-band, and white breast and belly,
were very apparent.

The weather was hot, sunny, with considerable haze, and a
light southerly breeze. They were not seen again during a
stay of several days, and the weather changed to a hard
sou th-westerly gale. CLEMENCE M. ACLAND.

WATER-WEED IN KINGFISHER CASTINGS.

ON examining several castings of the Kingfisher (Alcedo a.
ispida), cast up as nesting material in a nest on the White Cart,
Renfrewshire, I was rather surprised to find large quantities
of green water-weed mixed with the undigested fish bones.

It is quite possible that the weed was in the stomach of the
fish when it was eaten, but as I have previously examined a
large number of Kingfishers’ castings, and never before
discovered any vegetable matter, I think this is worthy of
note. PHILIP A. CLANCEY.

AVOCETS IN HAMPSHIRE.
At the end of July, 1934, I was told of a pair of birds on the
saltings at Keyhaven (Milford-on-Sea) which I had no doubt,
from the description, were Avocets (‘ecurvirostra avosetta).
We went over on July 30th and watched the birds at close
quarters for the best part of an hour. They were Avocets
and, I think, undoubtedly adults. . BERNARD J. RINGROSE.

HEDGE-SPARROW BUILDING IN BLACKBIRD’s NEST.—Mr.
P. A. Clancey informs us that on April 2Ist, 1934, at Cathcart,
Renfrewshire, he found in a thick hawthorn hedge the nest of
a Blackbird (Turdus m. merula) containing four eggs. On
passing, three weeks later, he found that the four eggs were
missing, and built within the cup of the Blackbird’s nest was
one of a Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occidentalis) containing
one egg.

VOL. XXvlIT. | NOTES. 175

OsPREYS IN YORKSHIRE AND HUNTINGDONSHIRE.—We
have been informed by Major E. R. Collins that he watched an
Osprey (Pandion halietus) on May 22nd or 23rd, 1934, in
Yorkshire.

Mr. W. J. Clarke also informs us that he observed an Osprey
on July 13th, 1934, not very far from St. Neots, on the
border of Huntingdonshire and Bedfordshire. If any of our
readers know of any Ospreys being released in this country
other than those put down in Scotland some years ago by
Captain Knight, we shall be glad to have details.

DoTTrERELs IN HAMPSHIRE.—Mr. B. J. Ringrose informs us
that his brother saw on May 6th, 1934, on a barren hill-top
on the edge of the New Forest, near Gorley, a party of six
Dotterels (Charadrius morinellus), birds which probably pass
through the county regularly but are not very frequently
recorded.

Arctic RINGED PLOVER IN HERTFORDSHIRE.—It should
be recorded that a Ringed Plover shot by the late Dr. E.
Hartert at Marsworth Reservoir in November, 1904, was
considered by him to be an example of Charadrius Maticula
tundre. This bird was in Lord Rothschild’s collection, now
in New York. Ina letter to me in January, 1922, Dr. Hartert
gave the wing measurement as 127.5 and stated that the bird
was dark in colour and he had no doubt it was tundre, but it
was subsequently decided not to include the subspecies
definitely in the list —H.F.W.

BLACK-TAILED GODWITS IN CHESHIRE AND CORNWALL.—
Mr. M. C. Wainwright informs us that he observed ten Black-
tailed Godwits (Limosa 1. limosa) on September 23rd, 1934,
at Hoylake, Cheshire. He also informs us that one was shot
on the Burton Marshes in the previous week.

Miss E. P. Leach has sent us a note of one she saw near
Falmouth on August 11th, 1934.

LitTLE GULL IN EssEx.—Mr. R. W. Pethen informs us
that he and Mr. E. Mann watched a bird which was un-
doubtedly a Little Gull (Larus minutus) on August 18th,
1934, at Walthamstow reservoirs. Mr. Pethen sends us a
detailed description of the bird, which was in immature
plumage, and he notes that the flight was “ tern-like’’,
and that the bird remained on the wing, flying to and fro
and making downward dives for an hour or so, and did not
rest on the water or the shore as in the case of the Black-headed
Gulls which were also present.

176 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

SCANDINAVIAN LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS IN DEVON.—
Mr. K. D. Smith gives us full particulars of two of these
birds (Larus f. fuscus) seen by him on September 6th, 1934,
at Slapton. They were on the shore amongst a flock of the
British race and Great Black-backed Gulls.

REVIEWS.

The Role of Environment in the Life of Birds. By S. Charles Kendeigh.
Ecological Monographs, Vol. 4, No. 3, July, 1934: pp. 299-417.
(Cambridge University Press). 7s. net.

Ecological Monographs is the official publication, for longer papers
only, of the Ecological Society of America, and Mr. Kendeigh, who
has made in this paper an outstanding contribution to our knowledge
of the living bird, is already known to a number of British ornithologists
on account of his series of careful studies of bird temperatures and their
use in the mechanical recording of nesting activities by means of
instruments which show when, and for what periods, the bird has
actually been incubating. Inthe present paper the writer has combined
a remarkably wide sweep of inquiry with a thorough and first-hand
backing of detailed data. He has concentrated primarily on a single
subspecies—the American Eastern House-Wren, Tvoglodytes a. aedon,
Vieillot. During the thirteen seasons of 1921-33 he has carried out a
field study of the House-Wren population of fifteen acres in Ohio,
including the keeping of an exact census of adults and broods. He has
supplemented this with a thorough study, by means of controlled experi-
ments, of the physical limits of tolerance of the House-Wren and its
power of actual survival, with or without food, under extremes of
heat and cold, humidity and so forth. He has then analyzed exhaus-
tively from meteorological and other data the actual extremes of
climate which the House-Wren has to meet both in its summer and
winter range, and in its migrations between the two. This he has
reinforced by wide personal observation and analysis of a mass of data
bearing on the food, enemies, habits and environment of the House-
Wren, and of other birds. Finally, he has brought all these threads
together and interpreted the bearing of the combined result upon
theories of migration, territory and so forth.

This paper is so packed with material that an adequate notice seems
impossible. Generally, the writer’s case is that birds are responsive
to climatic conditions not only indirectly through their effects on
vegetation and food, but also directly. He shows that birds have
limits of resistance to temperature changes and that these may actually
be passed at times, even in the temperate zone. The standard body
temperature for female House-Wrens is 105° F.—for the male it is a
few points lower—but the daily rhythm of activity causes a drop below
this level during the night, and a rise of several degrees above it during
the day. Emotion, activity, food digestion and high air temperature
all tend to raise the body heat, and temperate Passerine species seem to
suffer serious discomfort at air temperatures exceeding 90° F., unless
they keep still. If a high air temperature is accompanied by much
humidity the keeping down of body heat becomes even more difficult.
At the other extreme, air temperature seems to act as a critical factor
mainly in conjunction with long nights and restricted opportunities

VOL. XXVIII. REVIEWS. 177

for getting food. Digestion in small Passerines is so rapid that even a
full stomach may be entirely digested within 2} hours. House-Spar-
rows kept without food lost up to 4 per cent. or more of their weight
during as short a time as two hours. Even in winter, when
resistance is highest, so hardy a species as the House-Sparrow
proved unable to endure for 24 hours without food an air temperature
below freezing point. The writer states that House-Sparrows in
America resist exposure to temperatures between o and 32° F. nearly
60 per cent. longer in winter than in summer, and even the migratory
House-Wren has a better resistance on its arrival in spring than it has
in midsummer. Yet the House-Wren’s survival time without food,
at 32° F., is less than ten hours, and as the winter nights within the
breeding range are from twelve to fifteen hours long, a single frosty
night might be sufficient to wipe out any House-Wrens attempting to
winter in this area, unless, of course, they were able to find somewhere
to escape from the full rigour of the temperature. They perishin such
circumstances apparently not through either cold or starvation in the
ordinary sense, but because of a high rate of metabolism at low air
temperatures, which causes the bird to be ‘‘ able during the daytime
to assimilate only a part of the equivalent total energy that it loses at
night ’’.

Mr. Kendeigh has analyzed the problem with an ability, a technique
and an apparatus which, it seems safe to say, no previous ornithological
worker has brought to bear upon it. He concludes that the variations
of weather and climate do provide real limits of tolerance for birds,
which can be measured, although measurement is handicapped partly
by the tendency of individual factors either to cancel out or to supple-
ment one another, and partly by the existence of a “‘ zone of physiolo-
gical discomfort "’ interposed between the optimum conditions of life
for the species and the limits of its tolerance. The dynamic nature of
the forces at work, and the importance of the time factor are well
brought out, and many interesting suggestions emerge. For example,
the writer is able to indicate the part played by shorter nights, at an
adequate air temperature, in reducing the proportion of its time
which a small Passerine species must spend getting food in order to
maintain its own vitality, and therefore in increasing the amount of
time available for foraging on behalf of a brood. Again, by drawing a
series of ‘‘climographs’’ of the combinations of night and day air
temperature, possible and actual sunshine, precipitation and wind
velocity occurring at different seasons in both the breeding range
(in Canada and the north-eastern United States) and the wintering
range (in the Gulf States and the South), the writer is able to show
where the limits of tolerance are actually approached, and how skilfully
the species keeps within them by the time and place of its migrations.

Mr. Kendeigh is not under the illusion that he has found any water-
tight and final solution of the reasons for migration ; he is more con-
cerned to show that migration is a highly complex affair, governed by
many different factors, of which he has only been able to discuss a
few, and that only in connexion with one particular case. His con-
clusions are generally in harmony with those of Rowan and others
who have emphasized the importance of light and temperature acting
through the physiological state of the bird as the stimulus for migration.
At the same time, he is cautious in the picture which he draws of the
relation between the daily and yearly rhythm of bird life and the periodic
phenomena of migration and the moult (which he is inclined to link
rather closely).

178 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

The paper is very largely the outcome of the work which has been
carried on under the leadership of Dr. S. Prentiss Baldwin at the
Baldwin Bird Research Laboratory at Gates Mills, Ohio. It is a
triumph for the technique of collaboration between physiology and field
ornithology which has there been developed, and points to large gaps
in our equipment for handling certain ornithological problems in Great
Britain. It is to be hoped that the stiff reading which part of Mr.
Kendeigh’s paper makes will not deter British ornithologists from going
through it thoroughly, for whatever flaws it contains and whatever
scope it may give for differences of opinion, it is certainly one of those
contributions which make a firm foundation for new advances all along
the line.—E.M.N.

Sea Terns or Sea Swallows, their Habits, Language, Arrival and Departure.
By George Marples and Anne Marples. pp. xii., 227, 117 photos
and 21 figs. (Country Life). 15s. net.

THIS is an unusual work and demands a fuller review than the ordinary
series of photographs with descriptions of what the author has observed
from the shelter of his hide. There is, first of all, a very complete
series of photographic records of the breeding activities of all the
five species of British-breeding Terns. In most cases each plate
contains at least two figures, so that they are on rather a small scale,
and vary somewhat in quality, though many are quite excellent. The
authors have visited most of the breeding places in the British Isles
and have not been content to spend a few days in the middle of the
breeding-season in a colony, but have watched and recorded the whole
procedure from the first arrival to the departure of old and young.
Full and careful notes are given on such subjects as courtship, nesting,
incubation, the rearing of the young and the vocabulary of the various
species, and these are supplemented by workmanlike drawings and
diagrams to illustrate tracks, colour patterns of the downy young,
migration records, etc. Some of the photographic and diagrammatic
records illustrating courtship, as shown by tracks, are of very great
interest, and the first-hand observations which form a great part of
the book are not given in needless detail and have very real value.

Having accumulated this material on their round of the British
Terneries, the authors have taken the rather ambitious step of producing
a monograph on all the Terns which have occurred in the British Isles,
but those species which do not breed with us are only treated from the
point of view of visitors. Lists have been compiled of their occurrences,
and their distinguishing characters are shown in figures.

This part of the work is less satisfactory. Nomenclature is a particu-
larly thorny subject, and to write critical notes on it requires expert
knowledge. In this case the notes add nothing to the value of the book
and contain many inaccuracies. Thus, of the Sandwich Tern it is
said that ‘‘ Gmelin, who had already in 1788 named it S. africana,
changed it in 1789 to S. cantiaca’’. Both Gmelin’s names occur in
the same part of the Systema, on consecutive pages: S. africana was
applied to a young bird from Africa, which Gmelin then believed to be
a distinct species. For the Common Tern, Naumann’s name fluviatilis
was not given in 1847, but in 1819, on page 1847. The Caspian Tern
was, according to Mr. Marples, called ‘“‘ Stervna Tschegrava, from a
naturalist of that name ’”’, by Lepechin! There was, of course, no one
so called : Lepechin merely combined the Latin generic name Sterna
with the Russian colloquial name for the Caspian Tern. Of this species
Mr. Marples also writes : ‘‘ Harting repeated the mistake in Handbook of

VOL. XXVIII.] REVIEWS. 179

Birds of Kent and in the Victoria County History of Kent”’. Harting
was the author of a Handbook of British Birds, but never wrote any work
whatever on the Birds of Kent. ;

The old and now discredited record of the Lesser Sooty Tern in 1875
is printed twice over (p. 23), but the accepted record by Mr. Mannering
in 1932 is ignored. Many similar instances could be quoted, but the
value of the book does not lie in these paragraphs, which would have
been better omitted. ; ,

To return to the stories of the British Terneries. One point which the
authors have failed to grasp is, that the statements of the older writers
must be read in the light of the knowledge which we now possess. What
possible value can the statements of Thompson and Seebohm have on
the question as to whether the Roseate Tern lays three eggs or not ?
Thompson admits that the nests with three eggs which he saw were not
identified in any way. Seebohm had no personal acquaintance what-
ever with the Roseate Tern. Elwes’s casual statement in the Ibis
for 1869, that the Common Tern is ‘“‘ also common” in the Outer
Hebrides, based on sight records only, before the days of prismatics,
can well be ignored. In the history of the Norfolk Terneries it 1s
strange that the great colony at Wells, which formerly extended for
nearly two miles along the sandhills, is not mentioned. On p. 206 it
is stated that the Norfolk colonies of Common Terns are “ firmly
rooted and not prone to desertion’, yet this colony has completely
disappeared within the last fifteen years. We notice that the authors
seem to think it possible that the Norfolk Sandwich Terns are the
dispossessed Romney Marsh birds! It would be interesting to know
how these birds spent the half century which elapsed between the
abandonment of Romney Marsh and the establishment of the Norfolk
Terneries.

On page 212 a diagram is given which purports to show the “ longi-
tudinal ”’ [sic] distribution of the nesting areas of the British Terns.
This is very inaccurate and requires considerable alteration. Thus
the range of the Roseate Tern is (roughly) shown as extending from
27° N. to 57° N.Lat. It has recently been recorded as breeding on an
island off Cape Province, near Cape Agulhas, and has long been known
to nest near Zanzibar! The southern limit of the Caspian Tern is
placed at about 35° N., but Australia and New Zealand le within the
breeding range of the species. (We presume by “ longitudinal ’’ the
authors mean “ latitudinal’’, as the figures bear no reference to
longitude). The book contains so much really good and valuable
matter that it is a pity that such slips should have been allowed to
appear in print. What the authors tell us from their own experience
is generally excellent, but the compilations are far below the standard
of the rest of the book. With a hundred years of ornithological study
behind us, we expect a high standard of accuracy in present-day work,

_and in this part of the work it is lacking. F.C. R. Jourparn.

Habitat Selection in Birds. By David Lack, B.A. Journ. of Animal
Ecology. Vol. 2, pp. 239-262.
_Birp distribution is determined in all probability by a considerable
;number of factors of which our present techniques are only adequate
‘to measure a handful. Further, these techniques are mostly of recent
‘development, have been mastered only imperfectly by a small number
‘of human beings, and, owing to the limits of time and energy, have
{been applied only to an insignificant number of individual birds
| belonging to a few species and studied in a few small areas which do

180 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

not form a very impressive proportion of the surface of the globe.
Limited as the available data are, they are scattered in hundreds of
books and periodicals printed in several languages and the task of
digesting and interpreting them is seriously in arrears. In these
circumstances all that we can hope to do is by degrees to measure
new factors in more and more different cases, to bring them into relation
with the factors we already know something about, and so steadily to
build up a truer and more balanced picture of the forces at work in
bird life.

It is difficult to avoid feeling that if Mr. Lack had written his paper
more in this spirit and less as a heavy broadside against adversaries
whose existence is doubtful, it would be better able to stand the test of
time. Compare, for instance, this paper with the chapter entitled
““An approach to a mind story” in Mr. Eliot Howard’s Introduction
to the Study of Bird Behaviour. Here Howard says that “ The edifice
of territory is reared upon three things—song, hostility, and behaviour
within an area’’. He describes, in a masterly manner, the actual
behaviour of a Tree-Pipit and of other individual birds at the moment
of choosing a territory, and the emphasis which he lays upon the psycho-
logical factor is greater than that which he allows to any other. Yet
Howard does not let himself forget that other things come into the pic-
ture too, while Mr. Lack goes to the length of protracted speculation
on the possible part of habitat selection in the evolution of, for example,
the Tree- and Meadow-Pipits as separate species without thinking
it necessary to pay any attention to the fact that one is exclusively a
summer resident in England, while the other is common all through

the year.
Mr. Lack states that the object of his paper is ‘“‘ to show the import-
ance of the psychological factor in limiting bird distribution’”’. In

case there should be any mistake about it he has stated his argument
in such a way that fully to accept it would apparently involve believing
that no other factor in bird distribution is of any appreciable importance
compared with psychology. The justification for this enormous
emphasis on psychology is apparently supposed to be that psychology
has been “‘ usually ignored, in bird distribution ’’. No doubt there will
always be differences of opinion on the weight to be attached to each of
a number of factors, but it is difficult to understand why the writer
should find it necessary to overstate his case with such engaging
recklessness. The valuable and suggestive field study of bird popula-
tion in a newly afforested area of East Anglia, which he has carried
out in 1931 and 1933, is reduced to little more than a text on which the
argument can be based.

Perhaps the greatest weakness in the argument is the failure to con-
sider alternative interpretations of the lag in abandoning old sites and
in colonizing new ones. If a species appears to persist in not colonizing
all the types of habitat in which it might flourish, the explanation must
(according to the writer) be the psychological factor ; if, on the other
hand, it begins to colonize new habitats, and is successful, this, again,
‘affords the best evidence that a bird’s restriction to its habitat is
psychological’. It is interesting to observe that this argument leads
Mr. Lack to postulate that—‘‘ In spring, when birds take up their
breeding quarters, they normally appear straight away in the typical
habitat. Had there been no habitat selection, one would have expected
them to attempt to breed in other habitats’’. And that, surely, is
what they actually do. Sometimes, like the Moorhens and Wood-
Pigeons which have colonized Inner London in the past fifty years, or

VOL. XXVII.} REVIEWS. 181

the Oyster-Catchers breeding inland in Scotland, they make good in
an unusual habitat. More often, like all the non-breeding birds
or outliers which fail to attract a mate, or to rear a brood,
they do not make good. Some of them give up in time, to move on
after a day or two in an unsuitable place, others move on late, but still
in time to breed, some persist in a hopeless site and never bring off a
brood.

Mr. Lack has done a useful piece of work in stimulating further
analysis, of which we cannot have too much. It is interesting to see
from a footnote on page 255 that already by the time his paper went to
press he was moving towards a more tenable position, and there is
reason to hope that this paper will prove simply to have been a ballon
d@’ essai sent up in advance of a more permanent and balanced contribu-
tion to the study of bird distribution. A corrective to the views of one
generation may well be supplied by the next, and Mr. Lack has certainly
the capacity to help us towards the revaluation of the territory theory
which we need now, and will need again, before anything like finality
can be in sight. E.M.N.

The Birds of Cambridgeshire. By David Lack, M.B.o.u. (Cambridge
Bird Club). 7s. 6d. net.

Tue Birds of Cambridgeshire, which has been compiled by Mr. David

Lack for, and with the active co-operation of the members of, the Cam-

bridge Bird Club, is a welcome addition to the list of county avifaunas,

in that it fills to a considerable extent a gap in their ranks that has

existed far too long.

It would have been perhaps more accurate had it been called a
Handbook of the county’s birds, for it is a small book of only 118 pages
and the detailed status of the 256 forms dealt with occupies only 64 of
them. It hardly makes any pretence therefore at giving a detailed
history of each species. The work, however, has been carefully
done and condensation so studied that there is hardly a superfluous
word in the book and certainly no superfluous matter. In this respect
it is to be hoped that it is merely a stop-gap to serve as an instalment
of something larger and more compendious. There must be many
still untapped sources of information in respect of the past history of
many species that further research will reveal.

As a handbook to the present status of the avifauna it is authoritative,
though no doubt changes will have to be made here and there in the
future as the result of further observations, particularly in the details
of migration as it affects the Passeres and in the detection of the
presence of Continental forms as migrants. The establishment of the
Sewage Farm on the outskirts of Cambridge has clearly been of vast
advantage in settling the status and movements of several of the other
Orders.

Coming down to details it is a little surprising that only a single
record of the Mealy Redpoll can be found and that just on a century
old! To our knowledge one or two used to be caught in most winters
in the “ nineties’ by the Cambridge bird-catchers and locally caught
examples were always to be seen at the shows of the local fanciers.
Certainly then it was almost, if not quite, an annual winter visitor
in small numbers. The account of the Tree-Sparrow is hardly adequate,
and is so worded as to lead the uninformed reader to suppose that
it is mainly (if not entirely) a winter visitor. The road St. Neots—
Cambridge—Newmarket is given as a line south of which it is a scarce
bird. Though possibly true at the present time, though we doubt it,

182 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

this ignores the real abundance of the bird along the upper Cam.
Here, at any rate thirty years ago, it was even commoner than in
most other localities to the north. It is curious to read the account
of the Nightingale without finding any mention of the Trumpington
Road as a famous (? former) haunt. Perchance “ ribbon development ”
has now banished this once abundant species from this area. Certainly
at one time there must have been more Nightingales to the mile there,
than along any other road in England.

The inclusion of the Pelican within square brackets is justified, since
there is no proof that it was ever an inhabitant of the county within
historic times, but we cannot agree to putting the Grey Lag-Goose
and Crane into the same category. There cannot be any doubt that
both inhabited the Cambridgeshire fens up to within the last two or
three centuries, and in the case of the Goose up to 1773, and material
for a more detailed history of both no doubt awaits the searcher.
The ground for the square brackets in their cases appears to be because
there have been no records of them in the county since the arbitrarily
chosen date of 1800. Quite why this date was chosen is not apparent
and the misuse of square brackets, whose significance in ornithology
is now well recognized, is unjustified.

We note that the heading to the Lesser Black-backed Gull is given
without qualification as to which race is intended, though the scientific
name of the British race follows. It is stated to be a regular spring and
autumn migrant, but no reference to races is made in the text. Are
we to conclude that all hitherto seen have belonged to the British race ?
Or are all the records doubtful ? This seems to be a point requiring
further observation and elucidation.

It will be seen that there are really but few points for serious criticism
in the present small book, but we must emphasize the hope that itis
but a stepping-stone to something bigger.—N.F.T.

LETTERS.

BIRDS LAYING WHILE STILL ATTENDING BROOD PROM
PREVIOUS CLUTCH.

To the Editors of BritisH BirDs.

Strs,—In connection with Mr. Musselwhite’s letter and the Editor’s
remarks under this heading (antea, p. 151), I may record that a Black-
bird (Turdus m. merula) hatched four young in 1934 in a nest on a
branch of a cedar on my lawn at Cheddar, and without adding any
additional material laid four more eggs after an interval of thirteen
days from the young leaving the nest. These were reduced to two and
were fed with soaked, pressed bread on the bird-table every day by
either the old cock or the hen, and I have seen both young follow the
hen up to the cedar branch as she went to resume incubation of the
second lot of eggs. When she flew to the table to feed, the two young
would be sure to turn up and follow her there. The second lot of
eggs was hatched off. STANLEY LEWIS.

FULMAR PETREL INVESTIGATION (1934).
To the Editors of BRiTISH BIRDs.

Strs,—I should like to inform readers who have not yet contributed
notes to the above investigation, that all the information and schedules
should now be sent in to me.

VOL. XXVIII.] LETTERS. 183

The results obtained so far have been most successful, but the lack
of negative information is causing some concern. Without definite
information from a district in which the Fulmar might possibly breed
I cannot properly infer that it is not breeding there. I would be very
grateful, therefore, for negative information from any part of the British
Islands.

Further schedules can be supplied on application.

27, INVERLEITH TERRACE, GEORGE WATERSTON.
EDINBURGH.

THE GANNET COLONIES OF ICELAND.
To the Editors of BritisH Brirps.

Srrs,—Mr. Brian Roberts’s census of Gannets in the six occupied
Icelandic colonies (By. B., Vol. XXVIII., pp. 100-105) is interesting,
but loses some value because he does not indicate even approximately
what proportion of the Gannets present were non-breeders, except at
the tiny Grimsey colony of 21 nests, and in our opinion his total figure
of 13,600 pairs is likely to be inaccurate since his methods of calculation
are loose and misleading.

Even if we presume, as he does, that all the birds he counted were
breeders or occupiers of nests, we consider that his vague deduction
for pairs at the nest and his addition of 30 per cent. for pairs away fishing
and in the air are unsatisfactory. From our further and close experi-
ence (particularly R.M.L.’s) of the large colony at Grassholm, S. Wales,
we believe that during the daytime, from June until early September,
on an average only about one nest in twenty (5 per cent.) has both of
the pair of adults present, and that not one in fifty (2 per cent.) has a
young bird untended or alone. The egg or very young chick is, of
course, always guarded by one or other of its parents. There can be
practically no pairs of nesting adults in flight or away fishing. Those
fishing or in the air are mates of birds brooding below, or non-breeders.
We speak, of course, of a colony observed working under normal condi-
tions undisturbed by any human element. Therefore, the total
number of birds counted at nests, less about 3 per cent. (the difference
between the above percentages of pairs and absentees), actually repre-
sents the number of breeding pairs in the colony.

Mr. Roberts has misread the application of the 50 per cent. addition
quoted from the 1924 Grassholm census, when it was suggested (as a
check on other figures) that 2,420 birds at nests, plus (only) 50 per cent.,
1,210 birds, equalled (a minimum of) 1,800 pairs. He suggests (p. 101)
that 3,636 birds at nests represent 3,000 pairs, and then adds 30 per
cent. for further pairs away fishing and in flight, thus arriving at a total
of 3,900 pairs, a very different proposition.

But again, on p. 104, in dealing with Eldey, he takes 14,000 or 14,500
birds, adds 30 per cent. (say 4,000 odd birds) to get a rough total of
9,000 pairs. His methods of applying the 30 per cent. are thus
decidedly at variance.

Were we calculating on his counts for the Vestmannzyjar colonies
our figures would be :—

3,636 birds at nests less 3 percent. ... «+= 3,527 pairs
On the same basis at Eldey (if correct),
14,500 birds at nests less 3 percent. ...=14,065 ,,
Add Grimsey = of BEY gs

Total ... 17,613 pairs

184 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

This is much removed from Mr. Roberts’ figure of 13,600 pairs, the
composition of which, we must say, further puzzles us. On p. ror
he gives the total for the Vestmanneyjar colonies as 3,900 pairs, but
on pp. 104-5, without any explanation, they amount to 4,690 pairs !
This surely is loose calculating ?

The estimate for Eldey on acreage and concentration seems to us
excessive. At Grassholm the Gannets nest mainly on gently-sloping
ground (comparable with the top of Eldey) and the concentration is
very close—it cannot well be closer. Slightly under 5,000 nests
occupy two acres and on that area we counted 5,113 birds. An over
80 per cent. closer concentration for Eldey at 14,000 birds on three
acres seems too high an estimate. It might be possible—non-nesting
birds can concentrate much closer than those at nests—but until we
know approximately the proportions of each, any estimate of the
number of breeding pairs is bound to be speculative.

Mr. Roberts makes no other mention of immature and non-breeding
birds except to say that on Grimsey there were 28 non-breeders (40 per
cent. of the total birds present) in the colony. That in itself should
have suggested to him the importance of attempting to find out what
proportion of these there might be at the other Icelandic colonies.
As, however, he was unable to land at these, there is some excuse
for the omission. We can only suggest below a possible method for
such future occasions when observers are unable to land at large
colonies.

That non-breeders in fully mature plumage may occupy a colony
or ledge and, at a short distance, have all the appearance of bona fide
nesting pairs, was well illustrated on the occasion of the cruise around
Grassholm of members of the International Ornithological Congress
on July 8th, 1934. The Gannets at first view appeared to be nesting
from the N. point to the extreme S.W. corner, including the whole
of the large detached rock known as West Tump. When, however,
the whistles of the destroyers were blown, the non-breeders deserted

their stations en masse, leaving only the breeding birds, which remained

staunch to their eggs and young. It was then seen that the vacated
area (about one-third of the total area covered by Gannets) was devoid
of nests or birds, though quite as white with guano as the breeding area.
In conclusion we would point out that the number of non-breeders
varies considerably with the hour of the day and the time of the vear.
At night in June, 1934, it was negligible at Grassholm. The number is
largest soon after sunrise. At 8 a.m., in June, approximately 2,000
birds were present off the nesting ground. At 10 a.m., on August 18th,
1934, there were at least 3,000, and at 9 a.m. on the 25th the extra-
ordinary assembly of 6,000 adults with few immatures was spread
over an area as great as the gannetry itself. There can be no doubt
that at certain times of the day partners of birds which are brooding
young in the colony itself rest and preen among the groups of non-
breeders outside and so considerably swell their ranks.
R. M. LockKLey.
H. MorrrEy SALMON.
[As Mr. Brian Roberts has now sailed in s.s. Penola as a member of
an Antarctic expedition which will be away, we believe, for some two
years, he will be unable to answer this informative criticism until his
return. |

REPORT on the “ BRITISH BIRDS”
CENSUS OF HERONRIES, 1928

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[ eae OF » NUMBER 7, Vv OL. XXV it. [=e Tr. 1934.

SS PAGE
The Names of the Song-Thrushes. By H. F. W itherby . ‘ 186
On a Flock of Razorbills in Middlesex found to be Infested Ww. ith
Intestinal Flukes. By Percy R. Lowe. (Parasitological
Report. By H. A. Baylis, M.a., ae ie as oi ne aan 188
Territory in the Great Crested Grebe. y L. S. V. Venables
and David Lack ... 1gt
Plumage Changes Observed i in an Ice land Gull in 1 Somersetshire.
By H. Tetley te noe sa “ee * one nee 199
Notes :-—
Spotte d Flycatcher Laying Three Times in one Nest (H. J. K.
3urne) ... “ ik aes pan Pe soe 203
Coal-Tit’s Double Brood (I T. E. Pounds) eve vee soe, RS
Dartford Warbler in Devonshire (S. Baron) ... nia ss 202A
Incubation- and Fledging-Periods of Wren (R. H. Brown) ... 204
Young Swallows assisting in Building the Second Nest
(A. Astley) ein ae a ee xe ee
Late Passage of Swifts in “Susse x -(P. A. D. Hollom) ... + 204
Tawny Owl eating Newts (W. A. Smallcombe).. — ane «205
Hobby Breeding in Breconshire (J. G. W liam) swe nee OG
Osprey in Radnorshire ( (J. G. Williams) ... es sae oes «= OH
Little Bittern in Sussex (IX. P. Keywood) - ae ate 205
Pintail Breeding in Dumbartonshire (P. Rickman) ay nas 206
Diving of the Shoveler (Bertram Lloyd) ; ae ons, 206
Ferruginous Duck in Merionethshire (E. H. T. Bible) an ve SOY
Status of Black-necked Grebe Colony in Forth Area (W.
Serle, Jur.) : one 207
Emigration of Lapwings i in Winter, 1933-4 (H. F. W itherby
and Miss E. P. Leach) ... i ane 208
Temminck’s Stint in Ayrshire (Mrs. W. ‘Boyd Ww att) abe me «2D
Broad-billed Sandpiper seen in Sussex (N. F. Ticehurst) s« 209
Wood-Sandpiper in East Lothian (W. Serle, Jnr.) ... ws 210
Incubation-Period of Greenshank (Miss W. M. Ross) ... 211

Red-necked Phalarope in Cardiganshire (W. Hastings Smith) 211
Mortality among Young Common Terns in Lancashire (H. W.
Robinson) <i oa <a 4 ED
Great Skua in Derby shire (Dr. W, " Shipton) eae es een) Se
Short Notes :—
Little Bunting in Fife. Snow-Bunting Inland in Essex.
Willow-Tits in Radnorshire. Garganey Nesting in Kent.
Grey Ploversin Hertfordshire. Black Ternsin Westmorland
and Lancashire. Puffinin Surrey. Quail Nesting in Kent and
Observed in Hampshire. Courtship Flight of Temminck’sStint 212
Letter :—
The Grassholm Gannets (R. H. Brown) ... eae ee Fos, ea
Reviews :—
Quest for Birds. The Problems and Pleasures “a an Lee
Bird-Watcher. By W. K. Richmond
Scolt Head Island. Edited by J. A. Steers

m4

(186)
THE NAMES OF THE SONG-THRUSHES. ,

BY
H. F. WITHERBY:

In the article on “ Additions and Alterations to the British
List’ in the September issue of this magazine it was stated
(p. 96) that the proposed alterations in the names of the
Song-Thrushes would be postponed here until the point
regarding the name philomelus for the Continental form was
cleared up. The List Committee of the B.O.U. has now
decided that this name must be retained since it is prior to
planiceps which was suggested (Jbis, 1934, p. 832).

The name ertcetorum (1807) of Turton for the British Song-
Thrush has priority in date over philomelus (1831) of Brehm,
and the British bird thus becomes the typical form.

The changes will therefore be as follows :—

166. Turdus ertcetorum philomelus Brehm.

THE CONTINENTAL SONG-THRUSH.
instead of Turdus philomelus philomelus Brehm.
167. Turdus ericetorum ericetorum Turton.

THE BRITISH SONG-THRUSH.

Turbus ERIcEToORUM Turton, British Fauna, I., 1807, p. 35, based on
Lewin, Birds of Great Britain, II., pl. Lx1., p. 68, 1796 (1807—
England).

instead of Turdus philomelus clarket Hartert, 1909.
168. Turdus ericetorum hebridensis Clarke.

THE HEBRIDEAN SONG-THRUSH.
instead of Turdus philomelus hebridensis.

The bird figured by Lewin as the Heath Thrush is certainly —
a Song-Thrush and the name Turdus ericetorum, given to it
by Turton, must stand as the earliest valid name of the
Song-Thrush. The British race thus becomes the typical
one.

It is very unfortunate that the name of such a well-known
bird as the Song-Thrush must be altered and, doubtless because
of this, opposition has again been raised to the system of
strict priority. These complaints are really not justified.
The facts show that since the publication of the systematic
list in the last part of the Practical Handbook in 1924 the
changes made on grounds of nomenclature affect only ten
species or, if all the subspecies involved in these changes are

VOL. Xxvil.] NAMES OF SONG-THRUSHES. 187

counted, then fourteen. This is out of 496 forms in ten years
and it must surely be admitted that the system has stood the
test and is as stable a system as can be agreed upon. Moreover
there is every reason to suppose that there will be still
fewer changes in the next ten years. ;

These changes due to nomenclature have involved the
Mealy, Greenland and Lesser Redpolls, White-winged Lark,
Red-throated Pipit, Yellow-browed Warbler, Continental,
British and Hebridean Song-Thrushes, Snowy Owl, American
Pectoral Sandpiper, British Lesser Black-backed Gull,
Iceland Gull and the generic name of the Crane.

There have also been eighteen additions to the list making
now a total of 514 forms.

a

(188)

ON A FLOCK OF RAZORBILLS IN MIDDLESEX
FOUND TO BE INFESTED WITH
INTESTINAL FLUKES.

BY
PERCY R. LOWE.

On October 26th, 1934, a Razorbill (Alca torda) was sent to
the Bird Room of the British Museum, in the flesh, by Mr.
John Stilgoe, Chief Engineer of the Hampton Waterworks,
who had recovered it from the Littleton Reservoir, where it
had been picked up dead along with fourteen others.

The bird was sent to us as being a strange and unfamiliar
species to the staff of the waterworks. It was handed
over to Mr. Bishop to be converted into a skin, and seemed
to be in perfect condition and plumage. However, on
handling it, Mr. Bishop noticed that blood was extruded
from the vent and, on opening the abdomen, more blood
was found free in the cavity. The walls of. the lower
intestines were also turgid and engorged with extravasated
blood. The state of affairs was obviously pathological,
although the condition of the general muscular system was
quite good, and there was a considerable amount of sub-
cutaneous fat on the body.

After skinning, the bird was handed over to my colleague,
Dr. Baylis, with a request for a parasitological report (see
below), and he almost immediately informed us that the lower
intestine was infested with a species of fluke.

I then got into touch with the staff of the reservoir and was
fortunate enough to catch Dr. Rushton on the telephone, who
very kindly promised to do his best to send us the fourteen
other dead birds. This was done, and although the bodies
by this time were rather decomposed, Dr. Baylis was able to
make some further investigations (see below). Fourteen of
the birds were adults and the other was a bird of the year.

* * * *

There are one or two outstanding points of interest about
the occurrence of these fifteen dead Razorbills which were
picked up in Littleton Reservoir.

(x) I think it is distinctly unusual for so many Razorbills
to be simultaneously picked up dead in any one place.

(2) Their discovery synchronized with a rather violent
and sudden storm which had occurred a day or two before.
Was this a mere coincidence ? On discovering the loss of blood
which the flukes must have caused we were naturally inclined

VOL. XXVII.] INFECTED RAZORBILLS. 189

to read things as follows: loss of blood—weakness—storm
—inability to keep to the open sea—birds driven inshore.

(3) It is, however, unlikely that fifteen Razorbills, all
suffering from the same infection, would be driven inshore
in one compact band, and still less to the same spot. —

(4) Moreover, in view of the fact that as Dr. Baylis informs
us the parasite, with which these Razorbills were chiefly
infected, has for one of its hosts freshwater fishes, the question
arises how long might not these birds have been living on the
reservoir, and whether they might not have become infected
during their sojourn there.*

(5) If they were so infected on the reservoir, what cause
had driven them there in the first instance ; and what, if any,
evidence is there to presume that Razorbills affect fresh,
or even brackish, water in their normal life cycle.

I append a report on the parasites, which has been very
kindly supplied by Dr. H. A. Baylis.

PARASITOLOGICAL REPORT.
By H. A. BAYLIS). May Dis,

FIFTEEN birds were received for parasitological examination.
In all of them the rectal portion of the intestine was highly
inflamed, and on being opened was found to be full of blood.
Attached to its lining were enormous numbers of Holostomes,
or Strigeid flukes. These were determined as Cotylurus
platycephalus, a species which does not seem to have been
recorded previously in the Razorbill, but has been found in
various other fish-eating birds. There can be no doubt that
excessively heavy infestation with these parasites was the
primary cause of the death of the birds. The extensive
hemorrhage observed in nearly all the birds, and their
simultaneous death, suggest that all the infections had been
acquired at about the same time, and that they were of quite
recent date. In some of the birds, however, worms of various

* Mr. J. P. Hardiman informs us that he was at Littleton Reservoir
with Mr. J. B. Watson on October 26th, and took away one of the dead
Razorbills, so that the total number was sixteen. Mr. Hardiman has
kindly made enquiries with a view to discovering when the Razorbills
first appeared and when they died, but they were unfortunately not
observed before the 26th, when they were found dead.

It may be of interest to record here that Dr. Robert J. Buxton informs
us that an adult Razorbill was picked up dead at Easneye, Ware, Herts,
on October 23rd. The bird was not dissected and it can only be said
that it was in fair condition and had been dead some two or three
days.—Eps.

190 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

sizes were found, showing that successive infections had taken
place within a few days of their death.

A fatal enteritis, due to a closely-related parasite, has been
recorded in pigeons. This worm is not normally a parasite of
pigeons, but of plovers and ducks, and it seems probable that
both in the case of the pigeons and in that of the Razorbills
the severity of the symptoms was partly due to the infection
having been accidentally acquired by an abnormal host.

The life-history of Cotvlurus platycephalus is unknown, but
the larval forms of several species of the genus occur in
freshwater snails, leeches or fishes, or in amphibians and
terrestrial animals. None appear to be known in marine
hosts. Three other kinds of parasitic worms were found in
the Razorbills, and it is of great interest to note that, though
the life-history of only one of them is actually known, they all
belong to genera whose larve occur in freshwater fishes,
and are unknown in marine fishes. It appears almost certain,
therefore, that the birds had acquired all these parasites after
their arrival in fresh water. It was thought at first that the
loss of blood and general weakness caused by their heavy
parasitic infestations had led to the birds being carried inland
by a gale which occurred a day or two before they were picked
up. The birds had clearly taken no food recently when
dissected, but they were in fat condition. It is therefore more,
probable that, having for some unknown reason left the sea,
they had fed for a few days on freshwater fishes, thereby
acquiring infection with a series of parasites which were not
normal to them. Most of these parasites had had time to grow
to maturity, but their presence (especially that of the Coty-
lurus) had probably produced more serious effects than it
would have had on their usual hosts. There was, in fact, a
sudden outbreak of parasitic enteritis, which caused the birds
to cease to feed and rapidly proved fatal to them.

(191)
TERRITORY IN THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE.

BY
L. S. V. VENABLES anp DAVID LACK.

INTRODUCTION.

In their review of territory in bird life, D. and L. Lack (6)
consider that the claims for territory have been much ex-
aggerated and that, especially, there is not adequate proof in
any species that territorial behaviour has food value. It
was further questioned whether territorial behaviour limited
the population density at all, irrespective of its possible food
value. Subsequently, Huxley (4) has answered the latter
question in the affirmative for Coot (Fulica a. atra) and Mute
Swan (Cygnus olor), while Venables (8) has shown that
territories, at least food territories, do not limit the population
density in the Dartford Warbler (Sylvia u. dartfordiensis).
The following observations show that in the Great Crested
Grebe (Podiceps c. cristatus) territorial behaviour at times
limits the population density, but that this behaviour bears
no direct relation to the food supply. We would record here
our grateful thanks to Professor Julian Huxley for reading
through the manuscript and supplying some _ valuable
criticisms.

Harrisson and Hollom (1) give a detailed account of the
distribution of the Great Crested Grebe and of the great
increase in numbers which has occurred since about 1860.
The authors (loc. cit., p. 124) take the usual view that “ territory
acts as a safety valve against over-population and is responsi-
ble for spread outwards from populated areas”’. They do
not, however, include observations on territorial behaviour
in their paper.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS.

The following observations were made by Venables in
1932, 1933 and 1934 at the two Frensham Ponds, on the
Surrey-Hampshire border. Great Pond has an area of
694 acres and Little Pond of 374 acres (1915).

Great Pond was colonized in 1899 (Harrisson and Hollom,
loc. cit., p. 85). Records of the number of breeding pairs are
available for 1907 to 1920 (kindly communicated by H.
Bentham), for 1931 (Harrisson and Hollom), and for 1932 to
1934 (Venables) as follows: 1907 seven, 1908 four, Ig09
five, IQII six, 1912 and 1913 four, IgI5 five, 1920 seven, 1931
and 1932 six, and 1933 and 1934 eight pairs. There has thus
been a small increase in numbers in recent years.

37 GTZ nents
(igus)

FRENS Ham,

Oo FECT 0.0,
LivTct Pomp, ao apes

200 Feet
oo

69 622
ACRES (igs
Gwaren MAP OF :

FRENSHAM PONDS,
S$. SeRRED,

= aa

Gimenes to Tmwe,

FRensnary
GReat Powo

= AEED-BEO

(OD = rorse-tan ped

VOL. Xxvill.| GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 193

The Great Crested Grebe is absent in winter. Birds begin
to arrive on the pond in mid-February and number about
thirty or forty in mid-March, after which they decrease. Most
of these are migrants passing through to other breeding
grounds ; they do not stay for more than a few days and their
numbers fluctuate greatly. By early April the last of the
passage migrants usually depart. (Their departure cannot
be attributed to aggressive behaviour by the remaining pairs
which will later nest). Much fighting is observed among the
Grebes during March, some at least of which is associated with
pairing. This-fighting occurs mainly in the open water In
the centre of the pond and is quite distinct from the fighting
discussed later, which is associated with the nesting sites in the
reed-beds.

The later passage migrants are already in pairs before they
leave for their nesting grounds; hence pairing often, if not
invariably, precedes the taking up of the territory. In this
respect the Grebe differs from Passerine birds, the group in
which Howard (2) first applied the term territory.

In early May a few pairs commence breeding in the, as
yet thin, reed-beds off the south shore, but these nests seem
invariably to get robbed, and it has always finished up with
six or seven pairs breeding in a colony along the south shore
in a horsetail (Hippuris) bed. In this colony (six pairs in
1932 and seven pairs in 1933 and 1934) no fighting has been
observed except for an occasional squabble in the horsetail
near the nests, which probably indicates that the immediate
neighbourhood of each nest is kept clear of intruders by the
pair in possession. This has also been observed by Huxley (3),
who noted, as was the case on Great Pond, that such territories
are not food territories. The birds feed amicably together all
over the water, and take their young out to the centre of the
pond a very few days after they are hatched.

In 1933 and 1934 one pair behaved differently. These
nested in a horsetail bed in an open bay in the south-east
corner. Before nesting they were extremely pugnacious, and
kept the whole bay (an area of about ? acre) free of other
Grebes, any that tried to enter being vigorously attacked and
driven off. By the time that the nest was built other
Grebes had abandoned this bay. Coots were also violently
attacked, but finally bred in the portion of the bay more
remote from the Grebes’ nest. But the Coots were attacked
by the Grebes whenever they entered the Grebes’ portion of
the bay. Both birds, unless one was incubating, took part

194 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

in these fights, and then, on returning and while still excited,
would frequently display and almost invariably add a few
more reeds to the nest. On the occasions when the female
was sitting, the victorious male would frequently carry
material back to the nest. Asa result, when the eggs hatched
out, this nest was much larger than is normal for the species.
The Grebes abandoned their aggressive behaviour as soon as
the young hatched out and took them to the middle of the
pond. Hence their territory was not correlated with food
supply for the young.

Little Pond was colonized in 1907, and counts of the breeding
pairs are available as follows: One pair in 1907, 1908 and
Ig0g, none in IQII or IgI2, one pair in 1913, 1915 and 1920,
two pairs in 1932 and 1933 and three pairs in 1934. There is
a conspicuous passage migration as on Great Pond. There
are only two reed-beds on the pond suitable for a floating
Grebe’s nest, a small bed in the south-west, and a large one
of several acres in extent in a bottle-shaped bay in the south-
east. Each of these held one pair of Grebes in 1932, 1933 and
1934:

Pair I. in the south-west corner were territorial in the sense
that they both kept to the south-west portion of the pond
until their young hatched, when they took the latter to the
centre of the pond. No other Grebes frequented this south-
west portion, so that one cannot say to what extent pair I.
were aggressive against their own species. A few pairs
of Coot and Moorhen (Gallinula ch. chloropus), which nested
in the same reed-bed, were quite unmolested, even when the
female Grebe arrived at her nest on one occasion to find her
eggs being incubated by a Coot. She waited quietly while the
intruder slipped off and then mounted in her place.

Pair II. were extremely aggressive, and successfully kept
all others of their species from entering their bottle-shaped
bay, patrolling up to a distance some way outside the “ neck”,
thus maintaining an area of 8} acres. All passage migrant
Grebes which attempted to enter this area were vigorously
attacked, and one of the half-grown young of pair I. which
once tried to enter would probably have been killed had not
the observer distracted the attention of the attacking male
(the female was then incubating). As with other Grebes,
this pair left their territory and abandoned their aggressive
behaviour when the young hatched, the latter being taken to
the centre of the pond. Unlike the aggressive pair on Great
Pond, pair II. did not attack other species. Coot, Moorhen,

VoL. Xxvil.] GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 195

Tufted Duck (Nyroca fuligula) and a passage migrant Black-
necked Grebe (Podiceps n. nigricollis) frequently entered
the area, always without molestation, and Tufted Duck,
Coot and Moorhen bred there.

In 1934, after the passage migrants had departed, two
extra pairs, A and B, remained on Little Pond. For several
days these made repeated attempts to enter the bay occupied
by pair II., but were always repulsed. Pair A then retired
to the centre of the pond, and later frequented the northern
part, where there were no reed-beds. Pair B continued to
attempt an entrance, and on April 17th were joined by a fresh
arrival, and then all three made periodic attempts on the bay.
The odd bird left about April 22nd, but pair B continued to
fight and to be repulsed until May 2nd, when they also left.
But pair A stayed, and finally nested on a small island in the
north part of the pond. It is extremely unusual for a Great
Crested Grebe to build on dry land.

FACTORS AFFECTING THE GREBE POPULATION.

1. Mortality.—The mortality of eggs and young is very
high, the former being taken by collectors, the latter by large
pike (Esox luctus). The bird normally lays four eggs in the
nest, and, until late in the summer, the pairs always laid again
when their eggs were destroyed. But in 1932 and 1933 the
average of successfully reared young was only 1.5 per pair.
(In 1934, with more adequate protection, this average was
2.5 per pair).

2. Nesting Site——On Great Pond there is much untenanted
but suitable reed-bed, and nesting site is ruled out as a factor
affecting the population density. On Little Pond there is a
small reed-bed occupied by pair I., and one larger reed-bed
in which pair II. prevented other Grebes from nesting. Hence
it is primarily the aggressiveness of pair II., and only
secondarily the nesting-site factor, which limited the popula-
tion here. Pair B would almost certainly have bred on Little
Pond had other reed-beds been available, and pair A nested
in spite of this deficiency. (As has previously been pointed
out by Lack (5), the restriction of a species to a particular
type of nesting site (although it sometimes limits distribution)
is often one of behaviour and not of necessity. Pair B
successfully reared their young in an unusual site, but pair A
were evidently not so adaptable in their behaviour).

3. Food.—In 1933 and 1934 eight pairs bred on Great Pond,
one pair per 8.5 acres. On Little Pond, in 1932 and 1933, the

196 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

density was one pair per 18.5 acres. In 1934 four pairs
tried to nest there (one pair per g acres), but only three
succeeded (one pair per 12.5 acres). Tucker (7) found that
one pair per 4.5 acres was the usual maximum in Oxfordshire,
Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

There was no evidence that food supply limited the Grebes,
but this is extremely hard to determine. The number of
pairs breeding on the ponds has been slowly increasing,
and there is no reason for supposing that the food maximum
has yet been attained. Further, although it is not conclusive
to compare one pond with another since the fauna may be
different, it is noteworthy that in neither of the Frensham
Ponds does the density approach to one pair per 4.5 acres,
and Little Pond supports a smaller density than Great Pond.
On the latter, at least, it is very unlikely that the food
maximum has been attained.

4. Terntorial Behaviour.—Owing to the situation on Little
Pond, territorial behaviour can definitely be considered a
factor limiting the Grebe population. On Great Pond an
aggressive pair kept one small part free of other Grebes, but
there were many other suitable reed-beds, and the total
breeding population on the pond was probably unaffected by
their behaviour. This aggressive behaviour is not conspicu-
ously developed in all individuals, and seven pairs were
sufficiently lacking in it to nest in a colony. Hence its effect
on the population density of Grebes in general is most
uncertain.

Owing to the variability in its development, one can pro-
bably say that territorial behaviour confers no special advant-
age on the bird. Had it done so, it is remarkable that it
should be conspicuous in only two pairs, while seven pairs
reared their young in a colony.

Territorial behaviour is clearly not correlated with food
supply in this species, as has sometimes been assumed. First,
the greatest food pressure presumably occurs when the young
have hatched, but territories are at that time abandoned,
the young being taken to the centre of the pond. Secondly,
on Little Pond, pair II. attacked other individuals solely
in their bay. Had food supply been its object, fighting would
have been necessary over the whole pond, but when pair A
deserted the south-east of the pond and bred in the north,
they were unmolested. Thirdly, while pair II. defended
84 acres, which is, perhaps, an adequate feeding area, the
pair on Great Pond defended only ? acre, which was pre-

VOL. Xxvill.| GREAT CRESTED GREBE. 197

sumably inadequate as a feeding area. Fourthly, the latter
pair attacked not only Grebes, but also Coots, and the latter
are not food competitors of the Grebes. me

Territorial behaviour is clearly correlated with the position
of the nest. Even the colonial pairs sometimes attacked
other individuals which came too close to their nests. This
habit seems merely to have become greatly exaggerated in the
territorial pairs. The effect of this behaviour was to render
uninhabitable for other pairs reed-beds which could otherwise
have been utilized for nests. On Little Pond, with its
scarcity of reed-beds, this resulted in only two pairs inhabiting
the pond, although it could provide sufficient food for at least
one, and probably several, more pairs. It was only when they
modified their normal nest-building habits that a third pair
could breed there. Howard (2) claims as a general principle
that the “‘ establishment of territories serves so to regulate
the distribution of pairs that the maximum number can be
accommodated in the minimum area’’. But on Little
Pond, territorial behaviour, so far from doing this, actually
prevented the number of breeding pairs from reaching the maxt-
mum which (from both food and nesting sites) the lake could
support). It was therefore adverse, not beneficial, to the
species.

Harrisson and Hollom (loc. cit., see esp. Tring, p. 75) have
shown that at the beginning of an increase in the Grebes, a
lake has often held many more pairs than the number which it
has fairly steadily supported in later years. The writers
assume that there was an initial over-population followed by
an adjustment, and the latter is evidently considered by them
to have been brought about by territorial behaviour. But
the observations at Frensham Ponds, particularly with regard
to the great individual variation in aggressiveness and to the
existence of colonial pairs, render it almost impossible to
believe that territorial behaviour could have effected this
adjustment in the population.

SUMMARY.

The following conclusions apply to the Great Crested
Grebe population in the area studied :—

1. Territorial behaviour must definitely be reckoned as
one factor affecting the density of the breeding population.

2. This territorial behaviour centres round the nesting site,
and is extremely variable in its development, some individual
pairs being very aggressive and others colonial.

198 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

3. The territory is not correlated with food supply.

4. Its variability makes it extremely difficult to see how
territorial behaviour could effectively regulate the distribution
of pairs so that the maximum number could be accommodated
in the minimum area, as has sometimes been claimed for it.

5. Extreme territorial (aggressive) behaviour seems of no
advantage to the species. In the case where it limited the
population density, it tended to prevent the lake from sup-
porting the maximum number of pairs which food and nesting
sites would have permitted.

REFERENCES.
(1) Harrisson, T. H., and ‘““ The Great Crested Grebe Enquiry”,
Horitom, PB. Ao. (t932) Brit. Birds, XXVI1., 174 et seq.
(2) Howarp, H. E. (1920). Territory in Bird Life, Chap. V.
(3) Huxiey, J. (5926); Essays in Popular Science, 170-176.
(4) Huxiey, J. 5: (1934). “A Natural Experiment on the

Territorial Instinct’, Brit. Birds,
OSV 270:

(5) Lack, DD: (1933). “Habitat Selection in Birds’”’, J.
Animal Ecology, I1., 246-247.

(6) Lack, D. and L. (1933). “Territory Reviewed ”’, Brit. Birds,
XXVII., 179-199.

(7) Tucker, B. W. (1933): “The Great Crested Grebe Investi-

gation in Oxon., Berks and Bucks,
1933, Report of the Oxford
Ornithological Society for 1933.

(8) VENABLES, L. S. V. (1934). ‘““ Notes on Territory in the Dartford
Warbler ”’, Brit. Birds, XXVIII.,

58-63.

(199)

PLUMAGE CHANGES OBSERVED IN AN
ICELAND GULL IN SOMERSETSHIRE.
BY
H. TETLEY.

TuE Iceland Gull (Larus leucopterus), previously recorded in
these pages from the Bristol district, has been observed
on a number of occasions since the last published note
(antea, Vol. XXVII., pp. 170-1), the latest being on October
7th, 1934. With the exception of the three dates mentioned
later, it has always been seen in the vicinity of Ashton Swing
Bridge, Rownham Ferry or Cumberland Basin. But on
December 24th, 1933, and March 23rd, 1934, it was on the
large (No. 3) reservoir at Barrow Gurney, on the former
occasion settled on the water, and on the latter soaring above
it, and later being seen on the same day just below Rownham
Ferry, by the Rev. F. L. Blathwayt, Mr. B. W. Tucker and
myself. And on April 22nd, 1934, it was seen at Blagdon
reservoir by Mr. H. H. Davis and myself.

It has thus been in the Bristol neighbourhood for a period of
nineteen months or more (it was first noted by Mr. L. H.
Matthews on January 27th, 1933), and as detailed observations
have been made on its plumage, when occasion offered, it
seems a suitable opportunity to summarize this knowledge,
as it is unlikely that any bird of this species has been under
observation before for so long a period.

The plumage-cycle of any large gull that breeds in the
Northern Hemisphere, and takes four years to become adult,
as given by Dwight “The Gulls (Laride) of the World”’
(Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. LII., Article 1., 1925,
Plate Ix., p. 94), may be summarized as follows :—

In the first year, stable from the middle of August to the middle of
September, when a moult begins, which is complete by the beginning of
December. Another moult starts in the middle of March and is
complete by the middle of May. From the middle of May to the middle
of July and from the beginning of October to the middle of March
are periods of stable plumage in the next and all subsequent years,
the intervening periods being taken up by moult.

In order to get at the sequence of plumage, it seems best
to start with the description of the bird, as seen through X8
binoculars and X25 telescope and at close range on October
7th, 1934. The details are as follows :—

Head, neck and underparts—white. Tail—white, but appeared to
be faintly freckled buff. Mantle and scapulars—ash-grey. Waing-
coverts—white or pale buff streaked buff vertically. Primaries—white.

Legs and feet—tlesh. Jvis—yellow. Bill—pale grey coloured yellow
near the tip and with a distinct dark patch near the tip of the lower

200 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

mandible. The general impression of the bill was that it was, in colour,
a paler edition of the mantle. At certain angles, when the bird pointed
it downwards, it seemed to have a tinge of yellow, but grey was the
predominating colour.

In flight the wings showed a grey base with pale fawn or white coverts,
and were bounded by a very distinct wide white margin.

This agrees closely with the third winter plumage given by
Dwight (loc. cit., p. 253) with the exception of the colour of
the legs and feet and bill which, as stated there, are taken
from skins. He gives no description of the iris. And the bird,
as shown above, will, by October 7th, have completed its
moult and be in its winter plumage. ~

This being the case, the Iceland Gull must have been in its
first winter plumage in January, 1933, and the sequence of
plumages in this Bristol bird has been as follows :—

1st winter—details taken in February, 1933.

. Head, neck, mantle and underparts—pale cream, with some buff
streaks on the mantle. Tai/—cream. Primaries—white (or very pale
cream) contrasting strongly with the mantle and upper surface.

Legs and feet—flesh-pink. Jvis—dark brown. Silil—pale yellowish-
pink at the base, the terminal half dark brown (or black).

1st summer—details taken in June, 1933.

Practically the same as in February, but Mr. W. R. Taylor
notes that there was a dusky streak running diagonally
across the centre of the wing. This had disappeared in
December.

2nd winter—details taken in December, 1933.

Forehead and crown—white with faint greyish streaks. Neck—
dusky white. Underparts—white. Mantle—white with a slight
greyish tinge more apparent at some angles. No buff pencilling as in
February. Scapulavs—under some conditions had a greyish tinge, but
Mr. H. J. R. Pease and the writer examined the bird at close range on
December 23rd, 1933, and could not see any actual grey in the plumage.
Primaries and tail—white.

Legs and feet—flesh colour, a little deeper than formerly. Jvis—pale
yellowish at close quarters, appearing brown when seen further away.
Bill—basal half pale-pinkish, front half dark brown with extreme tip
showing yellow. The colour of the bill was changing gradually by the
enlargement of the yellow at the tip and the consequent diminution
of the dark band.

2nd summerv—Unfortunately, the bird was not seen between
April 22nd (when it was too far off to note details) and August
31st, 1934, so that the summer plumage (second half of May
to mid-July) was completely missed.

On September 3rd, 1934, when the bird would be moulting
from 2nd-summer to 3rd winter plumage, Mr. H. H. Davis
saw the bird at close quarters and supplied the following
details :—

VoL. XXv1lI.] PLUMAGE CHANGES IN GULL. 201

Head, neck, breast and belly—white, with a few pale streaks on the
crown, only apparent at some angles. Mantle and scapulars—pale grey.
Wing-coverts—vermiculated pale brownish-grey. Primaries and tail
—white.

Legs and feet—flesh. JIvis—yellow. Bill—front half dirty yellow,
ridge of upper mandible yellow, basal half brown or soiled.

On October 7th the bird would have completed its moult
into 3rd winter plumage, the details of which have been
given above, but it may be noted that the colour of the bill
had altered considerably in the meantime.

Dr. Dwight (loc. cit., p. 252) states that, as regards the Ist
winter plumage: ‘‘ There is an unusual amount of variation.
Some birds have the wings and tail, and even the body,
practically white with only a few specklings or cloudings.
This is due partly to moult, partly to bleaching, and mostly
to individual variation ”’.

This would account for the fact that, in what is considered
here to be the 1st winter plumage, the bird was far whiter
and less marked than the “Iceland Gull. Immature ”,

figured, in a photograph, in T. A. Coward’s Birds of the
British Isles, Series II1., Plate 93, a bird which is certainly
\in that stage.

The Bristol Iceland Gull is not yet (October, 1934) adult,
-and the sequence given, working from its present plumage
backwards, would further confirm that it was in its first winter
‘on arrival in this district.

There is one important difference between the sequence of
plumages as given by Dwight and as given in the Practical
Handbook. The former says that the adult plumage is
;assumed in the 4th winter, and the latter in the 5th winter,
‘the bird having the same sequence as in the larger Glaucous
‘Gull. And ona closer comparison between these two authori-
ities, I find that the 3rd winter plumage of the Practical
Handbook, “ from very meagre material available’, is not
recognized by Dwight, but that the 4th winter plumage
‘corresponds to the 3rd winter of Dwight, and the 5th to the
.4th. In other words, the Iceland Gull takes a year less than
tthe Glaucous Gull to reach adult plumage. Certainly, the
|Bristol bird has never, so far, agreed completely with the 3rd
‘winter plumage of the Glaucous Gull in which ‘“ crown
theavily streaked brown ’’ is the first character given ; this is
va feature which has not been seen at all.

The movements of the bird during this period have been
‘uncertain, as it has been seen when the tide has been dead
low as well as when it was high up. At the former times

re)

202 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII.

it was resting on the mud or feeding with other gulls at a
drain, and at the latter it was usually at rest by Cumberland
Basin.

Its relation with the other gulls showed that it was able to
look after itself. On several occasions it was standing amongst
the others, but with a conspicuous circle, free of birds, round
it, and any gull that came near was at once approached by the
Iceland Gull and moved off, though it did not actually touch
any. This behaviour applied even to the adult Lesser
Black-backed Gull.

(Unfortunately, when working out the plumages of the
Iceland Gull for the Practical Handbook, I found the material
available inadequate to be certain, and the late Dr. Dwight
had the same difficulty. In Mr. Tetley’s interesting account
it is, unfortunately, uncertain what age the bird was when it
was first observed, but Mr. Tetley’s description of what he
terms the first winter plumage seems more applicable to the
second winter. It must be remembered that the wings and
tail are not moulted in the first autumn and therefore if
the bird was of the age supposed its wings and tail would
have been those of the juvenile plumage and, as described,
they would appear to have been not brown enough. It
should also be remarked that the bird was not necessarily
completely moulted to winter plumage on October 7th.
The difference in the colour of the bill at this date and on
September 3rd may have been due to loose “‘ flakes’ a-out
to be shed.—H.F.W.]

SPOTTED FLYCATCHER LAYING THREE TIMES
IN ONE NEST.

DurinG the last week in May, 1934, a pair of Spotted Fly-
catchers (Muscicapa s. striata) built a nest in a cleft of a
climbing rose tree growing against the wall of our house m
Norfolk.
On May 3ist this nest contained four eggs, which were taken.
On June r2th the nest contained a fresh clutch of five eggs,
the first of which had probably been laid on June 6th or 7th.
Hatching took place on or about June 24th and all
the young birds left the nest successfully on July roth-11th.
On July 22nd the nest again contained two eggs, two
more being laid on the next two days. Hatching apparently
took place on August 7th, and by August 23rd the young
birds had flown. No repairs were made to the nest during
the whole period of occupation. H. J. K. BuRNE.

COAL-TIT’S DOUBLE BROOD.

SINCE 1926 a pair of Coal-Tits (Parus a. britannicus) have
annually reared a brood in a small hole amongst the partially
exposed roots of a beech growing on the verge of a chalk
hollow in a wood in north-east Surrey. It is impossible to
see the nest as it is deep within the hole.

This year, 1934, young were heard in the nest on May 13th.
Passing the spot on June 30th, and noticing one of the
parents in the vicinity with food in its beak, I waited at
a short distance, and again heard the cries of young when the
bird entered the hole. I made a special point of visiting it
‘on July 8th, when young could still be heard in the nest,
but a week later they had flown.

This is the first time I have known the Coal-Tit to have
‘young in the nest at the beginning of July, and I think it
|points strongly to a second brood. HuBERT E. Pounps.

‘Records of second broods among the Titmice are decidedly
‘scarce, so that the foregoing note is of considerable interest,
ithough not quite conclusive, as it is possible that some accident
‘happened to the young of the first brood before they left the
mest. The fact that breeding again took place in the same
hole, however, renders this unlikely.—F.C.R.].]

204 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

DARTFORD WARBLER IN DEVONSHIRE.

On August 27th, 1934, in south Devonshire, I flushed a small
bird whose species was unknown to me. The following notes
were made on the spot with the aid of field-glasses: Small
bird, dark brown on back, with long dark-brown tail, white
feathers on margin. Under-parts reddish with white streaks
at throat. Bill light brown. It uttered a note not unlike
that of the Whitethroat when alarmed. There can be little
doubt that the bird was a Dartford Warbler (Sylva u. dart-
fordiensis), which has so far only once been recorded as
breeding in Devonshire. S. BARON.

INCUBATION- AND FLEDGING-PERIODS OF WREN.
A PAIR of Wrens (Tvoglodytes t. troglodytes) began building
a nest in my garden at Cumdivock, Cumberland, in the latter
part of April, 1934, and on May oth the nest held two eggs,
and on the 14th there were seven eggs, the clutch that hatched
out on May 30th giving an incubation-period of sixteen days.
Five young were reared and left the nest on June 16th,
fledging-period seventeen days. R. H. Brown.

[Previous observations on the incubation-period have
varied from 14 to 16 days ; while the fledging-period is usually
estimated at 16 to 17 days (once 18, and twice 5 days).
—F.C.R.J.]

YOUNG SWALLOWS ASSISTING IN BUILDING THE
SECOND NEST,
A LADY living in Cheshire tells me that a pair of Swallows
(Hivundo r. rustica) built their nest at her house this year
(1934) in such a position that she had an exceptional oppor-
tunity of watching them carefully at close quarters. About
a week after the first brood of four young ones had left the
_ nest it was noticed that they were assisting the parent birds
to build their second nest. The young ones were definitely
seen to alight on the ground in a yard, where they collected
dry grass and other materials, and carried these up to the nest.
This seems to be an unusual proceeding, and it would be
interesting to know if others have ever noticed anything of
the sort. A. ASTLEY,

LATE PASSAGE OF SWIPTS IN SUSSEX.
In connexion with Mr. Bertram Lloyd’s note (antea, pp. 172-4)
on a late June migration of Swifts (Apus apus), there was at
the same time a considerable movement on the Sussex coast
near Winchelsea. On June 27th, 1934, in just over two hours,

VOL. xxviit.] NOTES. 205

240 Swifts were counted passing over westwards, following
the coastline. Probably some were missed as observation was
not continuous. They were first noticed at II.I5 a.m.,
immediately after three or four hours’ heavy rain, and in the
first ten minutes 160 had passed, the remainder following at
intervals in parties of up to 16 in number. On the next day
there was an even larger movement, again about noon; at
one time about 200 birds could be seen in the air at once.
These also were travelling westwards, but it should, perhaps,
be pointed out that the direction (westwards) does not
necessarily identify the movement as being a late spring one,
for on August 6th Swifts were passing westwards nearly all
day, and every autumn Swallows and Martins migrate both
east and west along this coast. P. A. D. HOLLoM.

TAWNY OWL EATING NEWTS.

A friend of mine at Bristol has sent me two partly-digested
specimens of the great crested newt (Triton cristatus) together
with the following account, dated November roth, 1934.

“T am enclosing two specimens—I think they are newts.
A male Tawny Owl was picked up dead on the Abbots Leigh
Road, Bristol, and I thought it emitted a peculiar odour.
As I usually open all owls to see what they have fed on, I
was surprised to find these. I have never found newts
before *’.

I believe that newts have not been recognized on the
menu for the Tawny Owl (Strix a. sylvatica).

W. A. SMALLCOMBE.

HOBBY BREEDING IN BRECONSHIRE.

On September 12th, 1934, whilst in camp on the Radnorshire
side of the Wye, a gamekeeper brought me an immature
female Hobby (Falco s. suwbbuteo) which he had unfortunately .
shot some days before in some Pheasant coverts in Brecon-
shire. He stated that a brood had been hatched off in one
of the large tracts of woodland above this place. I was
able to convince the keeper that the Hobby was quite
harmless to game by showing him the stomach contents—
only beetles—of the bird he had shot. He stated he would
not shoot any more. J. G. WILLIAMs.

OSPREY IN RADNORSHIRE.
WHILE camped in September, 1934, on the River Wye, I

heard rumours of a “sea-eagle’’ having been seen near
Glasbury, but I discovered nothing to confirm these reports

206 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

until a few hours before leaving for home on September 23rd.
I was sitting in a car which was parked under some trees by
the side of the Wye at Boughrood, when the sound of wings
made me look up, and I was amazed to see an Osprey (Pandion
halietus) passing within ten yards. I was unable to judge
whether it was an adult or a young bird, and as we had to
leave the neighbourhood that day I was unable to follow
it up. J. G. WILLIAMS.

LITILE BIT TERN IN SUSSEX.

On August 17th, 1934, I observed a Little Bittern (1xobrychus
minutus) on the banks of a disused reservoir at St. Leonards-
on-Sea. It was seen again in the same place on August 18th
and 24th, 1934. The bird allowed of very close approach and
a detailed description was obtained, from which I have no
doubt that it was either a hen or an immature specimen of this
species. On all three occasions the bird was observed at the
water’s edge, seemed very reluctant to take wing and, when it
did, flew with rather slow, laboured flight across the reservoir
to the opposite bank. The banks of the reservoir afforded
no cover. K. P. KEywoop.

(It is, of course, possible that the bird was an escape from
captivity — EDs. ]

PINTAIL BREEDING IN DUMBARTONSHIRE.

ON May 31st, 1934, while staying with Mr. Findlay at Boturich
Castle, on Loch Lomond, I flushed a duck from a nest with
seven eggs. She flew about fifty yards out on to a pool and
I was able to identify her as a Pintail (Anas a. acuta). She
duly hatched off and eventually one of the young was shot
and sent to me.

I believe this is the first record of the Pintail breeding in
the county. PHILIP RICKMAN,

DIVING OF THE SHOVELER.

In British Birds, X. (1916), Abel Chapman described the diving
for food of female Shovelers (Spatula clypeata) in a shallow
pool at Cairo in 1913, and in Vol. XIII. (1919), Charles Oldham
recorded an adult diving at Tring reservoirs. Though the
young, like those of other surface-feeding ducks, doubtless
dive freely, these appear to be the only definite records by
British ornithologists of true diving by adult Shovelers.
J. A. Naumann, however, long ago stated: “ they only dive
quite under the surface when in danger of their lives, if they

VOL. XXVII.] NOTES. 207

have been robbed of the power of flight, or in play... -”
(Die Voegel Mitteleuropas, Edn. of 1905, X., 130).

The following note of a glimpse of this habit which I
obtained at Elstree Reservoir, Herts., may therefore be of
interest. On June 6th, 1932, I noticed a pair swimming In
shallow water off a marshy shore, behaving in a very excited
manner. They appeared to be feeding eagerly, partly by
snapping up the gnats and other insects which abound over
the water there—a habit which has been noted in this species
by J. G. Millais (British Surface-feeding Ducks, 1902). Every
now and then one of them dashed across the surface for several
yards, then, halting abruptly, rose out of the water poised
on vent and tail, vigorously flapping its wings, after which it
would suddenly subside.

During the quarter of an hour for which I was able to watch
them closely, both male and female dived several times. I
particularly noticed that they seemed to plunge obliquely
under the water in a manner entirely lacking a Diving-duck’s
neatness ; but on each occasion they completely submerged
themselves for several seconds. They were without doubt
obtaining good food in the water or on the muddy bottom
by thus diving, the pool being less then three feet deep at
this spot. BERTRAM LLoyD.

FERRUGINOUS DUCK IN MERIONETHSHIRE.
On November gth, 1934, Mr. James Backhouse and I saw a
male Ferruginous Duck (Nyroca nyroca) on a pool two miles
north of Towyn, Merionethshire. We were under cover of a
stone wall and had this Duck under observation for several
minutes. We saw distinctly the white eye, and wing-bars,
and when the Duck stood up in the water, the whitish under-
parts. I had previously seen one of this species, four or five
years ago, on the same pool. KT. Bisa,

STATUS OF BLACK-NECKED GREBE COLONY IN
FORTH AREA.

THE Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps n. nigricollis) continues to
hold its own as a nesting species in the Forth area, as the
following notes indicate. There is good cover at the loch
where the Grebes nest, and the birds are shy, and do not con-
fine themselves to one area, so that it is difficult to estimate
their numbers.

I paid three visits to the loch early in July, 1934, and after
the third visit concluded that at least five pairs of Black-
necked Grebes were nesting.

208 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

On July 2nd I found two well-grown young being fed by
both parents; a nest in a reed-bed containing one egg;
a nest amongst sedges containing one broken egg, pierced and
sucked; and five adult Grebes on the open water
unaccompanied by young.

On July 7th nest one now contained three eggs, and in the
same reed-bed were two more nests of the Black-necked
Grebe containing clutches of three and two respectively.
All these eggs were white and hardly at all nest-stained, and
so were obviously fresh.

On July 9th a pair of the Grebes feeding three newly-hatched
young.

These dates, taken collectively, suggest that there are at
least five pairs of breeding birds.

A further point of interest was that within fifteen yards of
the Black-necked Grebes’ nests were nests of the Great Crested
Grebe and Little Grebe containing c/3 and c/4 respectively.

WILLIAM SERLE (Junior).

[For previous notes on the status of the bird at this locality
see Vol. XXIV., p. 174, and Vol. XXV., p. 308.—EDs. ]

EMIGRATION OF LAPWINGS IN WINTER, 1933-4.

In the last instalment of our articles on the ““ Movements of
Ringed Birds ’’, we drew attention (antea, p. 137) to the large
number of ringed Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) reported from
Spain in the winter of 1933-4. Observations made on the
absence of Lapwings in this country at the time were also
quoted.

In the same connexion we find some interesting notes in the
Clifton College Scientific Society’s ‘“‘ Ornithological Reports
for 1933’ which have been sent to us by Mr. K. B. Rooke.
It is here stated that the unusually cold spell in December
caused an almost complete disappearance of Lapwings from
the Bristol and Weston districts and from western Hampshire
and eastern Dorsetshire. Interesting evidence from a keeper
at Hengistbury Head, Hants, is quoted. He stated that
between December toth and z2oth (exact dates un-
certain) flock after flock of Lapwings passed overhead at
short intervals and flew straight out to sea towards the
horizon. With them were large flocks of Wood-Pigeons.
The keeper’s estimate that “ millions’ of Lapwings passed
during those few days cannot be taken literally since probably
no reliable estimate based on counts was made, but it certainly
implies very large numbers.

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 209

Mr. H. G. Alexander kindly writes that in addition to the
observations from his brother, already published by us, he
thinks it worth while to note that during three days in the
last week of December, 1933, in Kent, the only Lapwings he
saw were four near Paddock Wood Station at a place where
there are usually large flocks, and one near Lydd, the only
one seen on Romney Marsh. Mr. Alexander adds that a few
remained in the Birmingham district when the majority
disappeared early in December ; but a little further west on
the Staffordshire-Shropshire border, the flocks seen in early
January were as large as in any other winter. Mr. Alexander
suggests that the frost, being much more intense in the
eastern Midlands, drew the Lapwings from there, but not
from the western Midlands. H. F. WITHERBY.

E. P. LEACH.

TEMMINCK’S STINT IN AYRSHIRE.
On August 3rd, 1934, I was observing a little company of
waders on the shore at Shalloch, about a mile south of Girvan.

The birds gradually approached so near that through my
binoculars every detail of their plumage could be seen.
Among them were Ringed Plovers, Dunlins, one Common
Sandpiper and one bird which was undoubtedly a Temminck’s
Stint (Calidris temminckii).

The Sandpiper and the Stint were feeding close together
and were identical in every respect except size, the Stint being
considerably smaller. I watched it at close range for about
twenty minutes.

On more than one occasion I have noticed that after violent
storms some rare or uncommon bird has been met with.
The day previously (August 2nd) there had been a violent
thunderstorm with torrential rains, and the little River
Doune had burst its banks and flooded the south end of Girvan.
The rush of water finally breached the sea-wall and the next
day (August 3rd) the receding waters left behind stretches of
mud and sand which attracted hundreds of birds, chiefly
gulls and waders. WINIFRED Boyp Wart.

BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER SEEN IN SUSSEX.

On September 13th, 1934, on approaching one of the shallow
pools at the Midrips, a small, Dunlin-sized wader rose almost
at my son’s feet from beneath the low bank, which had hidden
it from us. As it flew away we at once saw that it had not
the back colour-pattern of a Dunlin, as it lacked any white
in the tail and had conspicuous dark and light markings down

210 BRITISH BIRDS. | [VOL. XXVIII

its back, so much so that my son at once remarked that this
resembled the back of a Jack Snipe. It pitched on a nearby
pool and here we were able to stalk it to within twenty yards ©
and had it under observation for nearly ten minutes, when
it rose and flew off inland and we lost it in the distance.
Against the water and smooth mud of the pool its bill at once
attracted our attention and confirmed what I had already
surmised, that the bird was a Broad-billed Sandpiper (Limicola
falcinellus). Examination through glasses confirmed the
striped appearance of the back caused by the rather wide
cream-coloured edgings to the long scapulars, but what sur-
prised me to find was the really characteristic shape of the
bill. My previous acquaintance with the bird had been on
its breeding-ground with a broken-up background of moss,
creeping birch and marsh grasses. Against this the shape of
the bill had not impressed me greatly, but here against
the smooth water and mud it proved most distinctive. About
the same length as that of one of the longer-billed Dunlins
or a Curlew-Sandpiper’s, it was distinctly thinner as viewed
from the side, but the smooth, gentle, downward curve of
both these species was replaced by an angular downward
kink at about the middle of its length. It seems that this
must be much more apparent in life than in a dried skin.
Several other species of migrant waders were seen at the
same time, including Knots, Curlew-Sandpipers, Greenshank
and Golden Plover, but none of them in any quantity.
N. FP. TiceHnunsm

WOOD-SANDPIPER IN EAST LOTHIAN.

As the Wood-Sandpiper (Tvinga glareola) is an uncommon
visitor as far north as East Lothian, I think it is worth
recording that I saw one at Aberlady Bay on September
24th, 1934.

My father was with me at the time, and we both recognized it
immediately. The bird had all the action of a Sandpiper—
restless, and jerking its tail repeatedly. We followed it
about over the saltings for twenty minutes, and at times it
allowed us to come within ten paces, and gave us an ample
opportunity of studying it.

When it rose we took notice of the white of the upper tail-
coverts, and the white tail barred transversely with lightish
brown. The under-surface of the wing was not dark. The
legs, seen in good light, were olive-yellow. When the bird
rose it uttered a cry not unlike the Common Sandpiper. I

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 211

may add that I know the bird well, having studied it abroad
at its breeding-quarters.

The following day (September 25th) I found, amongst
other waders, three Curlew-Sandpipers (Calidris testacea) and
two Ruffs (Philomachus pugnax). Rufis are not common
at Aberlady at the autumn migration, and I have only two
previous records. WILLIAM SERLE (Junior).

INCUBATION-PERIOD OF GREENSHANK.

ON June 5th, 1934, I found the nest of a Greenshank (Tringa
nebularia) in Inverness-shire. It contained two eggs. On
the 6th, at 3.30 p.m., there were still two eggs and no bird
was seen. On the 7th, at 7.40 p.m., there were four eggs.
The bird was not sitting nor did it run off, but when my
companion and I had retreated it flew over the nest without
alighting. On the 8th the bird was sitting closely. On July
Ist, at II.30 a.m., one young was hatched, two eggs were
chipped and one young was dead in the shell. On July 2nd
three young were hatched and were dry and active.

It is unfortunate that I did not visit the nest earlier on the
7th, but I had not expected the full clutch to have been laid.

Assuming incubation did not start until the 8th (evidently
the bird laid late in the day) the incubation-period was twenty-
four to twenty-five days. WINIFRED M. Ross.

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE IN CARDIGANSHIRE.
ON July 16th, 1934, there was a specimen of the Red-necked
Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) in the bay at Aberystwyth.
It was an adult bird in full summer plumage. I had the
chance of observing it fairly closely for a quarter of an hour,
although it was very restless and unsettled in its movements.
After flitting round, during which time it twice settled on
the water close to me (20 yards off), it disappeared out to sea.

W. HASTINGS SMITH.

MORTALITY AMONG YOUNG COMMON TERNS IN
LANCASHIRE.
In BritisH Birps, Vol. XXV., p. 135; Vol. XXVI., p. 168,
and Vol. XXVII., p. 138, I published the percentage of dead
among the ringed Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) in a
north Lancashire colony. The tremendous death rate last
year, due to numbers of visitors keeping the parents from
sheltering the young from the sun, was not so great, as
many visitors have not been permitted to visit this particular
part of the colony. It would not have exceeded 6 per cent.

212 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

had not a “ tripper ”’ fired into the brown of the parents from
a passing boat, on July 15th, killing at least twelve and
no doubt wounding many more, in consequence of which many

young died.
1929 Very hot 460 ringed. Percentage of dead 4.13
1930 Very hot 6X0, 2 » Gey
1931 Coldandwet 355 _,, - » ee
1932 Hot 549» r » 5.44
1933 Hotanddry 500 ,, a 3, 12so

s » oe
H. W. RoBINson.

GREAT SKUA IN DERBYSHIRE.
On October 13th, 1934, at Sheldon, some eight miles south of
Buxton, I saw a Great Skua. It was very tired and allowed
me to get within a few yards of it, so that I was able to take
specially complete notes, which I sent to Mr. Jourdain,
who kindly confirmed my identification. The chief charac-
teristics were the straw-coloured or nearly white shafts to
the primaries, hooked blackish bill, short rounded tail, white
on wings, heavy flight, brown plumage and large size. This
is the first record for Derbyshire. WILLIAM SHIPTON.

LITTLE BUNTING IN Fire.—Miss L. J. Rintoul records
(Scot. Nat,, 1934, p. 170) that she identified a Little Bunting
(Emberiza pusilla) on April 12th, 1934, on a railway bank near
Lower Largo. She was first attracted by the bird’s note which
she had heard before in the Isle of May. This is the first
record of the bird’s occurrence on the mainland of Scotland.

1934 Hotanddry 679 ,,

SNOW-BunTING INLAND IN Essex.—Mr. E. T. Nicholson
informs us that he saw a Snow-Bunting (Plectrophenax
nivalis) at Banbury Reservoir, Walthamstow, on November
30th, 1934, and on the following day he and Mr. W. A. Wright
saw one, probably the same bird, on King George Reservoir.

WILLOW-TiTS IN RADNORSHIRE.—Mr. J. G. Williams
informs us that when exploring the district of the Black
Mountains in September, 1934, he occasionally saw a few
Willow-Tits (Parus a. kleinschmidtt), one of which he obtained
and so confirmed his identification. The bird does not appear
to have been recorded previously in the county. The Marsh-
Tit (Parus palustris dressert) occurs in the same locality.

GARGANEY NESTING IN KEntT.—Capt. G. E. Took reports
that he found the nest of a Garganey (Anas querquedula) in
the spring of 1934 in one of the north Kent marshes. It

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 213

contained four eggs and the parent birds were seen at close
quarters on several occasions. In The Field (21.vii.34)
Mr. T. C. Gregory wrote that Garganey now nest, presumably
regularly, in a locality in east Kent. Although there is a
good deal of presumptive evidence that the Garganey
nested on several occasions in north Kent prior to 1908,
these appear to be the first published records of nesting in Kent
outside the area of Romney Marsh, where it has long bred.

GREY PLovers IN HERTFORDSHIRE.—Mr. C. Oldham
informs us that on October 25th, 1934, he identified two
adult Grey Plovers (Sguatarola squatarola) on a patch of
mud at Startops End Reservoir, Tring. The species has
seldom been recorded for the county.

Biack TERNS IN WESTMORLAND AND LANCASHIRE.—Mr.
A. Astley writes that as the Black Tern (Chlidonias n. niger)
is rarely recorded north of Yorkshire and Lancashire, it is
of interest to note that one was observed from October 7th
to roth inclusive, 1934, on Grasmere Lake, Westmorland.
It spent most of its time hawking for insects over the reed
beds, but on more than one occasion was seen to swoop down
and snatch something from the surface of the water, apparently
small fish, though it was impossible to be certain of this.

Mr. H. G. Alexander informs us that he saw three Black
Terns over the water at Silverdale, Lancs., on October 13th
and 14th.

PUFFIN IN SURREY.—Miss C. M. Acland informs us that a
Puffin (Fratercula a. grabe) was picked up alive and in good
condition on October 20th, 1934, at Banstead, Surrey. The
bird, which appeared to be a juvenile, was found within half a
mile of the spot where one was found on November Ist, 1909
(see Brit. Birds, Vol. III., p. 231).

QUAIL NESTING IN KENT AND OBSERVED IN HAMPSHIRE.—
In The Field (20.x.34) Mr. S. A. Smith published the
photograph of a nest of Quail (Coturnix c. coturnix) containing
eight eggs, that he found within nine or ten miles of Canter-
bury on August 23rd, 1934. It was situated close to a
pathway in a field of growing barley, but was deserted on this
being cut and the birds disappeared within a few days. This
seems to be the first record of nesting in Kent for a good
many years.

Major M. Portal informs us that a bevy of four Quail was
flushed at Red Rice near Andover on October 24th, 1934.

214 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

CouRTsHIP FLIGHT OF TEMMINCK’s StTINT.—In the
November, 1934, issue of The Naturalist, p. 244, the following
graphic description of the courtship flight of Calidris

temminckit is given by Mr. George Bolam :—

“ During courtship, both sexes may be seen indulging -together in a
most fascinating butterfly-like circuition, at no great height in the air,
the male venting his ecstasy in a weak but pleasing song, somewhat
reminiscent of the trill of a Dunlin, but differing from it in that, in
place of a steady rise in cadence, it softly rises and falls three or four
times before coming to a finish. With stiff and motionless wings held
high above his back he then planes slowly down to earth, reminding one
very much of a Red Admiral or other large butterfly. The trill may
be continued from the summit of a stone or hummock, or even from a
post should one happen to be handy ; or the minstrel may recover his
flight and mount again into the air to resume his singing on the wing ”’.

It is with the greatest regret that we see in an editorial
note appended to this article, that this grand old naturalist

died suddenly on October 25th, at Alston.

LETTER.

THE GRASSHOLM GANNETS.
To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

Sirs,—Messrs. H. Morrey Salmon and R. M. Lockley, in their paper
on ‘The Grassholm Gannets—A Survey and a Census” (antea,
Vol. XXVII., pp. 142-152) appear, in their historical survey of the
colony, to have overlooked a paper dealing with the colony by the late
F. M. Ogilvie, and published in his posthumous book Field Observations
on British Birds. This paper, entitled ‘“‘ Gannets and Cormorants ’’,
was one of a series of eight lectures delivered before the Ashmolean
N.H.S. of Oxfordshire, between the years 1902 and 1916. F. M.
Ogilvie does not state what year he visited Grassholm, but he mentions
that Puffins, Guillemots, Razorbills and Kittiwakes were also breeding
there. He estimated there were 200 to 250 pairs of Gannets breeding,
whilst he makes the following interesting remarks concerning the
immature Gannets :—

“Grassholm is, I think, remarkable for the presence and number of
these young birds. It is an almost universal rule that breeding birds
drive the immature birds of their own kind away from their nesting
places, and never allow them in the neighbourhood at all. Here, how-
ever, quite 20 per cent. of the total number of Gannets were non-
breeding birds ’’. R. H. Brown.

REVIEWS.

Quest for Birds. The Problems and Pleasures of an English Bird-
Watcher. By W. K. Richmond. (Witherby). 7s. 6d.
ORNITHOLOGY would be a dull subject if it were not constantly being
enlivened by the impact of fresh minds and fresh points of view, and
this original and stimulating book will give pleasure to seasoned as well
as to new and inexperienced bird-watchers. Mr. Richmond’s name is
hardly familiar among ornithologists yet, but it evidently will be, if
the promise of this first excursion is fulfilled. As a substantial pro-
portion of his space is given to criticisms, express or implied, of my own

a

VOL. XXVIII.] REVIEWS. 215

work I cannot attempt to review this book in the orthodox manner,
and propose, with the editor's approval, to put down my personal
reactions to it. :

One of Mr. Richmond’s most emphatic opinions is that the collection
of scientific data about birds, and census-taking in particular, have no
more value or justification in themselves than simply watching birds
for the esthetic pleasure which it gives. As a notorious census addict
let me say that I entirely agree, and that I am very far from holding
the view which the author appears to impute to me of neatly-tabulated
data as the main or even the only objective of field observation. Of
such data I have already written in the final passage of my Art of
Bird Watching :-—

“ . . these, of course, represent simply the dried husks with which
the bird-watcher has no more to do. For those who practise it
bird-watching is not only a sport and a science, but also something
near a religion, and after all its externals have been inventoried
the essence stays incommunicable ”’.

I would go further and say that valuable as census work has been
and will be there is now a real danger of its being overdone to the
detriment not only of other particular aspects of observation, but of
what is even more important, a healthy balance and variety of observa-
tion as a whole. Although Mr. Richmond seems to have marked me
down for the part of the narrow-minded scientific observer who cannot
admit the value of other points of view, I would like to associate myself
with his plea, which is the keynote of this many-sided book, for the
utmost variety of points of view as the only way to a vigorous and
healthy ornithology.

Mr. Richmond also gives a chapter to somewhat detailed criticism of
the ‘‘ Balance of Birds’’, which appeared in my Birds in England,
a book published almost nine years ago, and long since remaindered.
At that time knowledge of bird population was so much less advanced
that the background and standpoint from which this study was made
are now obsolete. It would be easy in the light of subsequent
knowledge to correct the picture ; we are now able to replace a number
of guesses by facts. While in some instances I believe Mr. Richmond’s
arguments regarding individual species to be justified. his general argu-
ment that the bird population of England “ is a mere remnant ”’ of what
it used to be in the Middle Ages could hardly be sustained in the light
of recent work on bird population, which the author almost entirely
ignores. Much of Mr. Richmond’s criticism is due to a failure to
appreciate the sense in which the term “ balance’’ was employed,
although it was made clear at the outset (Birds in England, p. 26)
that the definition used was of a balance-sheet or profit and loss account,
and not of a precise equilibrium.

In view of Mr. Richmond’s preface it is, perhaps, unfair to him to
criticize in detail his chapter on territory, nor does space permit. While
there is an element of truth in his attack on generalizations he does
not carry the subject much further by himself delivering a series of
generalizations far more sweeping and indefensible than those which he
rejects. I suspect that he makes no distinction between a theory and a
dogma. There is nothing wrong with theories as such; the trouble
starts when we elevate them to the status of dogma. In fact, no one
can write about birds without a theory, conscious or unconscious,
as the theory-hating Mr. Richmond proves on every page—a particu-
larly good example is his chapter on nesting-birds, when he directly

216 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

follows up a violent attack on the territory theory by an account of
breeding activities which is coloured through and through by the
theory he has just been denouncing.

Given a rather more restrained style and a better appreciation of his
own gifts and shortcomings, which are both considerable, Mr. Richmond
will write some first-rate books. Already what he writes is alive and
moving and he knows how to describe vividly the things he sees :—

“|. . Corn-Buntings fly clumsily with legs dropped : Redshanks
hover in the air and glide to the earth with outstretched wings as
they trill: Black-tailed Godwits come shooting earthwards,
slipping and turning from side to side ’’,

There are plenty of passages in this book which show that, whatever
powers Mr. Richmond may develop later on, it is as a descriptive
writer that he has the greatest natural talent. This is fortunate,
because the ranks of bird-watchers who can describe what they see
really well are thin, and because here is obviously a man who is on the
way to creating a direct individual vision of bird life which we must
look forward to sharing with him.—E. M. NicHOLson.

Scolt Head Island. Edited by J. A. STEERS, M.A. (Cambs.—Heffer).
Illustrated. 15s. net.

Tus book is made up of a number of papers by specialists. Dr. S. H.
Long tells us how the island was secured for the National Trust and
sets out the regulations ; the editor gives a short history of the name
and describes how the island was formed and the changes that have
taken place. Then follow papers on the botany, petrology, ecology,
marine invertebrates, non-marine mollusca, a short list of half a dozen
mammals and a chapter by Miss E. L. Turner on the breeding birds
with a few notes on migrants. As is well known, Miss Turner acted as
watcher on the island during the summers of 1924 and 1925, by no
means an easy or a comfortable task. The breeding birds are few in
species. Common Terns, though fluctuating, are the most numerous,
and have greatly increased. The Sandwich Tern, which first nested
in 1923, varies greatly in numbers, there being in some years over 600
pairs and in others not more than a score, and it is always uncertain
if they will occupy this island or resort to Blakeney Point or Cley for
breeding. The Little Tern has a number of small colonies and is
increasing. A pair of Roseate Terns breed intermittently and in 1930
there were two pairs. Ringed Plovers are common and the Oyster-
Catcher has increased from seven breeding pairs to thirty-eight. There
are a few Lapwings, a good many Kedshanks, many Sheld-Ducks,
an occasional pair of Short-eared Owls, and some Black-headed Gulls.
In one nest of the last Miss Turner found the remains of nine nestling
Common Terns on one morning. This raises the problem as to whether
one species shall be protected against another in such a “ sanctuary ”’
or whether a Common Tern is to be regarded as of more interest or
value than a Black-headed Gull! Of nesting Passeres there are only
Meadow-Pipit, Sky-Lark, Linnet, Pied Wagtail, Wheatear, occasionally
Yellow Wagtail and, since the erection of huts, four pairs of Swallows.
Miss Turner gives interesting details of the breeding birds (especially
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if

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 8, VoL. XXVIII., JANUARY I, 1935.

PAGE
On the Display, ha and Habits of the Sheld-Duck. By
Henry Boase s 2 218
A Fly Parasitic on the Sw ew, By A. W. Rope is . ee
Excavation of Nesting Hole and Incubation of the Crested Tit.
By Miss W. M. Ross... 226
Lapland and other See on the Pennines j in Ww ster. By
John Armitage... Res ‘fe 230
The Skins and me ges of the Great. Ake. By the ior. BG.
Jourdain, M.A., H.F.A.O.U. nae rf aS “re re 233
Recovery of Marked Birds ... oe me sss iin ‘<a a
Notes :—

Diving of the Shoveler (G. W. Temperley) re duis ave 241

Long-tailed Duck in Hampshire (M. Portal) ... “h fen, ) “SAE

Slavonian Grebe in Inner London (E. G. Pedler and Dr. G. C.

Low) rep a i os. ee
Cream-coloured Conamer i in | Norfolk (H. = E ve syne) is es | 242
Arctic Skua in Berkshire (J. D. Wood)... os mr ae 242

Short Notes :-—

Breeding Range of the Brambling. Probable Nesting of
Red-backed Shrike in Mid-Lothian. Chiffchaff in Northum-
berland in November. Dartford Warbler in Devonshire.

Grey Phalaropes in Sussex, Leicestershire and Somerset.

Great Snipe in Hampshire. Black-headed Gulls Nesting in

Trees in Sutherland. Iceland Gulls in Inverness-shire,

Renfrewshire and Edinburgh. A Flock of Razorbills in

Middlesex nee aes She ss duc aie ase) 248

Review :—

Birds of Great Britain and their Natural History. By W. P

Pyerait ... a ois we moe iss ai wee 245
Letters :—

Pintail Breeding in Dumbartonshire and Hand-reared Birds
(J. A. Anderson) eis as es ins a<s ) 2H

Territory in the Great Crested Grobe (E. M. Nicholson) soa, | 24D

Some Reflections on Territory (B. W. Tucker)... on ee

P a :

a" <>

ON THE DISPLAY, NESTING AND HABITS OF
THE SHELD-DUCK.

BY
HENRY BOASE.

THE writer has at intervals published notes on the commoner
British ducks. During the work on these other species,
notes on Sheld-Duck (Tadorna tadorna) have been collected,
and in some respects these are of interest.

As in the other notes, the data given refer to the findings
on the north-eastern portion of the Tay Estuary, which,
although partly margined by the city of Dundee, is still the
haunt of shore birds in substantial numbers.

Among the various forms of display used by Sheld-Duck,
some have been found to possess interesting resemblances to
those of the geese, notably the “salute’’, to be described,
its usual display on land, and its attitudes of attack and
menace. Otherwise its behaviour recalls that of the surface-
feeding ducks, with the exception that there appears to be
comparatively little of the endless swimming to and fro and
wheeling so characteristic of, say, Mallard and Teal. Owing
to the few opportunities which have arisen during autumn
and early winter to study the behaviour of Sheld-Duck,
no very definite information as to the extent of display at
that time is available. One or two of the few records seem to
suggest either autumn display and mating, or that some pairs
continue in being beyond the breeding-season, as seems to be
the case with Mallard.

As has been found with some other ducks, when excitement
is rising in a group, a “ rest-intent ”’ attitude is sometimes
seen—a swimming position with the head held higher and the
neck less curved than the normal rest attitude, with the black
feathering of the hind neck definitely expanded, showing as
projecting over the white portion of the neck. (This pro-
jection of black over white was seen in Goldeneye in like
circumstances). The raising of the nape plumage is either
not a regular feature, or the usual conditions of observation
make it difficult to see—a background of water or rippled
mud may well mask the effect.

The most characteristic form of the display of the Sheld-Duck
is the ‘salute’. It appears to be directed to other males
rather than to the females and, used with other forms, has
been seen only in the earlier part of the spring. Generally
this display is as follows: The swimming bird extends the

VoL. Xxvil.} HABITS OF THE SHELD-DUCK. 219

neck rather stiffly upwards, and, with deliberation, swings the
bill upwards until head and neck are in line, and down again.
The pause in the “in line”. position is about one second.
The movement may be repeated up to three times with a few
seconds’ interval between each salute. So far as can be made
out, no call is associated with this display.

While the display just described has a goose-like touch
about it, the Sheld-Duck uses a display recalling certain Mallard
forms. One of these is as follows: From a rest attitude,
head and neck are extended in line at a steep angle upwards,
a moment’s pause, a sharp retraction of the neck and an up-
ward swing of the rear portion of the body, and a resumption
of the normal swimming attitude.

Following the display just described, and of other similar
forms, also when a male of a pair returns to greet its mate, a
form of bow is used. This bow is, perhaps, the most frequent
of the various actions of the male Sheld-Duck in display to its
mate and is given long after the other forms have been
forgotten for the year. It evokes from the female an entirely
different form of action which will be described. The action
of the male starts from a normal attitude with an upward
and backward swing of the head, the bill held normal to the
neck, and in its furthest position not rising more than thirty
degrees—following through in a forward and downward
motion. The action may be repeated up to half a dozen
times, and sometimes, at least, is accompanied by a soft,
_ whistling call “‘ gwee-o ”’ or “‘ whee-o”’. Sometimes the action
is so vigorous that the body swings with the motion of the head,
so that, while afloat, the performer rises on the water, in the
upward stroke, and settles on the down stroke.

Another Mallard-like form of display was seen on February
26th, 1928. From the “ rest-intent ” attitude described (the
head-feathers were raised in this instance) the bird bowed so
that the bill pointed downward, rose on the water with arched
neck and raised head and neck with an upward and backward
swing till the neck was fully extended and the bill pointed
upwards at about sixty degrees. After a momentary pause,
the bird subsided on the water, and in some cases following
on, gave the bill-toss display already described (generally
three tosses) before returning to the rest attitude.

Perhaps the most elaborate display seen was that given by a
male in a group of five on March 30th, 1924. It consisted of a
rapid forward and backward motion of the head, the neck
being extended at about forty-five degrees and then retracted
(bill in line with neck), done with so much energy as to produce

220 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL, XX VIM,

an upward swing of the tail, a quick recovery with bill, head
and neck extended in a vertical line, the bill brought hori-
zontal once more and tossed once or twice, and then the
return to a normal swimming attitude. The whole action
was very rapid. At times only the first portion of the display
—the upward and forward swing—was given in several repeats,
with so much energy as to cause the bird to rise on the water
as the head swung back with retracted neck. On this
occasion the salute was also given alone without any pre-
liminary display.

A variation of the form just described was seen on April
13th, 1931, during a dispute between two pairs. In this
instance the active male rose on the water from the “ rest-
intent ”’ attitude, at the same time extending the neck so that
for the moment head and neck in line were parallel with the
water surface, followed immediately by a swing upward until
head and extended neck were in line vertically. This attitude
was held for an appreciable time and, in one instance, the
salute was given as the bird settled on the water.

One form of greeting between male and female has been
described, that used by the male. The behaviour of the female
in response is quite different. She greets the male with head
and neck in horizontal line, the level so depressed that the
head is well below the level of the back and makes a scooping
motion with the bill—rather a slow action—and, while doing
so, gives the “ ak-ak-ak - - -”’ trill. The male may give
this “‘ scoop”’ display while approaching his mate, and when she
does likewise, he changes at once to the “ swinging bow ”
greeting and the usual male call. So far as can be determined
the female does not give the “ swinging bow ””’ greeting.

The “ scooping ’”’ greeting described seems to be a develop-
ment of the usual act of menace used by both birds—the
general attitude is the same but the scooping motion is not
given. The attacking bird may merely run or swim towards
the intruder with outstretched neck, or the head and neck may
be swung up and down through, say, fifteen degrees (the
highest point will not exceed thirty degrees from horizontal)
with or without a sideways swing as well. As a last
variation, the sideways swing only may be given, and, particu-
larly on water, the action makes the bird turn from side to
side—the outstretched neck almost touching the water—so
making a behaviour very like that of the Great Crested Grebe
when giving -general defiance in the middle of open water.
It is not clear to the writer that this action is confined to the
male—it recalls a motion of the female Mallard when seeking

VOL. xxvil.] HABITS OF THE SHELD-DUCK. 221

the attention of interested males—and may be used in like
manner by the Sheld-Duck.

There is a variation of the bow-greeting of the male some-
times given where the motion is reduced to a to-and-fro nodding
motion of the head.

During the period of courtship, Sheld-Duck quarrel ener-
getically and later, when pairs meet on the flats, the intruders
are driven off with great vigour, although the feeding grounds
are more than ample for the pairs using them. This quarrel-
ling goes on until mid-May at least. When afloat, fighting
birds may splash the water high, and the offender may dive
to escape punishment. Once two individuals were seen to
collide deliberately in mid-air and both fell with a splash into
deep water, in which they were submerged for several seconds.

In another instance, on May 2oth, 1923, a single bird alighted
beside a pair feeding on the flats. The male of the pair
immediately rushed at the intruder with head down in the
“menace ’”’ attitude, calling the harsh ‘ ark-ark’”” note, and
on meeting the birds seized one another at the hinder portion
of the base of the neck and appeared to try to force one
another backwards, using the opened wings to give additional
purchase. Finally the stranger broke away and took to
flight pursued by the other, which, having chased the intruder
from the vicinity of his mate, returned and alighted near her.
She immediately approached giving the “ scooping”’ greeting,
calling the “ ark-ark’’ note while the male replied with the
dipping ‘‘ bow ”’ greeting and the “ whee-ee’’ note.

Calls vary a little in harshness. At night in spring a
running “‘ ak-ak-ak-”’ is usual from feeding birds on the mud.
During the excitement of anger and courtship the call is often
more harsh—“ ark-ark- - -’’ and the male uses a soft “ whee-
whee- - -”’ or “ whee-o’’—accompanying the dipping swing
with which he greets his mate. So far as has been noticed,
this call is used by the male only. The male may lead the
female (or the female the male) in a walk over the flats—
the male dipping and calling—the female “ scooping ’’ and
calling “ ak-ak”’, or the more general behaviour may be given
while swimming. The writer has a note of a call “ week”
used in these circumstances, apparently by the female, but
has not noticed this call in later watching. When one pair
comes too near another feeding near by, or alights from flight
in the immediate vicinity, the pair in possession may attack
the new arrivals—male advancing on male, female on female,
ending in general with a rush by the male with head and neck
outstretched and calling “ avk - -” at the intruding male,

222 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII.

while his mate deals rather less vigorously with the other
female. During one such attack, when three pairs were
present, the dispute lay between two pairs only, and the
advancing male used the display described above as seen on
April 13th, 1931.

As to the dates of display, the records available for the
Tay Estuary give mid-January as the start, with compara-
tively little real action after the end of April. There is only
one record of display during the autumn and winter, for
October 25th, 1924, and the actor was.either immature, or
more likely in eclipse. The bird gave the “ bill-toss’”’ form
while swimming with about twenty-five others, both adults
and young of the year, and the display was over before the
actor could be picked out. There are one or two records
for couples seen during October and December and early
January, but it could not be established with certainty that
these were real pairs. Commonly, most of the birds present
at the end of February are already paired. In this connexion
it is worth mentioning that in the writer’s experience many
males show little or no sign of the knob at the base of the bill
during the earlier part of the spring at least, and that in
consequence the definite identification of the males has not
always been possible. In the two cases of the pairs seen in
attendance on young in June and July, it was again found that
the knob was absent.

The presence on mud-flats and off-shore of pairs at all times
of day during the early summer suggests that a large propor-
tion of Sheld-Duck may fail to nest or lose their eggs. The
number of broods noticed is very small compared with the
numbers of pairs present, and the comparative number of
single birds seen feeding is also small. From the few records
available the evidence points to normal behaviour during
incubation—that is, a period during the afternoon (and pro-
bably in the early morning) when the sitting female leaves the
nest for feeding and bathing. The male visits the nest and
accompanies the female to feed, returning with her to the nest
and again coming back to the shore. On the other hand, the
conditions of nesting in a burrow may enable the sitting bird
to leave the eggs for comparatively long periods, and feed with
its mate on the flats during the ebb. The comparative
scarcity of broods may be due to the same reason as with
Eider—an immediate departure to feeding grounds suitable
for the young. In the Tay Estuary the fringe of the reed-
beds of the upper estuary may be the resort, as at a later date
full-grown young are seen on the flats beyond.

VoL. Xxvi.] HABITS OF THE SHELD-DUCK. 223

As is usual with Sheld-Duck, pairs nest far from the estuary.
Some, at least, march with the young (both parent birds
have been with the brood on the few occasions when this
hazardous trip has been watched) to the estuary. In two
cases broods were reared on an inland loch (Lochendores,
1922-1923). In 1922 a brood of six and both parents were
seen on July 15th; a pair had been present there on the 12th.
The young were in down, and five were diving steadily
(r0-15 seconds), while the sixth up-ended like the adults.
The parent birds were still in attendance on July 17th. On
August roth only five young and one adult (by then dull)
were seen, but one duckling still up-ended, while four dived.
Only three young were present on August rgth, two on August
28th, and these had gone by September 20th. Unfortunately
the notes then made are silent as to feeding behaviour.
In 1923, on June 29th, a pair with at least three young in down
were seen, and all the ducklings were diving freely. There
was also a solitary adult present, and on the previous visit
on June 13th a pair and one adult had been seen. The adults
of the pair both remained until July 27th at least, and had
departed by August 5th. On the former date the young were
almost full-fledged, and two were diving, the third up-ending,
while, in the later date, only one young bird was diving.
The three juveniles remained on the loch until some date
between August 20th (present) and 30th (absent).

These records indicate the unusual feature in duck of both
adults remaining in attendance on the juveniles for some time
after hatching. While, in 1922, there is a record of one adult
only remaining about four weeks, the eclipse and moult would
hasten the departure of the male. There is also the peculiar
feature of the feeding behaviour of the young. The character
of the loch itself had nothing whatever to do with it, as shallows
suitable for surface-feeding duck were more extensive than
the areas of deeper water, and lay literally within a few yards
of the deeps. No further opportunities have arisen for
observation of other broods on this loch, although in 1925 a
pair had a nest near the loch as shown by the departure
of a pair, and the return of one bird within two minutes; no
young were seen later. Notice that the diving of the juveniles
continued until full-grown in at least one case in 1923, and
that in both broods the ducklings had the example in feeding
behaviour of the two parents to guide them (if guidance be
necessary).

The records for Sheld-Duck in the Tay Estuary during the
past years show some points of interest, and perhaps throw

224 BRITISH BIRDS. (VOL. SV Ins

some light on its general behaviour. It is apparently a
summer visitor, and records during the autumn, and early
winter, are relatively few. As a summer visitor the first
arrival in spring is usually in the last week of January, or the
first week in February. The main arrival is rather later—
from mid-March, and the average numbers are in by the second
week of April. There is some suggestion of other arrivals
in early May as shown by the occurrence of parties at this
time, and by marked irregularities in number. July records
indicate definitely a withdrawal, so that only a few, say Io
per cent., are still present in the last week. So far the writer
has no indication of where the Sheld-Duck goes to at this time.
Presumably it retires to moult, but there is no sign of it on
salt-water in the Tay Estuary, inland on fresh-water, nor has
it been noticed on the sea off the coast. There are sundry
records covering the remaining months of the year which
suggest two things—first, that a few individuals are present
throughout the year (whether the same at all seasons is
not certain) and second, exceptionally, parties of some size
may spend the autumn and early winter in the estuary.
These parties, when it has been possible to examine them,
have consisted for the greater part of young birds of the year;
only 5 per cent. or so seeming adults have been noticed. This
separation of the juveniles seems an unusual feature among
ducks, and may indicate that some, or most, do not breed in
their first summer, which in turn would explain the appearance
of ill-knit parties in early summer (May) and of single birds
summering apart (Lochendores, 1923). The parties have so
far always broken up during December, and so made no
obvious impression on the spring arrival dates.

Sheld-Ducks have been found regularly at two lochs on high
ground at about 800 feet. At one of these, in recent years, birds
have been seen there as early as the third week of February on
two occasions, the first week of March on two occasions, once
mid-March, three times in the second week of April, and once
in the third week of April. In other words, the birds may pass
almost immediately even to inland nesting areas on arrival in
the estuary.

The records of numbers suggest a considerable increase in
the upper Tay Estuary during recent years, perhaps in part
due to the gradual afforestation of Tents Moor on the eastern
coastal region of Fife, and consequent shift of habitat, but
almost certainly in part real.

(225)

A FLY PARASITIC ON THE SWALLOW.*
By A. W. BOYD.

DurRING the enquiry, under the auspices of the British
Trust for Ornithology, into the size of broods of the Swallow
(Hirundo r. rustica), it has been found that the larve of one
of the blue-bottle flies, Protocalliphora caerulea R.-D. (also
known as Phormia sordida Zett.), are parasitic on nestling
Swallows in widely separated localities. Séguy (1928),
Encly. Ent., 1X., p. 164,s0 Mr. G. B. Thompson informs me,
records having taken the larve of this species from the nests
of Swallow and Martin (Delichon urbica), and it appears that
it has been recorded from the nests of other birds, but it is
difficult to know exactly the species referred to by some
workers, owing to the complexity of the names employed.

The larva has a series of small hooks round the first segment
with which it attaches itself to the nestling; when full-fed
it is of considerable size and its skin is densely covered with
short stiff spines which are visible to the naked eye ; they are
thus unlike the ordinary maggots of many flies and, as Mr.
Britten has shown me under the microscope, these spines can
still be distinguished in the pupa, and make it possible to
identify empty pupa cases with certainty.

Mr. H. Britten, of the Manchester Museum, has received
larve and pup from several localities. The first larva was
sent on July 3rd, 1934, from Kelling, Norfolk, by Mr. R. M.
Garnett, who found it attached to a corner of the gape of a nest-
ling. On August 2nd, at Whitley, Cheshire, a full-fed larva fell
from a nestling I was ringing, and Mr. Britten bred the fly out
on August 20th. On August 15th, after the young had flown,
I removed the nest-lining, and from this a dozen more flies
were bred. A nest-lining sent in August by Mr. J. F. Thomas
from Laugharne, Carmarthen, contained three pupa cases ; the
young were ringed on August 8th, and on August 24th one of
the young was found dead. Other material sent by Mr. J.C.S.
Ellis from Edgerton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, contained num-
bers of pupa cases, and other nests containing empty pupa
cases were sent to Mr. G. B. Thompson at the British Museum
by Mr. A. Mayall, from Woodbridge, Suffolk.

It is obvious that these blood-sucking larve will tend to
kill off some of the nestlings—in the nest I have mentioned
only two nestlings survived—and that their prevalence may
materially affect the size of the broods and account for the
broods of one or two young that are often reported.

It is hoped that observers will send in linings from nests next
year both where broods are unusually small, and also normal.

*Publication of the British Trust for Ornithology.

(226)

EXCAVATION OF NESTING HOLE AND
INCUBATION OF CRESTED TIT.
BY
WINIFRED M. ROSS.

In 1933 Mr. D. Stubbert and I made observations of twenty-
two nesting-holes of the Scottish Crested Tit (Parus c. scoticus)
in Abernethy Forest, Inverness-shire. Two of these were
rather high up in apparently healthy trees and these I did
not examine closely. The remaining twenty were situated
as follows: Four were in natural holes and, so far as I could
judge by their old appearance, were quite untouched by the
birds; three were in natural holes, which had been made
deeper by the birds themselves ; six were in very rotten trees
extensively probed by Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and
probably the Tits had used these partially-made holes as a
start ; one was in a hole where a Great Spotted Woodpecker
had nested the year before ; one was between the bark and
the stump, a very shallow hole such as is often used by a
Creeper ; one was in a rotten root underground, and this was
probably excavated by the bird; one was in a fairly stout
fence-post, part of which had become rotten before the birds
started to work on it ; the other three, in very rotten stumps,
were, so far as I could find, entirely excavated by the birds
themselves, and in two of them the entrance had been made
where a piece of bark had fallen off, thus making the start
much easier.

In 1934 we had an excellent opportunity of watching boring
operations from the beginning. The site selected by the birds
was a very rotten stump about 3 feet high. At a point,
It foot 9 inches from the ground, there was a small broken
branch which fell out when touched, and in this spot we made
a little opening with a penknife. This was 2 inches high,
14 inches broad, and less than half an inch deep, and really did
no more than remove the outer harder part of the wood.

A pair of Crested Tits were working in a tree near; they
were obviously having great difficulty in making a hole, and
I believe it was these birds which transferred their attentions
to the stump. They adopted the entrance we had made
without any subsequent alteration.

Work was begun about I p.m. on April 29th and continued
actively until6 p.m. For the next five days excavation con-
tinued until a depth of 74 inches was reached, and here,
where a ring of small branches had grown, evidently more
solid wood was encountered.

VoL. Xxvill.] INCUBATION OF CRESTED TIT. 227

Work was carried on most actively all the morning, and again
in the evening between 5 and 7, while in the afternoon the
bird would work for five or ten minutes, and then be away for
three-quarters of an hour or more. All the work was done
by one bird, and this we judged by attitude, notes and
behaviour, to be the female. She was sometimes in the hole
as much as five minutes, sometimes only twenty to thirty
seconds. When she came out she always carried a piece of
wood varying in size from tiny chips to bits over one inch in
length. These were invariably carried to a group of small
rowan trees about three yards from the stump and dropped ;
the bird wiped her beak on the branch and flew back to the
hole. As she got down to harder wood, the noise of her
working could be heard from about twenty-five yards.

The male bird did not seem to take any part in excavating,
but he was always near the nest, and frequently perched on
the edge of the hole and looked in. Sometimes he entered the
hole but did not remain more than a few seconds, and never
carried out any chips. He often brought a beakful of insects
to the hole, sometimes feeding his mate at the entrance, some-
times in the hole, and occasionally on a bush just beside the
stump. Once or twice he came with food when the female
was absent. On these occasions he looked into the nest,
called loudly, and finally ate the food himself.

On May 4th the bird was still working hard carrying out
chips as late as 7.15 p.m., but on the next morning, the seventh
after excavation had begun, nest-building was started. The
female plucked large bunches of moss—nearly as large as
her head—from an old wall, and from the foot of the rowan
trees. She frequently picked out several pieces and rejected
them before getting exactly what she wished. When she had
a beakful she flew directly to the hole. The male flew round,
pecked at pieces of moss, but always dropped them, and was
never seen to take any to the nest. He frequently, however,
entered the hole with his mate.

The next day, May 6th, there was heavy rain and wind,
and the birds were not seen near the nest from 10.30 a.m.
till 2 p.m., when watch was given up. There was a dry,
sunny interval at 4 p.m., and the female was seen bringing
sheep’s wool to the nest. She carried it to the rowan trees
and teased it out into a large fluffy mass as big as her own
body. She worked at it furiously, holding the wool in her
claws and pulling it upwards with rapid jerks of the head,
then, reversing her position, hanging head down and pulling

228 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

the wool down and from side to side. The following day she
was noted bringing more sheep’s wool, which she teased out,
also some grey fluff and some pale brown, soft material, like
wood-wool, which she seemed to get from high up in a Scots
pine tree. She also brought some white down and one or
two small feathers. The male was very attentive, flying
with her on each journey, waiting outside in the bush, and
looking in frequently. On one occasion he was sitting on the
edge of the hole when she returned, and she perched on his
back, and entered the nest over his head.

For the next three days the hen continued to build as before
but gradually brought in more feathers and less wool. The
feathers were all white fowl’s feathers and were brought
from a distance of over 100 yards.

On May 11th the birds were not working or seen in the vicinity
of the nest all day until 4 p.m., when the male appeared
calling a note I have never heard before. There was no trill,
only four single, rather hard, notes, with the second accented ;
the notes were loud for a Crested Tit. The male kept flutter-
ing from the rowans to the bush and stump, constantly
looking into the hole. The female was feeding on the ground
near, and occasionally trilled softly in reply, but continued
feeding. '

Six days were thus occupied in excavation, six in nest-
building, and apparently the thirteenth in resting, while on
the fourteenth, viz., on May 12th, there was one egg in the
nest at 9 a.m. The birds were seen near the nest and a few
minutes later the female, accompanied by her mate, brought
fine rabbit fur to cover the egg. Both birds then left the nest
and were not seen again near it that day except for a short
time at midday and about 5 p.m. On the following day
there were two eggs well covered, but faintly visible. On the
following three days the eggs were all covered and could not be
seen. The bird was not sitting and was not seen near the nest.

On May 17th, the sixth day after the first egg was laid, the
female was seen to enter the hole at 10 a.m. with a large moth
in her beak, and she did not come out again. Watch was
given up at 11.30 a.m., but the bird was still sitting at 2.30 p.m.
and 7.30 p.m.

On May 30th, this being the fourteenth day of incubation,
three eggs were hatched at 8.45 p.m., while two were not
hatched. At 9.30 p.m. the fourth bird was emerging from
the egg, and on the next day one egg was still unhatched,
and was found to be infertile.

VoL. Xxviu.] INCUBATION OF CRESTED TIT. 229

Both birds were very pugnacious towards other birds,
especially Willow-Warblers, Blue and Great Tits. Later on
a female Goldcrest, which was selecting moss from the same
wall as the Crested Tit, was vigorously chased each time she
came. On one occasion a Great Tit arrived and perched on
the stump while she was teasing wool on the rowan trees.
She chased him with the wool flying from her claws like a
flag. It ultimately dropped and she never picked it up again.
She did not pay any attention to a female Bullfinch, which
was feeding on her group of rowans for over an hour one day,
and only occasionally and half-heartedly chased a cock
Chaffinch which often sang quite near the stump.

[Miss Ross has most kindly sent me the stump for examina-
tion. The wood is so rotten as to be crumbling to pieces.
The nesting cavity is very roughly excavated and has no regular
shape. The bird evidently pecked out the very rotten parts
and left the harder ones, which stand out in uneven ridges.
The diameter of the cavity is approximately two inches,
and of the stump itself, five inches. This nesting cavity is
thus very different from the neatly bored and definitely
shaped one made by the Willow-Tit.—H.F.W.]

[The observations on the share of the sexes in excavating
and nest building appear to be the first made on the British
race of the Crested Tit, but agree closely with those of Herr
L. Schuster and Baron Geyr von Schweppenburg on
continental races.—F.C.R. J.]

(230)

LAPLAND AND OTHER BUNTINGS ON THE
PENNINES IN WINTER.

BY
JOHN ARMITAGE,

THE autumn and winter of 1933-34 were abnormally dry, and
conditions were ideal for work on the uplands, particularly
those areas covered with moor-grass. During a normal
season the tussocky ground is wet and sometimes water-
logged. Moor-grass (Molinia cerulea) is a perennial of great
strength and tenacity, dominating large tracts of the Pennines,
excluding other plants and successfully resisting wind, flood
and fire, besides carrying, without apparent ill-effect, a host
of gall-midge larvee (Cecidomytd@) at its base.

Birds—fourteen species at least—feed on the seeds of moor-
grass, and later, being aware of the myriads of larve in the
plant’s haulms, they peck into the tussocks, shredding the
sheaths and eating the vegetable core and clusters of maggots.
A bumper crop of seeds fell in the autumn of 1933, providing
an abundant food supply for the birds ; therefore, uprooting
of infested haulms was less noticeable and the tracing of
Snow-Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis) proved exceptionally
difficult. My wife and I averaged three days per week in the
hills, but the season’s bag of “ Snowbirds’ only amounted
to seven—odd birds in four different localities. Other ob-
servers were more fortunate, and we received full details of
the birds seen by T. Baddeley, A. E. Baron, T. Bell, A Bell-
field, F. Brindley, J. J. Cash, R. Clapham, H. Horsfall, R. E.
Knowles, W. Shipton and F. Taylor. I. Whittaker searched
many E. Lancs. haunts of Snow-Buntings, but without result.

Altogether, the season’s reports involved six , counties.
First arrivals were noted on October 17th, and the last were
recorded on March 3rd. R. E. Knowles, long associated with
the E. Cheshire hills, states that the Buntings are regular
winter visitors there, and my experience in the High Peak
and N. Staffs. is similar. Nothing new has transpired
since the previous season’s notes were written (see Brit.
Birds, November, 1933), but three records from one spot are
of interest. Two Buntings were seen in a dry drain on Black-
stone Edge, S.E. Lancs., on November oth; three were
found in the same place on November 27th, and on December
17th one was still there and another was running along a
gully just: below. The highest number (nearly fifty) were
seen on Axe Edge, N. Derbys., on October roth.

VOL. Xxvill.] BUNTINGS ON THE PENNINES. 231

Reed-Buntings (Emberiza scheniclus) wintered on the
Pennines in great numbers, the bulk of them arriving towards
the end of October and leaving during the last few days of
March. On October 8th, H. M. Salmon drew my attention
to one on Grinlow, near Buxton (1,300 feet) ; on October 13th
a few turned up on Molinia beds below Goyt’s Moss, and by the
end of the month I had seen parties in the three N. Statfts.
localities of Hollinsclough Moor, Blackbank Moor, and
Goldsitch Moss. Mild weather on February 24th and 25th
apparently caused a movement of Reed-Buntings near Whit-
worth, S.E. Lancs. They were seen in the open cloughs
below the moors, but wintry weather appeared to send them
back to the tops. The latest date came from an E. Cheshire
moor where R. T. Hindley saw a solitary female Reed-
Bunting on April 3rd.

They roost in thorns and other bushes, in peaty gruffs
and drainage channels, and on moorland tracks and sheep-
walks, but a large proportion sleep in company among and
below dead bracken, and a favourite haunt of Reed-Buntings
wintering on the moors is a Molinia slope with a bed of
bracken or stunted plantation nearby. Usually flushed in
ones and twos, they rise with thin squeaky call-notes, and when
several are disturbed, they tend to band together and remain
so for a time. The greatest number seen in one day was in
S.E. Lancs., on November 12th. A party of us swept
through a “sea’’ of moor-grass covering Whiteley Dean
and about thirty Reed-Buntings flew from a fringe of bracken.
Several scattered birds were put up on Clegg Moor; below
Blackstone Edge was a flight of eleven and about twenty-five
odd birds, while on Chelburn Moor a flock of about thirty
was joined by a dozen more singles which were spread over a
large area. Blackbank Moor, N. Staffs., was populated
by a substantial flock in autumn; they seemed to scatter
and diminish through the winter, but individuals collected
again and, before leaving, the party assumed similar
proportions to the autumnal gathering.

An interesting record during the 1933-34 season was that
relating to a flock of about twenty Lapland Buntings (Calcarius
lapponicus) near Rochdale, Lancs., on December 30th.
One was shot a few miles away (Bury district) many years
ago. There is an authentic record by I. Whittaker of a small
party below Blackstone Edge, four miles N.E. of Rochdale,
during December, 1927 ; a discovery unpublished because of
the finder’s unsatisfactory view of the birds and the fact that

232 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

the species is practically unknown on the Pennines. It was
a very cold day with snow lying about and the flock (about
a dozen birds) was seen near an old lane (700 feet). Neither
Reed- or Snow-Buntings, they were unlike anything pre-
viously seen, and there was just time to note that one or two
had chestnut napes, when the entire flock rose and vanished.

My own experience was more fortunate, although visibility
was appalling. Losing my way to Rooley Moor for over three
hours in thick mist, I walked at length into the group of
Buntings at a spot which I marked and located later as the
upper end of a lane (goo feet) above Green Booth. At a
glance they suggested sturdy Reed-Buntings, but with a
different carriage and action. Some were running quickly
about the path; others ruammaged among the snow-covered
grasses, and the remainder perched or crouched near stones
fallen from the wall and on the wall itself. They were a
variable lot with light-coloured bills, and plumage darker
than expected, but no doubt the white mist and snow con-
tributed towards this impression, or they may have been soiled
through contact with grimy vegetation. One bird, presum-
ably an adult male, had a dark head with a light streak over
the eye, a light spot well below the eye, a chestnut patch at
the nape of the neck and striated back and sides.

Standing within two paces of the nearest, I was able to
write and sketch many details, until the sound of a shot
startled them into flight and the mist swallowed them up
immediately. Further visits to the lane revealed the pro-
bable attraction, an abundance of moor-grass seeds which
had blown into the sunken lane from adjoining land, and on
January 20th some Yellow Buntings (Emberiza c. citrinella)
were seen, together with evidence of their roosting near the
stones and in recesses of the wall. Systematic searching of
the Molinia beds may some day show the Lapland Bunting
to be an irregular visitor to the Pennines, and a likely associate
with the Snow-Bunting.

(233)
THE SKINS AND EGGS OF THE GREAT AUK.

BY
Tue Rev. F. C. R. JOURDAIN, M.A., H.F.A.0,.U., H.M.G.O.S.

NeEwrTon (Ibis, 1870, p. 259) estimated the number of existing
skins at 71 (or 72 ?). Symington Grieve, in his monograph
The Great Auk, or Garefowl, recorded 77 specimens of the
Great Auk (Alca impennis) as existing in 1885 in the Appendix,
pp. 4-24. (Thisis a translation of Prof. W. Blasius’ list and is
convenient for reference, as numbers are given to each speci-
men.) In Grieve’s ‘‘ Recent Information ” he gives the number
of skins as 78 or 79 (p. 25, 1888).

T. Parkin, in his pamphlet on The Great Auk (1911), gave
the number of skins (on E. Bidwell’s authority) as 80,

At the recent sale of the collections of the late Mr. George
Dawson Rowley, who died in 1878, two skins came into the
market and were sold at Stevens’ on November 14th, 1934.

Both were purchased by Captain Vivian Hewitt of Rhyl,
N. Wales ; the first (lot 158), described as a female in summer
plumage, for 480 guineas, and the second (lot 159), described
as a male in summer plumage, for 500 guineas,

Mr. G. D. Rowley bought the first bird in 1869 from G. A.
Frank of Amsterdam, who had acquired it from the collection
of Graf von Westerholt-Glikenberg of Westerholt, near
Miinster, Westfalen. It is No. 13 in Grieve’s list, and Dr.
B. Altum mentions it in a footnote as still existing in this
collection in the Journal f. Ornithol., 1863, p. 115.

The second bird (No. 14 in Grieve’s list) was bought by
Rowley in 1868 from Gardner of London, who got it in 1848
from Lefévre of Paris.

At the same sale no fewer than six eggs of the Great Auk
were offered for sale, the largest number ever sold on asingle
occasion, although four eggs were sold at Stevens’ on July
11th, 1865, and the collection of Mr. R. Champley of Scar-
borough contained nine specimens, which were, however,
disposed of privately.

~ Of these six eggs, lot 152 (No. 9 in Grieve’s list) was neatly
blown with the usual two holes and characteristically marked.
It was one of the ten eggs discovered in a box at the Royal

_ College of Surgeons and identified by Newton. It was bought
by G. D. Rowley for £33 on July 11th, 1865, and was sold on
this occasion for 300 guineas to Captain Hewitt. It is
Egg V. of Parkin’s pamphlet.

Lot 153 (No. 12 in Grieve’s list) is the egg bought in Paris by

© Yarrell, for Lady Cust, for 5 francs. It is neatly blown with

Q

234 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

two holes and is almost white, having one or two blackish
streaks only at the larger end. This was bought by myself
for 210 guineas.

Lot 154 (No. 11 in Grieve’s list) was bought by G. D. Rowley
from B. Bourman Labrey of Manchester. It had formerly
been in the possession of Mr. Wilmot. This egg had been
broken and put together by Yarrell. It retainsits markings,
but the repairing has been done in somewhat crude fashion.
This was also purchased by myself for 140 guineas.

Lot 155 (No. 10 in Grieve’s list) was a remarkable egg. The
markings were very fresh and consisted of interlacing lines
on a white ground. It is believed to have belonged to Captain
Cook prior to 1779, and was bought by G. D. Rowley on March
16th, 1863, from John Gould, who thought it was probably
of British origin. Unfortunately, it was blown by the removal
of the small end, leaving a large jagged hole. This egg was
bought by Sir Bernard Eckstein, Bart., of Uckfield, Sussex,
for 260 guineas.

Lot 156 was No. 1 of the three eggs which formerly belonged
to Lord Garvagh, who obtained it from the sale of T. H. Potts’
collection. It was formerly in the collection of the Vicomte
de Barde, and subsequently in the Musée de Boulogne, and
then passed through Gardner to IT) Ht Potts. Wt is INo-
13 in Grieve’s list and is fairly well blown and typically
marked. This was knocked down to Captain V. Hewitt for
300 guineas.

Lot 157 (No. 14 in Grieve’s list) had been broken and
roughly repaired, but was a well-marked specimen. It was
also in Lord Garvagh’s possession (No.2) and is apparently
the egg bought at T. H. Potts’ sale on April 7th, 1854, for £20
(Egg II. in Parkin’s pamphlet). This was bought by Mr.
G. N. Carter of Withington, Manchester, for 100 guineas.

The number of eggs in existence is probably 75, but one or
two have been lost sight of and it is desirable that a fresh census
should be made.

In 1870 Newton estimated the number as 65 (Ibis, 1870,
p. 261), Grieve in 1885 at 68, and in 1888 at ‘‘67 or 69”’.

Parkin in Ig91I gave the number as 73, and since that date
two more have been recorded, so that apparently the number
at present known is 75.

A number of bones of the Great Auk from Funk Island
were also included in the sale, and were bought by the Marquess
Hachisuka: for £3 5s. (lot 246).

(235)
RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

OwING to the increasing number of recoveries it has become
necessary still further to curtail these lists. Birds of the species
named below are omitted when ringed as full-grown and recovered
in the same place (of which we now have many records), except
in cases of exceptional interest, such as long life or cases of
“homing”. These species are: Starling, Greenfinch, Chaf-
finch, Yellow Bunting, Song-Thrush, Blackbird, Robin and
Hedge-Sparrow. Although these recoveries are not published
in the list, it is nevertheless important that ringers should
continue to record them so that full data may be collected and
become available for future work connected with the species
concerned.

Rook (Corvus f. frugilegus).
RINGED AS NESTLING.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
RR.7757. Hunsdon (Herts.), 25.4.29, by Where ringed, 26.7.34, by
J. D’eath. H. B. Gardner.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(ec) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.
RT.9756 Chipping Norton (Oxon.), Little Wakering (Essex),
transported to and released 1.7.34, by Major Wedd.
on Horse Guards’ Parade
(65 mm, S.B.l, 25.42.34, oy
Ik. M. Nicholson.
RT.9754 Ditto 15.2.34 Cliffe-at-Hoo (Kent), Spring,
1934, by W. B. Alexander.

Jackdaw (Coleus m. spermologus).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.,
RS.5903 Kilbarchan (Renfrew.) 11.5.33, Where ringed, 27.5.34, by

by F. J. Ramsay. ringer.
RT.5746 Shipley (Yorks.), 14.5.33, by Where ringed, 21.5.34, by
C. Wontner-Smith. ringer.

Starling (Sturnus v. vulgaris).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
GA.g66 Largo (Fife.), 19.5.34, by Helensburgh (Dumbarton.),

A. H. Eggeling. 5.9.34, by R. Lawson.
RR.7112 Penrith (Cumb.), —.6.30, by Stainton (Cumb.), 19.8.34,
H. J. Moon. by ringer.
FA.882 Ditto —.5.33 Greystoke (Cumb.), 8.11.34,

by ringer.

236

No.
FA.531

GB.924
TF.402

GL.541

No.
P.6896

No.
FB.735
GP.731
FL.757

AN.1335

FJ.695

FP.442

FP.280

FS.525
AE .173
FH.661
FL.260

FH.671

FH.474

BRITISH BIRDS.

Starling (continued).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM
Ringed.
Ullswater (Westmor.), —.5.33,
by H. J. Moon.
Wolsingham (Durham),
27.5.34, by R. Martinson.
Oxford, 17.5.33, by Oxford
Orns) Soc:
Tenterden (Kent), 16.6.34, by
N. Ey Miecehurst,

WHERE RINGED.
Recovered.
Carsphairn (Kirkcudbr.),
29.11.34, by D. Murdoch.
Cambo (Northumb.), 7.8.34,
by G. McQueen.

Cumnor Hill (Berks.),
22.7.34, by J. Seagrave.
Ashford (Kent), 28.11.34, by

O. Roseveare.

(6) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.

Seaton (Devon.), 19.5.31, by A. Mayo.

Recovered.

12,332" 5
DAPI Sis

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.

York, 4.2.34, by Bootham
School.

Alderley Edge (Ches.), 9.11.34,
by E. Cohen.

Evesham (Worcs.),
by A. J. Harthan.

Malvern (Worcs.), 28.10.31, by
P. Morshead.

HOMUSES Ss

Ditto 20 ,12-33
Ditto 2312.34
Ditto 15.2.34

Longhope (Glos.), 21.3.34, by
Cheltenham Coll.

Oxford, 5.2.34, by Oxford Orn.
Soc.

Ditto 21.11.33
Ditto 28.1.34
Ditto 26.00.38

Friern Barnet, London, 11.9.33,
by L..Naeks:

Recovered.

Skelskor (Sjzlland), Den-
mark, 9.9.34, by C. Jor-
gensen.

Stockport (Ches.), 19.11.34,
by J. Jackson.

Ortelsburg (East Prussia),
29.5.34, by J. H. Rogers.

Tenbury Wells (Worcs.),
1.7.34, by A. Booton.

Apperley (Glos.), 28.11.34,
by R. H. Boulton.

Tessin (Mecklenburg), Ger-
many, 25.4.34, by Herr
Thorbeck.

Ruysselede, W. Flanders,
27.00.84, DY Va Va
Straelen.

Northleach (Glos.), 7.8.34, by
B. Burge.

Chieveley (Berks.), 11.7.34,
Dyauke aoimes

Newbury (Berks.), 24.11.34,
by C. Taylor.

North Mimms _ (Herts.),
11.7.34, by Postmaster.
Heiligenbeil, East Prussia,
3.11.34, by Vogelwarte,

Rossitten.

Piccadilly, London, 8.6.34,

by Mrs. Law.

[VOL. XXVIII.

VOL. XXv1lI.} RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 237

Starling (continued).

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED,

No. Ringed. Recovered.

FH.542 Ditto 3.12.33 Moorgate, London, 2.11.34,
by C. Bird.

SY.264 Ditto 22.12.33 Telsiai, Lithuania, 25.5.34,
by Prof. Ivakauskas.

H.2376 Ditto 16.12.33 Gumbinnen, East Prussia,

25.7.34, by W. Delming.
GR.760 Winchelsea (Sussex.), 8.9.34, Wadebridge (Cornwall),

by P. Hollom. 19.11.34, by J. Hawken.

XF32 Seaton (Devon.), 7.12.33, by Bremen, Germany, —.6.34,
A. Mayo. by W. Niehaus.

RF.558 Ditto 24.1.33 Copenhagen, Denmark,

29.9.34, by V. Eriksen.
FK.12zt Branscombe (Devon.), Tilsit, East Prussia, —.6.34,

29.12.33, by P. Morshead. by Vogelwarte, Rossitten.
R.8838 Sidbury (Devon.), 2.1.31, by Stettin, Pomerania, 22.7.34,
P. Morshead., by 5.2 3B;

Greenfineh (Chloris ch. chloris).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

NP.289 Penrith (Cumb.), —.6.33, by Where ringed, 11.6.34, by
H. J. Moon. ringer.

FF.193 Shipley (Yorks.), 9.6.33, by Ditto 13.5-34-
C. Wontner-Smith.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
MN.364 York, 25.4.34, by Bootham Aldershot (Hants.), —.6.34,
School, by J. Phillips.

(e) MOVED TO A DISTANCE AND RELEASED EXPERIMENTALLY.

FRK.885

ht 388 | Cirencester (Glos.), ceiunselt! Where ringed, 26.3.34, by
K.899 | & i. S.,-20.3-34, (by BR. be | ringer.

ie Bickersteth. .

Chaffinch (Fvingilla c. calebs).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
FF.145 Shipley (Yorks.), 24.5.33, by Where ringed, Sept., 1933;

C. Wontner-Smith. April, May, Aug., 1934,
by ringer.
F.8478 Rye (Sussex), 27.5.30, by R. G. Play den (Sussex), —.5.34,

Williams. by Miss Duprey.

No.
E22

MS.870

M.2145

NA.84

AP.8721

No.
GH.355
FN.161
EX.706

T.7538

AR.3435

5.8643

hE 120

No.

PF.453
FD.784

J-4585
Wasa
BF.922
CF.327

BRITISH BIRDS.

| VOL. XXVIII.

Brambling (fringilla montifringilla).

Ringed.

Kendal (Westmor.), 26.12.33,
ad., by M. Monro.

Recovered.

Antwerp, Belgium, 22.10.34,
by V. van Straelen.

Meadow-Pipit (Anthus pratensis).

Bamburgh (Northumb,),
205.34, nestine, by We J:
Eggeling.

Seaton (Devon.), 18.2.32, ad.,
by A. Mayo.

Messanges (Landes), France,
15.10.34, by Chasseur
Francais.

Where ringed, —.11.33, by
ringer.

Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca).

Rydal (Westmor.), 20.6.32,
nestling, by Miss Higgin-
botham.

Mistle-Thrush (Twrdus v.

Duddingston
3.5.33, nestling, by D.
Bryson.

Song-Thrush (Twrdus e.

(Midlothian),

is

Ambleside (Westmor.),
—.5.34, by G. Rowland-
son.

VISCLVOTUS).

Stow (Midlothian),
by A. Fortune.

8.9.34,

evicetorum).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.

Wensleydale (Yorks.), 20.6.34,
by Bootham Sch.

ihinsk (Vonks); use7es4.
Bootham. Sch.

Shipley (Yorks.), 22.4.34, by
C. Wontner-Smith.

Oxford, 25.5.30, by J. A. G.
Barnes.

Burghfield (Berks.), 22.4.34, by
T. G. H. Kirkwood.

by

Swaffham (Norfolk), 20.4.31,
by Re 1S. Broke:
Ashford (Kent), 24.4.34, by

St. Edmund’s Sch.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE
Ringed.

Penrith (Cumb.), —.6.32, by H. J. Moon.
Ullswater (Cumb.), —.6.33, by H. J. Moon.
Ingleton (Yorks.), —.5.30, by H. J. Moon.
Ballaugh (I. of Man), 27.6.32, by F. A. Craine.
York, 18.5.33, by Bootham Sch.

Ditto 2315.33:

Recovered.

Burnley (Lancs.),
by F. Whitham..
York, 4.9.34, by W. Cussars.

17.9-34,

Leeds (Yorks.), —.10.34, by
J. Dobson.

Eynsham (Oxon.),
by P. Cregan.

Ham Street (Kent), 5.7.34,
by V. Powell.

Le Porge (Gironde), France,
18.11.34, by A. de Groot.

St. Savinien (Charente Inf.),
Brance, m4sro.s45 bye ave
Dominique.

10.8.34,

RINGED.
Recovered.

7:5-34-
1.7.34.
30.60.34.
23.5.34-
3.6.34.
22.8.34.

VOL. XXVIII. |

No.
CF.362
AN.4143
P.7509
R.2575
P.2802

No.
P.4692

No.

YF.39
Gi" 937
$.6379
T.4890
TF.846

No.
U.5510

FB.721

MX.

Ww
Un
“I

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

Song-Thrush (continued).

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

239

Ringed. Recovered.
Ditto 14.7.33. 12.5-34-
Knutsford (Ches.), 21.6.31, by E. Cohen. 4.6.34.
Malvern (Worcs.), 25.5.31, by A. Morrison. 15.60.34.
Wokingham (Berks.), 29.5.31, by J. N. Fletcher. 16.7.34-
Kelling (Norfolk), 12.5.31, by R. M. Garnett. 12.5-34-
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Ringed. Recovered.
Perth, 28.7.32, by Lord Scone. Paisley (Renfrew.), —.6.34,
by J. Rollo.
Blackbird (Zurdus m. merula).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
Ringed. Recovered.
Langwathby (Cumb.), —.5.33, by H. J. Moon. 2.6.34.
York, 23.5.33, by Bootham Sch. 30.0.34.
Rugby (Warwick.), 14.6.31, by Rugby Sch. 30.60.34.
Kelling (Norfolk), 24.4.30, by R. M. Garnett. 24.3.34.
Cambridge, 6.5.33, by Sanctuary Club. 25.1.34.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(c) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
Ringed. Recovered.

Scone Estate (Perth.), 22.1.33,

Ostenfelde, Westphalia,

by Lord Scone. 10.6.34, by Vogelwarte,
Rossitten.

York, 24.1.34, by Bootham Ulsted, Jylland, Denmark,

Sch. 24.60.34, by N. Klitgaard.

Wheatear ((Enanthe ew. enanthe).
North Roe, Shetland, 25.6.34,

nestling, by W. J. Eggeling. (approx.

Khouribga, Morocco,
33° N.

7° W.)

29.10.34, by S. Ouleasi.

Robin (Erithacus r. melophilus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Flotterstone (Midlothian),
26.5.34, by D. K. Bryson.
Kelling (Norfolk), 29.4.32, by
R. M. Garnett. ringer.

Hedge-Sparrow (Prunella m. occidentalis).

Colinton (Midlothian),
27.8.34, by C. Coventry.
Where ringed, 18.2.34, by

Recovered 7 years (to the day) after ringing, this Hedge-Sparrow is
the longest lived case of this species among our records, with one exception,

240 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

viz., Z.566, which was ringed adult at Cheadle (Staffs.) by the late
J. R. B. Masefield, and recovered in the same place after 8 years and 4
months (Vol. XVII., p. 80).

No. Ringed. Recovered.
D.9020 Dornoch (Suth.), 9.7.27, ad., by Where ringed, 9.7.34, by
E. Cohen. ringer.

Swallow (Hirundo rv. rustica).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
M.3588 Wolsingham (Durham), Brandon (Durham), 2.9.34,
26.06.33, by R. Martinson. by J. Headlam.
MP.506 Laugharne (Carms.), 16.8.34, Pontardulais (Glam.),
by J. F. Thomas. 10.9.34, by I. Davies.
(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
NJ.45 Penrith (Cumb.), —.7.32, by H. J. Moon. 10.8.34.
MA.14 Wensleydale (Yorks.), 9.7.33, by Bootham Sch. 11.6.34.
L.4991 Laugharne (Carms.), 5.8.31, by J. F. Thomas. 8.8.34.
NW.658 Ditto Fear oer ; 16.8.34.

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
NW.808 6.8. ssh,
Laugharne (J. F. Thomas). er San ag
N.4578 8.8.32 7.8.33; | NW.679 } 8.8.33 4.8.34
11.8.34 | NW.698 | 10.8.33 22.8.34
N.4721 24.8.32 11.8.34 | NW.699_ !
N.4767 2.8.33 17.8.34 The last two pairs of birds were
NW.632 2.8.23 3.8.34 | mates in both years.
NW.651 5-8.33 22.8.34 Skokholm (R. M. Lockley).
NW.700 11.8.33 23.8.34 | MH.224 26.8.33 30.5.34
NW.709 11.8.33 8.8.34 This Swallow was caught as a
NW.747 16.8.33 4-38.34 | young migrant in 1933, and the
NW.762 19.8.33 3-8.34 | following year was nesting on
NW.764 24.8.33 3:0:34) | $eioiiolm.

Martin (Delichon wu. urbica).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
NR.540 Nether Alderley (Ches.), Where ringed, summer, 1934,
26.6.33, by E. Cohen. by ringer.
NX.485 Ditto 26.6.33 Ditto TA} BV,

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.

MD.989 Nether Alderley (Ches.), Whereringed, Summer, 1934,
1.8.33, by 2, Cohen: by ringer.

DIVING OF THE SHOVELER.

IN connexion with Mr. Bertram Lloyd’s note on this subject
(antea, pp. 206-7), the following may be of interest :—

On October 17th, 1930, while watching duck on the Gosforth
Park Bird Sanctuary lake, Northumberland, I noticed a
couple of female Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) engaged in diving.
My note, set down at the time, states that “ they went under
rather clumsily, partly opening their wings and making a
splash’. They only remained below for a brief period at each
dive, not to be compared with the average time taken by a
diving-duck ; but they continued operations for a considerable
time. Other Shoveler on the lake, two or three dozen in
number, of both sexes, took no share in these exercises.
Judging from the vegetation visible on the surface ot the water,
the lake at the point where they were diving was only shallow.
I was unable to determine what kind of food they were
procuring.

I have observed Shoveler, on this lake and elsewhere, from
time to time over a number of years; but this is the only
instance of the kind that I have seen.

GEORGE W. TEMPERLEY.

LONG-TAILED DUCK IN HAMPSHIRE.

AN immature male Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis)
was shot during a duck-drive off Capt. A. H. Franklyn’s
new lake, near Shedfield, Hants, on November r1gth, 1934.
This bird had been noticed diving about for the last month,
and was sent, fortunately, to Dr. P. R. Lowe at the British
Museum.

Long-tailed Duck are mentioned in Kelsall and Munn’s
Birds of Hampshire, as one at Emsworth, 1860, and a pair in
the Hart collection, shot January 6th, 1879, so that the bird
is a rare visitor to Hampshire. M. Porta.

SLAVONIAN GREBE IN INNER LONDON.

On November 28th, 1934, at 9 a.m., when we were observing
the duck on the Round Pond, Kensington Gardens, and
looking for a Goldeneye which had been frequenting the
pond for over a month, we noticed a Grebe swimming about.
It was far out at first, but with a telescope it could be identified

242 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

as a Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus), a diagnosis which was
confirmed when the bird came to within some fifteen yards of
the edge. Mr. A. Holte Macpherson saw it later in the
morning. This is the first record for this species in Inner
London. E.G. PEPLER:

G. CARMICHAEL Low.

CREAM-COLOURED COURSER IN NORFOLK.

A CREAM-COLOURED COURSER (Cursorius c. cursor) was
obtained at Thornham, in Norfolk, on October 3rd, 1934. It
was shot by a wildfowler on the coast, and was sent on ta me
for preservation.

I think that I am right in saying that this is the first Courser
to be taken in Norfolk, but I see in R. Lubbock’s book,
Fauna of Norfolk, that it has been observed on two occasions,
namely at Morston in 1847 and at Westacre in 1855.

It is going to be added to the Norwich Museum collection.

HENRY H. Epwarps.

(Mr. Edwards kindly sent us the bird for examination.
It was a bird of the year retaining a number of feathers of
the juvenile plumage.—EDs. |

ARCTIC SKUA IN BERKSHIRE.

On October 17th, 1934, when at Reading Sewage Farm
with a party of boys from Leighton Park School, I was
surprised to see what J took to be a large, dark bird of prey
flying low over the reeds. Several members of the party got
quite a good view of it before it landed in the rushes some
distance away, and we went off in search of it. We had
given up the search, and were going home, when a Skua
came flopping along the ground towards us and landed at our
feet. We took it back to the school, where we identified it as
a juvenile Arctic Skua (Stercorartus parasiticus).

It was at first so weak that it could hardly stand, but
began to revive on a diet of raw herrings and was apparently
well on the way to recovery when it had a mysterious relapse,
began to mope, and eventually died on November troth.
A post-mortem, undertaken by Mr. F. W. Flattely, M.Sc.,
revealed that the right lung had been injured, and that the
thoracic and abdominal air-sacs contained a quantity of
congealed blood. The cause of the injury is unknown and
there was no external sign of any injury, though the bird was,
of course, in poor condition.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 243

It was a female, and a dark bird, though the breast and
cheeks were distinctly lighter than the rest of the plumage.
It is the third record of the species for Berkshire, the last
having been shot at Newbury in 1883. J. D. Woop.

BREEDING RANGE OF THE BRAMBLING.—In connexion with
the report of a Brambling ringed in Cheshire in February,
1931, and recovered at Krajina, in Yugoslavia, July 12th,
1933 (antea, p. 110), Mr. H. G. K. Molineux points out that
there are accounts of the status of the bird in this region,
which point to its nesting and thus add greatly to the interest
of this recovery. Unfortunately, no specific evidence of breed-
ing is given in these accounts, and it would be interesting to
know if nests have actually been found or whether the mere
presence of the bird in the breeding-season was taken as the
basis of these reports. Perhaps our confréres in Yugoslavia
would inform us of the present breeding status of the bird.
Mr. Molineux very kindly provides the following translations
of the accounts referred to :—

Scuutz in his ‘‘ List of the Birds observed in Krain from 1890-1895 ”’
(Mittheilungen des ornithologischen Vereines in Wien—“‘ die Schwalbe’,
XIX., Nr. 8, 1895, p. 115) says: ‘‘ Fringilla montifringilla L.”’ Only
to be seen in winter about Laibach, some years quite abundant.
Breeding-bird in higher mountain forests.

Sayovic in his ‘‘ Ornithological Notes from Krain for 1914-1916”
(Carniola, N.S., VIII., 1/2, Ljubljana, 1917, p. 90) says: “ (Zeba
nikavica, Fringilla montifringilla L., Bergfink) ’’ nests on our mountains,
but during cold winters descends to the plains. In 1914 it appeared
in the Ljubljana and Kranj districts in the second week of January
and remained all through February ; in the autumn it did not appear.
In the following year, 1915, it appeared in Ljubljana on the hills only
during the last days of January, and at the same time in Kranj. In
the autumn there were none on the plains. In 1916 some arrived on
the hill in Kranj on February 9th, but remained there only a few days.
At mating time there was a fair proportion which found sufficient
food in the valley. For this reason they remained there until the last
summer months.

PROBABLE NESTING OF RED-BACKED SHRIKE IN MID-
LOTHIAN.—Miss E. V. Baxter and Miss L. J. Rintoul describe
(Scot. Nat., 1934, p. 70) the result of their investigation of a
report of breeding of Lantus collurio. A typical Shrike’s
nest was found in a high thorn hedge, and under it, hanging
on thorns, the “skeletons’’ of three small birds. The
nesting took place in 1932, and the bird, as described to the
authors, had Shrike characteristics. There does not appear
to be another thoroughly substantiated record of breeding in
Scotland.

244 BRITISH BIRDS. [yOR, Rex VIll:

CHIFFCHAFF IN NORTHUMBERLAND IN NOVEMBER.—Miss J.
M. Ferrier informs us that she and Miss Hordern observed a
a Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) at Holy Island on November
Ist, 1934—rather a late date for the appearance of the bird.

DARTFORD WARBLER IN DEVONSHIRE.—With reference
to the note on this subject (antea, p. 204), Col. R. M. Byne
reminds us that as is recorded in Mr. Lewis R. W. Loyd’s
Birds of South-East Devon, he saw one on March 22nd,
1924, at the edge of Woodbury Common. Col. Byne states
that notwithstanding frequent search he has not seen any
Dartford Warbler there since and that many possible haunts
have been destroyed by fire.

GREY PHALAROPES IN SUSSEX, LEICESTERSHIRE AND
SOMERSET.—Mr. Philip Rickman informs us that he
saw a Grey Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) at Seaford
on October 2nd, 1934, which remained two days.

Mr. W. H. Barrow writes that one was picked up on the
railway line at Barkby on October 30th, 1934, and sent to
him. The bird was thin.

Mr. J. W. Clough saw one near Barrow Gurney
on November 4th, 1934. This bird was first seen on October
27th and left on November 5th.

GREAT SNIPE IN HAMPSHIRE.—Mr. C. W. Mackworth-Praed
informs us that he shot a Great Snipe (Capella media) near
fordingbridge on September 3rd, 1934.

BLACK-HEADED GULLS NESTING IN TREES IN SUTHERLAND:
—wWith reference to the notes on Black-headed Gulls nesting
in trees (antea, pp. II5-117 and 152), Captain H. A. Gilbert
points out that he and Mr. Arthur Brook, in their Secrets of Birds
Life (1924), in referring to a colony of Black-headed Gulls,
wrote as follows, p. 160: “‘ we found a few [nests] placed in
the trees, some as high as nine and ten feet from the ground”.

Captain Gilbert informs us that this was near Skibo in 1923,
that there were (from memory) about fifteen nests, which were
in about ten trees. The trees were spruce, growing on a
small island in an artificial lake close to the Dornoch Firth.

ICELAND GULLS IN INVERNESS-SHIRE, RENFREWSHIRE AND
EDINBURGH.—Mr. Seton Gordon informs us that he saw
on November 23rd, 1934, an immature Iceland Gull (Larus
leucopterus) at Fort William, and another on the same day at
Mallaig.

Mr. T. Malloch reports one (Scot. Nat., 1934, p. 72) at
Greenock, on March 23rd.

VOL. XXVIII. ] REVIEW. 245

Three are recorded (¢.c., p. 82) by the Midlothian Club
from Granton during 1933, an immature bird on February
26th, an adult April zoth to 24th, and an immature bird
from April 26th to May 6th.

A FLock OF RAZORBILLS IN MIDDLESEX.—With reference
to Dr. P. R. Lowe's article on the Razorbills at Littleton
Reservoir (antea, pp. 188-190) Dr. Lowe writes us that he has
now been informed that these birds were seen alive at the
Reservoir by Mr. M. R. James, the Resident Engineer, on
October 22nd.

REVIEW.

Birds of Great Britain and their Natural History. By W. P. Pycraft.

(Williams & Norgate). Illustrated. 7s. 6d. net.
Tue title of this little book does not exactly explain its scope. Mr.
Pycraft writes of such subjects as changes of plumage, protective
coloration, courtship, territory, eggs, nestlings, migration and so on,
giving examples from British birds and, it may be added, occasionally
non-british ones. Mr. Pycraft thus writes of “‘ problems” with a
view to opening the eyes of the incurious, and his subjects and examples
are well chosen and interesting enough to awaken curiosity, though
his explanations are not always very satisfactory. The book should
appeal to those who have done some bird-watching and have a desire
to know something more of the problems which such observation
constantly presents.

It must be said, however, that the book is by no means free of mis-
statements, some merely irritating, others serious. We are told, for
instance, that the Crested Tit is found in Scotland and not met with
again save in Scandinavia, Poland and North Prussia, from which one
would scarcely infer that it is to be found, for example, as near as Hol-
land or Brittany. The British Golden Plover is said to have been first
distinguished by Colonel Meinertzhagen instead of the late Mrs.
_ Meinertzhagen. The Dartford Warbler is described as being like, and
the Bearded Tit as unlike Continental birds, whereas the opposite is
correct. A most astonishing statement is that the Snowy Owl turns
white in winter, but we are not told what colour it isin summer! It is
asserted that our native stock of Ruff, Avocet, Black Tern, Black-tailed
Godwit and Spoonbill “‘ has been exterminated largely by egg-collectors,
but also, in part by drainage’. What is Mr. Pycraft’s authority for
this statement ? It is certainly not in accordance with the evidence
carefully collected in county avifaunas. We are told that the ‘‘ vermin ”’
destroyer has now exterminated the Kite, but as we all know a remnant
remains. Perhaps the most curious and careless ‘‘ comedy of errors ”’
concerns a pair of ‘‘ Hobbies "’ which, it is said, strove to rear their young
for sixteen years on a moor in Northumberland. ‘‘ Every year, without
exception, not only the nest, but the builders thereof were slain (sic.),
‘because they killed young grouse’. There never was the slightest
foundation for that charge, for the Hobby feeds almost entirely on
beetles’. The Hobby does not build a nest on moors and has never
been known to breed in Northumberland. Doubtless the Merlin is
intended, but that bird only exceptionally takes beetles. We can only
repeat that such careless errors should not occur in a book written
with some authority.

246 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

LETTERS.

PINTAIL BREEDING IN DUMBARTONSHIRE
AND HAND-REARED BIRDS.

To the Editors of BRITISH BirRDs.

Sr1rs,—I read with interest Mr. Rickman’s note regarding the nesting
of the Pintail in Dumbartonshire (antea, p. 206). For many years
IT have kept and bred Pintail at Tullichewan, which is only about two or
three miles from the spot where Mr. Rickman found the nest this year.
Any young which were reared were allowed their freedom if they so
desired, and while some stayed at home others flew away and did not
return. For the past two years one duck obviously had a nest some
distance away, only returning each evening for food, and departing as
soon as satisfied. As I have several pinioned drakes I should imagine
this particular duck’s eggs would be fertile.

I think it more than likely, therefore, that one of my hand-reared
birds was the owner of the nest which Mr. Rickman discovered.
WARDHEAD, STEWARTON, J. A. ANDERSON.

AYRSHIRE,

TERRITORY IN THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE.
To the Editors of British Brrps,

Srrs,—Messrs. L. S. V. Venables and David Lack describe a number
of valuable and interesting observations in their paper under this title
(antea, p. 191), but have they really shown, as they say, that territorial
behaviour bears no direct relation to food supply ? Surely, in order
to state the relation of something to food supply we must first know
what food supply is, yet what little the paper contains on this essential
aspect is admittedly pure speculation.

I suggest that before we can begin to draw general deductions of
value we shall need to know :—

(a) What types of food are actually taken by Great Crested Grebes
on these two ponds, and how much of each type is consumed
during March, April, May, June and July ?

(6) Whether any or all of these types of food are subject to seasonal
or annual fluctuations, or are undergoing substantial changes
of status—e.g., whether they are disappearing or are becoming
more abundant ?

(c) Whether the distribution of the main types of food favoured
is similar as regards quantity and availability in all parts of the
two ponds, or, if not, which parts are richer or poorer than the
average in food supply ?

(d) What changes take place in territorial behaviour when the
density of Grebe population reaches or exceeds the limit that
can be permanently maintained on the ponds ?

The issue surely is not whether Great Crested Grebes at times nest in
colonies, which is a well-known fact, but whether, in the event of over-
population occurring, territory plays an important part in driving out
the surplus population to fresh quarters, and in afterwards keeping the
Grebe population stable for a period at a level which the food resources
of the pond can maintain. There is a further question—whether the
territorial behaviour of the Grebes varies at different phases of popula-
tion density, measured against the quantity of food supply available.
Such speculations as “‘ the greatest food pressure presumably occurs
when the young are hatched” do not help us far in this direction.

VOL. XXVIII] LETTERS. 247

Nor is there any evidence for other assumptions which underlie the
argument—for example, the assumption that the individual variations
in territorial behaviour which have been observed in this single case are
constant at different levels of population density. ;

To collect the necessary material for a solution of the problem is no
doubt a formidable task, but until it has been collected rival theories
must remain simply rival theories, and more should not be claimed
for them. E. M. NICHOLSON.

SOME REFLECTIONS ON TERRITORY.
To the Editors of British Birps.

Sirs,—After reading Messrs. Venables’ and Lack’s interesting paper
on “ Territory in the Great Crested Grebe’ (antea, pp. 191-198) it
seems to me that there are some theoretical considerations in connexion
with the territory theory which need stressing at the present time.
My main criticism of the critics is that they appear to require as a
condition of the validity of the theory a greater precision in the opera-
tion of the territorial instinct that I can see any justification for
expecting. hos vee

My essential point is, no doubt, to a great extent implicit in Mr.
Nicholson's reply to the Lacks (Brit. Birds, Vol. XXVIIL., p. 234),
but it seems to need stating in less general terms. To begin with, it
appears to be implied—if not expressed in so many words—that if the
territory theory is sound there ought to be a sort of mathematical
precision in the adjustment of territory to food supply. But is there
any justification for such an assumption ? The amount of food suitable
to a given species which a given area will produce is not a fixed quantity..
It varies within fairly wide limits in different localities, and in different
seasons in the same locality. If, then, we believe that territory is
ultimately related to food supply and suppose (as presumably we do
if we are orthodox biologists) that the territorial instinct has been
gradually developed through natural selection, I suggest that all we
are justified in expecting is that there will be a certain standard size
of territory* roughly fixed for each species, which will bear a rough
relation to the mean area which under varying topographical conditions
over a wide range, and in bad seasons as well as good, will provide
an adequate food supply for the family. Actually the relation will,
of course, need to be such as to leave a fair margin, ensuring that the
food shall not be so reduced at the end of any season as to impair the
supply in subsequent years.

Whether such a relation does in fact hold we admittedly still do not
know, but if a correlation between territory and food supply does
exist I am convinced that it is bound to be of the kind suggested. If
this is so, then to prove that in a particular locality or even in a number:
of localities the sizes of territories are larger than the amount of food in
those particular localities would require is really irrelevant. The
relation between territory and food, if there is any, must be a general

*It is, of course, a well-known fact that where there is little competition territory areas
tend to vary considerably and their limits to be vaguely defined. Such territories may be
contracted under pressure, but not indefinitely. As Huxley has emphasized in a passage
which should be read in this connexion (Vol. NXVII., p. 277) “* there appears to be a mini-
mum size of territory, any encroachment on which is bitterly resisted’, though ** above

this size resistance .... . is less wholehearted ”. It seems probable that it is this lower
limit of size which is the important or critical one, corresponding to what, for want of a better”
term, | have called a “standard size’ in the above context. This lower limit of territory

size deserves closer attention.

248 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

one, suited to a wide range of space and time. I can see no reason
for supposing that the territorial instinct provides or could provide any
mechanism for accurate adjustments to every local variation in the
conditions. ;

An analogous criticism applies to the remark in the paper quoted
that one pair of Grebes attacked not only their own kind, but also
Coots, “‘ which are not food competitors of the Grebes’’. If territory is
mainly an affair of food supply the requirements would be fulfilled by
a general aggressiveness to other birds of about the same size, and we
have no need to suppose that the birds have a nice discrimination as to
exactly which species are competing with them for food and which are
not.

I can imagine opponents of the theory objecting that to postulate that
the food-territory relation is of the loose and general nature I have
suggested is merely to bolster up the theory by making it much more
difficult to disprove than if the relation is supposed to be more precise.
To anyone disposed to make such a comment I would reply by repeating
what I have said above, to the effect that if the theory connecting terri-
tory with food supply is valid at all, then, in my opinion, such a version
of it as I have given is the only logical one possible, and if its adoption
makes the obtaining of valid evidence either for or against it more
difficult this is unavoidable in the nature of things.

I hope no one will carry away the quite wrong impression that I am
decrying the value of the field work which is being done on territory
or implying that the point of view which I have outlined removes all
difficulties. It will be obvious, I think, to anyone who has properly
digested the criticisms, that it does not touch some of them, and
clearly a great deal more careful and critical field work is needed above
all things at the present stage.

It is no part of my intention now (and would, anyhow, be impossible
in an already long letter) to enter into a fresh review of territory,
but I may be allowed to observe in conclusion that when many species
merely preserve a small area immediately adjacent to the nest, while
others resist intrusion on a considerably wider area, there must be
some valid adaptive reason for the different behaviour of the latter
class. The view that at least this more extended sort of territory (to
which alone, perhaps, the term would be better restricted) is ultimately
correlated with food and ensures on the average the most advantageous
spacing of pairs over the range of the species, still stands as the most
plausible working hypothesis yet put forward to account forit. Further
knowledge may amend it either more or less than some of us expect,
but bird watchers would do well to eschew the rather naive idea that it
is substantially affected by every local observation which seems at
first sight inconsistent with some of the rather crude versions of it
which seem to be prevalent. It needs to be recognized that it will only
be when a great mass of laboriously obtained data for numerous
species, under varying conditions, is available for critical analysis,
that we shall have a chance of giving anything approaching a really
certain answer to the complex problem of the real biological significance
of territory. As a contribution towards this desirable end every bit of
evidence helps, but if we are to plan our observations or experiments
to the best advantage it is important that we should have a clear
grasp of what the essential postulates and implications of the territory
theory are (or are not), and I offer these reflections in the hope of helping
to clarify the position a little. B. W. TUCKER.

DEPT. OF ZOOLOGY,
OXFORD.

REPORT on the ‘“ BRITISH BIRDS”
CENSUS OF HERONRIES, 1928

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER 9, VoL. XXVIII., FEBRUARY I, 1935.

— PA
Great Crested Grebes at the Tring Reservoirs. By Chas.Oldham 250
The Food of Certain Birds of Prey. By R. H. Brown a oe
Time of Singing of the Goatsucker. By S. E. Ashmore, B.sc.,
F.R.MET.S. ... ies ee sas a, 2§9

Recovery of Marked ‘Birds idommatinilad ete Pe ae 61
Birds seen in the North Atlantic, August and Septe bulbs, 1934.
By K. B. Rooke ... + awa chs 5 e aa <a 269

Notes :

Continental Jay and Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull in
Essex (Dr. J. W. Campbell)... me nee ster, RT

A “ene “ Homing ’’ Experiment (W. E. Kenrick) oa 276

Crested Tits in West Ross-shire (W. B. Alexander) , 27

The Ectoparisites of the House-Martin and an Appeal (G. B.
Thompson) :

Late Passage of Swifts in Sussex (R. ss Higgins)

Montagu’s Harrier in Oxfordshire (R. J. Spittle)

Q
Bewick’s Swans in poten (E. Cohen)... of “ee nee 280
Pintail in Middlesex (Mrs. W eae Watt) 2%, ae roe 280
Grey Plovers in Wiltshire (W. B. Alexander) tas ees 281
Waders in the Bristol ee: 1933-1934 (H. H. Davis and
Ei. Tetley) ode $60 ies 281
Short Notes :—
Scarce Birds in Forth Area. Snow-Bunting Inland in Essex—
Correction. Willow-Warblerin Glamorganshire in December.
Dipper Breeding in Hoy, Orkney. Homing Experiments
withSwallows. Gannet in Nottinghamshire. Recorded
Nesting of Leach’ s Fork-tailed Petrel in Orkney. Little
Stints in Cardiganshire. Razorbill Inland in Essex.
Puffin in Berkshire... aie one “3 wis a 282
Letters :—
Territory and Food (Eliot Howard) ... in ch aVi 285
Territory and Food with Special Reference to tis Great
Crested Grebe (D. Lack) is 287
Water Birds on the = Ponds (Prof. ;. Ss Haxiey cond
A. T. Best) ca ms eae — nee 288
R
34 ML

ieee

(250)

GREAT CRESTED GREBES AT THE
TRING RESERVOIRS.

BY
CHAS. OLDHAM.

THE Tring Reservoirs in Hertfordshire lie at about 350 feet,
in open country, N.W. of the Chiltern escarpment. They
comprise three contiguous pools—Marsworth, Startop’s End
and Little Tring, with an aggregate area of about go acres ;
and, some half a mile away from the others, Wilstone Reser-
voir, I20 acres in extent. Here, in normal seasons, from
twenty-five to thirty pairs of Great Crested Grebes (Podiceps
c. cristatus) nest. The breeding birds arrive during the second
half of February and the first half of March, but hard weather
may retard them and frost may drive them away again for
atime. The nests are built in the big beds of reed (Arundo
phragmites), reed-grass (Glyceria), lesser reed-mace (Typha
angustifolia) and, infrequently, among the floating leaves of
Polygonum amphibium. The breeding birds, or most of them,
leave in October and November.

In 1934 none nested. At the beginning of the year the
reservoirs were exceptionally low, owing to the drought of the
previous twelve months, and even then a belt of dry mud, in
some places more than a hundred, and nowhere less than
twenty-five, yards in width, intervened between the water and
the beds of reeds and rushes, whilst the areas on which the
Polygonum grows were high and dry. The pumping of water
for the use of the canal and the phenomenally low rainfall
caused a constant shrinkage in the water area during the spring
and summer, and by early autumn the bed of Little Tring
Reservoir was dry altogether, whilst the area of the other pools
was only about a third of the normal ; the depth of the water
was, of course, much reduced. The fertile mud produced an
amazingly luxuriant crop of vegetation, but what in September
was a breast-high jungle of willow saplings, goose-foot and
other plants was, during the Grebes’ breeding-season, an
expanse of mud which effectually debarred them from
their accustomed nesting-places.

At the end of November, 1933, there were eight birds on the
reservoirs, but hard frost in the second week of December
banished them. On December 12th there was none, but on
the 23rd a single bird was on a small patch of open water in
the ice on Wilstone; it was not there on the 3Ist nor on
January Ist or 8th, but on January 13th and on ten different

voL. Xxvill.] GREAT CRESTED GREBES. 251

occasions between then and February 16th there was a single
bird on this reservoir. On February 20th there were four—
on three different reservoirs—but on the 24th only one ;_ the
birds seen on the 20th were presumably on passage. There
were seven birds—including a party of six—on Wilstone on
February 27th, but none elsewhere. As there were only
four—on three different reservoirs—on March Ist, the infer-
ence seems warranted that the birds seen on February 27th
were on passage too. By March 6th there was a big increase ;
twenty-six birds—some engaging in shaking-bouts—were
on two reservoirs; and on March 2tst fifty-five, on three.
Some of these were probably passage birds, for I did not see
so many subsequently. My next visit to the reservoirs was
not until April 22nd, but between that date and May 17th
I was there frequently. Absence from home prevented my
going again until June 14th.

The following table suggests that, even when definitely
paired, some of the birds moved about from one poo! to
another, and it opposes any idea of the annexation of definite
territory in the beds of reeds and rushes, which indeed was,
in the circumstances, impossible. It shows that there was a
falling-off from the peak of abundance on May roth and 12th,
but whether this was due to some of the birds being on
passage or to the premature departure of birds which would,
in the ordinary course, have nested, is not clear. It is certain
that the total number at the reservoirs was less than usual, for
in addition to the twenty-five to thirty pairs of nesting birds
there is, in normal seasons on Startop’s End, a loosely-spread
flock of maybe thirty non-breeders.

Startop’s Little

Wilstone. End. Marsworth. Tring. Total.
April22nd_... 19 7 6 15 47
» @4th ... 12 10 6 13 41
ee are 17 4 6 14 41
May 5th ... 22 4 6 11 43
yg ees 24 6 6 5 44
55 Loch i 33 2 6 9 50
ea! 0 ee 35 oO 6 8 49
ee: ee 22 ° 6 7 35
peed oy tis! Cees 21 fo) 5 5 31
June r4th . 23 5 2 2 32

At Wilstone, especially from mid-May onwards, there was
a diminishing tendency for the birds to segregate in definite
pairs. On May 12th twelve were gathered on a small,
isolated pool, and most of the remaining twenty-three were
associated in a loose flock, but there was some evidence of

Abnormal nest of Coot on dry mud, Little Tring Reservoir.
(Copyright photograph by O. G. Pike.)

VOL. XXv1ll.]| GREAT CRESTED GREBES. 253

pairing in frequent shaking-bouts. On May 15th and 17th
eighteen were in a loose flock, as were all the birds on June
14th; but on each occasion shaking-bouts were engaged in.
At Startop’s End the birds seen between April 25th and May
roth were obviously paired ; the five on June 14th comprised
two pairs and an odd bird. At Marsworth the six birds that
were always present between April 22nd and May 15th
comprised three obvious pairs. At Little Tring the fourteen
birds on April 25th comprised seven obvious pairs, but, despite
occasional shaking-bouts, the five on May 17th did not seem
definitely to be paired ; the two on June 14th were an obvious
yair.

I was not able to go again to Tring until July 6th ; the only
Grebes then on the reservoirs were two—on Wilstone—and
on July rrth there was only one, which was possibly under
some disability for I saw it frequently, always in the same
place, approximately, until November 12th, but not thereafter;
and whether it died or left the place for its winter quarters
in the ordinary course I do not know. When the other
thirty birds that had been present on June 14th left, and
whether they went gradually or all at once, I could not learn,
but it is certain that by July 6th virtually all the Grebes
had evacuated the reservoirs.

I never saw any attempt at nest building, but was told by the
keepers that in early June a pair gathered a little nesting
material and deposited it in shallow water on the muddy
margin of Little Tring, but that as the water shrank they
abandoned it. This scanty foundation was taken over by
a pair of Coots (Fulica a. atra) which, not finding their
usual material at hand, collected a few small sticks, a piece of
coarse string and a number of shells of the swan mussel
(Anodonta cygnea), with which the dried mud was strewn.
No eggs were laid* and this effort of the Coots, abortive
indeed, was like that of the Grebes, so far as I could learn,
unique. At no time during the spring or summer did I
hear of any eggs being dropped on the mud or in the shallow
water, although if any such there were they would probably
be picked up and carried away by the Crows (Corvus corone).

There is evidence that the Great Crested Grebe has some
slight power of accommodation to unusual circumstances +
but its nesting is a highly-specialized affair and corres-

*The eggs shown in the photograph were “ property ”’ eggs, put in
the nest to help the picture.

tHarrisson, T. H., and Hollom, P. A. D., B.B., XXVI., pp. 185-6;
and Venables, L. S. V., and Lack, D., ibid, XXVIIL., p. 195.

254 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

pondingly inelastic; the intervention of a belt of dry land
between the water and the reed-beds was an insuperable
obstacle, a violent interruption to their routine and something
quite beyond the birds’ powers to adjust. Unfortunately,
we have no knowledge of the state of the birds’ gonads when
they left the reservoirs, nor do we know whether the urge to
nest still persisted, nor whether all or any of them did actually
nest, and, if so, where. Food shortage was not the reason of
the Grebes’ exodus. The shrinking waters implied a con-
gestion rather than a scarcity of fish, and made their capture
more easy. At Little Tring many fish were removed by netting
as the water receded, and it was only in the last phase of drying
up that the survivors were stranded and died; their abund-
ance was then revealed; stranded on the mud I counted
between a hundred and a hundred and twenty large roach
(Rutilus rutilus) and smaller fish innumerable. Inability to
achieve nesting-sites seems the most likely, and, at the first
blush, the obvious reason for the Great Crested Grebes’
failure, and a like explanation may meet the case of the
Dabchick (Podiceps r. ruficollis) and even those of the Pochard
(Nyroca f. ferina) and Coot, which incline to build their nests
in the water, but this reason and shortage of food seem alike
insufficient to explain the abstention of the Tufted Duck
(Nyroca fuligula). The problem is not simplified by the fact
that whilst none of these species nested at the reservoirs,
the Mallard (Anas p. platyrhyncha) and Shoveler (Spatula
clypeata) bred in their usual numbers.

Conditions similar to those at Tring no doubt obtained at
reservoirs elsewhere, and it seems likely that if a considerable
surplus population of Grebes had to find new quarters at mid-
summer, all, or nearly all, the available nesting-sites—or
territories—would be occupied already, unless indeed the terri-
torial stress is released after the young are hatched and taken
on to the open water, and therefore nesting-sites are set free
which earlier in the year were occupied by birds that had a
sort of prescriptive right to them. In the absence, however,
of precise observations to show that there was an increase in
the number of adult Great Crested Grebes on other, and in the
exceptional circumstances, more suitable waters, about mid-
summer, and that such increase was due to the usurpation by
aliens of newly-vacated sites, this is mere guesswork.

In normal seasons the status of the Great Crested Grebes
seen in winter is obscured by the fact that numbers of the
summer residents and their young stay until mid-November

os a

hey

VoL. Xxvul.] GREAT CRESTED GREBES. 255

at any rate, and it has been assumed that the winter birds are
really some of the summer stock which, for one reason or
another, did not leave with their fellows in the autumn. The
events of 1934, however, suggest that, whilst it is possible
that some birds remain, the majority of those seen in the cold
months are either on passage or have come to winter from
elsewhere. From July to September 12th no Grebe was
seen other than the single bird that was on Wilstone all the
summer, but on that date there was on the same reservoir
a full-grown bird of the year; it was not there on the 16th,
but an adult and a bird of the year were then on Startop’s
End ; neither was there on the 19th, nor was there any stranger
on the 20th. On the 25th there was a bird of the year on
Wilstone. My next visit was on October 20th, when there
was a single bird on Startop’s End. There were three in a
group on the 25th on Wilstone. These occurrences seem to
indicate an autumn passage. No stranger was seen on
October 27th, 29th, November Ist or 7th, but on November
12th there were two birds on Wilstone. They: were seen,
always about the same part of the reservoir, on November
roth, 23rd, 26th, December 1st, gth, 16th—on this day a
third Grebe, aloof from the other two, was on the water—
and 23rd, and are still (December 29th) there, where, pre-
sumably, they will remain unless expelled by frost. On
some of the many visits to the reservoirs in winter during the
past twenty-five years I have made notes of the Grebes, if
any, seen. If the figures for the first half of November and
the first half of February, which are undoubtedly influenced
by the departure and arrival of the breeding stock, be ignored,
these notes, when tabulated, with dates adjusted to the rst
and 15th of each month, give some support to the evidence
of an autumn passage.

Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
DP I ae rs © 55 5 aS
19g0g-IO... — I © O— — — I —
FOTO-IT...—- 17 5 Gg S&S 2 2 * 8 op Jan. r2th. Hard
frost, Jan. 13th and
14th.
TOMUAIG.w IZ. —aI2 OO 4 GO 23 F —
LOEeaL esc —— ie FE OG F I If — —
IQI3-I4...— — 4 6 2 — 2. 9g Frost in first week of
Jan.
[GtStia. J 2 4 9 @ 2 £ 8 —
1915-16... — — — 8 8 18 22 — —
1916-17... — 5 — — — II I o None on Feb. 3rd, hard

frost.

256 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
LoS 2. TS) sa age gies

1917-18... — — 20 —= Tf 4 == —— Zion Dec. 2ond) hard
frost.
TOLS=COh— ee ==
LOLQ=20%506 ee —
1920-21... — — 6 oO 5 12 — Dec. 15th, hard frost.
LO2ZIT=22 «0 — = 9 ==" OF oO Be a eter eat hard arost
EQ22-23°.55 °° 2 iO ee a gO Ol —
1923-24... 14 20 2 2 © © 4 “65 Nov. 25th, hard frost,
IQ24-25... 20 Q 5 18 25 25 22 — —
1925-20... — 22°93) 0 2 3510) Decrssthyshard: frost
again, Jan. 17th.
1926-27)... —= <= OF = Ba 5) 8 —
TOZ7-2 00... 0 7) ONES I I ALG) a phe
1928-20)... =—- 24, 18 97 e460 Only” 8) Noy earn
7D eGe ouiee oO,
Jan. 24th.
IOVXOES evans 740 (ey teh Gil —
1930-31... — — 22 2% 21 4 © — # Hard drost, first week
of Jan.

1931-32... — — I

204) O47 7 20; aman
TO32-33).05930 S26) Ole I 5

Hard frost, second half
of Jan.

Hard frost, second
week Dec. and later.

1933-342 > &

lulo
lol

AVELAR Cs... LO) eau

The figures show clearly that in most winters there are
frequent and considerable fluctuations in the numbers present.
Severe frost banishes the birds, but some at any rate return
when the waters are open again. Whether the frozen-out
birds go to the sea or to other inland waters, such as the low-
lying reservoirs in the Thames and Lea Valleys, where the
conditions are less austere than in the bleaker and more
exposed country at Tring, is, in our present ignorance, mere
matter for conjecture. The evidence does suggest, however,
that, apart from frost, some small and irregular traffic
takes place between Tring and other waters such as the
Weston Turville Reservoir, four miles away, those big
winter resorts, the reservoirs in the valleys of the Thames and
Lea, or places even further afield. The average numbers
decline steadily between the beginning of November and mid-
January, and then rise steadily until the breeding stock is
installed.

(257)
THE FOOD OF CERTAIN BIRDS OF PREY.*

BY
R. H. BROWN.

THESE data were obtained in Westmorland during 1934,
except the food recorded under the Heron, which was dis-
gorged by young Herons in the heronry at Crofton, Cumber-
land. The food recorded for the two species of Owl was
found at the nests of young; that recorded for the Hawks
was either found at the feeding-places or else at the eyries.

Tawny Owt (Strix a. sylvatica) —May 7th: 1 Song-Thrush,
1 rabbit. roth: 1 Starling, 1 brown rat. June 2nd: 2
Starlings.

Barn-Owt (Tyto a. alba.)—May 16th: 1 long-tailed
field-mouse, 1 short-tailed field-mouse, I common shrew.
19th: 1 short-tailed field-mouse. 24th: 1 brown rat,
1 long-tailed field-mouse, 1 common shrew. 27th: 1 long-
tailed field-mouse, 1 water shrew. June Ist: 1 brown rat.
8th: 3 moles, 1 short-tailed field-mouse. 14th: 1 Blackbird,
I mole, 1 long-tailed field-mouse. 20th: 1 Swallow, 1 mole.
28th: 2 moles.

PEREGRINE FALCON (Falco p. peregrinus).

Eyre No. 1.—March 22nd: 1 Snow-Bunting, 1 Pigeon.
May 18th: 1 Starling, 2 Pigeons. June 3rd: 1 Pigeon.
29th: t Song-Thrush, 1 Lapwing, 1 Wood-Pigeon, 2 Homing
Pigeons. August 5th: 2 Jackdaws, I Pigeon.

Eyrie No. 2.—March 18th: 1 Snow-Bunting, 1 Blackbird,
I Song-Thrush, t Golden Plover, 2 Homing Pigeons. May
23rd: 1 Blackbird, 1 Song-Thrush, 1 Pigeon, 3 Golden Plovers,
I rabbit. Jwne 5th: 2 Blackbirds, 3 Starlings, 2 Song-
Thrushes, 1 Homing Pigeon. June 15th: 1 Rook, 1 Golden
Plover, 4 Homing Pigeons. October 26th: 1 Blackbird,
2 Starlings, 1 Lapwing, 1 Homing Pigeon, 2 Wood-Pigeons.

Eyrie No. 3.—March 29th: I Starling, 1 Blackbird, 1 Golden
Plover, 1 Wood-Pigeon, 2 Pigeons. May 21st: 1 Song-
Thrush, 1 Wood-Pigeon, 1 Pigeon. 31st: 1 Golden Plover,
2 Pigeons. June 16th: 1 Song-Thrush, 1 Curlew, 1 Golden
Plover, 4 Pigeons. October 18th: 1 Curlew, 2 Pigeons.

Eyrie No. 4.—March 28th: 1 Starling, 1 Red Grouse.
April 30th: 1 Starling, 1 Song-Thrush, 1 Pigeon. May 8th:
2 Starlings, 1 Song-Thrush, 1 Lapwing, 1 Pigeon. 14th:
2 Song-Thrushes, 1 Redshank, 1 Common Gull, 2 Pigeons.
22nd: 1 Song-Thrush, 2 Blackbirds, 1 Curlew, r Red Grouse,

* For previous similar records see Vol. XXIII., pp. 269-72.

258 BRITISH BIRDS. [ VOL. XXVIIE,

3 Pigeons, 1 short-tailed field-mouse. June 5th: 1 Starling,
t Red Grouse, 2 Pigeons. 12th: 2 Red Grouse, 5 Pigeons.
July 21st: 2 Starlings, 2 Blackbirds, 2 Pigeons.

MERLIN (Falco c. e@salon).—July 8th: 1 short-tailed
field-mouse, 2 long-tailed field-mice. 15th: 1 Meadow-
Pipit, 1 Wheatear, several oak-eggar moths.

KESTREL (Falco t. tinnunculus)—May 13th: 1 Starling,
x Blackbird. June 4th: 1 Sky-Lark. 12th: 1 Sky-Lark, 1
Song-Thrush. 26th: 1 Song-Thrush, zr Long-tailed Tit,
r nestling Lapwing. July 15th: 1 Greenfinch, 2 long-tailed
field-mice.

CoMMON BuzzarpD (Buteo b. buteo).

Eyrie No. 1.—May 25th: 1 short-tailed field-mouse, 3
rabbits. June 5th: 1 Sky-Lark, 2 rabbits. 13th: 1 Meadow-
Pipit, I water-rat, 2 rabbits. 29th: 3 young Red Grouse,
2 rabbits.

Eyrie No. 2.—May 25th: 1 short-tailed field-mouse,
remains lamb. June 5th: 2 rabbits. 13th: I common
shrew, I Wood-Pigeon. 29th: 1 Meadow-Pipit, 6 rabbits.

Eyne No. 3.—May 22nd: 1 mole, 5 rabbits. zoth: 4
short-tailed field-mice, 1 rabbit. June 4th: 2 Meadow-Pipits,
I mole, I young stoat, 2 short-tailed field-mice, 1 common
shrew, I rabbit. 18th: 3 young Red Grouse, 1 long-tailed
field-mouse, 2 rabbits.

Eyrnie No. 4.—May 22nd: 2 Meadow-Pipits, 1 Wood-
Pigeon, 1 rabbit. zgth: 2 rabbits. June 4th: 1 Wood-
Pigeon. 18th: 4 rabbits.

SPARROW-HAwK (Acctpiter n. misus).

Eynie No. 1.—March 29th: 1 Song-Thrush. April 2oth:
2 Song-Thrushes, 2 Starlings. 27th: 1x Long-tailed Tit,
1 Song-Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1 Magpie. May 21st: 1 Blue
Tit, 1 Starling. June 6th: 2 Song-Thrush, 1 Blackbird, 1
Swallow. 23rd: 1 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch, 1 Song-Thrush,
2 Blackbirds, 1 young Lapwing.

Eyne No. 2.—April 15th: 1 Sky-Lark. May 15th: 1
Greenfinch, r Blue Tit, 1 Blackbird. June 15th: 1 Song-
Thrush, 2 Blackbirds, 1 Wood-Pigeon. 23rd: 1 Long-tailed
Tit, 2 Greentinch, 2 Blackbirds. 27th: 1 Greentinch a2
Song-Thrushes, 1 Blackbird. July 6th: 1 Goldfinch, 1 Blue
Tit, 1 Meadow-Pipit, 2 Song-Thrushes.

COMMON HERON (Ardea c. cinerea)—May 31st: 3 eels,
I water-rat. June 20th: 2 small trout, 2 eels, 5 minnows.

'
4

(259)
TIME OF SINGING OF THE GOATSUCKER.

BY
S. E. ASHMORE, B.sc., F.R.MET.S.

BELow is an account of a preliminary investigation on the
hours of commencement of the song of the Goatsucker
(Caprimulgus e. europeus). The observations were carried
out at intervals during the summers of 1932-4, in Surrey and
Glamorgan. Continuous watch was, unfortunately, not
possible throughout the whole of any of the summers. In
general the bird has two spells of song during the twenty-four
hours, one commencing soon after sunset and one beginning
shortly before sunrise. On the mornings and evenings when
observations were possible the time of commencement of
song was recorded, together with the local time of sunrise or
sunset, and also the weather conditions, presence or absence
of moonlight, and other relevant material. After having
begun singing, the song takes place in snatches, and finally
ceases. As it was impossible to keep all-night watch, the
duration of the morning and evening periods of song have not
been recorded, and the material below refers only to the
commencement of song.

The periods of song observed fell into three—(a) from
June 5th to 9th; (0) from July r1th to 20th ; (c) from August
2nd to 23rd; probably owing to the observer not being
available in the intervals, but also partly owing, perhaps, to
the bird having periods during which it does not sing.

For the three periods the average time of commencement of
churring, in minutes after sunset (in the case of evening)
or before sunrise (in the case of morning song) were calculated,
and are here set down.

June 5th to 9th an: 41 minutes.
July 11th to 20th... 58 minutes.
August 2nd to 23rd ... 40 minutes.

The above figures are means for morning and evening.

It thus appears that the time before sunrise or after sunset
of the commencement of song is greatest at the middle of the
song season. For an explanation of this I should hazard that
there is a connexion with the hour at which are found flying
the moths and other creatures which form the bird’s food.

The time interval at dawn was found to be different from
that at dusk. Averages taken from the August period give
the following results :—

Average time between start of song and sunrise, 50 minutes.

Average time between sunset and start of song, 35 minutes.

260 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

Hitherto I had regarded the Goatsucker as most regular in
commencing its song to time—Gilbert White says that it
is ‘‘. . . punctual in beginning song exactly at the close of
day’. However, in the observations, the time of dusk song
commenced at any time between 18 minutes and ror minutes
after sunset ; and at dawn song commenced at times varying
between 123 minutes and 27 minutes before sunrise.

The chief factor causing variation in time was the intensity
of the light. Occasions on which the presence of the moon
(whether behind cloud or not) caused appreciable brightening
of the landscape were separated out. The average time-
interval for these occasions was worked out and compared with
that for other occasions, as in the table :—

DAWN. DusK.

Time before sunrise. Time after sunset.
Moonlight present 78 minutes. Moonlight present 51 minutes.
Moonlight absent 40 minutes. Moonlight absent 35 minutes.

When the reduction of light intensity is less rapid at dusk
owing to moonlight, the Goatsucker commences churring at a
later hour; similarly, when the increase of light at dawn
is made less rapid by the moon, churring commences earlier.
In connexion with this, it may be mentioned that on a few
occasions during thunderstorms, in the early part of the night,
the bird continued, perhaps under the influence of the light-
ning, to sing to a much later hour than usual.

The correlation with weather conditions was not very
satisfactory. No definite effect of temperature or humidity
has been found. Dew is often present on the ground during
the evening song period, which implies that the air in the
vinicity of the bird, if it sings on the ground, has a relative
humidity of 100 per cent.

Strong wind and moderate or heavy rain appear to inhibit
song. No song has been heard with wind speed of more
than about ten miles per hour. The bird takes little notice
of drizzle or light rain, but ceases to sing on the incidence of
heavier rain.

The amount of cloud and the transparency of the atmos-
phere had no apparent bearing on the time of song.

It is hoped to continue the observations for anumber of
summers to come, and to supplement the above results by
others, with increased accuracy consequent on a larger amount
of data. ;

(261)

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.
(Concluded from page 240.)

GREENFINCH (antea, p. 237)—Correction—MN.364 was ringed at
Frimley Green, Surrey, not Bootham, York.

Swift (Apus a. apus).

No. Ringed. Recovered.
SZ.982 Addlestone (Surrey), 28.4.29, Where ringed, 25.6.34, by
ad., by P. Hollom. ringer.
N.W.610 Brede (Sussex), 6.6.33, ad., for Where ringed, 23.6.34, by
N. F. Ticehurst. P. Allen.

Kingfisher (Alcedo a. ispida).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
N.W.415 Mid Pollok (Renfrew.), 25.5.33, Netherlee (Renfrew.), 4.8.34,

for J. Bartholomew. by P. Clancey.
N.W.483 West Pollok (Renfrew.), 2.7.33, River Kittoch (Lanark.),
for J. Bartholomew. 9.6.34, by P. Clancey.
MV.506 Clarkston (Renfrew.), 11.8.34, Glasgow, 6.9.34, by Glasgow
for J. Bartholomew. Evening News.

Short-eared Owl (Asio f. flammeus).

AK.818 Hickling (Norfolk), 16.5.33, Gozo, Malta, 24.10.34, by
young, by Mrs. Wilson. J. Grech.
Tawny Owl (Strix a. sylvatica).

AA.6622 Manchester (Lancs.), 31.5.33, Where ringed, 10.10.34, by
young, by E. W. Nicholson- A. Edwards.
Smith.

Merlin (falco c. @salon).

RV.3339 Dunnet Head (Caithness.), Mintlaw (Aberdeen.),—.8.34,
28.6.34, young, by Oxford by J. Hepburn.
Orn. Soc.

Kestrel (falco t. tinnunculus).

RV.2704 Mytton (Lancs.), 26.5.34, Upper Nidderdale (Yorks.),
young, by C. Oakes and 25.7-34, by H. Jukes.
E. Battersby.

Montagu’s Harrier (Civcus pygargus).

AA.7434 Norfolk, 6.7.34, young. Wrentham (Suffolk), 1.9.34,
by W. Kay Robinson.
AA.8403 Ditto 22.6.34 Bawdsey (Suffolk), 10.8.34,

by Sir C. Quilter.

Sparrow-Hawk (Accipiter n. misus).

RV.3985 Wigton (Cumb.), 23.6.34, Dalston (Cumb.), 18.9.34, by
young, by E. Blezard. Major Salkeld.

RV.2523 Bisley (Surrey), 6.7.34, young, Ash (Surrey), 16.12.34, by
by P. Hollom. A. Hockley.

262

No.
109163

113071
LO74I5
113204

112730

AA.7557

‘AA.8522

AK.896
AA.8505

AA.8444

RT.986r
73098
RT.9030

AA.8442

AA.8458

113319
113303
113304

113311

BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

Heron (Ardea c. cinerea).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Wigton (Cumb.), 5.5.32, by Welton (Cumb.), 8.3.34, by
R. H. Brown. ringer.
Ditto 20.60.34 Newtown (Montgomery.),

10.9.34, by L. Williams.
Wellington (Salop), 17.5.34, by River Usk (Brecon.),—.9.34,

W. A. Cadman. by F. Hawker.
Rochester (Kent), 19.5.34, by Staines (Middlesex), 3.11.34,
P. Hollom. by W. Portsmouth.
Beckley (Sussex), 5.5.34, by Brookland (Kent), —.8.34,
P. Hollom. by J. Tennent. :

Mallard (Anas p. platyrhyncha).
RINGED AS YOUNG.
scone Estate (Perth.), 21.7.33, Chathill (North wuib,),
by Lord Scone. 25.8.34, by W. Runciman.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
Leswalt (Wigtown.), 8.3.34, by Store Heddinge (Sjelland),

J. Law. Denmark, 1.10.34, by F.
Rasmussen.
Ditto 6.3.33 Warde (Jylland), Denmark,
25.10.34, by C. Hansen.
Ditto 6.3.34 Where ringed, 18.9.34, by
Om Borst.
Molesey (Surrey), 10.2.34, by Datchet (Bucks.), 10.10.34,
P. Hollom. by P. Greener.

Teal (Anas c. crecca).
Leswalt (Wigtown.), 6.3.34,ad., Where ringed, 16.9.34, by

by J. Law. O. Porritt.
Longtown (Cumb.), 1.3.33, ad., Isirtlebridge (Dumfries.),
for late Sir R. Graham. 6.10.34, by T. Graham.

Wolsingham (Durham), Edmundbyers (Durham),
3.6.34, young, by R. Martin- 26.10.34, by G. Hedley.

son.

Tufted Dueck (Nyvoca fuligula).
Molesey (Surrey), 4.2.34, ad., Guines (Pas-de-Calais),

by P. Hollom. France, 16.7.34, by Chas-
seuy Francais.
Ditto 20.1.34 Where ringed 24.12.34, by
ringer.

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax c. carbo).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Mochrum (Wigtown.), 3.8.34, Gretna (Dumfries.), 27.9.34,

by Lord Dumfries. by R. Coombes.
Ditto 3.8.34 Ulverston (Lancs.), 26.9.34,
by R. Swainson.
Ditto 3.8.34 Portaferry (Down), 15.9.34,

by J. O'Neill ; Portavogie
(Down), 17.9.34, by W.
Bailie.

Ditto 3.8.34 Quimper (Finistére), France,
7.10.34, by E. Bleuzen.

VOL. XXVIII.]

No.
114325

113054

113051

113009

113060

108874

103893

113885
114236

113859

112367
20 Birds
116092
115614
115910
116060
116879

115256

TI601I1I

115302

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

263

Cormorant (continued).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed.
Mochrum (Wigtown.),
by Lord Dumfries.
Skomer (Pembs.), 1.7.34, by
R. M. Lockley.

3.8.34

Ditto 7-7-34
Ditto E934
Ditto 1.7.34

Shag (Phalacrocorax a.

Handa (Suth.), 6.7.31, young,
by E. C. Sharp.

Sheep I. (Antrim),
young, by T. Kerr.

8.7.34,

Recovered.
Quimper (Finistére), France,
27.9.34, by P. Bureller.
Douarnenez (Finistére),
France, 15.9.34, by J.

Pitty.

Vannes (Morbihan), France,
9.10.34, by M. Gourrielec
and I. R. A. Versailles.

Auray (Morbihan), France,
16.11.34, by P. Hervé.

Ars en Ré (Charente Inf.),

France, 9.11.34, by M.
Alligné.

aristotelts).

Loch Inchard (Suth.),

—.12.33, by H. F. Buxton

and G. McKay.
Rosslare (Wexford),

18.12.34, by J. Maddock.

Gannet (Sula bassana).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ailsa Craig, 25.8.34, by Lord
Dumfries.
Ditto 25.8.34

Ditto 25.8.34

Grassholm (Pembs.), 2.7.33, by
R. M. Lockley.

Ditto 17.7-345
by C. Wontner-Smith.

Ditto L7.7.34
Ditto 17.7.34
Ditto 17.7.34
Ditto 17.7.34
Ditto 17.7-34
Ditto 17.7-34
Ditto 17.7-34
Ditto T7.9.34

Bangor (Down), 7.11.34, by
A. Chambers.

Glandore (Cork), 27.9.34,
by Capt. Townshend.

Fuenterrabia (Guipuzcoa),
Spain, 26.11.34, by D.
Bontigui.

Walton -on-Naze (Essex),
—.7.34, by E. Staniland.
Coasts of Wales, from 4.8.34

to 7.10.34.

St. Mary (I. of Man), 20.9.34,
by F. Ward.

St.Agnes (Cornwall), 19.9.34,
by G. Carloss.

Ditto
by Mr. Stooke.

Inishowen Head (Donegal),
14.9.34, by P. Cornish.

Fethard-on-Sea (Wexford),
1.10.34, by Serjt. Mahony.

Moelan s. Mer (Finistére),
France, 3.9.34, by A.
Chappellier.

I. de Noirmoutier (Vendée),
France, 5.9.34, by G.
Démé.

Biarritz (Basses Pyrénées),
France, 6.10.34, by P.
Arné.

21.9.34,

264

BRITISH BIRDS.

[VOL. XXVIII.

Gannet (continued).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

No. Ringed. Recovered.
116396 Grassholm (Pembs.),17.7.34, by Biarritz (Basses Pyrénées),
C. Wontner-Smith France, 28.9.34,by R.Grilli.
115569 Ditto 17.7.34. Fuenterrabia (Guipuzcoa),
Spain, 28.9.34, by A.
Campandegui.
116301 Ditto 17.7.34 Santona (Santander), Spain,
6.9.34, by C. Albo.
116074 Ditto 17.7.34 Comillas (Santander), Spain,
9.9.34, by M. Llano Bona.
116740 Ditto 17.79.34 5. Vicente (Santandien),
Spain, 3.10.44, py C.
Chabat.
115304 Ditto 17.7.34 Villaviciosa(Asturias), Spain,
—.9.34, by D. Fresno.
115544 Ditto 17.7.34 Ribadesella (Asturias),
Spall, ArOs4. Dy ae
Garcia.
116489 Ditto 17.7.34 C. Ortegal (Corufa), Spain,
6.9.34, by A. Lago.
115033 Ditto 17.7.34 Gibraltar, —.10.34, by de
Torres and Sons.
115225 Ditto 17-7.34 ~OffMauritania,20°40’N.17°30’
W., 20.12.34, by P. Madec.
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
112409 Grassholm (Pemb.), 21.7.33, by Where ringed, 17.7.34, by
R. M. Lockley. ringer.
112492 Ditto Piece) — 1Dparie6) WHS exe
115159 Ditto yey, INOESENA, PACs, lye (Ce
by C. Wontner-Smith. Williams.
Storm-Petrel (Hydrvobates pelagicus).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered No. Ringed. Recovered.
Skokholm (R. M. Lockley, Ne229 16.7233 5.7.34
also Miss Staunton). TING 33h 8.775338 15.6.34
MD.172 2Os71o8 TS Ors 4en |e Ye233 14.77.33 16.6.34
MD.192 207383 Bi/28 4a eens OA 19.7.33 4.7.34
Manx Shearwater (Puffinus p. puffinus).
RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.
(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.
No. Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
Skokholm (R. M. Lockley). RSis286 24.5.31 28.3.32 ;
RS.2246 9.5-29 29.3.30; | [RS.2279] [3.4.33 5 7-434
[AE.681] [4.5.31; 21.3.32; 14.4.34 | RS.2289 5-5-30 Tale 5 soils
RS.2281 iy Al, 3 14.4.34 | [AG.7orz] Pierg3y Alesis Feb ay!
RS.2283 2.4.33 13.8.34 | [RS.2259]
RS.2284 5.5.30 Te bes gel o2200 T4538) 15.5.34
[AG.702 ] ZO). 3 PIN Z SB RSV || IRS aye 15.5.29 29.3.30;
ERS 2272] : [MEos2i etss3t;) 2m 32:on.4.88.
RS.2285 24.60.31 TALS St ales 250) [14.4.34
[RS.2263| 222 BA | RSPeA2O2 2.4.33 15.5-34

VOL. XXVIII.]

No.

RS.2296
RS.2297
[RS.2255]
RS.2298
[RS.2247]
RS.2299
[RS.2271]
RS.2300
RS.2301
RS.2302
RS.2303
[RS.2258]
RS.2305
RS.2306

No.
RS5949

RT.5759

RT.5766

RS.2024

RT.6473

U.1390
AR.6032
AN.1065

AN.1148
AP.7085

RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. 265
Manx Shearwater (continued).

RINGED AS FULL-GROWN.

(d) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

Ringed. Recovered. No. Ringed. Recovered.
RS.2309 15.4-33 14.4.34
ee ares: RS.2310 5.4.33 14.4.34
a 13 8 34 RS.2314 8.5.33 Pay!
14 5.31 28 3 32 . | BS.23t7 25.4.33 2.4.34
(1.4.33; 14.4.34 | RS-2320 9.5.33 22.4.34
ae; Ries are | RS.2326 29.6.33 14.4.34
4.6.31 20.35.92 | t
(7.4.33; 22.3.3. | RS.2327 19.5.31 10.5.33 ;
7.4.33 ames = [RS.2262] 7-4-34
13. 33 ‘4-34 | RS.2330 29.6.33 P4454
A ogo Se | RS.2335 16.5.33 16.8.34
x 5.31 8 aa RS.2340 28.5.33 14.4.34
ne ht | RS.5300 29.6.33 14.4.34
17.4.33 1.6.34 Skomer (F. J. Mitchell).
25.4.33 14.4.34 | RT.4877 23.60.33 14.6.34
Wood-Pigeon (Columba p. palumbus).
Ringed. Recovered.

Glenorchard (Stirling.), 7.5.32, Where ringed, 6.12.34, by
young, by J. Bartholomew. ringer.

Stock-Dove (Columba cnas).

Shipley (Yorks.), 20.5.33, Leeds (Yorks.), 13.9.34, by
young, by C. Wontner- B. Anson,
Smith.

Ditto

23.7-33 Selby (Yorks.), —.7.34, by
A. Burton.

Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia t. turtur).

Great Budworth (Ches.), Pte. de Grave (Gironde),
26.7.32, young, by A. W. France, 28.5.34, by Chas-
Boyd. seuy Francais.

Stone-Curlew (Burhinus cw. a@dicnemus).
Oxfordshire, 31.5.34, young, Barques (Seine Inf.), France,
by Oxford Orn. Soc. 16.11.34, by M. Lecuir and
Dr. Regnier.

Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.
Logiealmond (Perth.), 4.6.29, Rockcorry (Monaghan),

by Lord Scone. 8.12.34, by S. Gillis.
Dalston (Cumb.), 28.5.34, by Port Carlisle (Cumb.),

R. H. Brown. 23.8.34, by N. Bell.
Southwaite (Cumb.), 24.6.34, Kirkpatrick Fleming (Dum-

by E. Blezard. fries.), 7.10.34, by J.
Collinge.
Penrith (Cumb.), 23.5.31, by Athy (Kildare), Feb. or
M. H. Morley. Mar., 1934, by P. Doyle.
Ditto —.5.33, Wigton (Cumb.), 26.12.34,

by H. J. Moon. by K. Spark.

266

No.
AR.1280

R.8245
AP.4805
AR.545
AR.6711
AR.1546
200517
97580
T.9446
No.

T.8109
AN.4095

No.
GL.120

RT.4833
AA.9148
AL.206

RR.2723

AR.5661
AR,.5666
AR.4565

P.4482

BRITISH BIRDS.

[VOL, XXVIII.

Lapwing (continued).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.
Langwathby (Cumb.), —.6.34,

by La = Moon:
Shap (Westmor.), —.6.30, by

Ee Ji. Moon:
Ditto —.6.32
Ditto —.6.33

Ribblehead (Yorks.), 27.5.34,
by H. J. Moon.

Clapham (Yorks.), 26.5.34, by
H. J. Moon.

Malham (Yorks.), 27.5.34, for
British Trust Orn.

Laneaster, 14.6.33, by H. W.
Robinson.

Canterbury (Kent), 30.5.29, for
St. Edmund’s Sch.

Recovered.

Curthwaite (CumbD.),
—.10.34, by E. Blezard.

Arnside (Westmor.), 27.5.34,
by W. Howe.

Mallow (Cork), 18.11.34, by
Tey Bune:

Navan (Meath), 11.12.34,
by B. Fitzherbert.

Bowes (Yorks.), 15.11.34, by
iL. Forrester.

Kirkham (Lancs.), 9.12.34,
by J. Roberts.

Dewsbury (Yorks.), 13.10.34,
by J. Blackburn.
Edenderry (King’s Co.),
12 0res4> by). Minivan
Sandwich (Kent), 1.9.34, by

J. Smith.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED,.
Ringed. Recovered.
Penrith (Cumb.), —.5.29, by H. J. Moon. 16.7.34.
Ditto —,.6.32. —,12.34.
Redshank (77vinga t. totanus).
Ringed. Recovered.
Carnforth (Lancs.), 14.6.34, Lorient (Morbihan), France,

young, by H. J. Moon.

9.9.34, by P. Desbrosses.

Curlew (Numenius a. arquata).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Wolsingham (Durham),
18.6.33, by R. Martinson.

Troutbeck (Cumb.), 7.6.34, by
H. J. Moon.

Clapham (Yorks.), —.6.32, by
Ey 7 Moont

Castlebar (Mayo), 22.10.34,
by R. Quinn.

Easkey (Sligo), 7.10.34, by
J. Borland.

Mancaster, 1.00.34, by dale We
Robinson.

Snipe (Capella g. gallinago).

Upper Teesdale (Durham),
8.7.27, young, by Oxford
(Oknal., Sere,

Woodcock (Scolopax r.

Where ringed, 3.10.34, by
ie; Penman.

rusticola).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Glenferness (Nairn),
for Brit. Trust Orn.

Ardclach (Nairn), 21.5.34, for
Brit. Trust Orn.

Isle of Rum, by
Midlothian O.C.

Redgorton (Perth.), 6.5.31, by
Lord Scone.

1.5.34,

22.60.34,

Dunphail (Moray.), 1.11.34,
by H. L. Tabor.

Westerton (Moray.), 5.11.34,
by The Field.

Ardvasar, I. of Skye,
12.10.34, by E. Loyd.

Rollag, Numedal, Norway,
13.5.32, by E. Warnerson.

VOL. Xxvil.] RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS.

No.
200719
AR.4125

AR.115

No.
AS.781
AS.769
200681

AP.8434

AP.6987

No.
AR.4446

AR.4284

P.6278

AR.1005

RS.4217
RT.2745

AA.7055
AA.8810

AA.9532

AA.8708
400084

400230

267

Woodcock (continued).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
(a) RECOVERED AWAY FROM WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.

St. Andrew’s (Fife.), 10.6.34,

for Brit. Trust Orn.

Stobo (Peebles), 15.5.34,
F. R. S. Balfour.

Kirkmichael (Dumfries.),
8.6.34, for W. Duncan.

for

Recovered.
Castro Urdiales (Santander),
Spain, 2.12.34, by L.
Ternandez.

Borthwick (Midlothian),
22.12.34, by Dr. D. Inch.
West Calder (Midlothian),
23.10.34, by G. Normand.

(b) RECOVERED WHERE RINGED.

Ringed.

Recovered.

Bridge of Allan (Stirling.), 29.5.34, for Brit. Trust Orn. 21.7.34.

Killearn (Stirling.), 29.7.34, for Brit. Trust Orn.
Leslie (Fife.), 2.6.34, for Brit. Trust Orn.

6.10.34.
3-7-34-

Newton Stewart (Kirkcudbr.), 27.5.33, by Col. Blair

Imrie,

2.00.35.

Wickham (Hants.), 1933, by Commander Cornwallis,

Sandwich Tern (Séerna s.

Summer, 1933.

sandvicensis).

RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed.
Salthouse (Norfolk), 15.6.34,
by R. M. Garnett.
Ditto 15.6.34
Ditto 27.6.31
Ditto 6.6.33,

by E. Cohen.

Common Gull (Larus
Dornoch (Suth.), 3.7.32, young,
by E. Cohen.

Ditto, ad. 14.7.32

Recovered.

Skipsea (Yorks.),

by J. Reddyhoff.

Salnelles (Calvados), France,

26.8.34, by Chasseur Fran-
cats.

Ver (Calvados), France,
3.8.34, by Mile. Schmitt.
Keta, Gold Coast, 3.9.34,

by A. Harding.

12.8.34,

c. canus).

Strathpeffer (Ross.), 13.7.34,
by T. Wallace.
Embo (Suth.),

by
R. Mackay.

6.7.34,

Herring-Gull (Larus a. argentatus).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

St. Abb’s (Berwick.), 2.7.34, by
Oxford Orn. Soc.

Dungeness (Kent), 9.6.34, by
N. F. Ticehurst.

Point Grosnez, Jersey, 24.6.34,
for GIN -E.S.

Ballintoy (Antrim), 9.6.34, by
T. Kerr.

Benbane Hd. (Antrim), 22.6.34,
by TI. Kerr.

Ditto 22.6.34

Patrington (Yorks.), 5.10.34,

Newhaven (Sussex), —.9.34,
by D. Beaumont.
St. Nazaire (Loire
France, 1.11.34,

Thourimberg.

Londonderry, by
E. Sweeney.

Bagillt (Flint.), 22.9.34, by
R. Evans.

Lough Foyle (Donegal),
9.9.34, by W. White.

Inf.),
by R.

6.10.34,

268

No.
400785

400766
402394
AA.5547
AA.9468

AA.9397
AA.5721

AA.5668

400545

RT.6683

RV.5727

RV.5013
RS.5370
RT.9156

RV.5002

RV.6554

RV.5149

RV.5392

RS.2338

RT.6458

400325

BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus f. graellsit).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.

Ringed. Recovered.
Foulshaw (Westmor.), 27.7.34, St. Coombs (Aberdeen.),
by H. W. Robinson. 25.8.34, by P.Buchan & Co.
Ditto 24.7.34. Lancaster, 19.9.34, by H.
Stirzaker.
Ditto 27.7.34. Leeds (Yorks.), —.10,34, by
A. Gilpin.
Ditto 16.8.33. Korsor (Sjzlland), Denmark,

1.8.34, by C. C. Andersen.
Walney I. (Lancs.), 17.6.34, by Lockerbie (Dumfries.),

H. W. Robinson. —8.34, by T. Carruthers.

Ditto 10.6.34. Preston (Lancs.), 12.8.34, by
E. Halsall.

Ditto 10.6.34. Hoylake (Ches.), 7.11.34, by
J. Cullen and G. Price.

Ditto 3.6.34. Frodsham (Ches.), 11.9.34,
by D. Hopley.

Ditto 28.6.34. River Douro, Portugal,

—10.34, by W. A. Tait.

Kittiwake (Itissa t. tridactyla).
St. Abb’s (Berwick.), 22.7.34, OffG6dteborg,Sweden,22.8.34,
young, by Midlothian O.C. - _ by Prof. L. Jagerskidld.

Razorbill (Alca torda).
Skokholm (Pembs.), 18.7.34, Bangor (Carnarvon.),
young, by CC. Wontner- 22.9.34, by G. Griffith.
Smith.

Ditto 14.97.34, doch Won (Are y 115
by R. M. Lockley. 29.10.34, by A. Black.
Ditto, ad. 6.7.33. Where ringed, 10.7.34, by
ringer.
Ditto 10.7.33. Ditto 12572845

Southern Guillemot (Uvia a. albionis).
RINGED AS NESTLINGS.
Skokholm (Pembs.), 14.7.34, Newquay (Cornwall),

by R. M. Lockley. 24.9.34, by H. Mansbridge.

Ditto 20.7.34, Bangor (Down), 4.10.34, by
by C. Wontner-Smith. E. Watson.

Skomer (Pembs.), 14.7.34, by Trevose Head (Cornwall),
C. Wontner-Smith. THe AKO Vly Jone 1B, Welles

Ditto 14.7.34. Etel (Morbihan), France,

4.10.34, by D. Remy.

Puffin (Fratercula a. grabe).
Skokholm (Pembs.), 29.6.33, Where ringed, 14.6.34, by
ad., by R. M. Lockley. ringer.

Moor-Hen (Gallinula ch. chloropus).
Tenterden (Kent), 26.5.34, Woodchurch (Kent), 5.11.34,
young, by N. F. Ticehurst. by F. Astley.
Coot (Fulica a. atra).
Weybridge (Surrey), 8.7.34, Molesey (Surrey), —.9.34, by
young, by P. Hollom. ringer.

?
7

(269)

BIRDS SEEN IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC,
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 1934.
fs
K. B, ROOKE.

THESE notes were made when I was travelling as a member
of the Public Schools Exploring Society Expedition (1934)
on board the s.s. ‘‘ Nova Scotia”, between Liverpool and
St. John’s, Newfoundland, from August 3rd to gth, and on
the return voyage, on board the s.s. ‘‘ Newfoundland ”,
from September 12th to 18th. I am indebted to their
respective navigating officers for all information as to the
position of the ships, and to Furness, Withy & Co. for an
accurate summary of the weather encountered. On both
voyages we followed much the same route, round the north
of Ireland. Our noon positions are given for each day and
otherwise, except in a few cases, the time at which observations
were made is given alone, as providing sufficient indication of
our position. Our usual speed was from twelve to fourteen
knots.

Several papers have appeared on the birds of the North
Atlantic in recent volumes of British Birds (e.g. XXIL.,
pp. 122-123; XXIV., pp. 266-274; XXV., pp. 156-158,
and XXVI., pp. 271-272); the first two mentioned contain
charts on which the observations included in the present paper
may be followed. I have not made any special references
to the notes included in the above papers, nor have I compared
them with my own observations ; this paper is intended solely
to add a few more facts to the subject of North Atlantic
birds; no doubt someone will draw the necessary conclusions
when sufficient data have been published.

Outward Voyage :—

August 4th (55° 26’ N., 7° 26’ W.).. Wind moderate W.S.W.
until 9 a.m., then strong S.W.; within sight of the Irish
coast from Belfast Lough to Tory I., between about 7.0 a.m.
and 1.0 p.m., after which we lost sight of it owing to bad
weather. In the neighbourhood of Belfast Lough, Terns
were not uncommon, those that came close enough appeared
to be Sandwich Terns (Sterna sandvicensis) ; near here, and
again near Rathlin I., I thought I saw Fulmars (Fulmarus
g. glacialis), but could not make sure. Between Rathlin I.
and Inishtrahull, especially near the latter, Manx Shearwaters
(Puffinus puffinus) were quite common, though I saw none
later. Alcide were fairly frequent as long as we were not
far from the coast. Of those that I identified, the Puffin

270 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

(Fratercula a. grabe) was the commonest, while Guillemots
(Uria aalge subsp.) and one Razorbill (Alca torda) were also
seen. Only one Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) was noted,
and that was near Rathlin I. Of the Gulls following the ship,
Herring-Gulls (Larus argentatus) were numerous, several
British Lesser Black-backed Gulls (L. f. graellsiz) were con-
tinually with them; I only saw a few Great Black-backed
Gulls (L. marinus). At 2.30 p.m., when some twenty-three
miles from the mainland and in fifty-seven fathoms, several
Lari were still following, but when I continued observations
at 6.0 p.m. they had all gone, and the only Gulls following the
ship were six Kittiwakes (Rissa t. tridactyla), one or two of
which species had been following most of the day. Gannets
(Sula bassana) had been fairly common all day, and eight or
ten were still to be seen at this time, when we were in about
ninety fathoms (about 55° 26’ N., 9° 32’ W.). There was a
remarkable number of Fulmars following the ship at 6.0 p.m.,
whereas between 2.15 and 2.30 only three had been seen. It
was obvious that here, in ninety fathoms, the ranges of the
off-shore and pelagic communities overlapped, the two being
represented by the Gannets and Fulmars respectively. From
my notes it appears that only a few of the many Gannets and
Herring-Gulls were in immature plumage.

August 5th (55° 14 N., 17° 22° W.). Light SOW: wind,
freshening later; cloudy. Fulmars were seen all day, but
were not really numerous; Great Shearwaters (Puffinus
gravis) were much in evidence ; I saw ten together on one occa-
sion. At 9.10 a.m. two birds, which I was at a loss to identify,
passed astern, flying low over the water; they were black
and white with white wing-bars and with black extending
down the throat to the upper-breast. The only birds they
could have been, it seemed, were Oyster-Catchers (Hematopus
ostralegus), but they seemed so out of place in that setting
that I am still doubtful if they really were. At 10.35 a Gannet
(immature) was seen, which seems to be unusually far out for
the species. Kittiwakes were definitely scarce, but seen at
intervals until 4.0 pm. A Great Skua (Stercorvarius s. skua)
flew past the ship at 7.10 p.m., and disappeared in a southerly
direction.

August 6th (54° 32’ N., 27 20’ W.).. Light W.. toys:
wind, dull and some rain. Fulmars present in varying num-
bers throughout the day, but never very numerous; Great
Shearwaters‘as before. The most notable feature of the day’s
observations was the frequency with which Skuas were seen.
Unfortunately, they rarely came close enough to be identified

VOL. xxvill.]} BIRDS IN NORTH ATLANTIC. 271

with certainty, except in the case of the Great Skuas. We
saw two of the latter species, one at 9.40 a.m. and another an
hour later; the first one attacked a Great Shearwater and
both fell fluttering on to the water ; presumably the Skua was
forcing it to disgorge. I think that the smaller Skuas were
Pomatorhine Skuas (S. pomarvinus) and immature Arctic or
Long-tailed Skuas (S. parasiticus or longicaudus) ; at 4.30 p.m.
ten of one of the last two species appeared on the port bow
and passed astern, as had most of the others. This was the
largest number I saw at once. At 9.25 a.m. I saw a Sooty
Shearwater (P. griseus); no Kittiwakes were seen during
the day.

August 7th (52° 54’ N., 36° 04’ W.). Wind S.W. to W.,
strong to light ; sea rough, visibility poor at times. Fulmars
and Great Shearwaters fairly common. One or two small
Petrels (sp. ?) were reported, but I did not see them. At
10.0 a.m. a small Skua (sp. ?) flew past, and was the only other
species seen.

August 8th (50° 46’ N., 44° 23’ W.). Wind S.W. to W.,
moderate. Fine and clear. Just as on the 6th we ran into
a belt of Skuas, so to-day we ran into a belt of Petrels ; they
were fairly numerous nearly all day, but did not come very
close to the ship. As far as I could tell, they were Leach’s
Petrels (Oceanodroma 1. leucorrhoa). Fulmars were not
common, but a few were usually to be seen; Great Shear-
waters were fairly numerous—in all of them the contrast
between the dark crown and white throat was most noticeable:
there were no signs of P. kuhlit, which is said to occur off
Newfoundland. ‘Three Skuas were seen during the morning,
two of them probably Pomatorhine Skuas and the third an
adult Long-tailed Skua.

August gth (47° 51’ N., 51° 48’ W.). Fine and calm;
wind S.W. to W., light. At 10.0 a.m. two Gannets were
seen, floating on the water, and thereafter were fairly common,
though as we neared land no more were seen ; most of them
were in adult plumage. We crossed the hundred-fathom
line at 10.0 a.m. At 10.25 the first American Herring-Gulls
(L. a. smithsonianus) appeared, and they, or others, followed
for some time, though round noon none were seen for
a short while. Two undoubted Pomatorhine Skuas were seen
shortly after 10.0 a.m., and several more Skuas (sp. ?) at 10.35.
At this time a Kittiwake was seen, and odd ones from then until
we reached St. John’s. A Black Guillemot (Uria grylle)
flew past at 10.40 and another at 1.15; an Atlantic Puffin
(f°. a. arctica) was seen shortly before the latter. At 1.0 p.m.

272 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

a Sooty Shearwater flew near the ship, and a moment later I
noticed that land was in sight. While still fairly far out,
several small Petrels (Leach’s) were seen. The first Great
Black-backed Gull joined the ship at 1.15 p.m. and by 1.55
four were following. At 2.5 p.m., when only about two miles
off St. John’s, a Phalarope (sp. ?) flitted across close under our
bows in a northerly (?) direction. As we approached the
coast, Herring-Gulls had become increasingly numerous, and
by the time we entered the harbour hundreds were wheeling
in the air over the stern, many of them immature.

Return Voyage :—

September 12th. We sailed from St. John’s at noon.
Moderate N.W. wind, fine and clear. The only observations
I made were that Herring-Gulls were less numerous than on
August oth, though Great Black-backed Gulls were seen as
before ; two of the latter followed us out for some distance.

September 13th (50° 19’ N., 45° 15’ W.). Wind W. to S.W.,
fresh to strong ; rough sea, but fairly fine. Fulmars common,
Leach’s Petrels and Great Shearwaters fairly so. At 9.30 a.m.
I was called on deck to see a small bird which had flown on
board in an exhausted condition ; it proved to be a Redpoll
(Carduelis flammea subsp.). I was unfortunately unable
to obtain it. The wind was quite strong enough to have blown
it out of its course, if it had been migrating from Greenland
to Newfoundland, but hardly to have blown it out from New-
foundland direct, or from Labrador. Among other points
that I noted while examining it at close quarters through
x6 glasses were the following:—It had a red forehead;
underparts well streaked (this makes it unlikely that it
belonged to a race of C. hornemanm), white wing-bars,
whitish edgings to most of tail-feathers, two almost white
lines down centre of back, edged by three blackish lines (as
far as I could see) ; general colour apparently paler than that
of examples of C. f. flammea (=Acanthis l. linaria of A.O.U.
nomenclature) seen in Newfoundland ; bill not very pointed.
It was impossible to gauge its size accurately. From this
description it would appear to have been a Greenland Redpoll
(C. f. rostrata), and this is made more likely by the position
of its occurrence, as has already been explained. After about
a quarter of an hour it flew away and was not seen again.

September r4th (52° 36’ N., 36° 55’ W.). Strong N.W.
wind, heavy sea. Fulmars numerous, Great Shearwaters
fairly common ; several Sooty Shearwaters were seen at inter-
vals, often quite close. A party of Terns (Sterna sp. °)
was noted at Irr.0 a.m., a Skua (sp. ?) was harrying them ;

VOL. xxvill.] BIRDS IN NORTH ATLANTIC. 273

several other small Skuas were seen during the day, but
were lacking in distinctive tail-feathers. About 1.0 p.m.
two small birds flew alongside, but apparently did not settle;
they were undoubtedly Wheatears ((Enanthe cnanthe).
At 5.0 p.m. another Tern flew past the ship.

September 15th (54° 20’ N., 28° or’ W.). Wind W.N.W.,
moderate to fresh; fine and clear. Great Shearwaters
fairly common all day, Fulmars particularly numerous.
A Kittiwake followed the ship for a short time about II.30 a.m.
Terns were seen in small parties several times during the day,
but I could not make certain of the direction in which they
were flying; presumably they were Arctic Terns (Sterna
macrura). In the morning a Great Skua was seen to attack
a Great Shearwater, in exactly the same way as was seen on
August 6th, when we were in much the same longitude.
Two small Skuas were seen in the morning, and during the
afternoon they became really common (cf., August 6th) ;
three parties of fifteen or more passed the ship, and there were
rarely less than two or three in sight. Most of those that came
at all near were immature birds, but I saw one or more adult
Pomatorhine and Long-tailed Skuas. About 8.0 a.m.-a
small Passerine was reported, evidently a Wheatear.

September 16th (55° 18’ N., 18° 30’ W.). Wind W. to
S.W., moderate until 4.0 p.m., when it changed to E., freshen-
ing; rough sea, overcast and showery. Until 3.0 p.m.
small Petrels were fairly common in the ship’s wake, those
that came near enough appeared to have forked tails and
certainly had pale wing-bars ; they were presumably Leach’s
Petrels. [ulmars were comparatively scarce, though I saw
one or two all day; I saw no Great Shearwaters or Skuas.
A Kittiwake followed the ship for a short time, about 2.0 p.m.
Soon after this I was surprised to see a Wheatear flying among
the Petrels in the wake of the ship ; it seemed very exhausted
and only managed to catch the ship up inch by inch; often
it looked as if it were going to be swamped by the waves.
A little later I noticed that three were following ; after what
seemed like an age one of them gained the comparative
shelter of the forehatch, and I spent some time watching it
there. Others were flying round the ship until 6.30 p.m.,
at which time one was caught in an exhausted condition ;
we were then in 55° 24’ N., 15° 50’ W.__I skinned this bird,
which proved to be a female Greenland Wheatear (EZ. e@.
leucorrhoa). Its skin is now in the British Museum (Natural
History). Its stomach was completely empty except that
what looked like thick oil was adhering to the lining ; possibly

Tt

274 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

this is what it had picked up from the deck, in extreme hunger,
for the bird that I watched had frequently appeared to peck
at something on the deck, though whether it swallowed
anything I did not see.

September 17th (55° 32 N. 8° 52° W.). Wid S.i,,
fresh to strong, changing to S.W. later. At 9.0 am. a
Wheatear settled for a short time on the poop, but none were
seen after that. At 11.0 a.m. a Swallow (Hirundo r. rustica)
came on board and remained until about 1.0 p.m., by which
time we were within sight of land, some fifteen miles off.
During this time someone had seen four together on one occa-
sion; the one I examined was a young bird, without tail-
streamers. At 12.0 p.m. Fulmars and Great Shearwaters were
common in the wake, but by 1.15 they had disappeared.
The first Gannet appeared at 11.30 a.m. (we crossed the
hundred-fathom lne at about 10.0 a.m.). A Great Skua
flew past at 1.15 p.m., and at 1.40, when still ten or more miles
from the Irish coast, a small wader that was probably a
Turnstone (Avenaria 1. interpres). was seen. At 2.30 the
first few Herring-Gulls joined us, and as we drew in closer to
the land they became commoner; I saw only one British
Lesser Black-backed Gull, two Great Black-backed Gulls and
no Kittiwakes during the day. Near Inishtrahull several
Puffins were seen and also a young Shag (P. a. artstotelis).
The only other species noted was a Tern (sp. ?) near Rathlin I.

Summary :—

GREENLAND REDPOLL (Carduelis f. rostrata). A Redpoll, probably
of this race, came on board on September 13th, when we were in about
50° 16’ N., 46° 22’ W.; the wind on September 12th-13th had been
between N.W. and S.W., strong on the latter date.

GREENLAND WHEATEAR (Cinanthe @. leucorrhoa). Wheatears were
seen round the ship as follows: September 14th (2), 15th (1), 16th
(several) and 17th (1, early). This was between long. 36° 50’ W. and
10° W.; the wind changed from N.W., through S.W., gradually to E.
on the above dates, and was usually fairly strong. One bird was ob-
tained, on the 16th, and it is to be presumed that all were of the same race.

SwaLLow (Hirundo yr. rustica). Between 11.0 a.m. and 1.0 p.m.
on September 17th (55° 32’ N., 8° 52’ W., at 12.0 p.m.) at least four were
seen ; soon after we sighted Ireland they disappeared.

GaNnNET (Sulabassana). Not seen west of about 10° W. onthe British
side, or east of about 50° 54’ W. on the American side, except for an
immature bird seen on August 5th, in 55° 16’ N., 16° 42’ W. None
were seen outside the hundred-fathom line except this bird ; relatively
few were in immature plumage.

LEAcH’s PETREL (Oceanodroma 1. leucorrhoa). We encountered a
belt of small Petrels on August 8th and gth, off Newfoundland, between
about 43° and 52° W. On September 16th they were fairly common
between 20° and 17° 10’ W. All those seen appeared to be Leach’s
Petrels.

J

VOL. Xxvill.] BIRDS IN NORTH ATLANTIC. 275

Manx SHEARWATER (Puffinus puffinus). Seen only near land on
the British side (August 5th). i

GREAT SHEARWATER (P. gravis). Numerous between about I 5 W.
and 47° 30’ W. (August 5th-8th), and between 47° 30’ and 8° 50’ W.
(September 13th-17th), except that none were seen on September 16th
for some obscure reason. No sign of P. kuhlit.

Sooty SHEARWATER (P. griseus). One in 54° 35’ N., 26° 13’ W., on
August 6th, and another, just as Newfoundland was sighted, on the
gth. Several were seen at intervals on September 14th (52° 36’ N.,
36° 55’ W., at noon). : ;

FULMAR (Fulmarus g. glacialis). The commonest oceanic species,
perhaps least numerous in the neighbourhood of 20° W., and probably
more numerous in September than in August. I do not think that any
one individual followed the ship for long. I thought I saw Fulmars
close to the N. Irish coast on August 4th, but could not be sure.

OystTER-CATCHER ? (H@matopus ostralegus). Two birds, probably of
this species, in about 55° 17’ N., 16° 02’ W., on August 5th.

TURNSTONE ? (Avenaria interpres). A small wader, probably of this
species, flew past the ship when about ten miles off the N. Irish coast,
in long. 8° 07’ W., on September 17th.

PHALAROPE (Phalaropus sp.). One flew across our bows, when
about two miles off St. John’s, on August oth.

Arctic TERN ? (Sterna macrura). Parties and single birds evidently
referable to this species were seen on September 14th and 15th, between
38° and 25° W. The direction of their flight was not definitely
ascertained.

KitTrwakE (Rissa t. tridactyla). On the outward voyage several
were seen off the N. Irish coast and others at intervals as far west
as 19° 30’ W. No others were seen until near the Newfoundland coast.
On the return voyage they were noted as follows: September 15th
(c. 28° W.), September 16th (17° 36’ W.); no others were seen. All
were in adult plumage.

GREAT SKUA (Sterycorarius s. skua). Three were seen between 20°
and 27° W. on August 5th and 6th; one in about long. 28° 30’ W.
on September 15th, and another on September 17th in sight of
N. Ireland.

POMATORHINE SKUA (S. pomarinus).

ARCTIC SKUA ? (S. parasiticus).

LONG-TAILED SKUA (S. longicaudus). On August 6th (54° 32’ N.,
27° 20’ W., at noon) we passed through a belt of Skuas, in which
probably all these species were represented, a few others were seen on
the 7th, 8th and oth. On the return journey Skuas were seen on
September 14th (several) and September 15th (many), between long.
37° 30’ W. and 25° W. There was obviously a large migration taking
place in the region of 27° W. Most of the birds seen were apparently
immature, but I definitely identified several adult Pomatorhine and
Long-tailed Skuas.

Other species, such as Puffins, Guillemots, Black Guillemots, Gulls,
Terns and Cormorants, were seen fairly close to land, and details
concerning them are to be found under August 4th and oth, and
September 12th and 17th.

Altogether twenty-seven, and probably more, species were seen on
the two voyages.

CONTINENTAL JAY AND SCANDINAVIAN LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL IN ESSEX.

For the last few years I have examined a number of Jays
killed in Essex, in the hope of finding the Continental form.
On November 22nd, 1934, one, a female, was shot at Long-
wood, Layer Marney, Essex, which had the lower mantle
and back greyer than usual. Mr. N. B. Kinnear and Mr.
H. F. Witherby, who have compared this bird with a series
of skins, have identified it as the Continental Jay (Garrulus
g. glandarius). The “stomach” contained a quantity of
acorn fragments and a particle of an unidentifiable “ fruit
stone’’. The grit from the gizzard appears identical with
that usually found in Jays from this part of Essex. Although
the Continental Jay has been identified in Suffolk, this is
the first record of its occurrence in Essex.

The Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus ff.
fuscus) also does not seem to have been recorded previously
in Essex. There is an adult female in my collection, killed in
April, 1917, near Kelvedon, Essex, approximately nine miles
from the coast, which I have always believed to be of this race.
Mr. Kinnear, who has seen this bird, confirmed the identifica-
tion. British Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus f. graellsit),
occur annually in this district during April and May, passing
inland in a northerly or north-easterly direction. A similar
movement over Cambridgeshire is mentioned in The Birds
of Cambridgeshire ; there is no reference to the occurrence of
the Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull in that county.

I wish to acknowledge my thanks to Mr. Kinnear and Mr.
Witherby for kindly examining these birds.

JAMES W. CAMPBELL.

A GREENFINCH “ HOMING ” EXPERIMENT.

In the early part of 1934 I had the good fortune to catch a
“homing ’’ Greenfinch (Chloris ch. chloris) in my trap at
Birmingham, which allowed me to carry out some interesting
tests.

The Greenfinch, FL.423, was first trapped on January 26th
as an adult male. It next visited the trap on the 31st, after
which it came in every day. On February 7th I decided that
it must be deported and on that day I took it one mile to the
N.N.W., following this up by journeys of two, three and four

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 277

miles in the same direction on the next three days. It took
exactly two hours to do the return journey on the last occa-
sion. On the fifth day it was taken two miles into the city to
the N.E., and as I found it back in the trap when I returned
two hours later, I promptly took it out five miles to the S.W.
The first five journeys were all in urban areas ; this sixth one
was out into the country. The bird was back in two and a half
hours! After this, stern measures had to be taken. Two
days later the Greenfinch was deported seven miles to the
south and returned in twenty-two hours. We gave him one
day’s rest and then took him ten and a quarter miles S.E., only
to see him back in the trap forty-three hours later. For the
next few days he returned to the trap as fast as we threw him
out, so on February 22nd I again took him ten and a quarter
miles, but this time to the W.S.W. Here he was cut off
from the trap by the Clent Hills which rise to about a thousand
feet at their highest point—some 600 feet above the point of
the bird’s release. The Greenfinch was not seen again until
March 7th, thirteen days later. For the rest of March the
bird was constantly in and out of the trap, but in April his
visits were less frequent, and he was last seen on the 22nd,
and two days later trapping ceased for the season.

There are a few more details which, I think, may be of
interest. The trap is an ordinary “ house trap” in a field
about seventy yards from the house, which is on the S.W. side
of Birmingham, with a belt of fields leading out into the
country to the west. The food put in the trap is usually
shredded suet, No. 1 Chick Food, and sometimes household
scraps. On journey No. 2, two miles N.N.W., the bird was
accompanied by another cock Greenfinch, FL.422; they
returned together. On journeys Nos. 1-6, the bird was
released in the morning, but for 7-9 at 6.30 in the evening,
when it was dark. Further, after he had been released on
February 22nd there followed several days of fog in the district
which, I think, was partly responsible for the long time
which elapsed between the release and the return.

Finally, I am glad to say that he visited the trap again on
December 12th, to show that he was still alive, and though
he has not appeared since, I am hoping to see him again in
the spring. W. E. KENRICK.

CRESTED TITS IN WEST ROSS-SHIRE.
I aM informed by a reliable correspondent that in June, 1934,
he saw a pair of Crested Tits (Parus c. scoticus?) in pine woods
within a few miles of the coastin Wester Ross. The previous

278 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

records of the occurrence of the species in Ross-shire are
from localities near the Moray Firth. W. B. ALEXANDER.

[It has also been reported as breeding in western
Inverness-shire —EDs. |

THE ECTOPARASITES OF THE HOUSE-MARTIN—

AND AN APPEAL,
In a note in the Entomologists’ Monthly Magazine (Feb.,
t6th, 1934), I have given a census of the ectoparasites
living in the nests of House-Martins (Delichon u. urbica).
In view of the interest and of the possible effect of these
parasites, which are all blood-sucking arthropoda, on the
size of the broods, etc., of the House-Martin, I should like to
take this opportunity of calling the matter to the attention of
ornithologists.*

Three nests collected by Mr. P. A. D. Hollom from the
sewage farm near Weybridge Station, Surrey, in the early
days of September, 1933, had only fairly recently been
vacated by the birds. A count made of all the living parasites
in each nest gave the following numbers :—(I) ninety-nine ;
(2) four hundred and fifty-two ; (3) one hundred and eighty-
two. These figures include the representatives of three groups
of insects, namely, fleas, bird-flies and martin bugs, and the
well-known “ fowl-mite’’. Fleas and bird-flies are probably
familiar enough to need no description; the martin bug
is rarer and resembles the much-disliked bed-bug which
infests human habitations.

All of these parasites pass their whole lives in the nests
of the House-Martin. They feed at very frequent intervals
only on the blood of their host, which must suffer in conse-
quence a considerable loss of blood. The birds must be
continually worried by one or the other of the parasites,
especially, in the case of the adults, when they are resting in
the nest or sitting on their eggs, and in the case of the young
birds when they hatch and up until the time when they
can fly. It would be of extreme interest to learn to what
extent their activities are harmful to the health and growth
of the birds.

Besides these numerous parasites found living in the nests
of the House-Martin there are at least three species of lice

*Mr. A. W. Boyd has already called attention to the importance of
the ectoparasites of birds in his article ‘‘ A Fly Parasitic on the Swallow”’
which appeared in the previous number of this journal (p. 225). The

material upon which this note is based was received in connexion with
the B.O.T. Swallow Inquiry.

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 279

and four species of mites which are known to live entirely on
the body of this host, feeding on skin debris, feathers, etc.
The House-Martin is, therefore, an extremely interesting host
from the point of view of the parasitologist.
My reason for publishing this short note is to call attention
to the need for further co-operation between ornithologists
and parasitologists. It was gratifying to learn from Mr. A. W.
Boyd, early in 1934, that part of the B.O.T. Swallow Inquiry
was to be concerned with the ectoparasites of these birds,
but I am sorry to have to report that the material sent to me
was almost negligible. I should like to appeal to ornitholo-
gists for help with the study of the ectoparasites of birds and
shall be very pleased to get into touch with anyone who
would be willing to collect material and send it to me at the
British Museum (Natural History). There*are many lines
of inquiry which can be pursued only with the kind help of
ornithologists. GoRDON B. THOMPSON.

LATE PASSAGE OF SWIFTS IN SUSSEX.

IN connexion with the notes by Mr. Bertram Lloyd and Mr.
P. A. D. Hollom (antea, pp. 172-4 and 204-5), it may be of
interest to record that on June 2Ist, 1934, I witnessed the
passing of a very large number of Swifts (A pus apus) over the
town and sea-front of Eastbourne. They were coming from
the north-east and making their way south-westwards. I
watched them almost uninterruptedly from about 4.30 p.m.
until 6.30 p.m., and though a certain number of individuals
doubled back from time to time, the majority kept a steady
course, and could be seen, through glasses, disappearing
over the Downs towards Beachy Head. They drifted in
leisurely fashion, many at a great height, and all, during the
time that I watched them, silent. It was impossible to form
any accurate idea of their numbers, but there were certainly
many hundreds of them. The wind was south-west, and it
was a dull day with driven clouds and fine rain. The local
birds were well established more than a month before, and
were still in full force many days after the passage of the
migrants, so that the latter represented evidently a com-
pletely independent migration. Ropney H. Hicerns.

MONTAGU’S HARRIER IN OXFORDSHIRE.

On April 16th, 1933, one of the keepers of a large estate in the
Chiltern Hills, in Oxfordshire, informed Mr. G. H. Stock
and myself of ‘‘ two large hawks ” which had frequently been

280 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

seen in a particular valley. That same afternoon we kept
watch and eventually saw the birds. Visibility was poor,
however, and their identity was not ascertained.

We visited the locality again on May 7th and obtained a
better view of the birds. It was obvious that they were a
pair of Harriers, but it was impossible to name them specific-
ally. May 28th was the last day on which we had occasion
to see them. After this date they disappeared entirely.

When wandering over the same estate on December 23rd,
1934, we were fortunate in finding a gibbet containing the
decomposing remains of a Harrier. The bird was sent to Mr.
Witherby and he identified it as a female Montagu’s Harrier
(Circus pygargus). Although, of course, we cannot say how
long this bird had been dead, circumstantial evidence suggests
that this was one of the pair we had seen a year and a half ago.

I might draw attention to the fact that the birds were seen
during the normal breeding-period for this species. The
country around is admirable for nesting purposes, there being
a tract of uncultivated land about a square mile in extent in
the near vicinity. The land is hilly, varying in altitude
between 300 and 500 feet. The vegetation is composed of
bracken and rose-bay willow-herb, with scrub oaks and
beeches, spruces and, in the lower areas, silver birches and
sycamores. The estate, however, is strictly preserved for
pheasant-rearing. Ko]. Serra.

BEWICK’S SWANS IN ANGLESEY.

Ir may be of interest to record that my wife and I saw eighteen
Bewick’s Swans (Cygnus b. bewicki) together on December
29th, 1934, on a piece of water near Malldraeth, S.W. Anglesey.
Although fairly near a road they were not wild, and some were
preening themselves. At least five of them were immature
birds. The sunlight was shining on them from behind me
and I had an excellent view with both field glasses and
telescope for as long as I cared, and could easily see the
colouring of the bills and so distinguish them from Whoopers,
and I have seen Bewick’s Swans before.

In Forrest’s Handbook to the Vertebrate Fauna of N. Wales
(1919) the only records for N. Wales are two from the Dee
estuary. EDWIN COHEN.

PINTAIL IN MIDDLESEX.

On December 16th, 1934, my husband and I saw a Pintail
(Anas a. acuta) on the middle pond of the three Hampstead
ponds at the south end of the Heath. The bird was a male

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 281

in beautiful plumage and was swimming about in company
with a large number of Mallard and Black-headed Gulls.
When we left the bird was asleep with its head tucked into
the scapulars. The same bird (presumably) was seen by other
observers on the Vale of Health pond on December 22nd, and
on the 29th was again seen by us on one of the Highgate
ponds. WINIFRED Boyp WATT.

GREY PLOVERS IN WILTSHIRE.

On November 4th, 1934, in company with N. T. Walford,
M. F. B. Bell and W. J. Garnett, I watched two adult Grey
Plovers (Squatarola squatarola) feeding on the mud at the
upper end of Coate Water, Swindon, Wiltshire. When passing
over soft patches of mud they frequently flapped their wings,
no doubt to prevent themselves from sinking in, and the black
axillaries were then very conspicuous. W. B. ALEXANDER.

WADERS IN THE BRISTOL DISTRICT, 1933-1934.

THE following observations are given in continuation of the
previous notes (antea, Vol. XXVII., p. 167) :—

GLOUCESTERSHIRE.

Severn mud-flats between Avonmouth and Severn Beach.

GREY PLOVER (Squatarola s. squatarola).—One, apparently
an adult, on November roth, 1933, and another on November
25th, 1934.

TURNSTONE (Arvenaria 1. interpres).—The frequent presence
of Turnstones on an area of grass and mud-flats without any
rocks, and at times in such large flocks, is of particular interest.
Very few detailed observations have been made here in the
past, but it seems possible that some of these birds may be
present throughout the year. In 1933 there were 100-150
present on November 5th, at least 70 on the 26th, and in 1934
about 50 on August 26th, over 100 on September 23rd, and
170, in two flocks of 50 and 110, the remainder being scat-
tered, on October 14th. At least 50 were there on November
11th. Taking the two years together, Turnstones have been
seen in January, February, May and August to December.
The latest date is May 14th (1933) and the earliest August
26th (1934).

SANDERLING (Crocethia alba).—Three on September 16th,

1934, one of which was certainly immature, as were probably
all three.

282 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Kwnor (Calidris c. canutus).—One, immature, on September
gth, 1934, three on the 16th and four or five on the 23rd.
Three on October 14th, and about 100, consisting of adult
and immature birds, on November 11th.

CURLEW-SANDPIPER (Calidris testacea).—Two on September
16th, 1934, and one on the 23rd, were feeding with Dunlin.

PURPLE SANDPIPER (Calidris m. maritima)—One on
November 5th, 1933, four on the roth, and two on the 26th.
Three (or more) on November 11th, 1934. On each occasion
they were feeding along the mud in company with Dunlin.

BAR-TAILED GODWIT (Limosa 1. lapponica)—One on
September oth, 1934, nine on the 16th and seven on the 23rd.
All were immature.

BLACK-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa I. limosa).—One on
September 30th, 1934.

WHIMBREL (Numenius ph. pheopus).—One on the Avon-
mouth flats on September 16th, 1934. Two were inland near
Stoke Gifford and about five miles from the Severn on August
rgth, 1934, and one was seen on grassland, either alone or
with Curlews, in the same place, on many dates between
August 25th and September 25th, 1934.

SOMERSET.

RuFrr (Philomachus pugnax)—One at Barrow Gurney
Reservoirs on September 2nd, 1934, and two (possibly three)
at Blagdon Reservoir on September 30th.

GREEN-SANDPIPER (Tvinga ochropus)—One at Barrow
Gurney Reservoirs, February 25th, 1934.

GREENSHANK (Tvinga nebularia)—One at Barrow Gurney
Reservoirs, September 23rd, 1934, and two there on October
7th. Three at Blagdon Reservoir on September 30th, 1934.

BLACK-TAILED GopDwit (Limosa I. limosa).—A party of
twenty-three were at Blagdon Reservoir on September 30th,
1934, and they were seen a few days later by the Rev. F. L.
Blathwayt. Twelve were still there on November 4th.

H. H. Davis.
H,~ Terex

SCARCE Brrps In FortH AREA.—Among some notes
contributed by the Midlothian Ornithological Club on birds
of this area during 1933 (Scot. Nat., 1934, pp. 81-2), the
following may be specially mentioned :—A_ Shore-Lark
(Evemophila a. flava) at Harperrig Reservoir on December 11th,
a Red-breasted Flycatcher (Muscicapa parva) at the Isle of
May on September 8th, an Osprey (Pandion halietus) over

VOL. XXvIIt. | NOTES. 283

Harperrig Reservoir on May 6th, and a Gadwall (Anas strepera)
off Granton Point on July 27th.

Snow-BunTING INLAND IN EssEex.—Correction—The date
in the note under the above heading, on p. 212, was unfor-
tunately printed as November 30th, 1934, whereas it should
have been November 3rd, 1934.

WILLOW-WARBLER IN GLAMORGANSHIRE IN DECEMBER.—
Mr. J. G. Williams informs us that he watched for over ten
minutes a Willow-Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) on
December 2nd, 1934, at Gabalfa, on the outskirts of Cardiff.
The bird was very tame and Mr. Williams was able to see
clearly the colouring of the legs and thus confirm the identity.

DiprER BREEDING IN Hoy, OrKNEY.—In an article on
the breeding birds of this island (Scot. Nat., 1934, pp. 129-136),
Mr. William Serle, Jun., mentions the nesting of Dippers
(presumably C. c. gularis), which have not previously been
recorded as breeding in the Orkneys or Shetlands.

HomMING EXPERIMENTS WITH SWALLOWS.—It is related in
Der Vogelzug (October, 1934, pp. 161-6) that on June 28th,
1934, Professor Stresemann, Frau E. Beyer-Stresemann and Dr.
W. Riippell, travelling by train between Berlin and Flushing
on their way to the International Congress at Oxford, released
twenty-one Swallows (Hirundo r. rustica) and six House-
Martins (Delichon wu. urbica) which had been caught by Herr
Hans Warnat on the preceding day at Pausin, 25 km. north-
west of Berlin. They were all adults captured at the nest,
care being taken not to remove any that had young to feed.
The birds were liberated in batches, between 6.10 and
10.05 a.m., at the German stations of Rheine and Bentheim
(two batches), and the Dutch stations of Arnheim, Nijmegen
and s’Hertzogenbosch, the distances from the nesting place
being 390, 410, 500, 510 and 550 kilometres, respectively.
Herr Warnat maintained his observations and trapping at
Pausin until he had toleave there on July 2nd, and within
these few days he was able to record with certainty the
return of eleven Swallows and one Martin. Some others
were seen, visible marks having been used in addition to num-
bered Rossitten rings, but these were not caught for definite
identification.

Of fifteen Swallows liberated in three batches at Rheine
and Bentheim, 390 km. (242 miles) and 410 km. (255 miles),
four had returned to Pausin by the next day, five others by

284. BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

the third day, and one other by the fourth day. From six
Swallows liberated at Arnheim, 500 km. (311 miles), and three
Martins liberated at Nijmegen, 510 km. (317 miles), one of each
had returned by the third day. No recoveries from the
batch of three Martins liberated at s’Hertzogenbosch,
550 km. (342 miles), were recorded within the period of
observation. The best time was made by a Swallow which
covered 410 kilometres in 25 hours 50 minutes; this repre-
sents an average speed of 15.9 kilometres (9.9 miles) per hour—
or 22.0 kilometres (13.7 miles) per hour if the period of night
be deducted. A male Swallow returning on the third day
found that its mate had already taken a new partner, but
ousted the latter in the conflict which followed.

GANNET IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE.—Miss F. K. Staunton
informs us that a Gannet (Sula bassana), in nearly mature
plumage, was picked up dead at Stapleford in October,
1934-

RECORDED NESTING OF LEACH’S FORK-TAILED PETREL IN
ORKNEY.—Mr. H. W. Robinson records (Scot. Nat., 1934,
p- 93), on the word of the lightkeeper, Mr. C. McCormick,
the nesting of a pair of Petrels identified as Leach’s (Oceano-
droma leucorrhoa) on Sule Skerry, Orkney, in the summer of
1933. Mr. McCormick is recorded as having seen the birds
several times in June, but under what conditions is not stated,
and discovered one sitting upon its egg, and some weeks after-
wards found the egg-shell, “‘ proving that the chick got away ”’.
In view of the very restricted breeding range of the species in
the British Islands this is an important record, but we think
it requires substantiation. The record is very lacking in
precision and no evidence is given by which one can say that
the birds were correctly identified.

LITTLE STINTS IN CARDIGANSHIRE.—Mr. W. Hastings Smith
informs us that on November 29th, 1934, he watched at close
quarters two Little Stints (Calidris minuta) near Aberystwyth.

RAZORBILL INLAND IN EssEx.—Mr. E. T. Nicholson
informs us that he saw a Razorbill (Alca torda) on Banbury
Reservoir, Walthamstow, on November 11th, 1934.

PUFFIN IN BERKSHIRE.—Mr. George Brown informs us
that a Puffin (Fratercula a. grabe) was picked up on the downs
at Combe on November 5th, 1934. It was in fair condition,
but had probably been killed by a Crow.

is

VOL. XXVIII.] LETTERS. 285
LETTERS.

TERRITORY AND FOOD.
To the Editors of BriTisH BiRDs.

Sirs,—May I say something on this vexed subject? I
speak of those territorial species whose young depend upon
insects for food.

Three sets of facts seem connected :—

(1) That in a cold and wet breeding season we find infertile
eggs, chicks dead in the shell, and dead chicks.

(2) That if the young are exposed to the atmosphere when the
temperature falls to 50° F. they collapse quickly during
the first two days after birth.

(3) That in a cold and wet season there is great scarcity of
insect life, and the hatches are intermittent and local.

Basing on these facts I thought there might be a relation
between territory and food; but it was clear that if the
parents kept to their territories when the young hatched, in a
bad season they might not find enough food or the finding of
it might take too long. Thus, instead of being a help, territory
might be a hindrance. And so I concluded that territory
*“ roughly insures that the bird population of a given area is
in proportion to the available means of subsistence ”’.

But this was an inference ; for I had no knowledge then of
any physical control which might allow a bird the necessary
freedom of movement at the appropriate time.

Concerning the second set of facts we have now some valu-
able information. Kendeigh and Baldwin, experimenting
with the body temperature of nestling House-Wrens
(Troglodytes a. edon), find :—

(a) That there is a rise and drop of several degrees in the body
temperature of the young bird when the adult is brooding
and absent.

(b) That the temperature of the young varies consistently
with that of the atmosphere during the first few days.

(c) That during the first two or three hours in the morning,
after the adults begin their morning activities, the tempera-
ture of the young Is at its lowest point.

(d) That if the young bird were dependent upon its own

resources for heat it would be as truly a cold blooded

animal as many an invertebrate.

That a high rate of development can only take place when

the temperature is at the optimum.

(e

ae

*Territory in Bird Life, p. 192.

286 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Concerning the quantity of food that a nestling needs,
Kluijver, experimenting with Starlings (Sturvnus v. vulgaris),
finds :—

(a) That during the first few days after birth the quantity
of food a young Starling takes is equal to half its weight,
and afterwards to six-sevenths of its weight.

(0) That six young Starlings, eight days old, take ten ounces
of insects in the day.

These experiments show :—

(1) That in bad weather the birds must find food quickly
during the first three hours after dawn.

(2) That the quantity of food is possibly larger than anyone
thought; weight translated into number represents a
large heap of insects.

So, again, if there is no provision in a bird’s inherited
organization to enable it to take advantage of food in surround-
ing territories, in a bad season—it is the bad season that counts
in evolutionary progress—it may neither find enough nor
find it quick enough.

During the last twelve years I have watched Waterhens
(Gallinula ch. chloropus) for five, Tree-Pipits (Anthus t. trivialis)
for four, and Coots (Fulica a. atra) for three. In each of
these species there is a change of behaviour when incubation
begins. This change is disclosed by a loss of sexual activity,
aloss of platform activity, and a loss or lessening of intolerance.
Of the physiology of this change we now know something;
for Riddle finds that when incubation begins, a secretion, which
he calls prolactin, brings about involution of the gonads.

A bird, then, is not hampered by its territory; at the
appropriate time it is free to seek in an area controlled by
several territories, and to share, in bad weather, the temporary
surplus of food which local hatches provide.

This physical change helps to give territory value in relation
to food.

Some may say: If that is the sort of relation that obtains
between territory and food, there is no hope of knowing
whether it be true or false. I don’t think so. Did anyone
think, a few years ago, that presently he would know the
body temperature of a nestling and its variations ; or that a
secretion brings about involution of the gonads; or that
six Starlings, eight days old, need ten ounces of insects a day ?
The naturalist can follow the physiologist, or the physiologist
can follow the naturalist, one can help the other. But the
naturalist can only help so long as he watches the same
individual as far as possible daily throughout the cycle,

VOL. XXVIII.] LETTERS. 287

and watches at the critical time—during the first three hours
after dawn; these two conditions he must observe.
HARTLEBURY. ExLiot HOWARD.

TERRITORY AND FOOD, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE
GREAT CRESTED GREBE.
To the Editors of BRiTisH BirDs.

Sirs,—In the absence of L. S. V. Venables in Tanganyika, I must
reply alone to the criticisms of E. M. Nicholson and B. W. Tucker
(antea, pp. 246-248). To take the former first :—Possibly we were a
little too definite in saying (antea, p. 198) that “territory is not
correlated with food supply ”’ in the Great Crested Grebe on Frensham
Ponds. (It should be noted that we carefully applied this statement
only to Frensham Ponds, which was all that we considered justifiable.)
What we might have said was that there was no positive evidence what-
ever for thinking that territory is correlated with food, but much
(quoted pp. 196-197) against this view. It might have been more
correct not to have gone further than this, though I still find it impossi-
ble to conceive how the territories could have had food value when,
out of eight pairs of Grebes on the same pond and feeding over the same
avea, seven pairs were colonial and one pair aggressively territorial.
Mr. Nicholson's criticisms would have had more force if he could have
brought forward some evidence showing or even suggesting that the
territories had food value.

It is naturally gratifying to my father and myself to find that Mr.
Nicholson, who was once the ardent champion of food territories, now
admits that ‘‘ in order to state the relation of something to food supply
we must first know what food supply is’. That was exactly our
view, as expressed in ‘‘ Territory Reviewed "’ (antea, XXVII., p. 192).
Mr. Nicholson argues from this that we cannot say with certainty that
territory is not correlated with food in the Great Crested Grebe. This
statement applies to all territorial species, and implies equally that we
cannot say that territory.7s correlated with food. Mr. Nicholson
continues: ‘“‘ until it’’ (i.e. adequate food data) “‘ has been collected,
rival theories must remain simply rival theories, and more should not
be claimed for them’”’. This statement is inaccurate; there are not
two rival theories. There is only one theory, namely, that put forward
by H. Eliot Howard, and supported by Mr. Nicholson, that territory
is definitely of food value. The validity of this theory was criticized
by my father and myself (/oc. cit.) on the grounds that there was no
positive evidence whatever to support it, and much that rendered it
doubtful. I would emphasize that in our criticism we never stated that
the food value could be disproved; merely that it was unproven, a
view Mr. Nicholson now accepts. The burden of proof does not rest
with the critics but with the supporters of a theory.

Since the publication of “‘ Territory Reviewed’ there have been
brought forward no conclusive field data for any species to support
the theory, and the bulk of the criticisms we directed against it have
still not been met. Mr. Tucker says ‘‘ we admittedly do not know if a
correlation between food and territory does exist’’. The onlyclaim
brought forward to favour it, I quote again from Mr. Tucker, is “‘ the
view that the latter ’’ (i.e. territory sens. strict.) ‘‘ is ultimately corre-
lated with food and ensures the most advantageous spacing of the pairs,
still stands as the most plausible working hypothesis yet put forward to
account for it '’. Plausible is the correct term for this hypothesis, for
it rests on nothing more thanan @ priori assumption that such a food

288 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

correlation is a great advantage, if not an “‘economic necessity ’’, for
territorial birds. (As to why it is not such an advantage or necessity
to many similar but colonial birds, including seven pairs, but not the
eighth, of Great Crested Grebes on Frensham Great Pond, has not been
satisfactorily explained.) A scientific theory must rest on very much
more than a plausible hypothesis. Mr. Tucker’s statement that there
must be some valid adaptive reason for nesting territories in one case
and much larger territories in others is also plausible, but also needs
field evidence to support it. Any explanation of this phenomenon
will have to take into account that there are not only marked differ-
ences between closely allied species but also between the individuals
of the same species, even in the same region, as shown by the Great
Crested Grebes on Frensham Great Pond.

I should like to refer to one other point raised by Mr. Tucker, the
possibility that, in some species, territories are compressible, but only
up to a certain limit (see Huxley, antea, XXVII., p. 277). This is
perhaps so, but more evidence is needed before this view can be
accepted, especially for the territorial Passerines. It may be noted that
Venables (antea, p. 58) found that this did not apply to territory in the
Dartford Warbler (Sylvia u. dartfordiensis), in which species, when
crowded, the territories overlapped. But this bird is possibly excep-
tional. Nor did it apply to the Great Crested Grebes on Frensham
Pond, which, when crowded, became colonial with common feeding
grounds. Nor, interestingly enough, does it apply to the birds of prey,
in which Nicholson (How Birds Live) used to consider that food terri-
tories were an economic necessity, for, as Jourdain (antea, X XI. ,p. 71)
pointed out, many of these birds when abundant are colonial.

May I end by saying that this discussion could have been much
shortened were more data on territory available, and by pointing out
that this is one of the most fruitful fields of ornithology for investiga-
tion at the present day. The admirable papers by the Ryves (antea,
pp. 2 and 154) illustrate the interesting facts that still await discovery.

Davin Lack.

WATER-BIRDS ON THE HIGHGATE PONDS.
To the Editors of BritisH Birps.

Strs,—As an addendum to the paper on this subject, published by
us in the October number of British Birds (antea, pp. 122-9), the
following figures may be of interest :—

A visit on December 17th, 1934, gave the following figures, in addition
to a moderate number of gulls: Swans 7; Mallard 184; Tufted Duck
46; Pochard 1 (2); Coots 2; Moorhens 89. The figure for Swans is
the lowest recorded, the previous lowest being 9. The figure for Moor-
hens is larger by 6 than the previous maximum (inspite of an unusually
low figure for Hz, the second Highgate pond). The number of Tufted
Ducks is close to the previous maximum; their male sex-ratio was
high (63.0 gg per 100 birds), as was previously the case when many
birds were present. The Mallard sex-ratio was close to 1:1 (48.4 per
cent. gg). One pond: (H4) was bare of all birds (except a couple of
gulls )for the first time. The date was a fortnight in advance of the
date of beginning of observation last year; it was a still, fairly clear
day after much mild and rainy weather.

It will, unfortunately, be impossible for either of us to go on taking
the census in this or future seasons. If any observer is interested, it
would be of value to continue the work and put it onacomparative
basis. J. S. Huxuey and A. 7. BEST,

4 MU ON

4

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ASSISTED BY

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NorMAN F, TICEHURST, 0O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B.O. U.

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 10, Vor. XXVIII., MARCH I, 1935.

— = PAGE
Notes on Colour Variation and Habits of Short-eared Owl.

By T. Russell Goddard, F.L.s. ... _ van 290
Birds of Inner London. By A. Holte Macpherson ea 2 202
On the Habits of Kingfishers. By Philip A. Clancey ... exe «= 2005
The “ British Birds Marking Scheme’’. Progress for 1934.

By H. F. Witherby re en sac ae = aes 302
Notes

Birds i in Devon (K. D. Smith) ... e 309

Number of Feathers in Nests of House- -Sparrow and Wren
(G. Marples) es ‘ ian dite 309

Water-Pipits in | -embroke shire (R. M. ‘Lockley) asin as 310

Fire-crested Wren in Norfolk (R. M. Garnett) . ae a 310

Parasite on Robin and Great Tit (G. Mé rples).... ‘ 311

Bewick s eee and Leach’s Fork-tailed Petrel in Carmé arthen-
shire (J. F. Thomas) ... 4s ea Ses on 311

Red- “ely le Goose in | -embroke shire (H. T. H. Foley) sis 312

Fulmar Petrels Ejecting Oil when Undisturbed (Miss M. J.
Levett) ... ion oe uae oa a ek aes 312

Gannet in Middlesex (D. Seth-Smith)... Dea 9 a 312

Shags Inland (H. F. Witherby) “tr Ra on ent 313

Dunlin in Summer Plumage in January (The Duchess of
Bedford) . Pe es - pi ave ews aa = 313

Razorbill Inland in Essex (E. Mann) ... re nas i BES

Tameness of a Guillemot (Clive Tate) o eas 05 314

Land-Rail in Winter in Hampshire (Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain) ... 314

Quail Breeding in Merionethshire (R. E. Knowles)... Joh 315
Short Notes :

Pied Flycatcher Breeding in Lanarkshire. Blackcap in
February in Worcestershire. Hen-Harrier in Sussex.
Tawny Owl, Buzzard and Northern Golden Plover in the
Outer Hebrides. Long-tailed Ducks in Sussex and Norfolk.

Eiders in Norfolk. Status of Petrels in N. Rona, Sula
Sgeir and Flannan Islands. Ruff in Winter in Cambridge-
shire. Food of Black Grouse ae B55 ai ES 315

Review :—
Birds in Britain To-day. By G.C.S. Ingramand H.M.Salmon 316

Local Reports :—

The London Naturalist, 1933 ... da cae au 317
Report of the Oxford Ornithological Society, 1933 baa we 318
Report on the Birds of Wiltshire for 193 ia wid es 318
Report of the Sanctuary Club, 1932, 108% 3 , 1934 PAE ie 319
Letters :—

The Gannet Colony of Grimsey, North Iceland (P. F. Holmes

and D. B. Keith) = <x fad ss Sag
The Skins and Eggs of the Gr at Auk (G. N. Carter) oe nee 320

U

(290)

NOTES ON COLOUR VARIATION AND HABITS
OF SHORT-EARED OWL.*
BY
T. RUSSELL GODDARD), F1.s.
(Plate 3).

DurinG April and May, 1934, I was engaged in studying
Short-eared Owls (Asio f. flammeus) on a forest at New-
castleton, in Roxburghshire, in the course of an enquiry in
which the British Trust for Ornithology is co-operating
with the Oxford University Bureau of Animal Population.
The main object of the enquiry is to make Owl censuses and
correlate these with changes in vole populations. The
results will be published in the Journal of Animal Ecology.
The object of the present paper is to record certain sub-
sidiary observations relating to the colour variation and the
habits of the Owls. The enclosed portion of the forest
upon which I was working is 2,271 acres in extent, and its
elevation above sea-level varies between 600 and 1,000 feet.

I had three breeding pairs of Short-eared Owls under
observation throughout the period. The first discovery
I made was that there were two distinct colour forms of the
Short-eared Owl on the forest—a brown form and a grey form.
Of the six birds under observation during April and May three
were brown and three were grey. They were paired in the
following manner—two browns, two greys and a grey male
paired with a brown female. The grey form was literally a
cold grey without any warm brown about it at all. The
feathers on the breast and the tarsi, which in the brown
form are a warm buff, were white in the grey form. The
grey form of the Short-eared Owl was, in fact, quite as cold
in colour as the extreme grey form of the Tawny Owl (Sivix
aluco).

The colour of the iris in the two grey birds which were paired
together was the normal golden yellow, but the irides of the
grey male which was paired with the brown female were either
very dark brown or black ; not having had the bird in my hand
I cannot say which. However, I had this bird under observa-
tion for half an hour or more at a time, at a few yards range,
on many occasions in brilliant sunlight, and his eyes appeared
to be uniformly black. This pair had a clutch of seven eggs
out of which four owlets were successfully reared. The eyes
of the four owlets appeared to be normal in colour.

*Publication of the British Trust for Ornithology.

British Birds, Vol. XXVIII., Pl. 3

SHORT-EARED OWL AT THE NEST

Russell Goddard.)

wvaphed hy ‘J

(Phot

voL. xxvi.}] HABITS OF SHORT-EARED OWL. 291

Short-eared Owls commenced nesting unusually early this
year. A female was discovered sitting on seven eggs as early
as March 23rd.

The pair of Owls in which the male and female were
markedly different in their general coloration were under
close observation on many occasions between April 16th and
May 14th, and at various hours of the day. On no occasion
was the male observed sitting on the eggs.

Owls were seen on the wing hunting up to about Io a.m.
and then they appeared to rest for about four hours. It was
most unusual to see Owls on the wing between ro a.m. and
about 2 p.m. unless they were disturbed at the nest.

Short-eared Owls have a strongly-developed territorial
instinct. On more than one occasion I have seen a Kestrel
(Falco t. tinnunculus) which had flown over the territory
of a pair of Owls mobbed and chased away by the male Owl.
Two pairs of Owls were nesting fairly close together, the
distance between the two nests being approximately 860
yards. If the male of one pair flew anywhere near the nest
of the other it was immediately mobbed and driven off by
the other male.

As everyone who has studied Short-eared Owls knows, the
birds, when angry, fly round and clap their wings sharply
beneath their bodies, making a loud crack. The number of
claps given at a time varies from one to five. If as many as
five claps are given at a time there is a short pause after the
second—I, 2, pause, 3, 4, 5—the last three claps being made
in rapid succession and without the wings being brought up
to the horizontal between the strokes. In view of the late
T. A. Coward’s statement in birds of the British Isles and their
Eggs (third edition) that a Short-eared Owl, when clapping
its wings beneath its body rises in the air, I should like to
say that has not been my experience. I have watched this
proceeding very closely on a number of occasions and have
noticed that when more than one clap is given at a time the
bird loses momentum and falls in the air. In no case have I
seen a Short-eared Owl rise in the air when clapping its wings
beneath its body in anger.

Although this species usually spends its resting hours upon
the ground, the Owls were frequently seen perching on the
leading shoots of six feet high spruces. The force of impact
when the birds settled bent the leading shoots over into a
more or less horizontal position, in which they remained so
long as the birds were resting upon them.

(292)
BIRDS OF INNER LONDON.

BY
A. HOLTE MACPHERSON.

ADDITIONAL SPECIES.

THREE species, all of which occurred last year, must be added
to the list published in this magazine in 1929 (Vol. XXIL.,
pp. 222-244) and subsequently extended.

A Goldeneye (Bucephala c. clangula) which appeared on the
Round Pond, Kensington Gardens, on October roth, 1934,
was still there at the end of the year and never left the place
except for a short visit to the Serpentine. It is a young bird,
but has not become tame like the Pochard and Tufted Ducks.

A Slavonian Grebe (Podiceps auritus), which arrived on the
Round Pond on November 28th, 1934, has already been
recorded (antea, p. 241). It remained three days.

The third addition is the Red-throated Diver (Colymbus
stellatus), which in the spring of 1934 stayed for just over six
weeks near the bridge dividing the Long Water from the
Serpentine. I first saw it on March 15th, but no doubt it
was there on the previous day when a telephone message from
Mrs. E. MacAlister informed me that she had just seen a
strange bird near the bridge. Though able to swim and dive,
the bird appeared to be slightly contaminated with oil in the
region of the under tail-coverts. It also had a shght injury
to its right leg or foot, causing it to throw up the water on
that side when swimming fast. For several weeks nearly all
its time was spent on the bank of the Long Water. Its
conduct was remarkable, for from the first it was absolutely
fearless of human beings. Its condition gradually improved,
and by the middle of April it had become much more active.
It was last seen in the evening of April 25th by Dr. G.
Carmichael Low.

I think it was a young bird. During its stay the size of
some of the spots on its upper parts appeared to increase
with the acquisition of new feathers; but up to the time it
left, it showed no trace of red on the throat.

ADDITIONAL NOTES IN 1934.

The Jays (Garrulus g. rufitergum), which have for some
years inhabited the grounds of Holland House, seem to be
less numerous. On the other hand, I am informed by Miss
M. Rew that since early in April a pair of these birds has
frequented ‘the neighbourhood of St. Dunstan’s, Regent’s
Park.

VOL. Xxvill.} BIRDS OF INNER LONDON. 293

I did not come across the Lesser Whitethroat (Sylva c.
curruca),a species which rarely fails to visit Kensington Gardens
in spring; but it was heard in song in a garden in Hamilton
Terrace, Holland Park, by Miss S. Cropper and Miss Enaid
Jones on May 4th, and by Miss Cropper again on May 23rd.

A Golden-crested Wren (Regulus r. anglorum ?) was noticed
by Mr. E. G. Pedler on September 24th in the Flower Walk,
Kensington Gardens.

RED-THROATED DIVER IN KENSINGTON GARDENS. SPRING, 1934.

The bird is on the spot to which for some weeks it invariably

resorted when not fishing. The photograph was taken from a
boat by Mr. E. G. Pedler.

Wheatears ((Enanthe @. cenanthe) occurred on_ several
occasions from April r4th to May 3rd in Hyde and Regent’s
Parks ; and at the latter place, Miss M. Rew writes that they
were followed on May rgth by six “ large ones ”’, doubtless
Greenland Wheatears (G:nanthe @. leucorrhoa). This careful
observer adds that two of these large birds were seen by her
on September 2nd in the same place.

Miss M. Rew also observed in Regent’s Park the Whinchat
(Saxicola yr. rubetra) twice in May, and the Redstart (Pheni-
curus ph. phenicurus) on two occasions during April.

294 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates m. comminutus)
was seen by Miss Elizabeth R. Glover on September 12th
in Kensington Gardens.

Fewer Dabchicks (Podiceps r. ruficollis) than usual visited
the parks. Mr. W. H. Perrett informs me that one was
taken to the Natural History Museum on November alist.
It had been found alive in the area of a block of flats in Fulham
during a fog.

Mr. E. G. Pedler observed two Turtle-Doves (Streptopelza t.
turtur) on September roth in Kensington Gardens.

Eight Lapwings (Vanellus vanellus) flew over Primrose
Hill on January 8th (Miss M. Rew).

Common Sandpipers (Tvinga hypoleucos) were noticed on
passage on various occasions: in Kensington Gardens in
April and May, and again in July, August and September ;
and in Regent’s Park in May and July.

Dr. G. Carmichael Low saw a Redshank (Tvinga t. totanus)
on October 8th in Hyde Park. It was flying up the Serpentine.

A Whimbrel (Numenius ph. pheopus), calling and at no
great height, passed over my house on Campden Hill on the
evening of May 22nd, and another flew over Kensington on
September 28th.

The occurrence of a Jack Snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus)
in Pall Mall on May 2nd has already been recorded in these
pages (antea, p. 29).

A Woodcock (Scolopax r. rusticola) was caught alive
in Covent Garden on November 2nd by Mr. W. Platts,
and taken to the Zoological Gardens. Mr. D. Seth-Smith
told me that it had sustained no apparent injury.

ADDITIONAL NOTE FOR 1933.

I have recently been informed by Mr. E. W. Hendy that
on October 14th, 1933, he saw a Scandinavian Lesser Black-
backed Gull (Larus f. fuscus) on the Serpentine.

(295)
ON THE HABITS OF KINGFISHERS.

BY
PHILIP A. CLANCEY.

Tue following records and data concerning the Kingfisher
(Alcedo a. ispida) were collected on the White Cart (Renfrew-
shire) during 1934, except where otherwise indicated. When
a number is enclosed in brackets it shows whether a first,
second or third brood is in question.

WHITE
CART
X MARKS
wh NESTS KNOWN
SS *
MILES. aa

Groups Enclosed in Areas.—No. 1—4 nests; No. 2—18 nests ;
-No. 3—4 nests; No. 4—3 nests. Isolated nests—4.
Total for 1934—33 nests.

INCUBATION PERIOD. Normal Time 19-21 days.

Records : Lower Kittoch ae 19 days.
(2) Mid ‘ oe 20
(r1) Netherlee ... ere 20-21
(2) Pollokshaws re 19 55
(2) Stamperland xs 20

Twenty-one days’ incubation is rarely attained except in
cases where the hen is frequently disturbed during the
incubation of the eggs.

FLEDGING PERIOD. Normal Time 23-26 days.

Records : Lower Kittoch iu 22 days
(2) Mid ‘ or 2G 5
(1) Netherlee... "8 Cat
Cathcart (1933) Ks 37. ;, (abnormal).
(2) Pollokshaws aes +, er
(2) Stamperland oy 26

The young of the Lower Kittoch birds were fed exceptionally
quickly, and the majority flew on their twenty-second day.

In the case of the Cathcart nest in 1933, two young flew on
their twenty-sixth day, two more on their thirtieth day, while
the remaining two flew on their thirty-seventh day. This was

296 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

due to a long drawn-out system of feeding. Thelast two to
fly were highly nervous and would twist their necks as if in
pain when handled.

NuMBER OF Eccs. Normal Number 7. Rarely 6.

Records : Lower Kittoch 7
(x & 2) Mid y; 7, 6
(x, 2 & 3) Netherlee sie Fer eat
(1 & 2) Pollokshaws ony He Fl
(1 & 2) Stamperland ack Tsoi.
(2) Mid Pollok (1933) . 4
Hawkhead (1932) ... I

Cathcart eg
The one egg produced in 1932 at Hawidhead was the product
of an old hen which died when captured in a bush opposite
the nest hole.

Addled Eggs.—One, rarely two, when occurring.

LENGTH OF NEsT Hote. Normal Length—1z ft. 6 in. to 3 ft.
Exiremes, Qin and 4 it: 6am.

Records; Falkirk (River Avon, 1933) ... ,9 inches.
Balmore (River Kelvin, 1933) Anite mOnuInS.:
Stamperland (1933) ... 4 ft. 6ins.

(3) eNetherlee nn ae ieee Ae oli
Lower Kuttoch Bon Ap pe esti
Stamperland ... wan pao letites
Cathcart ant Bite

The Stamperland nest (1933) was in very hard, grey clay,
while the Balmore nest in 1933 was in hard sand.

YY GfU

Types of nest holes as seen from above.

A.—Common type. B.—Frequent type. C.—Rare.
D.—Two records only. E.—One record.

: Types of nest banks in section.
A.—Common type. B.—Two records only. C.—Frequent type.

VOL. xxvill.] HABITS OF KINGFISHERS. 297

TYPES OF NEST BANKS.

Nest banks, 3 feet and over above the water, are usually
fairly dry, but this depends largely on the amount of vegeta-
tive growth on the top of the bank.

Dampness does not, however, seem to trouble the King-
fisher in the least. Perhaps healthier broods are hatched
from moist banks than from dry ones. :

In districts where nest banks are plentiful and extensive
the same nest hole is hardly if ever used in consecutive years,
but if the pair tenanting that particular bank are going to
have a second brood the same hole is almost always used.
On the other hand, in districts where nest banks are few and
far between, the same nest hole may be used for many years.
One at Waterfoot, to my knowledge, has been used for the
last five years: 1930, I193I, 1932, 1933 (2 broods), 1934.
The entrance to it is about the size of a rabbit burrow.

NEsT MATERIAL.

The material used for the nest is fish bones, scales and the
hard cases of crustaceans. In the case of early nesting
Kingfishers the bones may be deposited three to six weeks
before the eggs are laid (Cathcart, 1934, Lower Kittoch, 1934).

In cases where the birds are in a hurry to lay, the eggs are
laid on the bare soil and the castings are put up as incubation
proceeds.

HEIGHT OF NEST ABOVE WATER. Normal Height—3 ft. to
6 ft. Extremes, 2 ft. to 120 ft.

Records ; Hawkhead (1933) “ng ie 1 ft. roins.
Lower Kittoch ... ve Var 2it. Zins.
Pollokshaws... ase fee. BORED.
Cathcart (1923-33) ... dr EROT,

Mid Kittoch ... dis in 4 ft.
Stamperland ... eon “ce -2GEE,

The nest bank at Cathcart was not used this year. The
nest at Hawkhead (1933) was destroyed by a flood.

SHARE OF SEXES IN DIGGING NEsT HOLE.

The digging of the nest hole is performed by both cock and
hen, but in the majority of cases the cock is the main worker.
Digging is performed at all hours of the day.

SHARE OF SEXES IN INCUBATION.

An equal share was noticed at Netherlee, Pollokshaws,
Lower and Mid Kittoch, and Stamperland ; also occasionally
at very many other nests. The rare occurrence of both cock

298 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

and hen brooding at one time was noticed at Stamperland,
1932-33.
SHARE OF SEXES IN REARING OF BRoop.

In practically all cases it is found that the cock helps the
hen until the dispersal of the young.

(Photographed by Philip A. Clancey.)

NESTING SEASON. February-October.

The Netherlee Kingfishers were flushed from a nest bank
on February 23rd, 1934, and a new hole seven inches long was
found to have been started. On October 3rd, 1934, a hen
was seen feeding newly flown young at Cathcart.

LAYING SEASON.
Approximately—March 27th to August 7th.

VoL. XxXvull.}) HABITS OF KINGFISHERS. 299

NUMBER OF Broops. 1, occasionally 2. One record, 3.

Double broods were observed at Busby, Mid Kittoch,
Stamperland, Netherlee (see antea, p. 83), Pollockshaws, High
Levern.

Cuick MORTALITY. J

On an average 1.75 per pair, when occurring. Certain
birds occasionally let their whole brood die of exposure,
through over anxiety to feed when they should be brooding.
Possibly they are young, inexperienced birds of the preceeding
year.

Records ; Lower Levern ... on ... May, 1934.
Waterfoot a =F ... May, 1934.
Pollokshaws ... an ... April, 1932-33.
Mid Pollok vt ite «a May, 1934.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF YOUNG REARED.
Four to seven, and occasionally only two or three are
reared.

AVERAGE NUMBER OF YOUNG PER PAIR, 5.5.

No. of No. of No. of Eggs
Place. Young Young Destroyed

Reared. Dead. or Unfertile.
High Kittoch :- 6 - I

(2) Mid PP 6 - -
Lower ,, 7 ~ =

(2) Stamperland 5 I I

(2) Netherlee 4 2 I

(1) Busby 7 ~ -

(2) ti 6 é :
Lower Levern 4 I 2
Crookston Falls... 7 - -
Hawkhead 3 3 I

It is a common occurrence for the parent to bring a fertile
egg out with her feet when coming out of the nest hole.

CALLS OF YOUNG AND GROWTH OF BILL.

Calls :

Approx. 3-9 days.—Low subdued squeaks. When heard
in chorus this is often mistaken for the true purr.

Approx. 10-21 days.—A powerful purring note, often
audible at quite a distance. Early broods do not purr as
frequently as mid-summer broods.

Approx. 22- ? days.—A plaintive “ peep ” or “ seep ”’.
Growth of Biil.

For the first fourteen days or so the upper mandible is
shorter than the lower.

300 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

CaLL NoTEs oF MATURE BIRDS.

“Chirkee’’, “ seep’, “peép”. A: harsh guttinal mote
denotes anger (two records). “Trip” or “treep”’ heard
occasionally in the breeding-season.

COURTSHIP.

Chasing each other in and out of the trees and bushes
bordering the stream, offerings of fish and crustacea by the
cock, form the courting ceremony. Bill fencing suspected
but not proved.

EXAMPLES OF OVERCROWDING.

| AND 2

SE.
DESTROYED BY LZ
STAMPERLAN =
BIRDS 'aML.

TAMPERIAND.
\2 BROODS

POLLOCK
3 Ye
athe ge om
AT NEST Cen 77 BROODS.

ING.
2 ML.

WOODS.

TERRITORY.

Strict, but there are exceptions.

In instances where the breeding pairs are reasonably apart
little attention is paid to territorial rights as the greatest por-
tion of the fishing for the young is done about one hundred
to two hundred yards from the nest.

On the other hand, where the breeding pairs are closely
packed, as illustrated in the “ Overcrowding ”’ map, fighting
is frequent, but this is not always the case. Three occur-
rences of eggs being destroyed by rival pairs were noted at
Kittoch-Cart junction, High Kittoch (Peel) and on the River
Avon at Falkirk.

The first clutch of a pair at Kittoch-Cart junction was
destroyed, when nearly hatching, by the Stamperland pair.

voL, Xxvul.] HABITS OF KINGFISHERS. 301

A tortnight later a second clutch was laid in the same hole.
Both pairs hatched second clutches at the same time, but
while the Stamperland pair reared their young succesfully, the
other disappeared leaving their young to die. Whether they
were chased away by the Stamperland pair or not, Is
uncertain.

The young, after leaving the nest, have practically all
disappeared by the second or third day, and only very occa-
sionally are the adults seen after the dispersal of the young
unless a second brood is pending.

RELATIONS WITH OTHER SPECIES. :
Rarely attacked or interfered with by any other species,
excluding the Sparrow-Hawk (Acctpiter n. misus). King-
fishers have been seen to attack, for no apparent reason, the
following species : Chaffinch, Wren, Dipper and Sandpiper.

HABITS.

The bobbing head motion and tail flirting are the two most
characteristic habits. When nervous, both young and
mature birds have the power of raising the crest feathers.

FLIGHT.

Swift and arrowy. On several occasions they have been
seen to glide for short distances especially when about to
settle in an elevated position. They frequently hover when
fishing or about to enter the nest.

PERIOD OF DIGESTION.

Only one record (immature bird). Minnow, 2} inches long,
four hours.
Foop.

Minnows, sticklebacks, loaches and crustacea.

(302)

THE ‘“ BRITISH BIRDS MARKING SCHEME.’’*

PROGRESS FOR 1934.
BY
H. Fy WITHERBY,

NUMBER OF BIRDS RINGED.

Trapped. Nestlings.
EQSA! sn: mg ic GROSS 31,816
DO33 20. eae 72 20,466 27,075
LORSae3: ae ok 7,643 22,950
LOST sy ee oe 7,041 22,513
TOO Ome. Pp In 1920
EQUO! i OMS 5 LOZE
IQII > —LO;4 TO 3; 2Q22
KOU2: ei per dos 5. aeoes
TOTS» “ae gee i ong24.
TOMA |. a,024 i; O25
TOURS se 7707 7 2Oz0
LOU: 42. F707, O27,
TOI. We, 6,926 er cyt
EQLS isn 95,087 3 LOZO
TOTO, “sas 3,578 5 £030

Grand dhotal 2. hs ... 435,640

Total.

49,651
38,441
30,593
29,554

5,276

8,997

9,289
12,866
18,189
18,233
23,432
21,625
24,479
25,243
28,610

THERE is, as will be seen by the above figures, another large
increase in 1934 in the annual total of birds ringed. The
number of birds “ trapped’ has now risen to 36 per cent. of
the total ringed. The number of Passeres ringed is nearly
double that of all other orders.

The most notable point in the list of ringers is that no less
than sixteen (five more than the year before) have reached a
total of one thousand or more birds each, while of these six
have ringed over two thousand each.

*For previous Reports see Vol. III., pp.

Vol

Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.
Vol.

IVS DP. 204-207, 6200 LOMO VOlmy ea pD:
WES DIDS WGI. tory ao 9 OIL, WII joy.
VIII pp. 160-168; ton mona: Molex. pp:
i OO, WHO UGLY, aweye won 9 Weojl, Ci, jojo).
DIES joyay, Cfo=unoyey, storm aifoynts} 3 Wall, UMN, jeyoy
IVE, pp: 203-2074) fol LOZOM mV Ol OVE nD.

NOVAS DIO ATAstiig wore 102 3 \Woll. -SNIOL 5 pyoy-
XVIII., pp. 260-265, for 1924; Vol. XIX., pp.

OX Pp. 230-241, fom 19Z66) Viola Sei epp:

179-182,
158-162,
190-195,
222-229,
271-276,
237-240,
232-238,
231-235,
275-280,
212-219,

for
for
for
for
for
for
for
for
for
for

1909 ;
Wet §,
19135
19155
LoLy.;
I9gIgQ);
Ig2t ;
1923 ;
1925;
1927 ;

XXII., pp. 253-258, for 1928 ; Vol. XXIII., pp. 258-263, for 1929 ;
XXIV., pp. 234-244, for 1930; Vol. XXV., pp. 286-291, for 1931 ;
XXVI., pp: 295-300, for 1932 ; Vol. XXVII., pp. 278-283, for 1933.

VOL.XXvitI.|}*BRITISH BIRDS’ MARKING SCHEME.303

Mr. C. Wontner Smith, with 5,388, has ringed more birds in
one season than any previous ringer under our scheme, though
Dr. Moon has twice reached over five thousand three hundred.
Mr. Wontner Smith arranged with Mr. Lockley to ring a large
number of Gannets (1,841) on Grassholm, and this has already
had interesting results as the recoveries show. Lord Dumfries
also ringed 204 Gannets in Scotland. Mr. Smith’s list includes
Guillemots (251), Razorbills (138) and a number of Passeres,
besides many Manx Shearwaters (1,618), which were ringed in
the hope that some interesting recoveries might result from
large numbers, but unfortunately this bird seldom comes
to hand at sea, though some results should yet accrue from
these and those ringed by Mr. Mitchell (454), the Oxford
Ornithological Society (222) and Mr. Lockley (97).

Dr. Moon’s list of nearly four thousand is again very large
and includes some big individual totals, viz. : Lapwings (873),
Song-Thrush (855), Blackbird (694), Starling (403), Pied
Wagtail (122), and Curlew (116).

Mr. Morshead, whose total comes next, has trapped nearly
three thousand, by far the largest number ringed in a season
by this method. These included Greenfinches (1,095),
Starlings (770), and Chaffinches (329).

The Oxford Ornithological Society have trapped more than
half their total, and have ringed probably more species than
anyone.

Mr. Robinson's list is chiefly made up of Sandwich (388)
and Common (g21) Terns and Lesser Black-backed Gulls
(734):

Several schools have ringed good totals (Cheltenham,
St. Edmund’s, Rugby), but Bootham School, it will be noticed,
has a remarkable total, this being made up of considerable
numbers each of a varied list of species.

Mr. Mayall has again ringed large numbers of Nightingales
(265) and Swallows (279).

Lord Scone’s chief items are Mallard (178), Eider (185),
Woodcock (123) and Land-Rail (57).

Mr. Boyd has trapped large numbers of Starlings and
Greenfinches and has ringed 431 Swallows.

Mr. Charteris has specialized in trapping and especially in
catching birds at roosts at night, a system which is likely to
lead to interesting results as it is possible by this means to
ring such birds as Redwings and Bramblings in numbers.
I may mention here that Miss Monro ringed no less than 136
of the latter bird, caught by fersistent trapping.

304 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

The London Natural History Society have made a good
total of a varied list with a large proportion trapped. The
chief totals are: Starling (526), Greenfinch (114) and Swallow
(131).

Mr. Hollom’s total is a noticeable increase and includes
Herons (106) and trapped Tufted Ducks (25), as well as
Black-headed Gulls (34), netted at night.

Mr. Cohen has ringed a good total of Swallows and the
Messrs. Eggeling have largely devoted themselves to nestlings,
while Mr. Garnett’s list includes Swallow (166) and Sandwich
Tern (360).

Mr. Lockley’s list is noticeable on account of a number of
birds taken in his large migration trap (referred to below),
such as Meadow-Pipit (80), Wheatear (24), Alpine Pipit (2),
White Wagtail (6), while Razorbills (246) are outstanding.

In other lists I notice Mr. Thomas has ringed 435 Swallows,
Mr. Bartholomew 129 Kingfishers, Messrs. Bryson and Serle
ror Dippers, The British Trust for Ornithology 166 Woodcock,
Mr. Harthan 246, and Mr. Mayo 200, Starlings, Mr. Kerr 205
Herring-Gulls, Mr. Cadman 80 Mallard and Mr. Carr 25
Bramblings and 26 Hawfinches. Altogether some one hundred
and thirty lists have been sent in, and as many of them are
from societies and schools the number of those actually taking
part in the ringing must be considerable.

In the autumn of 1933 Mr. R. M. Lockley erected on
Skokholm, his island off the Pembrokeshire coast, a large
trap for migrants in the form of those used on Heligoland.
Mr. Lockley has been very successful in catching and ringing
migrants in this trap, which was the first of the kind erected
in this country. His example has now been followed by the
Midlothian Ornithological Club. The energetic young mem-
bers of this club, with the help of Mr. Lockley and Mr. W. B.
Alexander, have erected a large migration trap after the
pattern of the Heligoland ones on the Isle of May, Firth of
Forth, by permission of the Commissioners of Northern
Lights. We know, from the interesting work that has been
done for years by Miss L. J. Rintoul and Miss E. V. Baxter on
this island, that it is an excellent place for passage migrants.

The Midlothian Club have been successful in raising funds
not only for the trap but also for a bungalow, and intend to
“man” this “station”? during migration periods with
relays of volunteer observers. A start was made and some
interesting birds were caught and ringed eeately after
the trap was completed.

VOL.XXVIII.}“BRITISH BIRDS” MARKING SCHEME.305

We feel assured that both these stations are in very capable
hands and we look forward to their accomplishing some very
valuable work. It is to be hoped that now such a good
beginning has been made in this direction other similar traps
will be erected and worked at strategic points round our
coasts. It is very necessary to choose the sites very carefully
and previous observation must be made to ensure that the
spot chosen is one in which migrants concentrate and that
they can be caught there in such a trap. It is also necessary
to have the traps of large size of the type of those used on
Heligoland, already described in these pages by Mr. W. B.
Alexander (antea, Vol. XXVII., pp. 284-289). Each place
may require special modification of the trap and Mr. Alexander
has offered further information to anyone who wishes to con-
struct such a trap, while Mr. Lockley is also ready to give
advice on the subject. Apart from its value in actual results
this form of trapping has many exciting moments to those
driving in the birds, especially when there are many migrants
about or when rare visitors are suspected or have been seen.
It is a great experience, too, to be able to handle and examine
critically and note the distinctive characteristics of birds not
easy to identify for certain in the field, and this provides
moreover a much more satisfactory identification.

The recoveries reported during the year have been satis-
factory, and a number of very interesting ones have come to
hand,

For several years I have expressed gratitude to Miss E. P.
Leach for the great assistance she has given in running the
scheme. Each year the task grows greater and consequently
more difficult and onerous, and it is no exaggeration to say
that without Miss Leach’s help it would be impossible to
carry on the scheme under its present conditions.

NUMBER OF BIRDS
Nest-

306
Trapped.
C. Wontner
“Syaahiiel nage 2 1TO
H. J. Moon . 185
P. Morshead 2,919

Oxford Orn. Soc.1,679

H.W. Robinson 71
Bootham School 569
A. Mayall 220
Lord Scone . 100
A. W. Boyd Om,
G. Charteris 1,116

London N.H. Soc. 956

P. Hollom - 345
E. Cohen eeSeS
Win Coen:
Eggeling 5 Metin
R. M. Garnett ... 129
R. M. Lockley ... 469
F. Mitchell san iCojn
Lord Dumfries... 138

Newey icebnins tes. 247
Midlothian.O.C. 99
J. F. Thomas 73
Cheltenham Coll. 289
J. Bartholomew §&
St. Edmund’s S. 28
Pliers 500 2
E. Peake no lyn
Rugby School ... 48
D. Kk. Bryson and

W. Serle =. 20
We aiNentick: 25320
AG ||, Glarthan... 335
P. Martinson ... 85
AD SG yae Be ee 7
Mrs. Hodgkin ... 3

W.A.Cadman... 85
C. Oakes and E.
iBatterspys “Se. 5
Miss Ferrier ... 26
Coli Gases eolittez io
M. Philips Price 80
R. L. Bickersteth 203

J. Barnes ee 0)
A. Mayo a Uy
F. J. Ramsay ... 190
S. Baron 137
M. Monro 55. 70)3}
CaS Clarkel On

Perths:N.H. Soc. —
Sanctuary Club,

Cambs. ;
Tee, lint, Weheenan 455 ==
Brit. Trust for Orn. —

BRITISH BIRDS.

ling.

3,269
3715

314
1,338
2,204
1,674
1,591
1,590

745
288

380
961
873

989
Q22
531
259
456
552
474

Total.

5,388
3,900
32233
3,017
2,275
2,243
Tony,
1,690
1,659
1,404
1,336
1,306
1,200

1,130
1,051
1,000
750
504
579
573
570
550
517
495
476
451
449

408
403
381
3)9)3}
329
325
320

283
243
236
232
225
Dig
DW
216
209
205
200
187

LT]
175
168

“RINGED:”’

[VOL. XXVIII.

Nest-

Trapped. ling. Total

M. Williams

J. Cunningham...
Mrs. Greenlees ...
G. Brown

H. Pease

F. A. Craine

G. Marples

Sutton Valence S.

J. F. Wynne
Epon Gres ee
A. G. Haworth...
Miss Sharp

Jer RUS nec

E. U. Savage

D. J. Robertson
H. V. Bamford...
Sir S. Bilsland ...
H. Whistler

Wigton Friends S.

Ps Garr s..

‘R. Fitter

Mrs. Wilson

F. K. Staunton &
N. I. Walford

E. M. Nicholson

ANISEWICEo Gene

| J. L. Guthrie
| D. J. Waterhouse

H. Tully

T. Kirkwood

Kk. Newall

G. Wheeler and
P. Hand

E. Wishart

' W. Ritson

P. Deed...

P. Chance

T. J. Wallace

E. G. Holt e

H. F. Witherby

R. Blezard

E. E. Knowles ...

A. Ie. Cohen

W. Duncan ee

Leighton Park S.

R. W. Gray

D. B. Mackenzie

T. Perrin

L. Monks s

et-Gols sa Blair
Imrie..

IR KCe Walliams...

Nhe was Benington

M. Wainwright...

82
63

ies)

+ 7
WHAHNANNNBRW O

78

10¢

—

NUMBERS OF EACH SPECIES “ RINGED.”

1909
to Trapped.
1933
Raven ... 3 94 -—
*Crow, Carrion .. 638 I
Rook 2721 85
Jackdaw 1769 ~=6106
*Magpie ... 452 8
Jay “ss 312 _
Starling... . 28009 4422
Greenfinch - 143581 2652
*Goldfinch 27a 4
Redpoll, Lesser... 410 30
Linnet ..; «-- 6694 34
Bullfinch 986 41
Chaffinch “<0. TAZZE TOs
Brambling $3 nS
Sparrow, Tree... 1448 50
Bunting, Yellow 3165 261
Bunting, Reed... 1263 33
Lark, Sky ‘2951 103
Pipit, Tree 1416 3
Pipit, Meadow... 3104 233
Wagtail, Yellow \. 716 19
Wagtail, Grey ... 578 4
»Wagtail, Pied ... 3947 O4
Tit, Great a @2T7 350
Tit, Blue <x 20rQ ~ 506
Shrike, R.-backed 675 _-
Flycatcher, S. ... 29037' 20
*Flycatcher, Pied 862 i
Chiffchaft «. O40 8
Warbler, Willow 8243 49
Warbler, Wood... gor 2
Warbler, Reed ... 8or --
Warbler, Sedge... go2 8
Warbler, Garden 945 17
Blackcap | 632 7
Whitethroat 3048 61
Thrush, Mistle .... 2922 27
Thrush, Song ... 44671‘ 380
Redwing P 79 38
Ouzel, Ring 405 I
Blackbird . 34086 802
‘Wheatear 1329 29
Whinchat 1412 4
Stonechat 627 —
Redstart 1487 2I
Nightingale 930 2
Redbreast .. 14100 678
Sparrow, Hedge 9290 667
Wren <ee 9206 25
Dipper ... - 786 3
Swallow... . 27726 154
Martin . 9330 34
Martin, Sand 397 66

*Of species so marked no record was kept of the

from 1913 to 1920.

1934

Nest-

lings.
2
87
445
130
82
21
1377
401
22

54
15
13
74
287
740
545
62
133
3276
301
3

Total.

-VOL.XXvill.]*BRITISH BIRDS” MARKING SCHEME.307

Grand | of those

Total.

RECOVERED.
ringed Per-
1909-33. centage.
zi 7-4
45 7.0
94 3-4
77 3-4
15 3-3
17 5-4
1201 4.2
956 6.6
7 2-5
3 0.7
48 0.7
14 1.4
441 3.1
I Roe
43 2.9
178 5.6
50 3-9
31 1.0
4 0.2
40 2
4 0.5
I o.1
58 1.4
302. 13.6
529 18.7
2 0.2
7m | Oe
Mi] 0.5
3 O «4
35 0.4
2 0.2
4 0.4
I O.1
I O.1
13 0.4
50 i.
713 1-5
3 0.7
1267 a17
2 1.3
8 0.5'
4 0.6
5 0.3
+) 0.4
II10 7.8
649 6.9
10 0.3
6 0.7
245 0.8
58 0.6
9 0.2

number ringed

308

AS Wilt |<.
Nightjar
Kingfisher
Wryneck
Cuckoo ...

*Owl, Little
Owl, Long-eared
Owl, Barn
Owl, Tawny
Peregrine Falcon

*Merlin
Kestrel ...

*Buzzard... Ae
Hawk, Sparrow
Heron, Common
Sheld-Duck
Mallard ...

Teal

Wigeon ...
Duck, Tufted
Eider
Cormorant
Shag

Gannet ...

Shearwater, Manx

Wood-Pigeon .
Dove, Stock
Dove, Turtle
Stone-Curlew ...
Oyster-Catcher...
Plover, Ringed...
Plover, Golden...
Lapwing
Sandpiper, C.
Redshank ‘
Curlew, Common
Snipe, Common
Woodcock

Tern, Sandwich
Tern, Common...
Tern, Arctic
Tern, Little

Gull, B.-headed. .
Gull, Common ...
Gull, Herring

Gull, L, Bike epkd,
GnllaG Bip

Kittiwake
Razorbill

* Guillemot
Puffin
Rail, Land
Moor-Hen
Coot

BRITISH BIRDS.

NUMBERS OF EACH SPECIES “ RINGED.”

1909

to
1933
7OI
165
295
341
477
» 356
174
364
59°
53
153
629
178
3420
1305
280
4914

19
Trapped.

T5

Peal Aly sate serio /hGo | as. ieeers wl MaeReasenes|

H
HON

LITT 1 low] lSuae lo

Nest-
lings.

18

4
146
36
14
13
34
56

Total.

Grand
Total.

734 |
169
443
343
517
SW)
187
418
654
54
161
663
187
371
1585
327
5237
985
192
120
662
1139
1429
3794
3209
2219
417
487
I51
903
954
204
25533
688
1586
1968
II51
3593
9905
13531
1084
502
12457
1268
4260
8664
325
934
1599
1494
3049
342
1261

128

[VOL. XXVIII

RECOVERED.

of those
ringed
1909-33.
46
2
16
6
17
335)

Per-
centage.

Say BR OPIS NCO BONERS © sO NN IST SNR Or WES CO CONG isi Or
HORMAWO OAUNUYBYNKHWNOW OWNOLO OhWHO

BIRDS IN DEVON.
I sPpENT the months August-November (inclusive), 1934, on
holiday at Salcombe, south Devon. Most of my time was
engaged in bird-observing, and the following notes may be of
interest :—

Cuckoo (Cuculus c. canorus).—One was calling strongly on
Bolt Head, early in the morning, on October r8th. This
seems to be an exceptionally late date.

GREY PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fulicarius).—Very close view
obtained of one up the Kingsbridge Estuary, October 26th.

RurF (Philomachus pugnax).—Present at Slapton Ley in
August. Two on the 15th, by their size and buff breasts,
were presumably immature Reeves. A male, a much larger
bird, was there on the 23rd, and another male on the 30th.
The first had yellowish-brown, and the other greenish-brown,
legs.

COMMON SANDPIPER (Tringa hypoleucos)—One seen up the
Avon on November roth and 26th is perhaps worth noting
owing to the late date.

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT (Limosa limosa).—One, in winter
plumage, up the Kingsbridge Estuary, October 14th and 22nd.

BLack TERN (Chlidonias niger).—I obtained very close
views of an immature bird at Slapton Ley on September 2iIst.
The bird frequently submerged its head and half of its body,
an action which is said to be unusual.

SCANDINAVIAN LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL. (Larus ff.
fuscus).—Three tame birds on the mud flats in Salcombe
harbour, October 18th. Identification was easy in every case
due to the uniformly very dark mantle, best noticed in flight.

ICELAND GULL (Larus leucopterus)—On November Ist,
when out with the fishermen off Bolt Head, I was lucky
enough to see an adult fly over the boat. I had a good and
close view of the bird as it flew over with Herring-Gulls, and
noticed the pale grey mantle as it banked over. The
wings appeared long and slender. K. D. Smit.

NUMBER OF FEATHERS IN NESTS OF
HOUSE-SPARROW AND WREN.
Two House-Sparrows (Passer d. domesticus) built nests on
my house in 1934. The lining of nest A, in addition to other
material, contained 516 poultry feathers, while nest B had

310 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL, XXVIII.

1,199 poultry feathers. Now the nearest poultry run is
225 yards away. Ifit is assumed that one feather was carried
at a time the lining of nest A involved journeys aggregating
Over 131 miles, and that of nest B no less than 3063 miles.
If it is preferred that several feathers, say an average of three,
were carried on each journey, the distance covered is still
formidable.

A nest of a Wren (Tvoglodytes t. troglodytes) in the garden
contained 498 poultry feathers. On the same computation,
this little bird must have covered 127 miles in obtaining the
lining material alone. G. MARPLEs.

WATER-PIPITS IN PEMBROKESHIRE.

AmonG the few hundred Pipits which have been caught since
a Heligoland trap was put into operation on Skokholm in
August, 1933, two Water-Pipits (Anthus s. spinoletta) have
been trapped. The first was ringed on October 8th, 1933,
the second on July 18th, 1934. Both appeared to be birds
of the year. In the hand the warm brown of the upper-parts,
the white outer webs of the outer tail-feathers, and the white
belly were arresting characteristics which immediately singled
out both birds apart from the Rock (A. s. petrosus) and Meadow
(A. pratensis) Pipits which are daily caught in the trap.
Measurements of wing, tail and claw were within the range of
spinoletta as a species, and therefore could not help to prove
subspecific distinction. Side by side with first-year Rock-
Pipits they differed very noticeably in the deep brown of the
crown, neck and mantle, which is, by comparison, very pale
in the young Rock-Pipits. These upper-parts, and especially
in the July bird, were marked with dark streaks where the
dark centres of the feathers showed up.
The only records for Wales previously appear to be
Carnarvon, April and December, 1897, and February, 1808.
Ri MM. Lockey.

FIRE-CRESTED WREN IN NORFOLK.

ON January 22nd, 1935, my attention was drawn to a supposed
Goldcrest by its unusually loud note, and on putting my
glass on to it I found it was not a Goldcrest but a Firecrest
(Regulus ignicapillus). Though not nearly so_ brightly
coloured a bird as that which I saw in March, 1931 (antea,
Vol. XXIV., p. 36), it distinctly showed the whitish super-
ciliary stripe and the dark line through the eye. By its
lemon-yellow crest, showing no trace of orange, I judged
it to be a female.

VOL. XXVIII. | NOTES. 311

It would be interesting to learn the opinion of others more
familiar with the species than myself on the subject of the bird’s
note, for the Practical Handbook states that it can be disting-
uished at close quarters, but does not say in what respect
it differs from that of the Goldcrest. _RoNALD M. GARNETT.

‘Mr. Jourdain’s statement in the Practical Handbook
referred to the song of the male and not to the call note.
Neither he nor I have noticed any difference in the call note
of the Goldcrest and Firecrest —H.F.W.]

PARASITE ON ROBIN AND GREAT TIT.
DuRING 1934 I trapped over thirty Robins (Evithacus r.
melophilus). Each of these birds, with one exception, had a
small house-fly-like parasite harboured among its feathers ; one
bird had two of these. On no other species did I find the para-
site except a Great Tit (Parus m. newtont),on which was one
specimen. To the naked eye it looks exactly like a small fly
about one-eighth of an inch long, but under magnification
it is seen to have bug-like appearances. It is curiously
hard and difficult to crush which, at once, differentiates it from
an ordinary fly. It seemed to be living, free, among the feathers,
not attached to the flesh in any way. Mr. H. Britten, of the
Manchester Museum, has kindly identified it as Ornithomyta
avicularia H., GEORGE MARPLES.

BEWICK’S SWANS AND LEACH’S
FORK-TAILED PETREL IN CARMARTHENSHIRE.
On January 16th, 1935, I was able to identify two Bewick’s
Swans (Cygnus b. bewickit) in Carmarthenshire. In bulk, as
compared with Mute Swans which were present at the same
spot, the Bewick’s Swans appeared less than two-thirds the
size, and their necks were much more slender than those of
the Mute Swans. The colouring of the bill was also clear,
more than half of the distal end being black with the basal

part yellow.

On January 2nd, 1935, a Leach’s Fork-tailed Petrel
(Oceanodroma 1. leucorrhoa) was washed up on the high tide
line at Pendine, Carmarthenshire, and was examined by me.

Bewick’s Swan does not appear to have been recorded
previously for the county, and there is only one previous
record for Leach’s Petrel. J. F. THomas.

RED-BREASTED GOOSE IN PEMBROKESHIRE.

ON the night of January 18th, 1935, I shot a goose in Milford
Haven which was afterwards found to be an immature male

312 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Red-breasted Goose (Branta ruficollis). In the moonlight
I mistook the bird for a Brent Goose as it was swimming on
the water. Subsequently, I found that it had been seen for
about three weeks feeding on grass or stubble fields in the
neighbourhood, and that the local gunners had tried to get it
but it had proved to be too wary. The bird has been pre-
served by Rowland Ward, who informed me that the contents
of the stomach consisted only of grass.

As the bird is so extremely rare in captivity, and as this
was an immature bird and wild, without any trace of having
been in captivity, I think it may be considered to have been a
genuine migrant. H; To, Fore.

FULMARK PETRELS BJECTING OL
WHEN UNDISTURBED.

WHILE watching Fulmar Petrels (Fulmarus g. glacialis) on
the Northumberland coast during the summer of 1934, the
birds were twice seen to eject their oil for no apparent reason.

On the first occasion a Fulmar was brooding a chick on a
ledge of rock and was in no way disturbed by other birds.
The fluid was ejected in a spurt which carried it out over the
ledge and fell clear of the rock. On the second occasion
the bird had been flying round for some time and, having
alighted on a ledge, it ejected a spurt of oil before it settled
down.

The fluid was opaque and colourless.

This may be of interest to other observers, as it has been
believed that these birds only eject their oil when disturbed
by other birds or frightened by human intruders.

: Mei. Dever

GANNET IN MIDDLESEX.

AN adult Gannet (Sula bassana) was captured alive on the
canal bank at Harlesden, London, N.W.10, on November
20th, £934, by Mr. Kent; of Messrs; FE. El burgess, Lids;
contractors, who, at the time, were erecting a building near
the canal.

The bird, which did not appear to be injured, was sent to
the Zoological Gardens, where it died on December 28th, of
nephritis. The fact of the bird being in poor health probably
accounted for its being so far away from its usual element.

D. SETH-SMITH.

[There is, we believe, no previous record of the Gannet
in Middlesex.—EDs. ]

.
4
{
:

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 313

SHAGS INLAND.
Essex.—Mr. E. T. Nicholson informs us that a Shag (Phala-
crocorax a. aristotelis) was obtained at the Walthamstow
reservoirs on February 3rd, 1935. Mr. B. Ward has kindly
brought this bird for my inspection.

MIDDLESEX AND HERTFORDSHIRE.—Mr. D. Seth-Smith
informs us that in the afternoon of February 6th, Mrs. Lake
Barnett discovered a bird in her garden at Hornsey, and after
capturing it with some difficulty, sent it on the following day
to the Zoological Gardens, where it was examined and proved
to be a Shag. On February 7th, Mr. E. S. Shoults, of Little
Ditchfield Nurseries, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, telephoned
to Mr. Seth-Smith informing him that there were three birds
which he believed to be Shags, in his nursery garden. They
were seen to come down there about 3 p.m. These were
quite healthy but unable to fly up from the ground. The
following day all three were captured and sent to the Zoological
Gardens, where they proved to be Shags.

Mr. E. C. Rowberry writes us that on February gth he
was surprised to see nine Shags on the lake in Osterley Park.
Eight of these were immature and were resting ona fallen tree
on an island, while the ninth, an adult, was on the water.

SURREY.—On February gth a Shag was found in a garden
at Childown near Chertsey, and was brought to me by
Mr. Sympson on the following day. This bird was very
active and apparently in perfect health, and was a Shag in
first winter plumage. Mr. Sympson then took it to the
river at Chertsey and the bird almost immediately began to
dive and was seen to bring to the surface and eat fish on
- several occasions.

The two birds examined by me and the four sent to the
Zoo were all in first winter plumage. H. F. WITHERBY.

DUNLIN IN SUMMER PLUMAGE IN JANUARY.
WHEN looking for birds on the Salthouse Marshes, Norfolk,
on January 24th, 1935, my companion and I watched a
Dunlin (Calidris alpina), feeding amongst a number of others
which appeared to be in perfect breeding plumage, with very
dark breast and rich brown back. None of the other Dunlins
showed a trace of the black breast and all were greyer on the
back. M. BEDFORD.

RAZORBILL INLAND IN ESSEX.
IN connexion with the interesting account of the Razorbills
(Alca torda) at Littleton Reservoir, which were found to be

314 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

infested with flukes (antea, pp. 188 and 245), it is of interest
to record that a Razorbill remained alive and well on one of
the Walthamstow reservoirs for at least three months.

The presence of the bird was first made known to us by
Mr. E. T. Nicholson (see antea, p. 284), who observed it on
November 11th, 1934, and it was seen on November 17th by
two of us, and again on a number of dates between that and
February 9th, 1935, by one or more of us.

The bird appeared to be in very good condition, and we
have seen it occasionally flying over the water. The fact
that it remained so long on an inland water is unusual, and
possibly flukes are absent or less numerous in this reservoir.
During the same period there have been 40 to 60 Great Crested
Grebes on the reservoir, which seems to point to there being
plenty of fish which probably formed suitable food for the

Razorbill. E. Mann.
R. W. PETHEN.
W. A. WRIGHT.

TAMENESS OF A GUILLEMOT.

On December 26th, 1934, I picked up on the shore at AlInmouth

a Guillemot (Uria aalge) with the breast covered with oil.
During the eight days I had the bird it became remarkably
tame and took fish from my hand. Several days when the
sea was calm I took it to the shore. When liberated it
usually walked a little way into the sea, dipped its beak in
the water, and after giving one of its harsh cries, swam out
to sea a distance of perhaps 100 yards. It then swam back
to the shore, climbed out on to the sand, and when I approached
it ran up to me quivering its wings and fondling my fingers
with its bill. In those few days the bird became not only
tame but companionable, and when one morning it was found
dead in the house where it slept, I felt that a friend had gone.
Crive TATE:

LAND-RAIL IN WINTER IN HAMPSHIRE.

On February 4th, 1935, I received a message that either a
Quail or Land-Rail was haunting a garden outside Christ-
church, and spent the next afternoon in watching it. It
turned out to be a Land-Rail (Cvex crex) which had been seen
in a small patch of weed-grown kitchen garden about 15 yards
square, for a week past. The bird was extraordinarily tame
and allowed itself to be watched from a few yards’ distance
without showing any fear. It showed no sign of injury.
F. C. R. JOURDAIN.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 315

QUAIL BREEDING IN MERIONETHSHIRE.

Mr. O. G. Eveson, of Hillfield Hall, Solihull, writes that
although he did not know where they were hatched, a bevy
of Quail (Coturnix c. coturnix) inhabited the stubble on a
farm on his estate near Lake Bala in 1933. He himself
flushed the birds on October 7th, and the bevy then contained
ten birds, all strong and fully grown.

My friend, Mr. W. F. Irvine, of Brynllyn, near Corwen,
who bought the estate upon which these Quail were seen,
early in the autumn of 1934, tells me that Quail were again
seen on the property in September, 1934, so that it would
appear that the birds have bred two years running on this
estate. RicHARD E. KNOWLEs.

Prep FLYCATCHER BREEDING IN LANARKSHIRE.—As_ the
‘Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa h. hypoleuca) has not previously
been recorded as breeding in this county it is interesting to
note that Mr. E. L. Dunlop states (Scot. Nat., 1934, P- 142)
‘that a pair bred in one of his nesting boxes near Biggar, in

1934.

BLACKCAP IN FEBRUARY IN WORCESTERSHIRE.—Mr. P. E. A.
'Morshead informs us that on February 11th, 1935, he trapped
va hen Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) at Malvern.

HEN-HARRIER IN SusSEX.—Mr. J. F. Thomas informs us
‘that on November 25th, 1934, he observed a Hen-Harrier
(Circus cyaneus) on the Downs north of Seaford, almost in
tthe same place as he reported one in December, 1929. Mr.
‘Thomas says that the bird was a brown one with a conspicuous
white rump and might, therefore, have been either a young
male or a female.

TAWNY OWL, BuzzARD AND NORTHERN GOLDEN PLOVER IN
(OUTER HEBRIDES.—Miss E. V. Baxter states (Scot. Nat.,
11934, p. 147) that in April, 1934, she saw a Tawny Owl
(Strix a. sylvatica) in the woods at Stornoway. In May, 1932,
sshe and Miss Rintoul heard one in the same woods, but so far
caway that they did not care to record it, more especially as
tthe bird was previously unknown in the Outer Hebrides.
‘Miss Baxter states that the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)
iis now not uncommon and breeds about Tarbert, Harris.
‘She was also able to observe some individuals of large flocks of
(Golden Plover so closely as to identify them as belonging to
tthe Northern form, Charadrius a. altifrons.

316 BRITISH BIRDS [VOL. XXVIII.

LONG-TAILED Ducks IN SUSSEX AND NORFOLK.—Mr.
Philip Rickman informs us that on January 8th and again
on the rgth, 1935, he saw an immature Long-tailed Duck
(Clangula hyemalis) off Thorney Island. The bird was in
company with Goldeneye Ducks. Records of Long-tailed
Duck for Sussex in recent years appear to have been very
infrequent.

Miss J. M. Ferrier also informs us that she observed an
immature Long-tailed Duck in the Burnham Overy harbour
on January 29th, 1935. They are, of course, more frequent
in Norfolk than on the South Coast.

EIDERS IN NORFOLK.—Miss J. M. Ferrier informs us that she
had a good view of an adult male and four female Eiders (Soma-
terta mollissima) on January 27th, 1935, in Brancaster harbour.

STATUS OF PETRELS IN N. Rona, SULA SGEIR AND FLANNAN
IsLANDS.—Mr. Malcolm Stewart (Scot. Nat., 1934, pp. 95-8)
gives a short account of these remote islands and some details
of the distribution and status of the Petrels breeding upon
them. He, with Mr. T. H. Harrisson, estimated that there were
some 120 pairs of Leach’s Petrel (Oceanodroma 1. leucorrhoa)
on N. Rona in 1931; he thinks there is a strong probability
of this species nesting on Sula Sgeir, from the behaviour
of birds round him, but not positively identified, during a
night spent there, and the lighthouse keeper, in 1932, esti-
mated the number of pairs on the Flannans at some 40.

RUFF IN WINTER IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE.—Mrs. Brindley
informs us that she saw a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) on
January roth, 1935, on the Cambridge Sewage Farm.

Foop oF BLAck GrRousE.—Mr. F. H. Haines informs us
that the full crop of a Greyhen (Lyrurus t. britannicus), killed
on the Cefncoch Moors, Montgomeryshire, on September 6th,
1934, contained only the flowers, buds and young fruit of
Leontodon autumnalis. The crop of a Blackcock, also full,
killed at the same time and place, held nothing but the seeds
of Juncus squarrosus and a leaf and a half of buttercup.

REVIEWS.

Birds in Britain To-day. By Geoffrey C. S. Ingram and H. Morrey
Salmon. (Ivor Nicholson). Illustrated. 12s. 6d. net.

THE authors of this book are to be congratulated on having produced

a sound piece of work. All the breeding birds and usual visitors and

migrants on the British list are mentioned in the systematic order

adopted in the Practical Handbook, arranged in chapters. Brief notes

of the habits of many are made and a short account of their status

VOL. XXVIII. ] REVIEWS. 317

and distribution is given. A good deal of this is based on personal
observation and for this reason the book should be studied by orni-
thologists. Perhaps the most valuable parts are those concerning
such birds as the Raven and Chough, which the authors know well in
Wales, the first-hand accounts of the status of the scarcer or more
irregularly distributed birds in Wales, and the accounts of habits of
certain birds, such as Petrels, Nightjar, some of the Hawks, which they
have watched to good purpose, and diving of Ducks, Coot and other
birds.

The photographs illustrating the book are numerous and excellent,
and we especially admire those, such as the pictures of the Kite, Chough,
Nightjar, Redshank, Ducks, Shearwaters at sea and others, which give
a good idea of the birds and their natural haunts, and are much more
interesting than the close-up portrait of the bird at the nest, which has
been so much overdone. The flashlight photographs of the Storm-
Petrel and Manx Shearwaters gathered outside their burrows in a
natural way are also novel and interesting.

Although the book, as a whole, is so sound, this is not to say that we
can agree with everything the authors write, and sometimes they appear
to be arguing on too limited data. A good deal is said about the
prolonged period of adolescence (in several cases put down at two to
three years) of certain waders. It is well known, of course, that
there are a good many non-breeding waders and that in several species
the first summer plumage is distinct from the adult, but, except for
the Stilt, we know of no British wader which can be distinguished in
plumage from the adult after its moult, when just over a year old.
Moreover, because some individuals of a species do not breed in their
first year, this is no proof that all do not. Terns have been shown to
breed sometimes in first summer plumage and some Hawks perpetually
breed in juvenile plumage.

Another point we might mention is the authors’ contention, on a
very slight basis, that the Scandinavian Lesser Black-backed Gull is
a winter visitor and not a passage migrant. We think the records
show that it is both, and we do not agree that it is unlikely to be a
passage-migrant by its winter distribution, as suggested. The bulk,
of course, keep to the east, but certainly a fair number pass down the
west coast of France and north-west Spain, where we have ourselves
seen it in September.

At the end of the book we have a full list of birds amended and
brought up-to-date from the Practical Handbook. In this we may
note a slip in spelling—Phylloscopus inornatus appearing as inoratus,
and it is a pity that the Continental Song-Thrush was called planiceps
before it could be corrected, while the American Black-billed Cuckoo
has been omitted.

We can conclude by thanking the authors for a very useful and
attractive book from which “ padding ”’ is conspicuously absent.

LOCAL REPORTS.
The London Naturalist, 1933. (London Nat. Hist. Soc.). 5s.

As has been usual in recent years this annual contains much of value
to ornithologists and is especially interesting to those who live near
London. The report on birds of the area for 1933 contains a number
of interesting items, and among these we note occurrences of the
scarcer ducks such as Pintail, Scaup, Long-tailed and Common Scoter
at various reservoirs. Perhaps the most notable event for the year,

318 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII.

not already recorded in our pages, was the occurrence of a number of
unusual waders at the Barn Elms Reservoirs, and especially the King
George V. Reservoir, which was practically emptied during the autumn
and winter. Amongst these visitors were Grey Plover, Ruff, Sander-
ling, Knot, Curlew-Sandpiper, Little Stint, Greenshank, Grey Phala-
rope, Bar-tailed Godwit and Whimbrel. A summary of the
observations made on certain species (Corn-Bunting, Yellow Wagtail,
Reed-Warbler, Whinchat, Stonechat and Red-legged Partridge),
selected for special study of their range and status, is of considerable
value.

Besides the report this number contains a very useful article on
“Gulls in the London Area’’, by E. C. Rowberry, in which he sum-
marizes their history as London birds from the time they first came, in
the great frosts of 1887-8, 1892-3 and 1894-5, and gives details of
the status and approximate numbers of each species in recent years.
Mr. Rowberry also has a little to say about their roosting and feeding
habits, and these are aspects which would bear more observation.

A further article of special historical interest is that by Dr. N. F.
Ticehurst on “‘ The marks used by swan-owners of London and Mid-
dlesex ’’’. Dr. Ticehurst considers that our Mute Swans are descended,
at any rate in part, from an indigenous race in East Anglia and
Lincolnshire, and he thinks it likely that the bird was also indigenous
in the Thames Valley judging by the enormous numbers of the semi-
domestic birds recorded by writers in the fifteenth century. The
earliest record of Swan keeping in the Thames is dated 1230.

Report of the Oxford Ornithological Society on the Birds of Oxfordshire,
Berkshive and Buckinghamshire, 1933.

This Report, edited by Mr. B. W. Tucker, assisted by Mr. W. B.
Alexander, contains many valuable observations from these three
counties. A pair of Blue-headed Wagtails, seen on Port Meadow
from May 11th to 26th, is interesting. There is a curious record of a
black looking Woodpecker, but evidently not Dryocopus martius,
seen on Sunningdale Golf Course. This is quite properly enclosed
within square brackets as indeterminate. A Berkshire heronry,
hitherto overlooked, has existed for about ten years at Buckland.
This appears to have originated from Hinton Waldrist when the trees
there were felled. Grey Lag-Geese were definitely identified for the
first time both in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Several Brent Geese,
all of the dark-breasted form Bvranta b. bernicla, were shot in Oxford-
shire and one was seen at Reading Sewage Farm. Among waders
seen at the latter well-known locality may be mentioned—Turnstone,
Ruff, Sanderling, a Red-necked Phalarope (September 25th) and
Black-tailed Godwits. A Little Gull was also seen here on September
25th. Port Meadow (Oxford) was visited on May 3rd by Black,
Common, Little and Sandwich Terns.

Results of special investigations (Starling Roosts, Barn-Owls, Red-
shanks, Great Crested Grebes), and ringing records, are also contained
in this Report, which maintains the high standard set in previous years,

Report on the Birds of Wiltshive for 1933.

Many of the observations in this Report are much too vague to have
any value. There are also several surprising records, which cannot be
accepted ‘until evidence of their accuracy is forthcoming. For instance
Mealy Redpolls are stated to have been seen in January, but no details

VOL. XXVIII.] LETTERS. 319

whatever are given as to their identification. Great Grey Shrikes
were reported in July. Bitterns are recorded as “ undoubtedly
breeding ”’ on the Salisbury Avon, “ birds being seen all the year for
the last three years in one particular place’. No dates or details of
the observation are given. Spotted Crakes were also seen throughout
the summer from time to time at Britford. All these interesting hap-
penings in Wiltshire were well worth enquiring into minutely, and
publication of such insufficiently documented records is really valueless.

Several new localities are given for the Dipper, which appears to be
increasing as a breeding bird. The Peregrine Falcon again reared a
brood on Salisbury Cathedral. A Brent Goose appeared on Clarendon
Lake (December 17th). The Clarendon heronry is reported as deserted
in 1933.

Report of the Sanctuary Club, 1932, 1933, 1934.

This Report concerns a small sanctuary at Cambridge. It comprises
only two acres of land and two acres of water and owners of much
larger reserves would be envious of the number of birds occupying It.
The most interesting part of the Report is the account of the number of
nests of Blackbirds, Thrushes and Moorhens. Although the observa-
tions made were not sufficiently prolonged and the number of pairs
concerned could not be positively ascertained, fair evidence is given to
show that 13 pairs of Blackbirds made 35 nests and laid over 100 eggs,
yet reared only 24 young to the stage of flying. Song-Thrushes were
equal in number and built 39 nests, but reared only 27 young. The
birds appeared to keep to definite small nesting areas notwithstanding
loss of eggs and broods. The Moorhens increased from two to nine
pairs as a result of an extra abundance of water. Further and closer
studies on these lines would be valuable, especially if the difficulty of
identifying individual pairs could be overcome.

LETTERS.

THE GANNET COLONY OF GRIMSEY, NORTH ICELAND.
To the Editors of BriTIsH BiRDs.

Sirs,—lIn view of the recent article by Brian Roberts on the Gannet
colonies of Iceland (antea, pp. 100-105) it may be of interest to record
the following observations on the colony at Grimsey, off north Iceland.
Roberts recorded twenty-one pairs of Gannets breeding and twenty-
eight non-breeding birds in 1933. Last summer (1934) we spent four
weeks in June and July on the island, and descended to the colony
with ropes on July 6th, and after a thorough search found only one
occupied nest containing a young bird about five days old. Forty-three
mature birds was the maximum number seen at the colony, and there
were none in immature plumage ; but the forty-one non-breeding birds
were shy and left the cliff whenever we came into view, leaving only the
single breeding pair. The reason for this large decrease in breeding
numbers was an earthquake which occurred on June 2nd, with its
centre near Dalvik, on the mainland, some 35 miles away. The shock
was felt on Grimsey, and a considerable quantity of small boulders and
loose material was dislodged from the cliffs, with the result that vast
numbers of birds’ eggs were destroyed. The Gannet colony in
particular suffered, as we were told that before the shock “ about
twenty pairs’ were nesting. Judging from the one nest occupied on

320 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

ae

July 6th, the eggs must have been incubated for about two weeks by
June 2nd, but no remains of eggs were visible in July. The ledge
where the occupied nest was situated appeared to be undamaged, and
about ten unharmed but unoccupied nests were visible here. At the
side of this ledge, however, was another, where there was one dead
Gannet and several more nests, all partly covered by loose earth and
stones. Thus it appears that at least one of the sitting birds had been
killed by falling stones, and several of the nests destroyed ; and that
the remaining birds deserted after the shock, with the exception of the
one pair. It will be interesting to hear what numbers are breeding on
Grimsey in 1935, as the colony has already moved its position once,
from the stack Hafstlastapa, which collapsed several years ago, to its
present position on the main cliff opposite.

Scott PoLAR RESEARCH INSTITUTE, CAMBRIDGE. P. F. HoLMEs.
January 15th, 1935. D. B. KEITH.

THE SKINS AND EGGS OF THE GREAT AUK.
To the Editors of BRITISH BirRDs.

Sirs,—The Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain, in his interesting notes on the
sale of two skins and six eggs of the Great Auk at Stevens’s on the
14th November, 1934, refers (antea, p. 234) to lot 157 as follows :—

“Tt was also in Lord Garvagh’s possession (No. 2) and is apparently
the egg bought at T. H. Potts’ sale on April 7th, 1854, for {20”’.
There is no doubt whatever as to this egg being the same. In

Stevens’s catalogue it is described as follows :—

“Lord Garvagh’s egg (No. 2), as above; this egg (although
repaired) is not the egg recorded as the one ‘ broken by the footman
at Lord Garvagh’s’”’.

This statement is quite correct, but nevertheless it is, in fact, the
egg ‘“‘ broken by the footman at Lord Garvagh’s ”

Tord Garvagh’s third egg was the one vecorded as broken by the
footman, but was found unbroken, although slightly cracked, nearly
30 years after Lord Garvagh’s death. I have an excellent water-colour
of it by a former owner, Dr. N. Troughton, of Coventry.

Incidentally, lots 156 and 157 are stated in the catalogue as having
belonged to Count Barrace. This, however, is an error.

With regard to Mr. Jourdain’s remarks as to lot 154, I think a word
must have slipped in the copy. Surely the egg was not broken by
Yarrell ; he only put it together.

As to the number of eggs, I have records of 75, all of which, excepting
two, were photographed by the late Mr. Edward Bidwell. I am
engaged in bringing the list up to date.

8, WOLSELEY PLACE, G. N. CARTER.
WITHINGTON, MANCHESTER.

[Lot 154 was certainly not broken by Yarrell; the sentence would
have been better phrased : ‘“‘ Lot 154 was broken, but was put together
by Yarrell’’. Itis to be hoped that Mr. Carter will publish his informa-
tion and tell us where Egg No. 42 and others whose history is obscure,
are to be found.—F.C.R. J.]

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CONTENTS OF NUMBER I1, VoL. XXVIII., APRIL I, 1935.

——— PAGE
Notes on the Rook: with Special Reference to the Proportion
of Young in Flocks and the Change Over from the Winter
Roost to the Rookery. By J. P. Burkitt mF a ‘a8' S22
Distribution and Number of the Dipper on the North and South
Esks (Midlothian). By William Serle, Junior, and Derek
Bryson ae ie eu xe don shy ae cial 327
An Index of Heron Population. By E. M. Nicholson ... ee 332

Notes from Reservoirs and Sewage Farms :—

Brooklands Sewage Farm, Surrey, 1931-34 (P. A. D. Hollom) 342

Altrincham Sewage Farm, Cheshire (A. W. Boyd)... ee 343
Staffordshire Reservoirs (A. W. Boyd) ... re A “ne 345
Notes :-——
Notes on the Tree-Sparrow, 1934 (A. W. Boyd) “ts esa 347
Spotted Flycatchers using same Nest and Rearing Cuckoo
(Rev. C. E. Martin) ... seh ve a rr as ©6348
Fire-crested Wren in Kent and the Bird’s Call-note (H. G.
Alexander) es oes wk “ne as = rs «349
Red-breasted Mergansers in Middlesex (W. E. Glegg) ... Pau 350

Oyster-Catchers’ Method of Removing Limpets (G. B.Gooch) 351

Little Stint and Spotted Redshank Wintering; and Green
Sandpiper in Summer in Somerset (K. D. Smith) ... «352

Short Notes :—

Great Grey Shrike in Surrey. Ring-Ouzel in Westmorland
in Wimter. Swallows in Yorkshire in December. Great

Skuas in Yorkshire... ses ns ee nas ws 352
x
ern 4 : " —
/ \ JT
> . Vy
¥ Sy
ae 7
| * / we vy f) *#
\2 Be ot.)
Ka
Oy,
»-
Ses:

(322)
NOTES ON THE ROOK:

WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE PROPORTION OF YOUNG
IN FLOCKS, AND THE CHANGE OVER FROM THE WINTER
ROOST TO THE ROOKERY. ;
BY
J. P. BURKITT.

A recent book, The Life of the Rook, by G. K. Yeates, makes
one realize how much remains to be known about this bird,
and emboldens me to give a summary of notes I have taken.
There is a small rookery at my house. It is not a winter
roost. The number of nests reached 541n 1931. This number
has not varied since then by more than one and in 1934
was 54. In 1933 a new rookery, most probably an offshoot of
mine, was begun half a mile away. I think it has had at
most six nests.

I have made very many counts of the birds that seem to
belong to me, that is to say not only the birds nesting, but
those which during the year come to my trees, and especially
that number which comes at evening before setting off for
the regular winter roost five miles away. It is a fairly usual
practice to do this on fine evenings. Counting is far from easy
and one is glad of many checks. I am fortunate in dealing
with a small rookery. Jackdaws are a great obstacle, and
as; long as any leaves are left, counting has generally to be done
in flight, and of course the birds are only occasionally all
together or all visible. My birds sometimes meet and mix
with other flocks when they get away a little from here,
but such strangers seem never to come to my trees unless very
rarely in the summer when a greatly increased number is to
be observed for a few minutes. The small, new rookery made
another difficulty. However, I seem to have very ample
corroboration for my various figures. The numbers at

different times of year have been so closely alike from year to |

year that I will treat the four years as one. In late autumn
and winter the number is two and a half times the number
of nests, or 134. But a number corresponding to twice the
number of nests (108) is far more often at the trees than the
remainder. In fact, during all last winter, I noted that the
number most regularly coming to each of two parts of the
rookery was exactly double the usual number of nests in each
part—7o to where 35 nests had been, 38 to where 19 nests had
been. Even individual trees are consistently seen with just
the right. number. I had put down these figures long before
I noted the coincidence.

Now, what I take to be mating flights (more clearly proved
as such in spring), generally in sets of three, coupled with great

oe

voL. xxvul.] NOTES ON THE ROOK. 323

noise and wrestling at the rookery, have seemed as prominent
at times in autumn (mainly September) as at the pre-nesting
period. In fact, sites of nests and everything seem to be
almost settled before the winter. If that be so then the above
figure of twice the nests (or 108) would represent the surviving
parents plus whatever new maters replace the dead. The
other lot of about 26 would represent the present non-breeders,
and would consist partly of the current year’s young, and
partly of those next older birds, if any, which had not got into
the 108. Hence the young birds of the year would have been
reduced to, at the very most, 26. But from observation of
young birds (i.e. with feathered bills), which I shall refer to
later, the young birds seem at the very most more like 13
than 26. In other words, I would appear to have at the very
most I3 young surviving in winter from 54 nests, or only
0.24 per nest.

The lot of 26 to which I have referred seemed generally
with Jackdaws, judging by the observation that when the
Jackdaws were absent these 26 Rooks were also missing. At
the time the nests were completed a closely similar number of
apparent non-breeders was seen to roost in a bunch apart
from the nests. (I had not thought of examining bills at
that season).

Now, as to the post-nesting number, meaning that of birds
coming back to my trees to roost on occasions in late June and
in July, they seemed to average from year to year about 260
or, say, twice the pre-nesting number. If we still deduct the
non-breeders this gives us 126 young birds, or 2.3 per nest.
Mr. Yeates, in his book, quotes cases of counting young well
before they are fledged. The average result was 2.2 to 2.5
pernest.* Ifmy June and July counts represent my birds and
all my birds, then the young of Mr. Yeates’s reckoning had
mostly survived up to then. But in view of the great dis-
appearance of young a month or so later I am forced to treat
with great suspicion the assumption that the 260, and similar
figures, were all my birds. An all-important record would
have been the proportion of young bills among them, if
conditions for observing them had been possible. Mr.
Roebuck (antea, Vol. XX VII., pp. 23 and 172) says that on an
average four young are reared from each nest, but that from
various unanalysed causes the numbers at the end of August
are the same as in the previous January. This ultimate
result, he admits, is more easily measured than the various
factors producing it. I hardly think his figure of four can be
right. In this article I have to assume that none of my

*See British Birds, Vol. XX., p. 121, and Vol. XXI., p. 107.

324 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

nests are bogus. We are warned by Mr. Roebuck (page 7) of
possible deceptions. (There is no shooting of rookeries in
this district.) As to their habits immediately after the
nesting season, my observations would agree with Mr. Yeates.
The birds then seem to roost in groups or even in two’s and
three’s in any convenient place. Small parties can enter
a roosting site as silently as Owls, or leave it equally silently
if they are not happy.

It was not till after the 1934 nesting season that I ever
thought of counting young birds by their bills. It is amazing,
as has been noted by others, that when we examine flocks
in August and onwards so very few young birds can be seen.
Have any figures ever been given ?

In the second half of 1934 I looked at many flocks in Ireland
besides my own, and some in Wales. I gained the impression
that in August some young birds could be accounted for by
being in very small parties or single, in out-of-the-way places,
such as up mountains. However, where flocks were examined,
I considered that I in 12 was a maximum average of young in
mid-August. Later on I often could not see any in 50 or
in 150. In late September I found them easier to spot.
I found 6 among what seemed were 20-30 of my own Rooks.
I saw among a big flock 8 young, all together, at a rabbit hole.
I saw such figures as 2 among 40 birds in view, 3 in 300,
4in 20. But I often could not spot any at all. The general
impression made was that at most the average to beseen
anywhere towards winter was I in 10, or even I in 20. That
is the reason, coupled with actual counting on my trees, why
I said above that I felt sure I have not more than 13 young in
my lot. I never had conditions which enabled me to find
as many as 13 definitely in my trees ; when the trees got bare
I never got beyond about 6. Of course, 13 seems an impossi-
bly small survival, being 0.24 per nest by the first winter.
Mr. Yeates, in his book, thinks that hardly more than 1.0
young bird per nest reaches maturity, but he does not profess
to have any data. He does not, I think, mention non-
breeders at all; he mentions late builders or what he calls
“second occupation’.

One particular observation of mine has to be recorded. On
September 26th, among a flock of about 150 Rooks and Jack-
daws not far from my place, fully half the Rooks were young,
in fact whole groups were all young. I then found that. this
flock was with a bigger one, all together totalling about
400 Rooks and Jackdaws. This observation was so unusual
that I much regret not following it up at the time. I have
no explanation of the strange disappearance of young birds

vol. xxvill.] NOTES ON THE ROOK. 325

(if we are certain by bills). Young birds seem, by the way,
quite silent even if one of them be surrounded by others all
cawing and “ fan-tailing ’’.

I found at the end of August, 1934, that my Rooks were then
flying to roost at a summer rookery, much bigger than mine,
which is three miles away to the south-west, whereas the
winter roost is five miles away due south. This rookery was
evidently holding at night a lot of other non-residents. 500
to 1,000 Rooks and Jackdaws came and roosted there on
September 30th. But on October 2nd some of them ended
the dusk evolutions by going off towards the winter roost,
and on October 3rd many of the incomers hardly delayed at
all, but almost at once passed on to the big roost, and only a
very small number remained. My next visit was October
24th, when I found none at that summer roost. By October
11th my own Rooks had, I think, begun to fly direct to the
big roost ; and whenever seen they do this for the rest of the
winter.

It is extremely interesting to observe the conflicting
impulses at the time Rooks give up the winter roost for the
nesting rookery. Mr. Yeates does not seem to have noticed
this. My Rooks, from early autumn onwards, start for the
roost at from five minutes before to five minutes after sunset
(here 30 minutes later than Greenwich). In bad weather and
bad light they probably go earlier. Now in the second half
of February the birds visit the nesting rookery most mornings
between 7.30 and 8 a.m. (Greenwich) as well as at an in-
creasing number of times during the day. Towards dusk
they wait on the trees for the right moment to depart. This
moment I have found in February to recede from, perhaps,
30 minutes before sunset to sunset, and between roth and 2oth
March to 22 minutes after sunset, but at such critical dates as
between 21st and 24th March they have left at from 42 to 56
minutes after sunset. When, therefore, Mr. Yeates thought
that seeing the birds at a rookery on March 16th “ at 6 p.m.
or even later ’’ meant roosting there, and that they had left
the winter roost, he might have been deceived, for 6 p.m.
then would have been five minutes before his sunset. The
birds also begin to arrive earlier in the mornings. On March
4th I have timed them at 25 minutes, and on March gth at
47 minutes before sunrise.

The usual custom, in the evening in winter, is for the birds
to go off all together to the roost, but at the critical dates
in March, instead of doing this, a group flies off, then a series of
groups, but some will now return after going a few hundred
yards. Some of the latest to start will be drawn back several

326 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

times, and I have noticed that these are those which have
already begun to line their nests. Finally, on the fateful
night, the last bird or two to remain after all the others have
gone, hops down to lower branches near the nest: the plunge
has been taken, and the habit of winter roost is broken. By
another night or two a pair or two more will have stopped, and
inside a week almost certainly all will have stopped. The
bunch of non-breeders or late nesters are the last to stop.
My dates for the first to stop vary between 13th and 25th
March. But the pair which stopped on the 13th, the earliest
date recorded, gave it up, apparently owing to raw, snowy
weather, and none stopped again that year for 12 days.
This was the only case I have known of leaving again after
once stopping.

Mr. Yeates discusses the date of leaving the winter roost
and its relation to egg laying. He concludes that the winter
roost ends a week or so before the majority start laying, or,
in other words, a couple of days before the earliest egg, which
he puts at about March 16th. That is to say, some begin
to roost at nests from, say, March 14th. My dates of the
13th to 25th thus agree fairly well with his. I never climbed
to my nests, so that I cannot say when the first eggs were laid.

Since writing the above I have had new light on the young
birds. In the end of December, 1934, and in January and
early March, 1935, I saw, in a district far from rookeries,
flocks of about 24 Rooks (with Jackdaws) in which all the
Rooks were young birds. These, however, may have been
all the same flock. The Rooks were quite silent whether
feeding, perching, or flying, and hence such a flock could very
easily be overlooked. In January, 1935, I saw many flocks
over Ireland in which I failed to find any young birds. But
in February I began to see young in some flocks and in the
first half of March (to date) I met flocks in which the young
were from one-third, increasing later to two-thirds of the total.
These later flocks were small, the greatest count of young
which I reached was 22 (there were Jackdaws with them).
Some of the bills which now might have been taken for adults
at a distance had remains of the young bristles. These
March flocks were further from any rookery than breeding
birds might be expected to be at this time. Hence it seems
reasonable to surmise that they represented the young
population plus the next older non-breeders. Such flocks
from March to May should be of particular interest.

From my observations I may now suggest that through the
winter young Rooks have a tendency at all times to group
themselves whether with or without adult birds, and that after
autumn they do not frequent rookeries in their daily routine.

(327)

DISTRIBUTION AND NUMBER OF THE DIPPER
ON THE N. AND S. ESKS (MIDLOTHIAN).

BY
WILLIAM SERLE, Junior, anpD DEREK BRYSON.

THE North and South Esks together drain the greater part of
Midlothian and a small part of Peeblesshire. The two rivers
unite six miles from the sea. In their higher reaches the
streams traverse wild, upland, heather-clad country—home
of the Ring-Ouzel, Curlew, and Golden Plover. At lower
levels the surroundings are wood, park, and arable land. At
all altitudes one bird characterizes and predominates the
stream—the Dipper (Cinclus c. gularts).

From November, 1933, till the end of January, 1934, we
spent our time working out the winter distribution of the
Dipper on the two Esks, and thereafter till the end of June, 1934,
we were concerned with the distribution at the breeding season.

In the brief summary of our results some statements may
appear terse and dogmatic, but we plead that they are based
on a multitude of field observations which space does not
permit us to detail.

WINTER DISTRIBUTION.

The weather remained mild and open throughout the
months of November, December and January, so that the
Dippers on the hill burns were not forced by frost to desert
their haunts in favour of the lower reaches of the streams.
We found the birds widely distributed, and arrived at the
conclusion that the density of population of any stream
depended mainly on the presence and availability of suitable
food.

The Dipper’s food consists of aquatic insects and their
larve, fresh-water molluscs, and crustaceans; and the
supply of these doubtless varies with the character of the
stream—whether the stream bed is rocky, pebbly, sandy or
muddy; whether or not the stream is contaminated by
organic or inorganic matter in suspension or in solution.

A modifying factor is the availability of the food. To reach
the bed of a stream—be it no more than one or two feet
below the surface—and to remain there till its prey is sought
and secured, entails for the Dipper the expenditure of great
muscular energy in overcoming natural physical forces.
Such energy expenditure is only justified when the feeding
on the stream is good. Thus we have few records of the
Dipper diving for food in the deep smooth reaches of well-
populated streams, and only one record of a pair of Dippers
diving in the depths of a reservoir thirty yards from the
shore—at Edgelaw.

328 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

The territorial nature of the Dipper in winter (g.v.) no
doubt has a bearing on the density of population in certain
areas. We found no instance of active antagonism on the
part of other species. For example, Kingfisher and Dipper
on the same territory evinced no mutual hostility, and in
one instance, at Toxsidehill, when we were working a tiny
stream, a Kingfisher and a Dipper rose together from the
same spot. x

The total winter population of the North and South Esks
and all their tributaries was 190 birds. The extent of occupied
territory was approximately 65 miles so that the density of
population is one Dipper to every third of a mile of stream.
It will be appreciated that this figure can only be approximate,
since in the course of three months some local movement
amongst the Dippers is inevitable, and death reduces their
numbers. On the other hand we checked our results by
covering certain reaches twice, when we found that the counts
were very nearly the same on each occasion.

Again, the territorial nature of the Dipper in winter is an
important factor in maintaining the constancy of population
of each stream. When a Dipper is followed upstream or
downstream, a spot is reached—and this spot is constant—
farther than which the Dipper will not go. The bird takes
short, nervous flights from stone to stone, and appears to
be in a quandary—whether to yield to the territorial instinct
or to the fear instinct. The territorial instinct triumphs
and the bird flies back past the observer, frequently making
a detour from the course of the stream to avoid him.

The Dipper’s winter territory is either shared with its mate,
or occupied to the exclusion of all others of its own species.
That two birds sharing a territory are male and female is
evident from their behaviour—the singing of the male and so
forth. Rather more than half the number of birds seen were
paired. Single birds, male or female, are probably birds of
the year, or birds that have lost their mate.

Exceptionally, three birds share a territory, and the im-
pression conveyed is that these constitute a pair and a
tolerated third party. Occasionally the strict territorial
nature seems to be in abeyance; territories overlap and a
Dipper may keep company first with its neighbour upstream,
and then with its neighbour downstream. We concluded that
such behaviour was incidental to mating or toa recent change
in distribution, secondary to some such factor as food supply.

The total extent of stream occupied is much greater in
winter than in summer, due amongst other causes to the greater
winter population, and to the presence of certain reaches of

VoL. xxvul.} DISTRIBUTION OF DIPPER. 329

stream where the feeding is poor—barely adequate for a
solitary bird, and quite inadequate for a breeding pair.

SUMMER DISTRIBUTION.

There were fifty-four pairs of Dippers breeding on the North
and South Esks in 1934. We believe this estimation to be
exact. In some instances we visited the breeding locality
several times in an attempt to establish absolute proof of
breeding, and in the case of forty-seven pairs we succeeded
in finding the nest with eggs or young. Of the remaining
seven pairs, three were seen followed by newly-flown young,
three were never found with eggs or young, though we strongly
suspect that they laid eggs which were destroyed or removed,
and in the case of the last pair the female was found dead near
the nest which was just ready for eggs.

For reasons already stated, not all the winter territory is
occupied in summer, and further, in 1934, on some of the
reaches of the streams which are normally tenanted at the
breeding season—notably on the Glencorse and Fullarton
Burns—there were no Dippers. This may have been due to
the drought, and to the minimum amount of compensation
water flowing from the reservoirs. Roughly, forty miles of
stream were occupied in summer, giving on an average a
territory three-quarters of a mile long.

In order to present these results more particularly we have
sub-divided each Esk with its tributaries. We start with the
N. Esk and work upstream.

*r. Glencorse Burn.
Winter population 21. Breeding population 7 pairs.
This clear, rapid, shallow stream, flowing over a pebbly
bed, is ideal for Dippers. In summer, however, the water
was low and birds were scarcer than usual.
2. The N. Esk from Auchendinny to Penicuik, including
its tributaries the Cutken, Loan and Black Burns.
Winter population 26. Breeding population 6 pairs.
Just below Peincuik the main stream is grossly polluted
by waste from the paper mills and below this point the
Dipper is only an occasional visitor to the main stream.
Absence of Dippers on the higher reaches of the Black Burn
was probably correlated with the high peaty acid concentra-
tion of the stream which would render it inimical to many
forms of plant and animal life. An abundance of caddis worms

*This burn, like many others, bears different names in different parts
of its course. The name may change after passing through a reservoir,
at the junction with a side stream, etc. For simplicity’s sake these
changes in name have been ignored

330 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

on the Cuiken Burn may have induced the five Dippers
observed to winter on this diminutive stream.
3. The N. Esk (with tributaries) from Penicutk to, and includ-
ing, the Harlawmuyr Burn.
Winter population 39. Breeding population 8 pairs.

On one stretch of stream on this area, one and a half miles
long, there were ten Dippers in winter. Food evidently was
abundant, and was certainly accessible; the water pure, swift
and shallow, the stream-bed pebbly, with many rocks breaking
the surface to serve as diving perches for the hunting Dipper.
4. The N. Esk from the Harlawmumyr Burn to tts source.

Winter population 16. Breeding population 7 pairs.

The highest breeding pair nested at an elevation of 1,200 feet.

5. The S. Esk from Dalhousie to its junction with the
Redside Burn.
Winter population 27. Breeding population 8 pairs.

Below Dalhousie there are no Dippers, as the water becomes
contaminated by coal dust and sewage.

6. The Gore Burn.
Winter population 18. Breeding population 2 pairs.

This long stream, which rises on the slopes of the Moorfoot
Hills, supports few Dippers. Possibly this is due to excessive
hardness of the water for the streams flow through a limestone
region. Lime works are situated on its course.

7. The Redside Burn.
Winter population 21. Breeding population 7 pairs.

There are long stretches of sluggish, deep, muddy-bottomed
stream where the Dipper is never seen.

8. The S. Esk from the Redside Burn junction to Gladhouse
Reservotr.
Winter population 11. Breeding population 4 pairs.

g. The S. Esk from Gladhouse to its source.
Winter population 11. Breeding population 4 pairs.

Fine dashing hill burns here—ideal Dipper terrain. The
highest breeding pair nested at an elevation of 1,500 feet,
and in winter birds were seen at the same height.

Whilst our primary object in studying the Dipper was to
work out the distribution, we could not fail in the course of
nine months to make other field observations, some of which,
set down in rather haphazard fashion, may be of interest.

The song was heard from October to July, notably in the
winter months. Exceptionally the bird sings on the wing.
During courtship the bird sings fervently, posturing before the
female—its body tense, neck extended, and wings quivering.
Though, generally, the female is in attendance, we have heard
unattached males singing in winter on solitary territories.

VOL. Xxvitl.] DISTRIBUTION OF DIPPER. 331

Generally the flying Dipper religiously follows every turn in
the course of a stream. At times, however, it may take a
short-cut across land (one we saw actually flew through a wood
for a hundred yards), or a bird may deviate from its course
to avoid an observer. In sustained flights a bird may mse
to a height of 100 or 200 feet, and then proceed with a steady
undulating flight.

As regards the nest, the typical site is the face of a rock or
the masonwork of a bridge, and the typical feature of the
immediate environment, a waterfall, rush, or swirl of water.
But model homes are not always available. The nest may be
situated well back from the water’s edge, in which case the
presence of a mass of droppings indicates the presence of
young. One nest was built on the bole of a tree overhanging
the stream, and nine feet above it. One nest was cleverly
built into a hole in a sandbank, so that practically nothing
of the nest was visible save the entrance. In other instances
nests were carefully hidden in the masonwork of stone bridges.
The usual lining for the inner cup is oak or beech leaves ;
in one instance the lining consisted of green willow leaves.
In the hills the lining may consist of bracken, stems of rushes,
or wisps of grass.

The first nest with eggs, c/3, was found on March 14th,
and before the end of the month there were several others
with eggs. The average date for fresh eggs, however, in this
area, is the second week of April.

We amassed a fair amount of data regarding mortality
amongst young Dippers. The normal clutch in this area is five
eggs, and fourisnot uncommon. We found one,c/6. Smaller
clutches we suspected to be incomplete, though as a rule
we did not remove an egg to ascertain the stage of incubation,
our principle being to handle a nest as little as possible to
avoid attracting keen-scented vermin.

Of twenty-seven nests containing young old enough for
ringing (i.e. at least one week old), six contained five young,
eleven contained four young, nine contained three young, and
one contained two young. The average brood of healthy
half-fledged young was, therefore, 3.8, considerably lower than
the average clutch. It was a patent fact, however, that the
mortality incidence was highest—not at the embryonic and
fledgling period, but immediately after the young had left
the nest. Again and again we were struck by the scarcity
of immature birds on streams where broods had been reared.
There is no doubt that the crucial days in the life of the Dipper
are those of the immediate post-fledgling period. By
comparison, destruction of eggs and nestlings is negligible.

(332)
AN INDEX OF HERON POPULATION.*

BY
E. M. NICHOLSON,

WHEN the “ British Birds Census of Heronries Report ’’ was
published in 1929 it was recommended that another complete
census of British heronries should be taken not later than about
1940, if the full advantages of the 1928 Census were to be
reaped. On the formation of the British Trust for Ornithology
one of the first questions which came before the Scientific
Advisory Committee was, therefore, the possibility of repeating
this census. Knowledge which had become available largely
since 1928, regarding animal populations, led, however, to the
conclusion that the choice of a year for a full comparison with
1928 could not safely be made in the absence of information
about the fluctuations, if any, of the Heron population.
Supposing, for instance, that 1928 was a favourable year
for breeding Herons in England and Wales, as there is some
reason to believe. A fresh census taken in an unfavourable
year might show an apparent tendency to decrease, while a
couple of years earlier or later an increase on 1928 might be
recorded.

The only reliable method of finding out whether fluctuations
occur among the breeding stock of Herons, and if so to what
extent, was by means of a yearly census. But a yearly
national census would be very hard to organize, and would
probably involve more work than it would justify. The
conclusion reached, therefore, was that for a period of years
an annual sample census should be taken.

Sampling is an attractive labour-saving device, but it
presents a number of obstacles and pitfalls, and needs to be
used with considerable caution. The size and composition
of the sample must be such that it fairly represents the
movement of population as a whole. Not only must its size
be statistically adequate, but it must also consist of heronries
distributed both by locality and by size in something like the
same proportions as all British heronries. Tor instance, the
first dozen heronries in England and Wales in order of size
contained, in 1928, more than a thousand nests, or over
25 per cent. of the whole breeding stock, but simply to count
these few exceptionally large heronries would give no accurate
picture of changes in Heron population as a whole, because
the smaller heronries might show quite a different trend.

Again, it would be easier to confine the sample to particular
areas, but in order to be representative we must include

*Publication of the British Trust for Ornithology.

voL. Xxviil.] INDEX OF HERON POPULATION. 333

heronries of all sizes in all parts of the country. Then it 1s neces-
sary to construct the sample of such heronries as are likely to
survive, and to be counted by reliable observers, over a period
of years. A further necessity is to ensure that counts are
taken as nearly as possible simultaneously, making allowance
for some seasonal and local tolerance, but not comparing,
say, a count taken in March one year with a count taken in
June in another year. Finally, there is the difficulty of decid-
ing whether the basis of the sample should consist of a number
of known heronries, any or all of which may shift or become
extinct with the passage of time, or with all the heronries
on a given area, which may be difficult to find with certainty
for some years after shifting has taken place.

The method of dealing with this problem was to take a
sample based partly on a selection of heronries and partly on
an area within which all heronries, new or old, were to be
counted. The sample area chosen was the Thames basin,
covering all heronries on the Thames and its tributaries,
down to and including the River Roding, immediately east
of London. This area included about 6 per cent. of the
heronries and about 8 per cent. of the Herons’ nests recorded
in the Report on the 1928 Census for England and Wales.
In addition, a further fifty heronries were selected in all parts
of the country, including nearly 20 per cent. of the heronries,
and of the Heron population, recorded for 1928. In this
manner a 25 per cent. sample was built up of heronries which
are characteristic in size and distribution of heronries as a
whole, and which, if present arrangements hold, can be
counted annually for some years to come with a mini-
mum of trouble, in order to keep us accurately informed of
movements in Heron population. Actually, during 1934,
the response by observers was so unexpectedly keen that
a much larger sample was secured than had been originally
intended, the survey covering more than a third of the
known Heron breeding population. This large response
has enabled a number of additional checks to be made,
which will be valuable in showing how far the index is to be
trusted.

The actual composition of the index is not given for fear
that information about particular colonies might conceivably
be abused. The 54 heronries included in the index which
existed, and were counted both in 1928 and in 1934, showed
an increase in total nests from 1,032 (1928) to 1,051 (1934).
This is an increase of approximately 2 per cent., and taking
1928 as 100, the index figure for 1934 is, therefore, 102.

334 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

A further ten heronries to be included in the future sample
either did not exist or were not reliably counted in both years.
If these were included the total increase would be from
about 1,079 to 1,133 nests, or approximately 5 per cent.—
a figure which is not accepted because it covers more than one
heronry undoubtedly missed in 1928, although in existence
at that time.

The sample includes only one heronry which had roo nests
in 1928, and only three others which had 50 or more nests
each. As there were altogether sixteen heronries of this size
in 1928 the inclusion of four of them preserves the same pro-
portion to the whole as the rest of the sample. For some
reason the larger heronries seem to have been doing extra-
ordinarily badly during the past six years. Of the seven
larger heronries for which figures are available six show an
aggregate decline of 182 nests, or some 35 per cent. It is
true that the seventh shows an apparent increase of nearly
100 per cent., but here the figures are certainly not comparable,
owing to the early date at which the 1928 count was taken.
Even if this last were added the large heronries as a whole
would still show a 20 per cent. decline, while the smaller
heronries show a 28 per cent. increase. Too much importance
must not be attached to these somewhat startling fluctuations.
All heronries are liable to rise and fall unaccountably in num-
bers, and the fall of heronry A from 100 to 60, although more
spectacular and more statistically important, is really no
more violent than the fall of heronry B from sixteen to two,
or the rise of heronry C from five to fifteen. On the whole,
if an adequate sample is taken these individual fluctuations
cancel out. It is true that we know of three falls by as much
as forty nests or more, and of only two rises by as much as
twenty nests or more, but the decline of forty nests at Wan-
stead is handsomely offset by the increase of forty-two nests
at Walthamstow Reservoir about four miles away, and other
advances of over 100 per cent. in six years show that the days
of buoyant growth are by no means ended, and that alarming
declines in one place are made good in another.

Two questions naturally arise to which it would be useful to
have answers. First, does this slight apparent national
increase of some 2 per cent. in six years indicate that the
Heron breeding population is almost stationary, or does 1934
happen to have been a year in which the 1928 figure
was approximately repeated after, perhaps, violent fluc-
tuations either way? Further, does this slight national
increase mean that the Heron breeding population is fully

voL. Xxvill.] INDEX OF HERON POPULATION. 335

maintained in all parts, or does it mean that increase in
some areas has been more than sufficient to offset de-
creases elsewhere ? ;

Unfortunately, present data do not permit any conclusive
answer to these two questions, although after two or three
years’ work we may expect to obtain fairly accurate guidance
on both points. If we analyse the 1934 sample in order to
find out how large a part of it would have been needed in
order to give a similar result (excluding throughout any
heronries which did not exist or were not counted both in
1928 and in 1934) we find that although the actual index of
102 is based on a total of 1,051 nests, or more than 25 per cent.
of all Herons’ nests in England and Wales, an approximately
similar index (102.5) would have resulted if the count had only
covered the first 774 nests, on a list put down at random. If
the sample were further restricted to the first 721 nests the
index would, however, have come out substantially higher
(104), and if only 541 nests had been covered the divergence
would have been enormously greater, the index in that case
being 116. Had the sample been further restricted to the
first 321 nests the 1934 index would have come out at 100—a
good deal nearer the mark. This test suggests that while
an index based upon a series of heronries aggregating some
three or four hundred nests might give a true indication of the
national trend it would be liable to be seriously misleading.
On the other hand, samples of 750 or more, provided that they
truly reproduce the geographic and size distribution of
heronries in England and Wales as a whole, seem to give for
all practical purposes identical results, and there does not
appear to be any point in attempting, for instance, to raise the
size of the sample to 1,500 or 2,000 nests, the present group
being apparently adequate.

It must be remembered that the sample of heronries is
reinforced and checked by taking an entire region—the
Thames basin—as a sample area, and that this sample area,
taken by itself, gives an index for 1934 of 98, reckoned on the
same basis as the national index of 102. Owing, however,
to the presence in this area of three colonies for which no
reliable 1928 count is available, it is not yet possible to
obtain a satisfactory figure for comparison upon an area basis,
which would have to include all new and extinct colonies as
well as colonies in existence throughout the period under
review. If the four new and extinct colonies in this area are
included with all those for which we have reliable 1928 figures
the Thames area index for 1934 still stands at 98.

336 . BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Only time and experience can show precisely what degree of
accuracy the index can claim. No one who is aware of the
difficulty of counting certain heronries, the doubts which
frequently arise as to whether a particular nest is occupied,
the local and seasonal variations in breeding dates and habits,
the idiosyncracies of observers, the mean figures which have
to be arrived at where there is a conflict of evidence or where a
maximum and a minimum are returned, to say nothing of the
statistical error inherent in the sampling method, would make
the mistake of building too much on any particular figure.
On the other hand no one who knows the conditions of the
census would suggest that the Heron could halve or double its
breeding strength in this country without a sample of this type
showing pretty well the speed and extent of the change.
All that can be said with confidence is that the index certainly
does not reliably mirror minute changes of, say, one or two
per cent. and certainly does mirror substantial changes of the
order of, say, forty or fifty per cent.

For the years between 1928 and 1934 we possess, un-
fortunately, in no case records of more than 556, and in some

‘cases records of less than 250 nests, which are statistically

inadequate as a sample and are moreover unsatisfactorily
distributed as representing the country as a whole. Unless
it should prove possible to collect further reliable figures

- which have been obtained but not notified, it is therefore

impossible to state with accuracy what has been happening
to our Heron population between 1928 and 1934. The
following figures are given for what they are worth, which,
except in the cases of 1928 and 1934, is, unfortunately, not
very much :— .
PROVISIONAL INDEX OF HERON BREEDING POPULATION.
(England and Wales: 1928100).

Number of
Nests in

Year. Index. sample.
1928 100 T0822
ee 85 a N.B.—The sample for 1929-33 is
ROSS ce 5 not adequate and these figures
ae a pe should be treated with
oe oe 260 special caution.
1934 102 1,051

As a partial check several different combinations of figures
have been employed, and all agree that there was a sharp fall

VOL. Xxviu.] INDEX OF HERON POPULATION. 337

of Heron breeding population in 1929, followed by a rise to
1931, then a more or less marked recession followed by a
fresh rise which has reached or passed its peak. The hard
weather of the first months of 1929 undoubtedly caused much
Heron mortality, as was shown by the record recoveries of
ringed birds at that time ; this setback may have accounted
for part, at least, of the apparent diminution during 1929-30.
After we have obtained a few years’ figures based on a more
adequate sample it will be possible to re-examine these
provisional indices in the light of better information.

As regards regional fluctuations it is still more difficult to
come to any conclusion, owing to the small numbers of nests
usually involved, and the heavy individual fluctuations to
which any particular heronry is exposed. The one part of
England for which it is possible to speak with some confidence
is the group of home and southern counties covered partly or
wholly by the Thames drainage sample area which was
completely surveyed. In this region, which includes Wilt-
shire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey,
Middlesex, London and Essex, a substantial majority of all
heronries were counted, and it can definitely be stated that the
1928 numbers are maintained. The next most satisfactory
sample is for the three north-eastern counties—Yorkshire,
Northumberland and Durham. Here, over an area amount-
ing to nearly one-sixth of the whole country, but sparsely
populated by Herons, a two-thirds sample of the 1928 heron-
ries was checked. The result was to show an apparent regional
decrease of some 16 per cent. over the six-year period, the
1934 index for this region working out at only 84, if 1928 is
taken as 100. If the Gainford (Durham) heronry were not
excluded, as it has actually become extinct, the decline would
be even more marked. Of ten heronries counted in this region,
both in 1928 and in 1934, no less than seven showed declines,
while only two showed increases, the chief of which only
partly compensates for a very heavy setback to this particular
colony some years ago. Annual records which are available
since 1928 for a series of Yorkshire heronries show a steady
and disturbing decrease in numbers in most of the colonies.

In the north-western counties—Cumberland, Westmorland,
Lancashire and Cheshire—the trend appears to be more en-
couraging, although as the sample available in this case is
only some 30 per cent., it would be rash to draw sweeping
conclusions. The seven heronries in this sample are larger
than the average for the region, and five of them show an
advance on 1928. There is, however, one serious setback,

Y

338 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

at Holker (Lancashire). It is possible that the 20 per cent.
increase on 1928 recorded for this region is a fair indication
of what has actually occurred.

In Wales and the Midlands samples of only between 20 and
30 per cent. are available. In the western parts of this
region—that is, in Wales and the border counties of Mon-
mouth, Hereford and Shropshire—the index shows an increase
over 1928 of nearly 50 per cent. Although this increase is
contributed by five of the seven heronries covered by the
regional sample, only one showing a decrease, the result
probably exaggerates an advance which may in fact be far
less striking. Well over half the expansion comes from the
revival of a single colony, which had sunk at the time of the
1928 census to the lowest level it is known to have touched,
and appears now to be making a vigorous recovery. Exclud-
ing this heronry the expansion in Wales and the Welsh
Marches would be of the order of 20 per cent., and pending
further results a larger increase in this region should not be
assumed. In the Midlands, from Worcester and Stafford
east to the Wash and the Humber, another strong increase
is shown, the 1934 index being 34 per cent. above 1928.
This increase is shared by six of the eight heronries included,
but Milton Park (Northamptonshire) is ruled out of the
regional and national samples on account of its dominant
size, and if it were admitted here the increase for the Midlands
would be reduced to just over I0 per cent.

The sample for the eastern counties is the least satisfactory
of all, as it includes only five heronries extant and recorded
both in 1928 and 1934, and these between them only contain
some 17 per cent. of the 1928 aggregate of nests for the
region which they represent. The apparent decline of 13 per
cent. probably signifies little ; 1m fact three of the five heron-
ries showed substantial increases, and the poor showing of
this region is entirely accounted for by the break-up of Nacton
(Suffolk), which was already beginning in 1928, and has since
involved a decline from about 50 to 17 nests.

More serious evidence of decline is found in the south-west.
For Gloucester, Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall a
27 per cent. sample is available, again on the 1928 basis,
and of the seven heronries checked in this region no fewer
than five are below the 1928 level. The resulting index of
64 (36 per cent. below 1928) is the lowest for any part of
England and Wales, and although more than half the drop is
accounted for by Somerton (Somerset), the largest heronry
admitted to the national sample, it is difficult to escape the

voL, Xxvl.] INDEX OF HERON POPULATION. 339

conclusion that some decline has occurred during the past six
years in the south-west. Already during 1929 Tucker
recorded a sharp decline in four of the six leading Somerset
heronries, and in 1930 estimated that the Somerset breeding
Heron population, which had been reported as 273-280 pairs 1n
the 1928 census, had fallen to about 215 in 1929, with a slight
rise to about 220 in 1930. Reason was shown, however, for
believing that the breeding stock had been abnormally high
in Somerset in 1928, and as Somerset colonies account for
some 80 per cent. of the total in the south-western regional
sample the undoubted decrease may not be shared, at any
rate to the same extent, by other counties in the region. The
only region remaining to be dealt with is the south-eastern,
including Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. The sample here
is low—about 20 per cent., if Aldershaw is excluded on account
of its great size. The resulting 1934 index is 106 per cent. of
1928. This region has fewer heronries than any other, and
their average size is greater, so that sampling is not to be
relied on. There is no reason to suppose that the trend here
has been markedly different from the national trend, which
shows on balance a slight increase over the 1928 level.
Summing up regional fluctuations, it appears that a real
decrease of Heron breeding population has occurred in north-
east England, particularly in Yorkshire, and in south-west
England, particularly in Somerset, since 1928. There is no
real evidence of any substantial decrease elsewhere, although
the situation in East Anglia is still obscure.. Appreciable
increases, on the other hand, seem to have occurred in western
England and Wales from the Scottish border to the Bristol
Channel, and in the Midlands. In the Thames basin and the
south-east generally, the Heron seems to be holding its own,
and possibly gaining a little in numbers. From a national
standpoint the increases more than cancel out the losses, and
leave the Heron in a slightly stronger position than in 1928.
Thanks to the splendid efforts of observers in all parts of
the country, through whose response this experiment has been
made possible, it is hoped to continue for several years the
issue of this annual index of Heron breeding population.
Through it we shall be able to follow for the first time the
actual rise or fall of a species. How valuable this knowledge
may prove can easily be imagined. Taking the bird protec-
tion aspect, for example, already the West Riding County
Council has refused to withdraw protection from the Heron
on being furnished by local observers with reliable evidence
that the local breeding stock was small and was in danger

340 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

of decreasing. While it is true that in certain cases the index
might be used in the opposite direction, in the long run accurate
information is likely to do more for the Heron and for bird
life in general than a persistence of the ignorance which has
repeatedly proved to be the worst human enemy of birds.
Again, the comparisons which will soon become possible be-
tween different years and different regions will show for the
first time what effect climate and other factors have on the
Heron population, and whether it simply fluctuates from year
to year, or is going through some consistent gradual change,
or possibly has reached a more or less stable condition.

By keeping careful records of numbers, year by year and
district by district, we may hope gradually to find out the
real reasons for a setback or for an advance. For instance,
if in one part of the country Herons show a persistent decline
while elsewhere they are increasing, we can examine in what
way the mortality or rate of reproduction of Herons in the
affected part differ from conditions elsewhere, where the
species is flourishing. The experience which is gained in this
way may later be applied to the study of other species, and
may add substantially to our knowledge of ornithology, by
giving us the clue to such mysterious decreases as that of the
Corncrake and Black Grouse in England. The way is also
open to international collaboration, as the Heron population
of most western European countries is now pretty accurately
recorded. This index may prove the key to an international
study of bird.population, and may help us to know the answers
to many familiar questions, at which we can now only vaguely
guess.

This report is due to the collaboration of considerably more
than fifty field ornithologists. First, the plan was drawn up
by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the British Trust for
Ornithology and of the Oxford University Committee for
Ornithology. Then the help of over fifty observers was
enlisted by W. B. Alexander, who organised the field work,
collected the results and made a preliminary analysis of them.
Then the material was passed to me to draft this report.
Acknowledgments are due to all those who have helped in
making this experiment a success.

SUMMARY.

A team of more than fifty observers distributed throughout
England and Wales took counts between mid-April and mid-
May, 1934, of the numbers of occupied nests at certain
selected heronries most of which had already been recorded in

voL. xxviul.] INDEX OF HERON POPULATION. 341

the “ British Birds Census of Heronries, 1928”. Fifty-four of
these heronries, counted both in 1928 and in 1934, and
considered to represent fairly both in distribution by area
and by size the composition of the breeding Heron population
as a whole, were taken as the basis of an index intended to
show the approximate rise or fall of Heron numbers in relation
to the numbers recorded in 1928.

The national index for 1934 came out at 102 (per cent. of
1928) and on the basis of a more than 25 per cent. sample of
the entire Heron population it can be stated with confidence
that the number breeding in England and Wales in 1934 was
fully maintained, at rather more than 4,000 pairs in all.

There is some evidence, however, that a general setback
occurred after the hard winter of 1928-29, when it is possible
that there may have been a decline in numbers of the order of
I5 per cent., which was apparently made good by 193I!.
Regionally the Heron appears to have fallen below the 1928
strength in 1934 in north-east England, particularly in
Yorkshire, and in south-west England, particularly in
Somerset, while some increase seems probable in western
England and Wales from the Solway to the Bristol Channel,
and in the Midlands.

As a check upon the reliability of selecting certain heronries
a large area—the Thames basin—was taken as a whole,
and every heronry was counted within it. The index for this
area was 4 per cent. below the national index, and it stood
at the same level whether heronries new or extinct since 1928
were reckoned in the calculation or not. It is intended to
continue the experiment by the issue of an annual index
figure for a period of years.

REFERENCES.

NicHoLson, E. M. Report on the “ British Birds Census of
Heronries, 1928”. British Birds, Vol. XXIL., pp. 270-323
and 334-372.

Tucker, B. W. ‘“‘ The Heron (Ardea cinerea) in Somerset ”’.
Proc. Som. Arch. & Nat. Hist. Soc., Vol. LXXV., pp. 61-9,
and LXNXVI., pp. 63-84.

A further article, bringing up-to-date the 1928 Report, will
anpear in a forthcoming issue of British Birds.

(342)
NOTES FROM RESERVOIRS AND SEWAGE FARMS.

BROOKLANDS SEWAGE FARM, SURREY, 1931-34.

BROOKLANDS Sewage Farm lies in the valley of the Wey
three miles from where it flows into the Thames. It occupies
an area of about 35 acres inside the circuit of the well-known
motor racing track, which runs along one side of the farm.
The opposite side of the farm is bounded by the flying ground.
As a consequence the noise is at times such that ordinary
speech is inaudible. This noise and the aeroplanes low
overhead do not appear to disturb the birds, the fears of new
arrivals probably being allayed by the behaviour of the
resident Lapwings and other birds.

Although the farm is only visited by small numbers of
waders—exclusive of Lapwings, Redshank and Snipe, I
have never known the total number of all waders combined
to exceed seventeen, and usually it is under half a dozen—
a surprising variety of species has been observed, the more
interesting of which are detailed below. I am indebted to
Mr. Howard Bentham for the details of the previous records
for the county (Surrey).

Grey WaatTalitL (Motacilla c. cinevea).—On July 5th, 1931, there was
a pair with a juvenile. This young bird had apparently been reared
somewhere in the vicinity, as it was still being fed and was not yet
very strong on the wing.

Brack Repstart (Phenicurus o. gibraltariensis)—A female on
March 22nd, 1931. There are about 22 records for the county in the last
hundred years.

SHELD-Duck (Tadorna tadorna).—One bird on March 22nd, 1931 ;
a pair on April 23rd, 1933; a pair on May 31st and June 14th, 1934.
There are ten previous records, some of which may, however, refer
tO) Vescapes:

SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)—Have been seen in each of the last
four years in May or June, but no nest has been found or young seen.
There were two pairs on May 31st, 1934.

TURNSTONE (Avenaria 1. interpres)—One on May 30th, 1934, seen
under excellent conditions. There are four previous records for the
county.

RuFr (Philomachus pugnax).—One on July 30th, 1934. There are
three previous records.

CURLEW-SANDPIPER (Calidris testacea)—One on September 20th,
1931, and two on the 22nd. These birds were also seen by T. H.
Harrisson. There is only one previous record.

Woop-SANDPIPER (lyvinga glaveola)—J. B. Watson saw one on
August 15th, 1934. I saw it under perfect conditions on the 16th ;
on three occasions I had it and a Green Sandpiper togetherin the
field of my telescope. There are six previous records, all over sixty
years old.

GREEN SANDPIPER (Tvinga ochropus).—Observed every autumn, the
largest number being six on August 17th and 18th, 1932.

GREENSHANK (Tvinga nebularia)—Two on May 30th, 1931 ; one on
August rith, 1932. There are nineteen previous records for the
county.

voL xxvul|. NOTES FROM RESERVOIRS. 343

Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta)—One on June 14th, 15th and 16th,
1932 (antea, Vol. XXVI., pp. 55/6). There are three previous records,
all prior to 1847.

BLACK-TAILED Gopwirt (Limosa 1. limosa).—One on August 17th,
18th and 20th, 1932. Gone by August 25th. There are three previous
records. P. A. D. HOLLom.

ALTRINCHAM SEWAGE FARM, CHESHIRE.
CONSIDERABLE attention has been given during 1934 to the
birds of this area, and observations have been made throughout
the year. T hey are, perhaps, worth recording in some
detail for comparison with those made in 1933 (antea, Vol.
XXVII., pp. 293-6). The following records are a resumé
of many hundreds of notes taken during the year.

Mr. Roy Storey has furnished notes of frequent visits
throughout the year; careful records have been supplied by
Messrs. E. L. Arnold, G. H. Clegg, J. H. Lockett, W. Ramsden,
A. R. Sumerfield, I. Whittaker, S. V. Wild and S. B. Wood ;
and I myself paid as many visits as possible to the farm.
Most of the birds recorded have been seen by several observers ;
in other cases the observers’ initials are given.

As usual the waders were predominant in numbers and in
interest. The year was marked by the exceptional number
of Ruffs seen, particularly in August and September ; Dusky
Redshanks appeared again and we were surprised to see one
at the end of December. A Grey Phalarope was seen on the
farm for the first time.

HoopED Crow (Corvus c. cornix).—Single birds seen on February
18th and April 11th; from December 24th to December 31st from
one to three seen almost daily. Always an uncommon bird on the
Cheshire plain.

CoRN-BuNTING (Emberiza c. calandva).—On October 7th two of this
very local bird (S.B.W.).

BLUE-HEADED WaGTAIL (Motacilla f. flava) —One male on May
17th (R.S.).

SAND-MARTIN (Riparia r. riparia).—With other Hirundines in the
greatest profusion in autumn, often outnumbering the other species.
At the end of July many present, and throughout August, reaching
their maximum on August 30th ; throughout September in smaller
numbers ; last seen, one on October 6th.

SWIFT (Apus a. apus).—Abundant at the end of July and present
throughout August until September 11th in small numbers.

CANADA GOosE (Branta c. canadensis) —Two skeins, about 76 birds
in all, on September 3rd. Large flocks sometimes occur on the Cheshire
meres but they are most irregular visitors.

SHELD-Duck (Tadorna tadorna).—Two young birds on August 22nd and
23rd. (Four young birds appeared in 1933.)

SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata).—Fewer than usual. A pair seen at
the end of May, but not known to breed, as in 1933.

Waders were as plentiful as usual and the more important are here
mentioned.

RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius h. hiaticula)—In every month from
March to November (except June). During May there was a passage
in small numbers (not more than ten together) ; in August the peak

344 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

of the migration was reached from 24th to 26th, when over 100 were
counted ; numbers then fell rapidly (20-30 on September 7th), and in
October and November only small parties of two to four were seen.

GREY PLovER (Squatarola s. squatavola)—One on October 7th
(A.R-Ssand J E-L.):

TURNSTONE (Avenaria 1. interpres)—Seen daily from August 20th
to September 4th (four on August 24th).

RuFr (Philomachus pugnax).—The abundance of this bird has been
the most remarkable feature of the year. Single birds appeared on
four occasions between March 4th and March 18th, on May 31st,
and on July 1st. From August 5th to October 14th they were present
in numbers on practically every visit; on August 20th there were 17,
but the peak was reached between September 5th and 7th; on the 5th
I.W. counted 52 in one flock and W.R. found 60 or more on the 7th ;
on the 12th there were still 30, but numbers then dwindled, and on
October 13th and 14th there were only two. A single bird on November
t2th and 18th.

DuNLIN (Calidris alpina).—This abundant wader reached its peak
in numbers between August 24th and 26th—over 100 on each day ;
in 1933 the peak was reached on August 27th.

CURLEW-SANDPIPER (Calidris testacea).—First seen on September
5th ; 17 on September 8th; on September 12th 30 to 35, and about
30 on September 24th ; two on October 8th and 13th. More numerous
than for several years. ;

LittLe Stint (Calidvis minuta).—Single birds seen on five days in
September, between the 7th and 27th; on October 6th, 14th and 2tst,
on November 11th and December 16th.

COMMON SANDPIPER (Tvinga hypoleucos)—From April 17th to
September always present; last seen on September 18th. A pair
was evidently breeding on the farm at the end of May. Throughout
July from eight to twelve and on August 4th about 20.

Woop-SANDPIPER (Tvinga glaveola)—On November 11th one was
Steel, (Ise Sy)).

GREEN SANDPIPER (Tvinga ochvopus).—Single birds on three days in
March, on April 28th, June 28th, and twice in July. On August 6th
there were three and from then to the end of December from one to
four on practically every visit ; six on October 11th was the greatest
number seen.

SPOTTED REDSHANK (Tyvinga erythrvopus).—Seen on a number of
occasions during the last four months of the year, but except in Septem-
ber only single birds. One first seen on September 5th and two
throughout the month (three on September 15th); one on October
13th and 14th, and again on December 24th (R.S.) and 29th (A.W.B.).
In 1933 seen as late as October, but this is the first real winter record
for the county.

GREENSHANK (Tvinga nebularvia).—First seen on August 22nd and
on most visits to the end of September one or two (three on August
31st) ; three on October 7th and 13th, and one on 25th and 28th.

GREY PHALAROPE (Phalavopus fulicarius)—One on October 20th
CARRS)

BaAR-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa 1. lapponica)—One on October 8th
(VWiEC

BLACK-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa 1. limosa).—Seen singly: one in
full plumage on May 30th and 31st; one daily from August 27th to
September 7th; one on October 28th, and one from November
4th to 6th.

CurRLEW (Numenius a. avquata).—Considering that the estuaries of
Mersey and Dee are not far distant, and that Curlews breed on the

= Qe eae

voL. xxvul.] NOTES FROM RESERVOIRS. 345

hills in E. Cheshire, surprisingly few visit the farm and they rarely
come to feed on the tanks. Four on August 21st, single birds on April
28th, May 20th and August 16th and 17th; six flying over on August
26th ; one on December 23rd.

WHIMBREL (Numenius ph. pheopus).—One on September 25th (W.R.).

Jack SNIPE (Lymnocryptes minimus).—One or two on several days
in October and November—Strangely few.

Brack TERN (Childonias n. niger)—On August 6th three ; one from
September Ist to 5th.

LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus fuscus).—From April to October
often present ; a few seen on several days in June, 20 on July 1st and
a large flock of 100 or so in the middle of July; last seen on October 13th.

GREATER BLACK-BACKED GULL (Larus marinus).—On August 16th
and 22nd, on September 8th and 12th, and October 14th, one to three
seen.

Skua (Stercorarius sp.).—On September 1st an immature Skua was
seen at close quarters swimming and in flight ; careful observation in
the field and comparison with museum skins made its identification
as_a Pomatorhine Skua (S. pomarinus) almost certain (W.R. and
A.R.S.). A. W. Boyp.

STAFFORDSHIRE RESERVOIRS.

THE drought had considerable influence on the numbers of birds
breeding on and visiting the large S. Staffs. Reservoirs in 1934.

The following notes refer to Bellfields, the most westerly
of these reservoirs, and to Gailey Pool, as in previous years
(British Birds, XXVII., pp. 296-8 and antea), and refer to
the former except when Gailey Pool is actually mentioned.

They cover a period of 13 months from December, 1933, to
the end of 1934, so that the year is quoted for the month of
December only. :

Bellfields has been very low throughout the period, but the
water at Gailey has been kept much at its usual level.

Mr. H. G. Alexander (A.) has very kindly supplied notes
made on four visits, and Miss C. K. James (J.) notes made on
three visits, which I have incorporated with my own.

SHELD-Duck (Tadorna tadorna).—Single birds only on January 7th
(A.), October 1st and 11th (J.), and December 27th.

GARGANEY (Anas querquedula)—On May 18th a drake (A.); two
on July 23rd (A.).

WIGEON (Anas penelope).—In greatly reduced numbers: 150 or
more on February 11th, whereas in normal winters there have been
500 up to 1,000; 23 on March 31st, and eight at Gailey; a drake in
full plumage on July 7th (B.), and 23rd (A.)—possibly a pricked bird ;
fairly plentiful at the end of the year.

SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)—On December roth, 1933, between
45 and 50 in a close flock in an open pool in the ice at Gailey ; at Bell-
fields comparatively few all the year through—2o on February 11th,
ten on March roth, twelve on September 16th and three or four pairs on
December 27th were the largest numbers seen.

PocHArRD (Nyroca f. ferina).—As usual Gailey Pool was the more
favoured reservoir of the two. From over 180 in December, 1933,
and 150 on January 7th (A.) they fell off greatly ; there were 24 on
February 11th and none on March 31st or on May 18th (A.); on July

346 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

7th there were 12 and numbers increased by September 16th to 80 or 90
and on December 27th to about 350.

TurtTep Duck (Nyrvoca fuligula) —Not quite so numerous as usual ;
only two broods (six and two) to be seen on July 7th, when about roo
birds were counted ; numbers in November and December, perhaps,
more up to normal—November 18th about roo (A.).

GOLDENEYE (Bucephala c. clangula).—Never up to usual numbers on
either reservoir; twelve or more on February 11th was the largest
number seen. One (2 or juv.) as late as May 18th (A.).

VELVET-SCOTER (Oidemia f. fusca).—1 saw one at Gailey on November
25th and noticed that the duration of its dives was far longer than that
of other diving duck on the pool; this bird had been seen a week
eatlier (November 18th) by Messrs. H. G. Alexander and F. R. Barlow
—an immature bird. The Velvet-Scoter had never been recorded in
Staffordshire before.

GOOSANDER (Mergus m. mergansey)—On December 27th, 1933,
25 or 26 brown-headed birds were swimming together in a pool in
the ice at Gailey ; on January 7th there were 40 there (A.) ; in February
they were at Bellfields: 37 or 38 on the 11th (only four old drakes),
and on the roth Mr. T. Baddeley counted 41 (eight old drakes) ; there
were still 39 there on March oth (J.), but none on the 31st when four
were at Gailey. On December 18th, 1934, there were three. The
proportion of brown-headed birds is unusual.

SMEW (Mergus albellus) —A duck on March oth (J.).

CORMORANT (Phalacrocovax c. carbo).—A few seen in six different
months: one on March 31st; one on May 18th; three at Gailey on
September 16th (A.); five on October 1st and two on October 11th
(J.) ; at Gailey two on November 18th (A.), and on November 25th ;
two at Bellfields on December 27th.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE (Podiceps c. crvistatus).—Bellfields, where six
pairs nested in 1931, was so low that there was no possible nesting-site ;
on July 7th there was none on the pool at all; on July 23rd two (A.),
which had probably come from Gailey where numbers were normal.
On November 18th three, and at Gailey eighteen (A.).

BLACK-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps n. nigricollis) —One on August 13th
—white faced and with very little duskiness on the neck.

RINGED PLOVER (Charadrius h. hiaticula) —Four on May 18th (A.) ;
one on September 16th.

GOLDEN PLOVER (Charadrius apricavius)—Two on November 18th
(A.), and seven on November 25th.

LapwineG (Vamnellus vanellus).—In November in remarkable numbers
on the muddy bed of the reservoir; on November 18th computed at
1,000 or more (A.), and on November 25th there were probably several
thousand in all.

TURNSTONE (Avenaria 1. interpres)—Three on July 23rd flew from
N.E. to W. or S.W. and did not settle (A.).

Rurr (Philomachus pugnax).—One on July 23rd (A.). It was re-
ported in The Field that a Ruff and two Reeves were shot at Tamworth,
Staffs., on August 28th.

SANDERLING (Crocethia alba).—On May 18th, five which flew off
to the N.W. (A.,) ; five on October ist (J.).

LITTLE Stint (Calidvis minuta).—One on October 1st and two on
October 11th (J.).

GREENSHANK (Tringa nebularia).—Two on September 16th.

Coot (Fulica a. atva)—Numbers fluctuate greatly. On December
roth, 1933, about 400 on Gailey Pool, but only three on Bellfields ;
many in January, but never in such large numbers later in the year ;
comparatively few in December, 1934. i WW. BOMD:

NOTES ON THE TREE-SPARROW, 1934.
Tue following notes on the Tree-Sparrow (Passer m. montanus),
near Great Budworth, Cheshire, were made at the same colony
as the notes in British Birds, XXV., 278-285 ; XXVI., 273-4;
XXVII., 259-60.

Return to nesting-lrees—First seen on February 18th ;
others on February 22nd, and in some numbers on
February 25th.

Eggs. —Out of 64 clutches there were only two of six eggs
each (which produced broods of four and five respectively).
Five eggs is the usual number, but in several cases only three
or four were laid. One nest contained eggs of three types:
two of the brown-blotched normal colour; two of almost
unicolorous dark grey and not mottled ; and one white with
dark grey markings.

Number of broods.—Twenty-seven boxes were occupied ;
of these fourteen had three lots of eggs, but only four held
three broods that actually flew.

Out of 64 clutches only 42 broods came to maturity—65.6
per cent.

Size of broods :—

No. of Broods of
broods 1 2 3 4 5 6
yinged. - Average. Average for the
May-June 23 4 I 5 -& f= 3.39 ) vear.
July mors 3 5 I 3 I - 2.54 : S.54
hit. Oo |} rt. 2 F = BE
42

This gives a lower average than in any of the ten previous
seasons, when it ranged from 4.00 in 1929 to 3.29 in 1932.

Use of other birds’ nests —A Tree-Sparrow had two broods
in a box in which a House-Sparrow nested between the
broods.

In two Starlings’ boxes Tree-Sparrows laid after the
Starlings’ broods had flown—one in June and one in July—
and in one of these young were successfully reared.

A big nesting-box (‘‘ Owl-size ”), which is usually occupied
by Starlings, was used in July ; the nest was built up in the
box so that it was open to the air opposite to the hole and
from this the young disappeared before they were fledged.

348 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

Enemies.—The poor average can be accounted for very
largely by the activities of the Little Owl (Athene n. vidalit)
and to a lesser degree of the stoat.

A Little Owl was seen on one occasion actually perching on
a box with another close to it and there seems to be some
evidence that they may actually take young from the nest :
a nestling ringed on June 5th was found in a Little Owl’s nest
on June oth. I noticed one very noisy brood of fledglings
with heads sticking out of the nesting-hole, and they would
have been an easy prey. No less than four adults were found
dead on the nest and the large number of eggs that came to
nothing seems to point to the untimely destruction of an
unusual number of adults in the open. A stoat was seen on a
box with its foot actually in the nesting-hole, and the five eggs
which had been in the box were later found to be missing.

Ringed Birds.—Fourteen recoveries were made in the year,
among which were :—

- Date Adult or Date
Number. : ; :
ringed. juvenile. recovered.
L5739 PATE Be adult 17.10.34
L6392 30.5.32 nestling 7.8.34 Found dead in box toa;
it was hatched in box 13
in the same hedgerow.
NJ460 2525633 nestling 25.4.34
INP Cod 2055.33 nestling 3.6.34
NS154 25.7-33 nestling 20, 22.3.34
ME765 28.5.34 adult 18.6.34 Trapped in company with a
(ringed on nestling which was not
the nest). from the box in which
ME765 was nesting.
E820 Peers) adult 28.5.34
ME872 5.6.34 nestling 9.6.34 In Little Owl’s nest.

Insects and Parasites.—I am indebted to Mr. H. Britten for
the following identifications.

On a dead adult were found: A feather-mite, Analgopsis
nitzschu. Haller, and a louse, Philopterus subflavescens Geoft.,
both species common also to the House-Sparrow.

In two nests these insects were found: Moths, Bork-
hausema pseudospretella Staint, and Endrosis lactella larve
abundant. Beetles, Enicmus minutus L., and Atheta mgni-
cornis Th.—the former associated with mould and the latter
a common nest species. Mite, Calenopsis cuspidata Kramer.
Fleas, Ceratophyllus galline Schrank, the usual one, and

VOL. XXVIII. ] NOTES. 349

Ceratophyllus gallinule Dale. Spring-tail, Entomobrya_al-
bocinta Templ.—a few. Corn thrips, Limothrips ceralium Hal.
Earwig, Forficula auricularia L_—in numbers.

Several of these have already been recorded fiom Tree-
Sparrows’ nests (antea, XXV., 284-5). A. W. Boyp.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS USING SAME NEST AND
REARING CUCKOO.

As it would appear to be rather unusual for a Cuckoo (Cuculus
c. canorus) to be reared in the nest of a Spotted Flycatcher
(Muscicapa s. striata), 1 may record such a case in June, 1923.
The Flycatcher’s nest was built in some dead ivy branches on
the side of my Vicarage at Granborough, Bucks. There was
apparently sufficient space above the nest for the Cuckoo
to have laid her egg directly into the nest. I found two
young Flycatchers hanging dead in the ivy roots below the
nest. The young Cuckoo was successfully reared and seen
by me for several days after it had left the nest. The Fly-
catchers subsequently reared a brood of two in the same nest.

On June 8th, 1924, there were two young Flycatchers in
the same nest. Whilst they were still in the nest, three eggs
were laid with them. By June 23rd the two young birds
had left the nest and I saw them in the garden. The nest
was afterwards deserted. On July 4th the Flycatcher was
sitting on the same nest and on July 21st there were three
young ones.

In 1925 a brood of four was reared from the same nest.

In 1927 only one pair of Flycatchers occupied my garden,
and laid three times, though in each case a fresh site was
chosen. Misfortune befell the first two attempts.

During the six consecutive years in which a pair of Fly-
catchers nested in my garden, the earliest date on which an
egg had been laid was May 23rd, and the latest date for young

still in the nest July 26th. CyriIL E. MARTIN,
FIRE-CRESTED WREN IN KENT AND THE BIRD’S
CALL-NOTE.

A MALE Firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus) was watched by me
in some bushes at Dungeness on December 31st, 1934, and
January Ist, 1935. Though I have seen Firecrests in autumn
at Dungeness several times, I have only once before seen one
in mid-winter.

In view of Mr. R. M. Garnett’s query concerning the call-
note and the editorial comment thereon, it may be worth
remarking that, in my experience, the notes of the Goldcrest

350 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII.

and Firecrest are, as a rule, readily distinguishable, once they
are learnt. In fact, both in Britain and on the Continent,
nearly all my identifications of Firecrests have resulted from
hearing the distinct call-note. It is not easy to describe
the difference, but the Firecrest’s note is, I should say, several
tones lower in pitch and somewhat more grating. If the
Goldcrest’s note be syllabized as “ see-see-see,” the Fire-
crest’s might almost be called “ zup-zup’’. The note is more
often given singly, and this may lead to error; for sometimes
the Goldcrest utters its note singly, in a tone rather lower than
usual, and so makes one, momentarily, suspect a Firecrest.
An actual Firecrest note is, however, usually quite distinct.
The Firecrest occasionally sings in England. I have
heard the song early in February in south Devon, and in
March in the Weald of Kent. H. G. ALEXANDER.

RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS IN MIDDLESEX.

THE first occurrence of the Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus
serrator) in Middlesex was recorded in 1842, and up to the
end of May, 1934, it had been reported on ten or eleven occa-
sions. During the past three months the species has been
identified on three occasions at Staines Reservoir, Middlesex.
An adult male was seen on December 16th, 1934, and stayed
to at least January 13th, 1935. On one occasion, when the
weather was favourable, the Merganser, apparently affected by
the many female Goosanders present, displayed in a very active
manner. On January 20th a brown-headed bird was seen
and apparently left the reservoir as it was not seenagain. On
February 24th another brown-headed bird wasseen. It seemed
to be affected by the proximity of an adult male Goosander
much as the adult male Merganser had been by the female
Goosanders. It is highly improbable that the brown-headed
birds of January 20th and February 24th were one and the
same, as during the interval between the two dates the reser-
voir had been searched by a number of telescopes. The three
birds were seen by other observers and the identification con-
firmed. This is of importance in regard to the two brown-
headed birds as much care is necessary to separate the
brown-headed Merganser from the brown-headed Goosander.
An influx of birds occurred during the course of the day on
February 24th. At mid-day about eighty Goosanders
(Mergus m. merganser) were counted and by 3 p.m. this had
increased to one hundred and twenty-five. A brown-headed
Merganser was seen on March 3rd, which I accept to be the
bird seen a week previously. WILLIAM E. GLEGG.

VOL. XXVIII.] NOTES. 351

OYSTER-CATCHERS’ METHOD OF REMOVING
LIMPETS.
In view of the statement in T. A. Coward’s Birds of the
British Isles to the effect that the Oyster-Catcher (H@matopus
ostralegus) is an adept at ‘‘ smartly knocking the unsuspecting
limpet from its hold’, a few notes on an alternative method
of attack may be of interest.

The birds I watched were removing limpets from horizontal
slabs of rock at Torquay. In no case did they rely solely or
even, perhaps, at all, on surprise tactics. Stooping and
turning one eye skywards, they tried to slip their stout, flat-
tened bills beneath the shell. In very few cases was success
instantaneous. Usually the bird would fail on one side of
the limpet only to try again on the other. In only one case
was an unsuccessful attack at all prolonged—one bird waited
for the reappearance of a limpet several times hidden by waves.
The birds seemed to know almost at once which limpets were
immovable.

A reason for this was suggested by an examination of the
shells they had just emptied. Some of these had a piece
freshly broken from the edge, showing that this is one way in
which the Oyster-Catcher manages to get its bill beneath
the shell. If the latter is too streng to break (as it must be
in very large limpets), there is sti!l a chance of success—the
irregularities of the rock expose some limpets to attack.
I found several which, being unabie to make a perfect join
between their neat symmetrical she!ls and the uneven rock,
left gaps in their armour through which any Oyster-Catcher
could insert its bill with the greatest ease.

Once the bill was beneath the shell the limpets were no
doubt forced to let go by a series of energetic stabs. The
birds added a certain amount of leverage and the shells often
flew up very suddenly, being jerked two or three inches.

G. B. Goocu.

LITTLE STINT AND SPOTTED REDSHANK
WINTERING ; AND GREEN SANDPIPER
IN SUMMER IN SOMERSET.

On February roth, 1935, I noticed a Little Stint (Calidris
minuta) on Brean sands. I was immediately struck by its
small size as it flew over the beach with Dunlin. Breaking
off from the latter, it flew round me several times, twisting
and turning at great speed and uttering a low but distinct
“tchik ’’. Subsequently it settled on the beach, and I ob-
tained a very close view through 6 glasses.

352 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

On January 4th, 1935, I discovered a Spotted Redshank
(Tringa erythropus) about a mile from the mouth of the River
Yeo, near Clevedon. Since that date I frequently saw it on
the same short stretch of river, the last time on February roth,
since when I have left the district. Other observers, including
Messrs. W. R. Taylor, L. A. Hawkins and K. B. Rooke, also
saw it. Being in winter plumage, its noticeably white under-
parts and greyer upper-parts distinguished it fairly easily
from the Common Redshanks at rest. In flight the
secondaries appeared slightly lighter than the primaries.
I wrote the call as a double “ tche-wee ’’, quite distinct from
that of the Common Redshank.

The Rev. F. L. Blathwayt informs me that neither species
has been recorded as wintering in Somerset before, although
several Spotted Redshanks have been seen or taken in previous
autumns, while the Little Stint is scarce.

At least three Green Sandpipers (Tvinga ochropus) at Blagdon
Reservoir on June 30th, 1934, are perhaps worth noting owing
to the unusual date on which they were seen. K. D. SMITH.

GREAT GREY SHRIKE IN SURREY.—Mr. Cecil A. Joll informs
us that a Great Grey Shrike (Lanius e. excubitor) was observed
by him and Mr. R. C. B. Ledlie on a heath in south-west
Surrey on February 17th and February 24th, 1935.

The bird was watched for a considerable time at a distance
of from 30 to 50 yards and was noticed to be hawking from
one of the power cables or from a cross-piece on a pylon.

The characteristic tail movements, the single white bar
on the wing and the black ear-coverts were all clearly
distinguishable.

RING-OUZEL IN WESTMORLAND IN WINTER.—The Rev.
E. U. Savage informs us that a Ring-Ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
was seen near Windermere in November, 1934, and again in
the same place on February 6th, 1935, which points to the
bird having wintered there.

SWALLOWS IN YORKSHIRE IN DECEMBER.—Mr. P. F.
Holmes informs us that he saw a Swallow (Hirundo r. rustica)
at Hornsea Mere on December 15th, 1934, and another on
the 22nd within half a mile of the Mere.

GREAT SKUAS IN YORKSHIRE.—Mr. P. F. Holmes informs us
that he saw two Great Skuas (Stercorarius s. skua) at Spurn
Head on September 6th, 1934. Mr. Holmes noticed the two
birds together flying from up the Humber and travelling
out to sea. He had seen many of these birds a few weeks
previously in Iceland, so had no doubt about their identity.

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This book is the result of much work and observation,
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are a systematic list of the birds which are known to have
occurred in Middlesex, an introduction embracing sections
on geology, ornithological features, ecology, migration,
decoys, and an exhaustive bibliography. The status of the
species has been built up not only on the author’s personal
knowledge of the county’s birds, but on the evidence of all
recorders, and the present position of each species is

described, also its history. The illustrations are of special
interest, as they are all taken from the air, and serve to
demonstrate the author’s views on ecology, and also the
condition of the county to-day. A good Map, with many
useful place-names, will be found at the end of the volume,

Angie Shen, oy KS ate

Ayes

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ASSISTED BY

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NORMAN F, TICEHURST, O.B.E., M.A., F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U.

CONTENTS OF NUMBER 12, VOL. XXVIII., MAy 1, 1935.

oe PAGE
Ornithological Report for Norfolk for 1934. By B. B. Riviere,
F-RC.S., MBO: si toy on a aa art kes 354
An Attempt to Chart Fluctuations in the Song of Song-Thrush,
Blackbird and Chaffinch. By J. P. Burkitt ... ne its 364
Notes :
Trapped Hedge-Sparrow Feigning Death (G. R. Mountfort) ... 368
On Pink-footed Geese (G. H. Caton-Haigh) ... re <a 368
Black-throated Diver in Berkshire (G. Brown) ... eve ‘se 370
Iceland Redshank in Monmouthshire (J. G. Williams) ite 370
On some further occurrences of the Iceland Redshank in the
British Isles (Dr. J. M. Harrison) see sue hey Ses 370
Early Brood of Coots in Cheshire (S. B. Wood) ... on i, 372
Short Notes :—
Chiffchaff Wintering in Lancashire. Early Blackcaps in
Worcestershire ... ase C <a da ves rac 372

Letter :—

Great Crested Grebes and the Drought (P. A.D. Hollom) ... 373

Review :—

“The Winter Starling Roosts of Great Britain, 1932-1933.”’
By B. J. Marples

~~
“J
Ww

(354)

ORNITHOLOGIE REPORT FOR NORFOLK
F Oe ae

B. B. RIVIERE, F.R.C.S., M.B.O.U.

WEATHER.
LIKE its predecessor, the year 1934 was chiefly notable for
its prolonged drought. The only hard weather, though
without snow, occurred during the first ten days of January.
February was an extraordinarily dry and sunny month, while
March, April and May were, on the whole, dull and rather
cold. On June 8th commenced the spell of fine, warm, sunny
weather which lasted throughout the remainder of the summer.
The drought was unrelieved until October, and even in this
month and the next the rainfall was much below the average,
but an exceptionally wet December reduced the deficiency
on the year to no more than 3.62 inches below normal
(Ji. Wallis),
GENERAL NOTES.

Possibly owing to the abundance of the acorn crop, extra-
ordinary numbers of Wood-Pigeons were present in the
county in the early months of the year. Early in January a
huge flock was seen to come in from the sea at Mundesley
(A. H. Patterson), and on January 6th and 7th flocks of about -
100, in company with Rooks, were seen arriving at Cromer
and passing inland to S.W. (H. Cole). Flocks of between 50
and 100 were still about at Woodbastwick in the last week in
April. Most summer visitors arrived unusually late at
Woodbastwick, many species being a full week behind the
average date, and this was noticed also by Mr. N. Tracy
at S. Wootton.

Whether owing to the exceptionally dry weather or not
I cannot say, but my MHouse-Martins appeared to have
unusual difficulty in fixing their nests, that of one pair falling
down no less than three times before its completion, which
was not until the end of June.

The prolonged drought, as in 1933, undoubtedly made
things difficult for Blackbirds and Song-Thrushes and there
was a scarcity of both in gardens during the late summer.

In contrast with the late arrival of spring migrants, the re-
turn autumn migration of waders set in unusually early.
Many Dunlin had arrived at Salthouse on July roth (R. M.
Garnett), and on July 21st Mr. Garnett and I counted nine
Ruffs and Reeves. During August and September unusual
numbers of Curlew-Sandpipers and Little Stints were met with,
a flock of 16 of the latter being seen by Mr. Garnett at Salt-

~

VOL. Xxvill.} ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 355

house on September 16th. Greenshanks were also numerous,
and as the bird is seldom seen in Norfolk other than singly or
in very small parties, a flock of eight, seen by me on August
1gth is, perhaps, worth recording.

Some excitement was caused during the autumn by the
occurrence in the county of two Buff-backed Herons. One,
which I saw, shot on November 23rd, though adult and
moulting its primaries, had legs and feet of a dark greenish-
brown. This puzzled me until I learnt from Mr. Witherby
that a number of examples of the Indian form Ardeola 1.
coromanda had been turned loose at Whipsnade and some at
the Zoological Gardens, London.

MIGRATION.

I have, again, reproduced in full the diaries of my two
light-ship correspondents, Mr. S. G. Sharman and Mr. W. S.
Parish, and for their trouble and care in keeping these in
greater detail as regards certain points suggested by me,
I am deeply grateful.

I may, perhaps, remind readers that the Outer Dowsing
vessel lies some 30 miles east of the Lincolnshire coast, the
E. Dudgeon 21 miles N.N.E. of Blakeney on the Norfolk
coast, and the Corton 3 miles out between Yarmouth and
Lowestoft.

OUTER DOWSING LIGHT-SHIP (OBSERVER: W. S. PARISH).

February 16th.—Wind W.N.W. Sky-Larks, Starlings and Pipits
arrived in evening and hovered and settled. Left in morning to W.

February 17th.—Sky-Larks and Starlings arriving from E. in evening.
Some settled and left to W.S.W. in morning.

March 10th.—Sky-Larks, Meadow-Pipits (wing and feet sent, B.B.R.),
Plover and Snipe flying round in evening. Those which settled left
to W. in morning. Wind E.S.E.4.

March 11th.—Wind S.S.E. All the above, with Starlings and
Curlews, round lantern at night. Left to W.S.W. in morning.

March 17th.—Wind W.S.W.4. Same species, with other small birds,
arriving from E. in evening. Left to 5.W. and W. in morning.

March 18th—Wind W.5. Several flocks of Sky-Larks passing E.
to W. during the morning. Sky-Larks, Starlings, Titlarks and Plovers
around the lantern at night.

March 20th.—Wind N.N.E. Starlings, Sky-Larks, Lapwings, Curlew
and Snipe flying round at night. In morning left to W.

March 21st—Wind N. Sky-Larks travelling E. to W. during the
morning. During evening Starlings, Sky-Larks, Lapwings, Snipe,
Blackbirds, Fieldfares and Redwings arriving from E., flying round
and settling on board. In morning left to W.

March 22nd.—Wind N. Starlings, Sky-Larks and one Robin on board
at night. Left to W. immorning.

April 1st—Wind E.N.E. Wagtail and Chaffinch in morning. Left
to W.

April 2nd.—Wind E.4. Pipit and Robin in morning. Left to W.

356 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

April 6th—Wind N.W.2. lLapwings, Snipe, Moorhen, Curlew,
Blackbirds, Starlings, Sky-Larks and Chaffinches very numerous at
night. Those which settled left in morning to W.

April 8th—Wind N.E.3. Same species as on 6th with addition of
large flock of Knot (wing and foot sent, B.B.R.) flying round at night
and settling. Departed W. in morning.

April 11thLapwings, Starlings, Sky-Larks, Wheatear (one) and
Greenfinch (one) hovering and settling on board in evening. Appeared
to come from E. Left to W.in morning. Wind E.4.

May 13th—Wind W.N.W.4. Curlews, Plovers, Wheatears and other
small birds at night. Departed in morning to W.

May 19th.—Wind S.W. As above, also Warblers at night. Departed
W. in morning.

May 20th.—Wind S.W. Two Sparrows and one “ Crow ’’ came on
board. Left to W.

May 21st—Wind N.W. Wheatears, Warblers, and Pipits at night.
Departed to W. in morning.

June 4th—Wind S.E. Two Warblers during day. Left to W.

June 15th.—Wind E. Three Swallows flying E. to W.

July 5th—Wind E.S.E. Two Warblers came on board during the
day and died of exhaustion.

(Wings received between May 13th and July 5th were those of
Sedge-Warbler, Wood-Warbler, and Spotted Flycatcher, B.B.R.)

August 15th—Wind W.N.W. Curlews, Wheatears and Warblers
at night. Left to W. ;

August 17th and 18th.—Wind W.S.W. Curlews and “ Flycatchers ”’
at night. LefttoW. .

August 23vd.—Wind W.S.W. Curlews travelling E. to W. by day.

August 25th—Wind N.W. Wheatears on board. Departed to W.

August 26th—Wind N.N.E. Small birds flying E. to W. by day.

August 27th—Wind S.E. Pipits, Redstarts and Wheatears on
board at night. Left to S.W.

August 29th—Wind N.W. Swifts passing E. to W. by day.

September 5th.—Wind S.E.5. Spotted Flycatcher on board.

September 7th.—Wind S.E. Fog. Swift, Wheatears and Stints at
night. Departed S.W.

September 8th.—Wind W. Wheatears and Martins by day. Left toS.E.

September toth—Wind S.E. Wheatears and Warblers at night.
Departed S.W. in morning.

September 20th.—Wind S.W. Wheatears, Flycatchers and Martins
settled during day. Departed W.

September 21st.—Wind W.N.W. Pipits on board at night. Left to
W. in morning.

September 29th.—Wind S.E. Twenty to thirty Plover passed N.E.
to S.W. by day. At night Starlings, Sky-Larks and Plovers flying
round and settling.

October 1st—Wind W.N.W. Sky-Larks, Wheatears and Snipe at
night. Departed W.

October 2nd.—Wind W. Snipe and Plover at night.

October 5th.—Wind S.W. Starlings and Sky-Larks at night.

(Wings sent to me from the Outer Dowsing Light-vessel during the
autumn were as follows :—August 15th, Wood-Warbler. August 27th,
Common Redstart. September 10th, Common Wheatear and Common
Whitethroat—B.B.R.)

EAST DUDGEON LIGHT-SHIP (OssERVER: W. S. PARISH):
November 13th.—Wind E. Starlings, Sky-Larks, Blackbirds and
““Crow’”’ flying round and settling by night. Left at daylight to S.W.

VOL. Xxvull.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 357

November 14th.—Wind S.E. Two Bramblings settled and left W.

November 15th.—Wind E.S.E. Starlings and Blackbirds flying
round and settling in evening. Arrived from N.W. and departed S.
at daylight. November 16th.—Ditto.

CORTON LIGHT-SHIP (OBsERVER: S. G. SHARMAN).
February 17th.—Fog. Larks in flocks of ten to twenty flying E.S.E.
February 20th.—Wind W.N.W. Starlings and Larks, small flocks
LOO. i.

February 23vd.—Fog. Starlings on board.

February 28th.—Wind S.S.W. Linnets coasting 5S.

March 7th.—Wind S.S.W. Flocks of Starlings flying E., 6-9 a.m.

March 8th.—Wind W. Rooks (two to five) flying W.S.W., 6-11 a.m.

March 15th.—Wind S.S.W. Rooks (about 200) flying E.S.E., 6 a.m.

March 16th.—Wind S.W. Waders passing II p.m.-2 a.m.

March 17th.—Wind S.W. Rooks in small parties flying W., 7-8 a.m.

March 19th.—Wind S.S.W. Finches, Wagtails and Rooks, all small
parties, flying W., 6-8 a.m.

March 20th—Wind W.S.W. Small flocks Rooks and Finches
to W., 6-9 a.m.

March 22nd and 23vd.—Starlings, Larks and Waders at night.

March 24th.—Wind S.W. Linnets, Finches and Larks, small flocks,
to W.N.W., 6-7 a.m.

March 26th.—Wind S.W. Small lots of Blackbirds flying W., 7 a.m.

April 3rd.—Wind N.E. Wagtails in small lots flying W., 5-7 a.m.

April 5th.—Wind E.N.E. Larks and Finches in flocks up to twenty
flying S.W., 6 a.m. till noon.

April 1oth—Wind S.E. Large flocks of Finches and few Larks
flying W., 6 a.m. till noon.

April 12th.-Wind S. Three flocks of Sparrows and few Blackbirds
and Rooks flying W., 6-8 a.m.

April 13th.—Wind W.S.W. Large flocks of Larks flying S.S.W.,
6-7 a.m.

April 15th. Wind S. Large flocks of Larks, five Rooks and three
Starlings to W., 6-7 a.m.

April 16th.—Wind S.W. Several Larks, few ‘‘ Flycatchers ’’, few
Chaffinches and Sparrows early morning. Flying to S.W. and W.

April 28th.—Wind E.S.E. Swallows and Martins and one very large
flock of Starlings travelling N.N.E. in early morning.

May 5th.—Wind S.W.__Larks flying W. early morning.

May 6th.—Wind S.S.E. Swallows flying W. early morning.

May 11thWind S. Few “ Flycatchers’’ during the day.

May 12th—Calm. Six Hedge-Sparrows at 7 a.m. Proceeded W.

May 15th.—Wind N.W. Two Whitethroats and four Willow-
Wrens between 6-8 a.m. Proceeded W.

May 16th.—Wind S.W. Small flocks of Swallows flying W. Three
Whitethroats, 7-10 a.m. i

May 19th.—Wind S.S.W. Small flocks of Swallows and Martins
flying W., 7-9 a.m.

May 21st.—Wind S.S.W. Four Willow-Wrens and a Whitethroat
between 7 and 8 a.m.

June.—Switts passing E. to W. nearly every day this month, and on
19th and 26th all day.

July 6th—Calm. Few “ Flycatchers”’, including Willow-Wrens.
Direction of flight to W. and S.W.

August 20th and 22nd.—Swifts proceeding W. in late afternoon.

August 25th—Wind S.E. “ Flycatchers ” passing S.W. in afternoon.

358 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

August 27th and 28th.—Wind S.E. and S._ Big migration of Wheat-
ears, Redstarts, and small Warblers (? Chiffchaffs) and Spotted Fly-
catchers (two) flying S.W. and W.

August 31st—Wind S. Few “ Flycatchers”’ flying S.W., afternoon.

September 1st—Wind S.E. Wheatears and Willow-Wrens at noon.
Direction of flight S.W.

September 4th and 5th.—Chaffinches and Greenfinches flying S.W.
in afternoon.

September 7th—Wind S.E. Big migration of Chaffinches, Wheat-
ears and Redstarts to W. and S.W. in afternoon.

September 13th and 14th——Wind E.N.E. Wheatears, Chaffinches,
Larks and Redstarts flying S.W. from noon till sunset.

September 28th—Wind S.E. Small flocks of Lapwings flying
W.S.W. in afternoon.

October toth, 11th and 12th—Wind W. Large flocks of Starlings,
Larks and Finches passing W.S.W., flying close to surface of sea,
continuously from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on first two days, and from noon
till sunset on 12th.

October 13th—Wind W.N.W. Larks and Starlings to W., early
morning.

October 14th.—Wind W.N.W._ Starlings to W., early morning.

October 15th and 16th.—Wind W.N.W. and N. Large flocks of
Starlings and Larks flying W. all day.

October 17th—Wind N. Large flocks of Sparrows flying W. in
morning.

October 18th and 19th.—Wind W.N.W. Starlings, Larks and Black-
birds to W. in morning.

October 20th.—Wind W.S.W. Large flocks of Rooks, few Sparrows,
and two Tawny Owls to S.W. in afternoon.

October 23vd and 24th—Wind W.S.W. Rooks, Jackdaws, Starlings
and Larks passing W. and W.S.W. all day.

October 25th.—Wind S. Large flocks of Rooks, Starlings, Chaffinches,
and extra large flocks of Greenfinches, proceeding W. and S.W. from
9 a.m. till noon.

October 26th.—Wind S.W. Large flocks of Starlings to W.S.W. in
morning.

October 30th and 31st.—Rooks, Starlings, Sparrows and Chaffinches
to W. and S.W. in afternoon.

November 1st—Wind W.N.W. Starlings and Sparrows to W. in
afternoon.

November 8th—Wind N. Large flocks of Rooks passing W. in
afternoon.

November 12th.—Wind W.N.W. Large flocks of Starlings all day.
Fog.

November 13th.—Wind E.S.E. Starlings and Larks to W.S.W. A
few Goldcrests in morning.

November 15th.—Wind E. Flocks of Finches to S.S.W. Two
Waterhens flying W.S.W. in afternoon.

November 17th—Wind E.N.E. Starlings and two Owls, thought to
be Tawny Owls, passed W. in morning.

November 18th and t19th.—Wind W. Starlings and Blackbirds,
very numerous, passing W. in morning.

A point of interest in the above notes, to which attention
may be called, is the fact that at the Outer Dowsing vessel
not a single record occurs of a return passage of winter visitors
from west to east in the spring, whereas at the Corton an

VOL. XxvilI.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 359

emigration of Rooks, Starlings and Sky-Larks to E.S.E. and E.
was noted on four days during February and March. This
tends to confirm the view which I have expressed befure
(see A History of the Birds of Norfolk, p. XLtt.), namely
that few spring emigrants take their departure from the coasts
of Norfolk and Lincolnshire, the favourite point of embarka-
tion, to which birds fly even from beyond the Wash, being
the Suffolk coast in the neighbourhood of Lowestoft.

CLASSIFIED NOTES.

GOLDEN ORIOLE (Oriolus o. oriolus)—At Horsey, on June
29th, a male was heard and seen by Mr. Crees, Major Buxton’s
keeper, who acquired an intimate knowledge of the species in
Switzerland.

SIsKIN (Carduelis spinus)—Siskins were unusually abun-
dant in the early months of the year. On April 11th a flock,
which I estimated at between 150 and 200, were feeding on
some alders bordering a lane, and moved leisurely on from
tree to tree just in front of me as I walked, for a distance of
about half a mile. With them was a sprinkling of Goldfinches.

COMMON CROSSBILL (Loxta c. curvirostra).—Crossbills seem
to have been unusually scarce in 1934. Mr. N. Tracy wrote
me that a three days’ tour of the breck districts during
February only revealed two nests, while in the Castle Rising
area, where they are usually abundant, none had been seen
since May, 1933. I saw a party of six, including two red
males, at Langmere on May 24th.

Rock-Prpit (Anthus spinoletta ? subsp.).—A great passage
of Rock-Pipits was observed by Mr. Garnett at Cley and
Blakeney on October 18th, and at Holme-next-the-Sea on
the 19th. Large numbers were amongst the Su@da bushes,
and equal numbers flying west. It is somewhat extraordinary
to recall that a similar migration was observed by Mr. D. Lack
at Scolt Head on October 19th, 1930 (antea, Vol. XXIV.,
p. 311), and an all-day migration of the same species towards
the Norfolk coast at the Cockle light-ship on October 18th,
1908. (Bulletin, Brit. Ornith. Club, XXVI., p. 248.)

BRITISH WILLOW-TITMOUSE (Parus a. kleinschmidti).—On
May 15th I was shown the nesting sites of two pairs of Willow-
Tits within the county, these being some 200 yards apart in
the same wood. Both nesting holes showed evidence of
having been excavated by the birds themselves, and a few
chips of dead wood were to be found beneath each. Both
were in rotten birch stumps, one about two feet and the other
about eight feet from the ground. At one nest both birds
were feeding young, and at the other the male was feeding the

360 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

female, which was anxious to go on to her nest, and so pre-
sumably had laid. Both pairs of birds were typical, both in
appearance and as regards their notes. In general appear-
ance they gave an impression of looser plumaged and untidier
birds than Marsh-Tits. The dull crown of the head could
often be detected, and occasionally—particularly when a
bird clung, with back towards one, outside the nesting hole—
the pale secondaries. The note of both pairs was a low
pitched “ Tchay ’’ usually repeated twice.

FIRECREST (Regulus 1. ignicapillus)—One was seen at
Blakeney Point by Messrs. J. Steele-Elliott and C. Graham
on October 1st (C. Graham).

WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT (Luscinia s. cyanecula).—
I recently saw in the collection of Mr. F. E. Gunn, the Norwich
taxidermist, a male White-spotted Bluethroat in summer
plumage, labelled in the handwriting of the late T. E. Gunn:
“30th April, 1906, picked up dead at Sheringham’”’. Mr.
F. E. Gunn assured me that he remembered this bird being
brought in in the flesh. In reply to my query as to why it
had not been recorded, Mr. Gunn told me that during the latter
part of his life his father seldom recorded any rarieties,
more particularly if he thought there was any chance of
disposing of them to a collector. This I believe to be a fact,
though whether, after a period of nearly thirty years, this
bird should be accepted as an authentic Norfolk specimen,
is perhaps doubtful. The only record of this species for the
county is that of a male seen by Mr. R. M. Garnett at Salt-
house on April 7th and 8th, 1930 (antea, Vol. XXIII., p. 339).

SHORT-EARED OWL (Asio f. flammeus).—No more than two
pairs of Short-eared Owls appear to have bred this year in
the Horsey-Hickling area (A. Buxton and J. Vincent), where
in 1933—a vole plague year—some eighteen or twenty pairs
nested. Voles appear to have been scarce in 1934. From
Horsey, Major A. Buxton writes of them as “ very scarce or
absent ’’, and from Hickling, Mr. J. Vincent as “ very scarce’.

Hogssy (Falco s. subbuteo).—A pair of Hobbies were seen at
the 1933 nesting site on May 24th and on June 26th; the
female was seen to leave and return to last year’s nest (an
old Crow’s) (S. H. Long). Whether they were successful in
rearing a brood, however, is uncertain.

‘? SPOTTED EAGLE (Aquila clanga).—A bird which he believes
to have been a Spotted Eagle was seen by Mr. Jim Vincent
at Hickling on March 8th. In a letter to me, written on the
same day, Mr. Vincent described it as being very dark brown
in colour with a few light markings on the shoulders. “ Tail
short and head drawn in to body. No up-turned curve of

VOL. Xxvill.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 361

primaries in soaring. Looked bigger than an Osprey, from
which latter its soaring movements differed”. I need hardly
add that Mr. Vincent knows Ospreys extremely well, as also
most Raptorial birds. :

A bird answering to the same description was seen early in
February at Shadwell by Mr. Wilson, head keeper at Shadwell
Court, who noted that it did not feed on rabbits but on
‘smaller stuff”. A similar bird was also seen at Waxham
on March 3rd (J. Vincent).

MarsH-HARRIER (Circus @. @ruginosus) and MoNntTaGu’s
HARRIER (C. pygargus).—Both species bred in about their
usual numbers, which could probably not now be exceeded
within the limited area where they are preserved.

Ornithologists, and all ‘“ Norfolkers’’ who care for their
native fauna, owe a deep debt of gratitude to Lord Desborough
and Major Buxton for their protection of these grand birds,
which are now the most characteristic, and, to my mind,
attractive feature of a certain part of Broadland during the
summer months. Is it too much to hope that one day other
Norfolk landowners will take the same sporting and
enlightened view ?

HEN-HARRIER (C. c. cyaneus).—Hen-Harriers were, I
believe, more common than usual during the winter 1934-35.
I frequently saw one, and occasionally two, on the Upton
Marshes. One or two were often seen about Salthouse
(R. M. Garnett), and one at Scolt Head (D. Lack).

WHITE-TAILED EaGLe (Halieetus a. albicilla..—During
March and the early part of April one was frequently seen
in the neighbourhood of Melton Constable and most often
near the lake in Melton Constable park (M. Lascelles).

HONEY-BuZZARD (Pernis a. apivorus).—A bird of the year
was seen at Catfield on September 29th (Lord William Percy).

OspREY (Pandion h. halietus).—One was seen at Rollesby
and Ormesby early in May, and one at Hickling on June 9th
and July 8th (J. Vincent).

SPOONBILL (Platalea 1. leucorodia).—Several Spoonbills,
as usual, put in an appearance during the spring. On Breydon
one was seen from April 18th to 2oth, five from June 8th to
roth, and three on June 14th (S. H. Long and A. H. Patterson).
One visited Horsey from April 21st till May 5th (A. Buxton).
One was seen at Salthouse on May 2gth (M. Barclay), while
at Hickling one was seen on June gth and two stayed from
July 1st to 8th (J. Vincent).

CoMMON BITTERN (Botaurus s. stellaris)—Major A. Buxton
tells me that this spring ten could be heard booming on, or
close to the boundary of, the Horsey Estate. On July 26th—a

362 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

late date—a nest with two eggs was found in a locality in the
Yare valley, where they have not been known to nest before.

FLAMINGO (Phenicopterus 7. antiquorum).—One was ob-
served on Breydon from July 14th to 23rd (S. H. Long). So
many of these birds are kept in semi-captivity that this must
be regarded as a probable “‘ escape ’”’.

GARGANEY (Anas querquedula).—Garganeys, which between
1928 and 1931 bred in greatly increased numbers in the
county, have, during the past three seasons, again become
very scarce. Capt. H. J. Cator tells me that none appeared
at Ranworth this year, and only two pairs bred at Hickling
(J). Vincent),

BLACK-NECKED GREBE (Podiceps n. nigricollis)—On May
13th I had a close view of one in summer plumage on Hickling
broad. When approached too closely it several times took
to its wings in preference to diving. It remained on the
broad until May 26th (J. Vincent).

CREAM-COLOURED COURSER (Cursorius c. cursor).—As
already reported (antea, p. 242) a Cream-coloured Courser
was shot on the beach at Thornham on October 3rd. It was
a bird of the year, still retaining some feathers of the juvenile
plumage, and is now in the Norwich Museum.

This is the first specimen to be obtained in Norfolk. It was
previously included in the Norfolk list on two sight records,
one in the autumn of 1847 and the other in the autumn of
1855 or 18506.

DOTTEREL (Charadrius morinellus)—One was seen at
Salthouse on September 5th and three in the same locality
on September 17th (R. M. Garnett).

TEMMINCK’S STINT (Calidris temmincki1)—On May 3tst,
near Cantley, I was fortunate enough to have the oppor-
tunity of watching—in bright sunshine and at no more than
ten yards’ distance—a Temminck’s Stint. When first put
up it flew to a mud wall close by, where it settled itself into a
small depression, tucked its bill behind its scapulars, and went
fast asleep. After sleeping for nearly a quarter of an hour
it woke up, apparently thoroughly refreshed, and preened its
feathers and ran about the wall. Eventually it rose high in
the air and flew straight away out of sight.

In general appearance it resembled very closely a miniature
Common Sandpiper, particularly in the well-defined margin
between the pale brown of the upper breast and the white
underparts. The most striking features in flight were the
very broad white edges and dark brown centre of the tail,
which looked altogether bigger than that of the Little Stint.
The legs and feet were pale green.

VOL. XxvII.] ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT. 363

Woop-SAnpPIPER (Tringa glareola)—On May 30th I
saw two at Horsey, which Major A. Buxton had had under
observation since the 26th.

ICELAND REDSHANK (Tringa t. robusta) —On September Ist
a bird of this race was shot by Mr. M. L. Pilkington at Thorn-
ham, bearing a ring: ‘‘ Skovgaard $.g963””. It proved to
have been ringed as a nestling on July 21st, 1934, at Myvatn,
North Iceland (E. P. Leach).

GREY PHALAROPE (Phalaropus fulicarius)—One was seen
at Salthouse on October 21st (R. M. Garnett).

RED-NECKED PHALAROPE (Phalaropus lobatus).—Single
birds were seen at Salthouse on September 7th, September
29th, October 5th and October 2tst (R. M. Garnett).

Avocet (Recurvirostra avocetta)—On August 2nd two
arrived on Breydon where they remained for a few days.

BLACK-TAILED Gopwit (Limosa 1. limosa).—Black-tailed
Godwits passed through, as usual, in considerable numbers
during the spring migration. The largest number seen to-
gether was fifteen on March 28th, at Salthouse, by Mr. Garnett.
One pair raised high hopes that they would nest in the county,
and it is, indeed, possible that they actually did so.
This pair frequented some dry marshes throughout April,
May, and the early part of June. From the latter part of
May onwards the female was often not to be seen, while the
male mobbed anyone coming on to the marsh, flying round
on quivering wings and calling loudly (J. Vincent). If they
had a nest, which their behaviour suggested and which Mr.
Vincent firmly believes, it is quite possible that this was
destroyed by cattle or horses, many of which were being
grazed on these marshes. They were last seen on June 7th.

Woopcock (Scolopax r. rusticola)—As seemed probable
at the end of 1933 the past winter proved a good one for
Woodcock. Holkham beat its own previous record by
twenty with a total of 354 shot (D. McEwan, pp. S. H. Long).

WHITE-WINGED BLAcK TERN (Chlidonias leucopterus).—
A White-winged Black Tern was seen at Cley by Mr. R. M.
Garnett and Miss M. Barclay on June roth.

SANDWICH TERN (Séerna s. sandvicensis).—The majority of
Sandwich Terns again bred at Salthouse where some 800
nests were counted (Holman). Some 60 pairs nested at Scolt
Head (Chestney) but none at Blakeney Point.

ROSEATE TERN (Sterna d. dougallit)—One pair nested and
hatched both eggs (Chestney).

LITTLE GULL (Larus minutus)—An immature bird was seen
at Salthouse on February 2oth (R. M. Garnett).

(364)

AN ATTEMPT TO CHART FLUCTUATIONS IN
THE SONG OF SONG-THRUSH, BLACKBIRD
AND CHAFFINCH.

BY
Neo Wee ASONISEI SCID ae

AFTER many years of observation and many hundreds of
notes, I attempt here to put the songs of Song-Thrush,
Blackbird and Chaffinch—each collectively—into a_ brief
summary, hoping it may give an added interest to those who,
whether countrymen or town dwellers, delight in our ordinary
birds’ song. Experience in my district of north-west Ireland
may differ from other parts, but it may, at any rate, be a
basis for comparison. That there are very distinct fluctua-
tions in song, both in regard to parts of the day and parts of the
season, there can be no question. The average habit of a
species is hard to determine for two main reasons: first,
because individual birds may vary from it by reason of their
family fortunes; and secondly, because a normally good time
for song may by bad weather become a time of silence.
If all birds had uniform family fortunes through the season,
I am sure we should have extraordinarily well-marked crests
and troughs in song. But it is largely because family fortunes
differ that we enjoy a more even distribution. It will be
understood that increase of song herein may be considered
due either to more song from each bird or to more birds singing,
or both.

SONG-THRUSH (Turdus e. ertcetorum).

The Song-Thrush begins in the season (late December or
early January) by singing, if the weather is fair, in the early
morning from dusk to, say, 9 a.m., and as the days pass
through January more individuals will join in and they may
be heard later in the forenoon, but generally best from 8 a.m. to
10 a.m. Later still in the month we may hear them in the
afternoon, and as January passes Thrush song increases to a
maximum round the last days of January and the first days
of February. But after that the song gradually diminishes
so that from being small after the middle of February, it may
be nothing by the 11th of March. Thrushes have then
altogether given up what I call day song (till a later date),
but there has all along continued a short morning dusk song,
though with few birds singing compared with later on.
However, as the day song was diminishing, an evening song»
started which, at its best later on, occurs between the times of
one and a half hours and half an hour before sunset. This

VOL. Xxvill.] FLUCTUATIONS IN BIRD-SONG. 365

evening song begins between, say, the 3rd and the rath of
February, according to weather. In its turn it dwindles
and will probably have disappeared by the 24th of March if
not before. But again another song has arisen at dark evening
dusk. This isa short but important and attractive song period
lasting from ten to twenty minutes. It is separated by a gap
of, say, three-quarters of an hour from the evening song. It
may begin by the roth of February. It, of course, varies
with the weather. It persists in varying degree throughout
the whole season, and Thrushes may be heard at that hour even
when there are none singing at any other time in the whole
day except at dawn.

In April there seems a certain revival of the January and
February periods, e.g., some song in the early forenoon and
early evening ; but the song is not very marked in daytime
till it expands at the end of April and the first week of May,
and keeps on its peak level till, say, the 23rd of May, when it
diminishes and turns more into an evening song. In some
years in early June there is practically no Thrush song in the
daytime, while in others there is a fair amount. But a little
evening song may possibly be heard from Thrushes right up
to the end of June. (From comparisons I made with Messrs.
Alexander in 1920, the south-east English song-season lasts
some weeks longer than mine. And I may note that while the
song of Thrush, Blackbird and Chaffinch dies off here in June,
yet with many species there appears a resuscitation in the latter
half of June, especially noticeable about the end of the month,
e.g. Lark, Whitethroat, Willow-Wren, Sedge-Warbler, Corn-
Crake, Woodcock, Snipe, but all ceasing within July.)

BLACKBIRD (Turdus m. merula).

While with Thrushes the song (excepting the dawn song)
passes forward on the clock round to evening dusk as I have
described, with Blackbirds the reverse is the case. Their
song begins in the evening dusk and develops backwards.
The order is as follows: First the song at evening dusk ;
then there develops what I have called with the Thrushes an
evening song (before dusk) ; then, later, there is added some
afternoon song, and finally song at any time of day. Black-
birds’ song taken collectively does not seem to exhibit a
diminuendo period in mid-season as is shown in Thrushes’
song. Blackbirds make their début in the evening dusk
song, which I have described in regard to Thrushes, but not
till late in February or early in March, and they do not become
very noticeable till after the middle of March, and may not

366 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

be in full force at this hour till the latter half of April. Black-
birds do not continue quite so far into the dark as Thrushes
do; the Thrushes prefer the very last minutes.

The evening song of the Blackbird shows itself about the
18th of March and is well established by the 6th of April.
At that date it is not lengthy and it ends about half an hour
before sunset, but by the 23rd of Aprilit may extend back over
a two-hour period before dark. Some afternoon song from
Blackbirds may be heard from the end of March, but it is not
until mid-April that the day song of Blackbirds reaches back
to early forenoon; and their day song, over all, does not
reach its peak in volume until the first week or later in May.
Through the rest of May and the first week of June Black-
birds’ day song may in some years be more prominent than
that of Thrushes, but the weather needs to be nice. After
mid-June Blackbirds have practically ceased entirely.

CHAFFINCH (Fvingilla c. celebs).

Between 8 a.m. and II a.m. is the most likely time to hear
any Chaffinches singing in February and early March, but as
time passes, and especially if the weather is nice, some may
be heard up to I p.m. From early March there is also a little
song in an hour before sunset. They are silent and probably
away from their territories for long periods in the middle of
the day, especially from I p.m. to 4 p.m., and this may con-
tinue right through March. The latter half of March gives
very little Chaffinch song. In the early days of April there is
again a small rise in song and it increases to the 23rd of April
when it is very good. The sunset song has now become a
notable period in the day, and on through the season this will
probably be the most distinct period and least dependent on
weather. The general song will, as I have said, probably
have reached its high level by the 23rd of April and remain so
to the first week of May. The song then diminishes to very
little in the last days of May or first days of June ; but then,
in most years, there is again a remarkable recrudescence for
a week or so; this in turn dies away completely before the
end of the second week in June, though in some years a bird
may rarely be heard up to the last days of June.

The Chaffinch seems to be a sleep-loving bird though his
day manner is far from sleepy. His morning song does not
begin at earliest till, say, 15 minutes after sunrise in February
and 27 minutes before sunrise in June. His sunset song very
often stops exactly at sunset, and very rarely goes to I5
minutes past sunset. It will in general be best heard some-
where between one and a half hours and half an hour before

VOL. XxvuI.] FLUCTUATIONS IN BIRD-SONG. 367

sunset. By comparing these Chaffinch periods with the morn-
ing and evening dusk songs of Thrush and Blackbird (see
below), it will be seen that the latter song has not begun in the
evening till nearly three-quarters of an hour after the last
Chaffinch has ceased, and the last notes of it will be about an
hour after the Chaffinch. Again it will be seen that the
Chaffinch’s earliest song in the mornings is—right through the
season—just an hour later than the first notes of the dawn
chorus. His sunset song is specially attractive as it often
fills a period when there is little other song ; and his spring
morning song, being not too early, cheers us at our breakfast
time.

THE DAWN AND EVENING DuSK CHORUSES.

Reverting to the morning dusk song, its start by Thrushes
in January is a feeble prototype of the great dawn chorus of
later in the season. This dawn chorus is, like the evening
dusk song, a very short business. The Thrushes do not make
it really well until the first days of March; a Blackbird may
possibly be heard coming into it then, but the Blackbirds
do not join in in force till the first days of April. It goes on
increasing in volume (not in length) through April. It is
always, through the season, far better than its evening
dusk counterpart. Robins are in both these choruses but
never the Chaffinch. His song, as described above, begins
later in the morning and ends earlier in the evening. The
Mistle-Thrush may be heard in the dawn chorus. The
dawn chorus continues good to the end of May, and may not
quite cease till perhaps a week or even a fortnight in June.
The evening dusk chorus, by the last week of May, tends to
change into an extended and dissipated evening song.

The dawn chorus lasts from fifteen to thirty minutes.
It begins at about 40 minutes before sunrise in February; 45
minutes before it at mid-March ; 56 minutes at mid-April; 70
minutes at the end of April, and 84 minutes at the end of May.
The evening dusk chorus, between February and the end of
April, is from ten to at most thirty minutes in length, but
towards the end of May it, as I have said, may lose its charac-
teristics. In February and March its latest notes extend to
about 45 minutes after sunset, at the end of April to 62 minutes
and at the end of May to 76 minutes after sunset. These are
maxima. I should explain that by sunset and sunrise I mean
the theoretical time here irrespective of local physiography.

In most species there is more or less a siesta from song in
the middle of the day (somewhere between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.)
throughout the song season.

TRAPPED HEDGE-SPARROW FEIGNING DEATH.

ANYONE who has trapped Hedge-Sparrows (Prunella modu-
laris) knows that, in the excitement of being released, they will
go through most of the typical actions of sexual display such
as raising or dragging one wing, shuffling along the ground,
half-rolling and so forth. One which I have frequently
trapped has just shown me a new action which I have not seen
described before. As I knelt by the trap holding the gathering
cage for the bird to enter, it stopped the usual display, stood
quite still for a second and then, sinking back on its tail,
half closed its eyes, very slowly bent its head back until its
beak was vertical, then toppled over sideways and lay on
its back with its feet in the air. Wondering if it had died
from excitement I removed the gathering cage from the door
of the trap and put my hand in to pick it up. Just before
I could touch it, it rolled quickly over and made a dash for
the door! I do not believe the bird had suffered temporary
unconsciousness from syncope as it 1s well accustomed to
being released from the same trap and behaved perfectly
normally afterwards. G. R. MOUNTFORT.

ON PINK-FOOTED GEESE.

As I have killed hundreds of Pink-footed Geese (Anser
brachyrhynchus) since the war, and have often had a dozen or
more hanging in the game house, I have had, perhaps, better
opportunities of noting the plumage than many naturalists.
It may, therefore, be of interest if I criticize the description
of the young Pink-footed Geese given in the Practical Hand-
book. I refer to the bird in its first autumn and winter after
its arrival here in September.

First, with regard to the soft parts, the amount of pink
on the bill appears to be an individual peculiarity and in no
way connected with age. Many young birds have most of
the bill pink, and some old ones have only a pink bar behind
the nail. The latter marking is not common in either old or
young.

Next, as regards the legs, these in young birds on first arrival
are yellow but this colour is soon lost. In some by the middle
of November, and usually by Christmas. A few birds retain
the yellow on the front of the tarsus throughout the winter.
When the yellow fades the legs are very pale pink, quite unlike
the deep pink of the old bird. In some, which I take to be
very old birds, the legs are almost purple.

VOL. XXVIII. ] gees. 369

In a row of Geese hanging up in my game house, the
young can be picked out at a glance whether the upper- or
under-side is looked at. In the former position the feathers
of the back are without the broad buff edges of the old birds,
giving a much darker appearance. The under-side has a
marbled appearance quite unlike the almost uniform grey of
the adult. This plumage appears to be retained throughout
the winter.

With regard to food I do not think these birds ever eat
clover. On arrival they resort to the stubbles, preferably
barley, but oats are readily eaten and sometimes wheat. They
will eat the young self-sown corn if the grain has sprouted
as it does in a wet autumn, also the young rye grass. When
the stubbles are done they go to the potato fields where masses
of small and damaged potatoes are left. These, when frozen,
become soft and are readily eaten. Later, when the young
wheat is coming up, they resort to the wheat fields, but they
do not seem to care much for winter-sown oats. At the end
of the winter they resort to the carrs (fens)—where the
young grass has usually begun to grow—and the grass fields
adjoining the upper part of the Humber where they feed on
young grass. Since the war they have increased greatly in
Lincolnshire, and now visit not only the North Wolds but the
potato-growing districts of south Lincolnshire, but they
seldom visit the South Wolds about Louth which was their
principal haunt a hundred years ago.

During recent years I have kept a careful record of the
weights of all the Geese I have shot, and I now find that it
works out according to the following table.

Weight. Number.
lbs. 8 ae oe 5
» 7¥to8 of me 8
wy 0 75 it dite 48
5 OF to? ous ns 53
» 6 to 64 ae oe 126
» 5¢to6 sis fi 50
» 5 to 54 Po me 39
» 4$to5 - ae 7
ue 4 “es ia I

Total ti 337
To a certain extent weight seems to depend on age; the
very light weights being usually young birds in early autumn,
while the very heavy birds always show signs of old age.
In a season in which food is abundant all are slightly heavier,

AI

370 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII,

The Bean-Goose is now almost extinct here. I have not
seen one for several years. When I was a boy they were not
uncommon in small parties in the low country bordering the
coast. G. H. Caton HaAIcuH.

BLACK-THROATED DIVER IN BERKSHIRE.
An adult female Black-throated Diver (Colymbus a. arcticus),
in winter plumage, was caught ona trimmer, baited with dace,
for pike, on March 8th, 1935. A cold north-east wind was
blowing at the time, and had been blowing for 24 hours or so.
The line was set from the Berkshire side of the Enborne
river, which forms part of the boundary between Hampshire
and Berkshire. The bird was also landed on the Berkshire
side, so I think it can be claimed for that county.
GEORGE Brown.

ICELAND REDSHANK IN MONMOUTHSHIRE.
On November 3rd, 1934, whilst observing wildfowl on the
tidal flats at Peterstone Wentloog, Mon., I noticed a single
Redshank feeding at the bottom of a main drain.

As it appeared larger and darker than the usual Common
Redshank, and as I had already obtained an example of
the Iceland race from the same locality during December,
1933, I thought it might be another and proceeded to stalk
and shoot the bird.

It proved to be an adult male and its identity as an Iceland
Redshank (Tvinga totanus robusta) has been kindly confirmed
by Mr. H. F. Witherby.

Both the specimens I have secured were single birds and
I never heard either utter a single note. Messrs. Ingram
and Salmon also noticed this silence in some Redshanks,
apparently of the Iceland race, at Kenfig Pool in Glamorgan-
shire.

In life the Iceland Redshank looks very much darker and
larger than the Common Redshank. J. G. WILLIAMS.

ON SOME FURTHER OCCURRENCES OF THE ICELAND
REDSHANK IN TEE BRITISH ISEeSs:
In British Birds, Vol. XIV., p. 280, the late Mrs. Meinertzhagen
(Miss Annie C. Jackson) detailed the British occurrences of
the Iceland Redshank (Tvinga totanus robusta) and listed in
all twelve examples, seven of these being for Scotland, three
for England and one each for Wales and Ireland. More
recently Geoffrey C. S. Ingram and H. Morrey Salmon (antea,
Vol. XXVII., pp. 358, 359) record a specimen obtained in
Wales and three others seen, which they considered as of this
race, while there is the example, recorded by H. F, Witherby

NOTES. 371

VOL. XXVIII. ]
and Miss E. P. Leach, which refers to a bird ringed in Iceland
and recovered in Orkney (Vol. XXVI., p. 359).

Hartert (Vég. pal. Fauna, Vol. Il., pp. 1610, 1611) gives
the wing measurements of the typical race as 145-161 mm.,
and quoting Schidler (Dansk Orn. Foren Tidskrift, XIIL.,
p. 211) for vobusta 157-171 mm., the majority 160-166 mm. for
males, and 158-170 mm. for females.

The status for vobusta as defined in the Practical Handbook
as probably a regular autumn to spring migrant, is well sub-
stantiated by the fact that of thirteen Redshank received by
me during the seasons 1933, 1934-35, and one prior to this,
1911, no fewer than eleven are, on account of their longer
wing measurements, stouter legs and feet, or darker upper-
parts when taken in conjunction with a long wing, referable
to robusta. In the series I have examined, the upper-parts
of the typical race are of a fairly light shade of bronze brown,
some lighter, some darker, whereas these parts in robusta
are of a slate colour with a distinctly greenish sheen, and in a
series appear darker. With regard to the undersides the
amount of spotting and streaking is very variable in both
races, and would not seem to provide any reliable difference.
It must be recognized that there are individuals in which the
measurements overlap and in which the colour distinctions are
indeterminate.

Below are the data of the eleven examples in my collection
which appear to be of the Icelandic race :—

Date. Sex. Age. Skull. Locality. Wing.
TG. x34. Imm. to1st Incompletely Tetney Lock,
winter. ossified. Lincolnshire. 171.5 mm.
19. x.34. 6 Imm.torst Incompletely Tetney Lock,
winter. ossified. Lincolnshire. 163 mm,
19. x.34. ¢ Imm.torst Incompletely Tetney Lock,
winter. ossified. Lincolnshire. 162 mm.
19. x.34. 2 Imm.totist Incompletely Tetney Lock,
winter. ossified. Lincolnshire. 174 mm.
rg.ix.34. 92 Imm.infull Not Rye Harbour
moult. examined. Sussex. 169 mm.
4.x1.33. @ ist winter. Lightly Pegwell Bay,
ossified. Kent. 167 mm.
10.xi.34. 4 Imm.torst Incompletely Pegwell Bay,
winter. ossified. Kent. 166 mm.
4. 1.35. o Imm.to ist Incompletely Grainthorpe
winter. ossified. Haven, Lincs. 166 mm.
4. 1.35. od Imm.torst Incompletely Grainthorpe
winter. ossified. Haven, Lincs. 167mm.
18. 1.34. Q Imm.torst Not Northcotes
winter. examined. Fitties, Lincs. 167mm.
Kir. ¢@ Ad. Not Woodbridge,
examined. Suffolk. 163 mm.

A2

JAmMEs M. Harrison,

372 BRITISH BIRDS. | VOL. XXVIII.

[In addition to the examples referred to above I have
notes of the following :—One mentioned by Pashley in his
Notes on the Birds of Cley, with a wing of 165 and bill 45,
obtained at Cley, Norfolk, September gth, 1892, and two
others from Cley, male, August 3rd, 1896, wing 169; male,
September 7th, 1914, wing 163 (Riviére, Hist. Birds of Norfolk);
three recorded by Dr. C. B. Ticehurst in his History of the
Birds of Suffolk: a male, February 25th, 1913, with wing
166.5, and two females, January 23rd, 1914, with wings
170 and 166; a female m the collection of Mr R. A. Hi.
Coombes, from Morecambe Bay, Lancs., with a wing of 171 ;
one mentioned by Mr. T. H. Harrisson (bis, 1932, p. 454)
from N. Rona, August, 1931, with a wing of 169; a female
in Col. R. Meinertzhagen’s collection from S. Uist, January
5th, 1934, with a wing of 173.5 ; and a second bird ringed in
Iceland in July, 1933, which was obtained near Wick, Caith-
ness, October 15th, 1934, this being a female with a wing of
165 and now in the British Museum collection, while a third,
recovered in Norfolk, is recorded on p. 363.

It should be mentioned that while the Iceland Redshank
tends to be darker than the Common Redshank in winter
plumage this is by no means always so. I have recently,
for instance, had sent to me a British ringed Redshank in its
first winter which is quite as dark as any Iceland winter
bird I have been able to compare. It would be very unwise
therefore to conclude that a dark looking bird in the field was
of the Iceland form, while apparent size would be an equally
uncertain guide owing to sexual and individual variation.
—H.F.W.]

EARLY BROOD:*OF COOTS DIN CHESHIRE.
On March 3rd, 1935, I saw a pair of Coots (Fulica a. atra)
accompanied by four young at Rostherne, Cheshire. The
young appeared to be about a month old, so that the eggs
must have been laid in January or even, perhaps, at the end
of December. S. B. Woop.

CHIFFCHAFF WINTERING IN LANCASHIRE.—Mr. Irvine
Whittaker has given us particulars of a Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus
collybita) which spent the winter in a sheltered wood adjoining
the Heywood Sewage Farm. He first saw the bird on Novem-
ber 11th, 1934, and subsequently repeatedly until March 8th,
1935. Mr. Whittaker got close views of the bird and from
details he has given us it would appear to have been of the
typical form.

EARLY BLACKCAPS IN WORCESTERSHIRE.—Mr. P. E. A.
Morshead informs us that since writing about the hen Blackcap

VOL, XXVIII. ] NOTES. 373

(Sylvia atricapilla) trapped in his garden at Malvern in
February (antea, p. 315) he has caught and ringed two male
Blackcaps, one on March 8th and the other on the 11th.
Mr. Morshead thinks this may point to an early migration
rather than wintering. Incidentally he has never seen a
Blackcap in his garden before at any time of year.

LETTER.

GREAT CRESTED GREBES AND THE DROUGHT.
To the Editors of British Birps.

Sirs,—A sample count of Great Crested Grebes (Podiceps c. cristatus)
is to be taken during the coming summer under the auspices of the
British Trust for Ornithology.

The main object of the count is to ascertain as far as possible what
effect the past two years’ drought has had upon the birds. In some
places breeding was made impossible through continual alteration of
the water level, while other waters almost dried up, and so were unable
to support even a non-breeding bird. The threat of continued drought
this summer increases the importance of this aspect of the count.

It is also hoped to discover the general trend of numbers and distribu-
tion since 1931.

To obtain a representative count, the following areas, in each of
which it is hoped to take a complete census, have been chosen :
Somerset, Wilts., Berks., Bucks., a circle of twenty miles’ radius round
London, Oxford, Glamorgan, Leicester, some Norfolk Broads, Cheshire,
parts of Yorkshire, and Midlothian. Observers have already under-
taken all these areas, but in a number of cases additional helpers would
be welcomed.

The main purpose of this notice, however, is to draw the attention
of ornithologists generally to the enquiry. It is felt that during the
summer many will have opportunities of reporting the absence or
presence of Grebes on various waters outside the chosen areas, and the
collection of those observations would be a valuable supplement to
the census records.

All those, therefore, who expect to find themselves in a position to
make such observations are asked to apply to me for a schedule on
which to enter them. P. A. D. Hottom.
BIRCHFIELD, ADDLESTONE, SURREY.

REVIEW.

“The Winter Starling Roosts of Great Britain, 1932-1933.’ By
B. J. Marples (The Journal of Animal Ecology, 3, pp. 187-203,
Nov., 1934).

In the winter of 1932-3 Mr. B. J. Marples endeavoured to obtain
information about all the main roosts of Starlings (Sturynus v. vulgaris)
in Great Britain, and the published results of the enquiry are now
before us. Letters to the newspapers, and a wireless appeal, brought
in many reports, and, in addition, certain local ornithological societies
and individuals undertook to cover particular areas, or counties.
Altogether 224 roosts were recorded in England, 22 in Wales and 39
in Scotland. Their approximate positions are shown in a map, which

374 BRITISH BIRDS. [VOL. XXVIII.

indicates that hardly any of them were situated at altitudes over 600
feet above sea-level, but otherwise seems to show a very irregular
distribution. They are also listed in an appendix.

Mr. Marples thinks it unlikely that many large roosts were not
reported, except, perhaps, in Scotland. The county in which most
roosts were recorded was Cornwall, with 13. The West Riding of
Yorkshire had 12, Devon and Sussex 11 each, and Cheshire and Hamp-
shire 10 each. The acknowledgments which the author makes, to
those who helped him by surveying definite areas, suggest that most of
these counties were covered, and one cannot avoid a suspicion that this
may partly account for the numbers recorded. In any case it would
surely have been desirable to state which counties were surveyed, so
that readers could judge for themselves whether the density recorded
in particular counties was perhaps partly dependent on the presence
of active ornithologists in them.

Mr. Marples provides diagrams showing the approximate number of
roosts per I,000 square miles in each county and also the number per
1,000 square miles below 600 feet. As he remarks, counties are not
very satisfactory units for this purpose, owing to their very unequal
sizes. It might have been preferable to use the provinces into which
the counties are grouped for botanical purposes, which are more nearly
equal in area.

The diagrams indicate that the southern and south-eastern counties
of England and the north-western midlands have the highest density
of Starling roosts, whilst the lowest densities occur in E. Yorkshire,
Lincolnshire, E. Anglia and a belt of counties across the centre of
England from the Wash to the Severn. Mr. Marples apparently
assumes that the density of the Starling population is indicated by the
density of roosts, but it is obvious that this is not necessarily the case.
It may be that in areas where roosts are fewer they are also larger,
perhaps because suitable roosting places are scarce, whilst where suitable
roosting places are plentiful the roosts might tend to be smaller.
However, if it is assumed that Starlings are actually most numerous
in winter in the areas where roosts are thickest on the ground, compari-
son with the maps in the Agricultural Atlas of England and Wales
suggests that their distribution accords fairly closely with the dis-
tribution of dairy cattle and of pigs.

Of 247 roosts as to which reports were received, no less than 107
had been in use for over 10 years. The one on Lundy is known to have
existed with only short breaks for 180 years, and the one in the reeds
at Slapton Ley, south Devon, for 135 years. The places selected for
roosting are of various types, the principal being reeds 52 roosts,
conifers 48, deciduous trees 47 and evergreens 37. In many cases
roosts in reeds and deciduous trees are only used during the late summer
and autumn, the birds moving into conifers or evergreens in the colder
months. The damage done to the trees seems to have been exaggerated,
reports indicating that the only species which are seriously affected
are spruce and Douglas firs. The claim that the foul condition in a
roost drives away other birds (especially Pheasants) and foxes from a
covert used by Starlings was also not substantiated, as in a large
proportion of cases other birds were reported as roosting in the same
woods.

Many other interesting details are recorded in this valuable paper,
which should certainly be consulted by all students of the habits of
birds, and Mr. Marples is to be congratulated on accomplishing an
important piece of work. W.B.A.

(375)
INDEX.

Note.—The nomenclature followed in this volume is in accordance with
the ‘‘ Systematic List’ printed at the end of the Volume II. of A
Practical Handbook of British Birds and reprinted in A Check-List
of British Birds, and the additions and alterations appearing on
pages 101-2 of Volume XXII., pages 24 and 25 of Volume XXIV.,
pages 8 and 16 of Volume XXVI., pages 2 and 3 of Volume XXVII.,
and pages 90-96 of Volume XXVIII. of British Birds.

aalge, Uyvia
Northern.

ACLAND, Miss C. M., Note on Alpine
Swifts in Pembrokeshire, 174.

acuta, Anas, see Pintail.

@salon, Falco, see Merlin.

alba, Crocethia, see Sanderling.

alba, Tyto a., see Owl, Barn-.

albellus, Mergus, see Smew.
albicilla, Halizetus a., see Eagle,
White-tailed.

albionis, Urvia a.,
Southern.

ALEXANDER, H. G., Note on Fire-
crested Wren in Kent and the
bird’s call-note, 349.

——, W. B., Letter on Black-
headed Gulls nesting in trees
at Twigmoor, 152; Notes on
Crested Tits in W. Ross-shire,

a., see Guillemot,

see Guillemot,

277; Grey Plovers in Wilt-
shire, 281.
alexandyinus, Charadrius a., see

Plover, Kentish.

ALLEN, E. F., and Natsu, J. M.,
Note on Raven’s Nest with
ten eggs, 27.

alpestris, Turdus
Alpine Ring-.

alpina, Calidris, see Dunlin.

altifrons, Charadrius a., see Plover,
Northern Golden.

anethetus, Sterna, see Tern, Bridled.

ANDERSON, J. A., Letter on Pintail
breeding in Dumbartonshire
and hand-reared birds, 246.

anglovrum, Regulus r., see Wren,
Golden-crested.

anser, Anser, see Goose, Grey Lag-.

t., see Ouzel,

antiquorum, Pheenicopterus r., see
Flamingo.
apricarius, Charadrius a., see

Plover, Golden.
apus, Apus a., see Swift.
arcticus, Colymbus, see Diver, Black-
throated.
argentatus, Larus 4.,
Herring-.
avistotelis,Phalacrocorax a., see Shag,

see Gull,

ARMITAGE, JOHN, Lapland and
other Buntings on the Pen-
nines in winter, 230; Note on
Palate Markings of Nestling
Sky-Lark (Plate 1), 27.

arquata, Numenius a., see Curlew,
Common.

arvensis, Alauda, see Lark, Sky-.

AsHMorE, S. E., Time of singing
of the Goat-sucker, 259.

AsTLEy, A., Notes on Two Nests of
Golden-crested Wrens in one
tree, 49; young Swallows assist-
ing in building second nest, 204.

Atlantic, North, Birds seen in,
Aug. and Sept., 1934, 269.

atra, Fulica, see Coot.

atricapilla, Sylvia a., see Blackcap.

Auk, Great, The skins and eggs of,
S38. (320;

auritus, Podiceps,
Slavonian.

Avocet, in Hampshire, 174; at
Brooklands Sewage Farm, 343 ;
in Norfolk, 363.

avosetta, Recurvivostra, see Avocet.

see Grebe,

Baron, S., Notes on Nest Mortality,
77: on Dartford Warbler in
Devonshire, 204.

bassana, Sula, see Gannet.

Baytis, Dr. H. A., Parasitological
Report on Razorbills infected
with intestinal Flukes, 189.

BEDFORD, DucHEss oF, Note on
Dunlin in summer plumage in
January, 313.

bensonorum, Carduelis flavirostris,
see Twite, Hebridean.

Best, ALan T., see HUXLEY,
PROF. JULIAN S.

bewickii, Cygnus, see Swan,
Bewick’s.

BrsLE, E. H. T., Note on Ferru-
ginous Duck in Merionethshire,
207.

Birds laying while still attending
brood, 151, 182.

Bittern, Little, in Sussex, 206.

376

Blackbird, Nest with seven eggs, 29;
Utilizing discarded nest, 50;
Strange nest - building by
wounded, 79; Movements of
ringed, to and from abroad,
110; Recovery of marked, 44,
239; Song of, 365.

Blackcap, in February and March,
in Worcestershire, 315, 372;

Bluethroat, White-spotted, in
Norfolk, 360.

BoasE, Henry, On the Display,
Nesting and Habits of the
Sheld-Duck, 218.

BoLaM, GEORGE, Notice of death
Ol, 2A

Boyp, A. W., A Fly parasitic on the
Swallow, 225 ; Notes on Black-
headed Gulls nesting in trees,
115; Notes from Altrincham
Sewage Farm, Cheshire, 343 ;
from Staffordshire Reservoirs,
3453 Notes on the Tree-
Sparrow, 1934, 347.

brachyrhynchus, Ansey, see Goose,
Pink-footed.

Brambling, Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 110, 243 ; Recovery
of marked, 238; Breeding
range of, 243.

britannica, Carduelis c., see Gold-
finch, British.

britannicus, Lyrurus t., see Grouse,

Black.

, Parus a., see Titmouse, Coal-.

British List, Additions and Altera-
tions to the, go.

British Trust for Ornithology, Notes
on The, 75.

Brown, GEORGE, Note on Black-
throated Diver in Berkshire,

370.
—, R. H., The Food of certain

Birds of Prey, 2575, -Note on
Incubation- and _ Fledging-
Periods of Wren, 204; Letter

on the Grassholm Gannets, 214.
——, RoBeErt L., Note on some
breeding-habits of Kingfishers,

BRYSON, DEREK, see SERLE,
WILLIAM.
Bunting, Corn-, Breeding-Habits,

2,154; Polygamous Habit, 2 ;
Early nesting of, in Skye, 87 ;
Differences in the breeding-
habits of Sussex and Cornish,
119.

BRITISH BIRDS.

Bunting, Lapland, on Pennines in
winter, 230.

——,, Little, in Fife, 212.

——, Reed-, Recovery of marked,
42 ; on Pennines in winter, 230.

——, Snow, Inland in Kent, 142;
Inland in Essex, 212; Inland
in Essex, correction to, 283 ;
on Pennines in winter, 230.

——., Yellow, Recovery of marked,

42.
Burkitt, J. P., Notes on the Rook,
322; Fluctuations in song of
Song-Thrush, Blackbird and
Chaffinch, 364.
Burne, H. J. K., Note on Spotted
Flycatcher laying three times
in one nest, 203.
buteo, Buteo b.,
Common.
Buzzard, Common, Brood of five,
52; in Lancashire, 86; Food
of, 258; in Outer Hebrides,

see Buzzard,

315.
—, Rough-legged, Unrecorded
specimen from Kent, 147.

Capman, W. A., An attacking
Tawny Owl, 130.

calandva, Emberiza c., see Bunting,
Corn-.

CAMPBELL, Dr. J. W., Notes on an
unrecorded Essex Heronry,
52; Continental Jay and
Scandinavian Lesser Black-
backed Gull in Essex, 276.

canadensis, Branta c., see Goose,
Canada.

cannabina, Carduelis c., see Linnet.

canorus, Cuculus, see Cuckoo.

canus, Larus c., see Gull, Common.

canutus, Calidris c., see Knot.

cavbo, Phalacvocovax c., see Cor-
morant.

CARTER, G. N., Letter on the Skins
and Eggs of the Great Aug, 320.

Chaffinch, Recovery of marked,
41, 237; Nesting in disused
Swallow's nest, 49; Move-
ments of ringed, to and from
abroad, 110; Song of, 366.

Chiffchaff, a triangle, 142; in
Northumberland in November,
244; wintering in Lancs., 372.

chlovis, Chloris ch., see Greenfinch.

chlovopus, Gallinula ch., see Moor-
Hen.

INDEX. 377
cinerea, Ardea c., see Heron, Curlew, Recovery of marked, 71,
Common. 266; Movements of ringed,
——, Motacilla c., see Wagtail, | from abroad, 139.
Grey. | ——, Stone-, Movements of ringed,
citrinella, Emberiza, see Bunting, | to abroad, 137; Recovery of
Yellow. marked, 263.

CLANCEY, Puirip A., On the Habits
of Kingfishers, 295; Note on
Water-weed in Kingfisher cast-
ings, 174.

claiga, Aquila, see Eagle, Spotted.

clangula, Bucephala c., see Golden- |

eye.

clavket, Turdus ph., see Thrush,
Song-.

cly peata, Spatula, see Shoveler.

coburni, Turdus m., see Redwing, |

Iceland.
celebs, Fringilla c., see Chaffinch.
CoHEN, Epwin, Notes on Hobby in
Cheshire, 85; Bewick’s Swan
in Anglesey, 280.
collurio, Lanius c.,
Red-backed.

see Shrike,

collybita, Phylloscopus c., see Chiff- |

chaff.
comminutus, Dryobates m., see
Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted.

Congress, The VIIIth International |

Ornithological, 73.

CONGREVE, Major W. M., Notes on
large brood of Alpine Ring-
Ouzels, 81; the Clutch of the
Golden Oriole, 78.

Coot, Recovery of marked, 268 ;
Early brood in Cheshire, 372.

Cormorant, Recovery of marked,
69, 262 ; Movements of ringed,
to and from abroad, 136; at
Staffordshire Reservoirs, 346.

cornix, Corvus c., see Crow, Hooded.

corone, Corvus, see Crow, Carrion-.
coturnix, Coturnix, see Quail.

Courser, Cream-coloured, in Nor-
folk, 242.

crecca, Anas, see Teal.

crex, Crex, see Rail, Land-.

cristatus, Podiceps c., see Grebe,

Great Crested.

Crow, Carrion-, Recovery’ of
marked, 36.

Crow, Hooded, at Altrincham

Sewage Farm, 343.
Crowe, GEOFFREY, Note on Wood-
chat seen in Sussex, 50.
Cuckoo, Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 112 ; Calling in Devon
in October, 300.

cursory, Cursorius, see Courser,
Cream-coloured.

cyanecula, Luscinia s., see Blue-
throat, White-spotted.

cyaneus, Circus C¢., see Harrier,

Hen-.

dartfordiensis, Sylvia u., see Warb-
ler, Dartford.

Davis, H. H., Note on Rose-

coloured Starling at Lundy, 49.

; , and TETLEY, H., Note

on Waders in the Bristol

District, 1933-1934, 281.

Dipper, Breeding in Hoy, Orkney,
283; Distribution and number
of, on the N. and S. Esks,
Midlothian, 327.

——., Irish form of, in Arran, 96.

Diver, Black-throated, in Berk-
shire, 370.
| ——-, Red-throated, in Inner
London, 292.
domesticus, Passer d., see Sparrow,
House-.

Dotterel, in Hampshire, 175.

Dove, Stock-, Recovery of marked,
70, 265 ; Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 136.

—, Turtle-, Recovery of marked,
70, 265.

Duck, Ferruginous, in Norfolk,
31, 53; in Merionethshire, 207.

——, Long-tailed, in Hampshire,
241; in Sussex, 316; in Nor-
folk, 316.

——., Scaup, Movements of ringed,
from abroad, 136.

——. Sheld-, nesting in straw-stack,

148; Display, Nesting and
Habits, 218; at Brooklands,
342; at Altrincham, 343;

at Staffs. Reservoirs, 345.

——, Tufted, Recovery of marked,
69, 262 ; Movements of ringed
from abroad, 136.

Duncan, A. B., see McWILLIAM,
Rev. J. M.

Dunlin, in summer plumage in
January, 313.

378

Eagle, Spotted, probably in Nor-
folk, 360.

—., White-tailed, in Norfolk, 361.

Epwarps, HENRY H., Note on
Cream-coloured Courser in Nor-
folk, 242.

EGGELING, W. J., Notes on Song-
Thrush alighting on sea and
killed by Lesser Black-backed
Gull, 28 ; Chaffinch nesting
in disused Swallow’s nest, 49;
Whinchat’s early nesting and
building again while feeding
young, 144.

Eider, Common, in Norfolk, 316.

Emmet, Rev. Howarp J., Notes
on Swallow clutches and
broods, 146; Sheld-Duck
nesting in straw-stack, 148.

ENGLISH, R. D., Note on Black-
bird using discarded nest, 50.

evicetovrum, Turdus e., see Thrush,
British Song-.

evythropus, Tringa, see Redshank,

Spotted.

euvopeus, Caprimulgus eé., see
Nightjar.

excubitor, Lanius, see Shrike, Great
Grey.

faeroeensis, Capella g., see Snipe,
Feeroe.

falcinellus, Limicola f., see Sand-
piper, Broad-billed.

Falcon, Peregrine, Food of, 257.

ferina, Nyroca, see Pochard, Com-
mon.

Firecrest, in Hampshire, 28.

Flamingo in Norfolk, 362.

flammeus, Asio f., see Owl, Short-
eared.

flava, Evemophila a.,
Shore-.

—, Motacilla f.,
Blue-headed.

Flycatcher, Pied,
marked, 43, 238 ;
Perthshire, 87 ;
Lanarkshire, 315.

——, Red-breasted,
area, 282.

——, Spotted, Parents protecting
nestlings from heat of sun, 142 ;
Laying three times in one nest,
203; Using same nest and
rearing young Cuckoo, 349.

see Lark,
see Wagtail,
Recovery of
Nesting in

Breeding in

in Forth

BRITISH BIRDS.

Forty, H..T. H., Note on Red-
breasted Goose in Pembroke-
shire, Sil,

Food of certain Birds-of-Prey, 257.

, and Territory, 285, 287.

Forth Area, Scarce birds in, 282.

| frugilegus, Corvus f., see Rook.
| fulicarius, Phalaropus, see Phala-

rope, Grey.
| fuligula, Nyroca, see Duck, Tufted.
fusca, Oidemia f., see Scoter,
Velvet-.

fuscus, Larus f., see Gull, Scandi-
navian Lesser Black-backed.

Gadwall, Movements of ringed,
from abroad, 134.

| gallinago, Capella g., see Snipe,
Common.

Gannet, Recovery of marked, 69,
263; Colonies of Iceland, 100,
NOS On: Movements of
ringed, to abroad, 136; Grass-

holm, Letter on the, 214;
in North Atlantic, 274; in
Nottingham, 284; in Middle-

sex, 312.

GARDINER, Miss PHYLLIS, Note on
Strange Nest - building by
wounded Blackbird, 79.

Garganey, Breeding in Cambridge-
shire, 32; in Lancashire, 86;
Nesting in Kent, 212; at
Staffordshire Reservoirs, 345 ;
Scarcity in Norfolk, 362.

GARNETT, RonaLtp M., Note on
Fire-crested Wren in Norfolk,
310.

gibvaltariensis, Phenicurus o., see
Redstart, Black.

glacialis, Fulmarus g., see Petrel,

Fulmar.

glandarius, Garvulus g., see Jay,
Continental.

glaveola, Tvinga, see Sandpiper,
Wood-.

GLEGG, WILLIAM E., Letter on
Essex Heronries, 120; Note
on Red-breasted Mergansers in
Middlesex, 349.

Goatsucker, see Nightjar.

GODDARD, T. RussELL, Notes on
Colour Variation and Habits of
Short-eared Owl, 290.

Godwit, Bar-tailed, at Altrincham
Sewage Farm, 344.

INDEX.

Godwit, Black-tailed, in South
Devon, 119; in Cheshire, 175; in
Cornwall, 175; in Gloucester-
shire, 282; in Somerset,
282 ; in Devon, 309 ; at Brook-
land’s Sewage Farm, 343; at
Altrincham Sewage Farm, 344 ;
in Norfolk, 363.

Goldeneye, in Inner London, 292 ;
at Staffordshire Reservoirs,
346.

Goldfinch, Recovery of marked, 41.

Goocn, G. B., Note on Oyster-
catchers’ method of removing
Limpets, 351.

Goosander, at Staffordshire Reser-
voirs, 346.

Goose, Canada, at

Sewage Farm, 343.

, Grey Lag-, Movements of

ringed, from abroad, 134.

——, Pink-footed, On, 368.

——., Red-breasted, in Pembroke-
shire, 311.

grave, Fratercula a., see Puffin.

graellsii, Larus f., see Gull, British
Lesser Black-backed.

Altrincham

gravis, Puffinus, see Shearwater,
Great.
Grebe, Black-necked, Status of

colony in Forth area, 207; at
Staffordshire Reservoirs, 346.
—, Great Crested, Territory in
the, 191, 246; at the Tring
Reservoirs, 250 ; Territory and
Food, 287; at Staffordshire
Reservoirs, 346; and drought,

373-

——, Slavonian, in Inner London,
241, 292.

Greenfinch, Recovery of marked,
39, 237; A “ Homing” Ex-
periment, 276.

Greenshank, Incubation-period of,
210; in Somerset, 282; at
Brookland’s Sewage Farm, 342;
at Altrincham Sewage Farm,
344; at Staffordshire Reser-
voirs, 346.

griseus, Puffinus, see Shearwater,
Sooty.

Grouse, Black, Food of, 316.

Guillemot, Northern, in Inner
London, 34.

—, Southern, Recovery of
marked, 268.

——-, Tameness of a, 314.
gularis, Cinclus c., see Dipper.

379

Gull, Black-headed, Breeding in
Cambridgeshire, 32; Nesting
in trees, 115, 152; Movements
of ringed from abroad, 140;
Nesting in trees in Suther-
land, 244.

——, Common, Recovery of
marked, 72, 267; Movements
of ringed, from abroad, 140.

——, Glaucous, in Cornwall, 29.

——, Great Black-backed, Re-
covery of marked, 72; Move-
ments of ringed, to abroad,
141; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 245.

—, Herring-,

ringed, from abroad,

Recovery of marked, 267.

. Iceland, in Hampshire, 29 ;

in Dorset, 29; Plumage

changes, 199; in Inverness-

Movements of
I4I ;

shire, 244; in Renfrewshire,
244; in Edinburgh, 245; in
Devon, 309.

——, Lesser Black-backed, Re-

covery of marked, 72, 268 ;
Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 141; at Altrincham
Sewage Farm, 345.
——, Little, in Essex,
Norfolk, 363.

——, Scandinavian Lesser Black-
backed Gull in Somerset and
Gloucestershire, i Me in
Devon, 176, 309; in Essex,
276; in Inner London, 294.

Gullery, Dates of Laying in a, 55.

175; in

HaicH, G. H. Caton, Note on
Pink-footed Geese, 368.

halietus, Pandion, see Osprey.

Harpy, Eric, Note on Scarce
Birds in Lancashire, 86.

Harrier, Hen-, in Sussex, 315; in
Norfolk, 361.

—, Montagu’s,
Marked, 261 ;
279.

Harrison, Dr. JAMES M., Notes
on Snow-Buntings from inland
in Kent, 142; an unrecorded
Rough-legged Buzzard from
Kent, 147; Buff-breasted Sand-
piper in Sussex, 148; Spotted
Redshanks and Temminck's
Stint in Lincolnshire, 149 ; Ice-
land Redshank in British
Islands, 370.

Recovery of
in Oxfordshire,

380

HaArTHAN, A. J., Note on A Census
of Nightingales in S. Worces-
tershire, 50.

Hartley, P. H. TRAHAIR, Note on
Apparent Polygamy of the
Willow-Warbler, 78.

Hawk, Sparrow-, Food of, 258;
Recovery of marked, 261.

hebridensis, Turdus e., see Thrush,
Hebridean Song-.

hebvidium, Prunella m., see Spar- |

row, Hebridean Hedge-.

Heron, Common, Recovery
marked, 68, 262 ;
of ringed, to and from abroad,
133; Food of, 258; Index of
Population, 332.

Heronries, Essex, 120.

Heronry, Unrecorded, from Essex,

52, 88.

hiaticula, Charadrius h., see Plover,
Ringed.

hibernicus, Cinclus c., see Dipper,
Irish.

——, Prunella m., see Sparrow,
Irish Hedge-.

HicciIns, RopNEeEY H., Note on
late passage of Swifts in Sussex,
279.

hivundo, Sterna
Common.

hispanica, Gienanthe, see Wheatear,
Black-eared.

Hobby, Breeding in Cambridge-
shire, 32; in Cheshire, 85;
in Breconshire, 205; in Nor-
folk, 360.

Horo, (2> A DS Notes onl 2
Census of Nightingales in N.W.
Surrey, 81; Late passage of
Swifts in Sussex, 204; Brook-
lands Sewage Farm, Surrey,
342; Letter on Great Crested
Grebes and the Drought, 373.

IFOrMES, 2. FS and ier, ID) By,
Letter on the Gannet Colony of
Grimsey, North Iceland, 3109.

Howarp, Error, Letter on Terri-
tory and Food, 285.

HURRELL, H. G., Note on a Chiff-
chaff triangle, 142.

HUXLEY, PROFESSOR JULIAN G.,
and Brest, ALAN T., A Census
of Water-Birds on the High-
gate and Kenwood Ponds,
129; Letter on, 288.

hyemalis, Clangula, see Duck, Long-
tailed.

h., see Tern,

OLN
Movements |

BRITISH

BIRDS.

hyperboreus, Larus, Gull
Glaucous.

hypoleuca, Muscicapa h., see Fly-
catcher, Pied.

hypoleucos, Tvinga, see Sandpiper,

Common.

see

ignicapillus, Regulus i., see Wren,
Fire-crested.

impennis, Alca, see Auk, Great.

Incubation- and Fledging-Periods
of Wren, 204.

Incubation-period of Greenshank,
210.

INGRAM, Mervyn J., Note on Little
Bittern seen in Devonshire, 53.

interpres, Avenariai., see Turnstone.

ispida, Alcedo a., see Kingfisher.

Jackdaw, Recovery of marked,
36s 23515 Movements of
ringed, to abroad, 106.

—-, Scandinavian, Addition to

_ the British List, go.

Jay, Continental, in Essex, 276.

JouRDAIN, Rey, . C. K., Tie
Skins and Eggs of the Great
Auk, 233 ; Notes on the Clutch
of the Golden Oriole, 78;
Song-Thrush attacking Lizard,
ih} § Black-headed Gulls
nesting in trees, 152; Second
broods of Titmice, 203 ; Land-
Rail in winter in Hants., 314.

KeitH, D. B., see Hormes, P. F.

Kenrick, W. E., Note on Green-
finch ‘‘ Homing ’’, 276.

Kestrel, Food of, 258; Recovery of
marked, 261.

Krywoop, K. P., Note on Little
Bittern in Sussex, 206.

Kingfisher, Recovery of marked,
67, 261 ; Breeding-habits, 83 ;
Water-weed in castings of, 174;
Habits of, 295.

Kittiwake, Recovery of marked,
72, 268 ; Movements of ringed,
to abroad., 14s in North
Atlantic, 275.

hleinschmidti, Parus a., see Tit-
mouse, British Willow-. :

Knot, in Gloucestershire, 282.

KNOWLES, RicnarpD E., Note on
Quail breeding in Merioneth-
shire, 315.

INDEX. 381

Lack, Davip, Note on Birds on
Lundy, 77; Letter on Territory
and Food, with special reference
to the Great Crested Grebe, 287.
; , see VENABLES, L. S. V.
lagopus, Buteo, see Buzzard,
Rough-legged.
‘Lancashire, Scarce birds in, 86.
Lancum, F. Howarp, Letter on
Merlins breeding on Dartmoor,

120.

lapponica, Limosa, see Godwit,
Bar-tailed.

lapponicus, Calcayius, see Bunting,
Lapland.

Lapwing, Recovery of marked, 70,
265; Movements of ringed,toand
from abroad, 137; Emigration
in winter, 1933-34, 208; at
Staffordshire Reservoirs, 346.

Lark, Shore-, in Forth area, 282.

Sky-, Palate markings of
nestling, 27; Recovery of

marked, 42.

LraAcH, Miss E. P., see WITHERBY,
Hr,

leucopterus, Chlidonias, see Tern,
White-winged.

———, Larus, see Gull, Iceland.

leucorodia, Platalea |., see Spoonbill.

leucorrhoa, Oceanodroma l., see
Petrel, Leach’s.

——, (C£nanthe, see
Greenland.

Lrvett, Miss M. J., Note on Fulmar
Petrels ejecting oil when undis-
turbed, 312.

Lewis, STANLEY, Notes on brood
of five Common Buzzards, 52 ;
Spotted Flycatchers protecting
nestlings from heat of sun, 142;
Mortality among nestling
Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers,
147; Letter on Birds laying
while still attending brood
from previous clutch, 182.

limosa, Limosa, see Godwit, Black-
tailed.

Linnet, Recovery of marked, 41 ;
Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 109.

Lioyp, BERTRAM, Notes on late
passage of Swifts to Ireland,
172; Diving of Shoveler, 206.

lobatus, Phalaropus, see Phalarope,
Red-necked.

Locxiry, R. M., Note on Water-
Pipits in Pembrokeshire, 310.

Wheatear,

Locxiey, R. M., and Sartmon, H.
Morrey, Letter on The Gan-
net Colonies of Iceland, 183.

London, Inner, Birds of, 34, 292.

LOVENSKIOLD, Dr. HERMAN L.,
Note on extension southward of
Temminck’s Stints breeding-
range in Norway, 148.

Low, Dr. G. CARMICHAEL, The
Races of the Ringed Plover,
64.

, see PEDLER, E. G.
Lowe, Dr. Percy R., On a flock

of Razorbills in Middlesex
found to be infested with
intestinal Flukes, 188, 245.

Lundy Island, Note on Birds of, 77.

MacpuHEerRSOoN, A. Horte, Birds of
Inner London, 1933. 34; 1934,
292. ,

macrura, Sterna, see Tern, Arctic.

McWiti1amM, Rev. J. M., and
Duncan, A. B., Colour of the
Bill of the Hebridean Twite
in Nesting-season, 170.

Mapoc, G. C., Notes on the breed-
ing-habits of Bridled Tern, 93.

Mallard, Recovery of marked, 68,
262; Movements of ringed, to
and from abroad, 134.

MANN, E., Note on possible Black-

eared Wheatear seen in Pem-

brokeshire, 81.

» ——, PETHEN, R. W., and

WRIGHT, W. W., Note on

Razorbill inland in Essex, 313.

marila, Nyrocam., see Duck, Scaup-.

marinus, Larus, see Gull, Great
Black-backed.
maritima, Calidris m., see Sand-

piper, Purple.

Marked Birds, Recovery of, 36,
67, 235.

Marking Scheme, The “ British
Birds "’, Progress for 1934, 302.

MARPLES, GEORGE, Notes on Great
Tit hatching Blue Tit’s eggs,
113; Number of feathers in
nests of House-Sparrow and
Wren, 309; Parasite on Robin
and Great Tit, 311.

MARTIN, REv. Cyrit E., Note on
Spotted Flycatchers using same
nest and rearing Cuckoo, 349.

Martin, House-, Recovery of
marked, 240 ; Ectoparasites of,
an appeal, 278.

382

Martin, Sand-, at Altrincham Sew-
age Farm, 343.

Mayatt, A., Note on Numbers and
Destruction of Broods of Night-
ingales in Suffolk, 145.

Mayr, Dr. Ernst, Letter on Black-
cap in Atlantic in June, 119.

Meares, D. H., Letter on differ-
ences in the breeding-habits of
Sussex and Cornish Corn-
Buntings, 119.

media, Capella, see Snipe, Great.

megavhyncha, Luscinia m., see
Nightingale.

melba, Apus, see Swift, Alpine.

melophilus, Evithacus y., see Robin,

British.

mergansey, Mergus m., see Goos-
ander.

Merganser, Red-breasted, in Middle-
S€X, 350.

Merlin, Breeding on Dartmoor,
Devons S75) 120); Food of,

258; Recovery of marked, 261.
mervula, Turdus m., see Blackbird.
minimus, Limnocryptes, see Snipe,

Jack.
minuta, Calidris, see Stint, Little.
minutus, Ixobrychus, see Bittern,

Little.
minutus, Larus, see Gull, Little.
monedula, Coleus m., see Jackdaw,

Scandinavian.
montanus, Passer m., see Sparrow,

Tree-.
montifringilla, Fringilla, see Bramb-

ling.

Moorhen, Two laying in same Nest,
56; Recovery of marked, 72,
268; Movements of ringed,
from abroad, 141.

morinellus, Charadrius, see Dotterel.

MUSSELWHITE, D. W., Letter on
Birds laying while still attend-
ing brood from previous clutch,
Se

NaisH, J. M., see ALLEN, E. F.

nebulavia, Tvinga, see Greenshank.

Nest Mortality, Note on, 77.

newtont, Parus m., see Titmouse,
Great.

NicHoOLSOoN, E. M., An
of Heron Population,
Letters on an unrecorded
Essex Heronry, 88; Territory
in the Great Crested Grebe,
246 ; Review of Quest for
Birds, 214.

Index
332;

BRITISH BIRDS.

niger, Chlidonias n., see Tern,
Black.

Nightingale, Census of, in S. Worces-
tershire, 50; in N.W. Surrey,

81; Census of, in Gloucester-

shire, 82; Numbers and
destruction of broods in Suf-
folk, 145.

Nightjar, Time of singing of, 259.

nigvicollis, Podiceps n., see Grebe,
Black-necked.

nisus, Accipiter, see Hawk, Spar-
TOW-.

nivalis, Plectrophenax, see Bunting,
Snow-.

Norfolk, Ornithological Report for,
for 1934, 354.

nyvoca, Nyroca, see Duck, Ferru-
ginous.

obscurus, Pavus c., see Titmouse,
Blue.

occidentalis, Prunella m., see Spar-
row, Hedge-.
—-, Hematopus o., see Oyster-
catcher.
ochropus, Tvringa,
Green.

edicnemus, Burhinus, see Curlew,
Stone-.

aenanthe, Ginanthe e@., see Wheatear.

enas, Columba, see Dove, Stock-.

OtpHAM, CuHas., Great Crested
Grebes at the Tring Reservoirs,
250; Note on Glaucous Gull
in Cornwall, 29.

Oriole, Goiden, the Clutch of the, 78.

oviolus, Oviolus o., see Oriole,
Golden.

Ornithological Congress, Note on
the VIII. International, 73.

Osmaston, B. B., Note on Robin
with four broods, 113.

see Sandpiper,

Osprey, in Yorkshire, 175; in
Huntingdonshire, 175; in
Radnorshire, 205; in Forth

area, 282; in Norfolk, 361.
ostvalegus, Hematopus, see Oyster-
catcher.
otus, Asio o., see Owl, Long-eared.
Ouzel, Alpine Ring-., Large brood
Ol, roie
- Ring-, in Westmorland in
winter, 352.
Owl, Barn-, Recovery of marked,
67; Food of, 257.
——, Little, Recovery of marked,
67; Nest under Railway, 84.

INDEX.

Owl, Long-eared, Breeding in Isle
of Man, 30; Movements of
ringed, from abroad, 112.

+, Short-eared, Recovery of

marked, 261 ; Colour variation |

and Habits, 290; in Norfolk,
360.

——, Tawny, an attacking, 130;
eating Newts, 205; Food of,
257; Recovery of marked,
261; in Outer Hebrides, 315.

Oyster - Catcher, Recovery of
marked, 70; probably in
North Atlantic, 275; method
of removing Limpets, 351.

palumbus, Columba, see Pigeon,
Wood-.

parasiticus, Stercorarius, see Skua,
Arctic.

parva, Muscicapa, see Flycatcher,
Red-breasted.

PEDLER, E. G., and Low, Dr. G.
CARMICHAEL, Note on Slav-
onian Grebe in Inner London,

241.
pelagicus, Hydrobates, see Petrel,
Storm-.
penelope, Anas, see Wigeon.

peregrinus, Falco p., see Falcon, |

Peregrine,
PETHEN, R. W., see Mann, E.
Petrel, Fulmar, Investigation

(1934), 182 ; in North Atlantic,
275; Ejecting oil when undis-
turbed, 312.

——, Leach’s Fork-tailed, in North

Atlantic, 274; Recorded nest- |

ing of, in Orkney, 284 ;
Carmarthenshire, 311; Status
of in North Rona, Sula Sgeir
and Flannan Islands, 316.

——, Storm-, Recovery of marked,
264.

Phalarope, Grey, in Sussex, 244 ;
in Leicestershire, 244 ; in
Somerset, 244; in Devon, 309; at
Altrincham Sewage Farm, 344.

——, Red-necked, in Isle of Man,
31; in Cardiganshire, 211; in
Norfolk, 363.

philomelus, Turdus e., see Thrush,
Continental Song-.

Pigeon, Wood-, Recovery of
marked, 69, 265; Movements
of ringed, to abroad, 136.

in |

383

Pintail, Recovery of marked, 69 ;
Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 135; Breeding in
Dumbartonshire, 206, 246; in
Middlesex, 280.

Pipit, Alpine, in Cambridgeshire,

32 ; in Pembrokeshire, 310.
Meadow-, Recovery

marked, 42, 238.

——, Rock-, Large migration in
Norfolk, 359.

platyrhyncha, Anas p., see Mallard.

Plover, Arctic Ringed, Addition to
the British List, 91 ; in Hert-
fordshire, 175.

——, Grey, in Hertfordshire, 213 ;
in Wiltshire, 281 ; in Glouces-
tershire, 281; at Altrincham
Sewage Farm, 343.

——, Kentish, in Dorset and
Hampshire, 53.

——, Northern Golden, in Outer
Hebrides, 315.

——, Ringed, Races of, 64; Re-
covery of marked, 70 ; Double
brood, 86.

Pochard, at Staffordshire Reser-

voirs, 345.

, ‘‘ Paget’s ’’, in Norfolk, 53.

pomarinus, Stercorarius, see Skua,
Pomatorhine.

PortaL, M., Note on Long-tailed
Duck in Hampshire, 241.
Pounps, Huspert E., Note on

Coal-Tit’s double brood, 203.

PowELL, T. G., Note on Ringed
Plover's double brood, 86.

pratensis, Anthus, see Pipit,
Meadow-.

PricE, M. Puitrps, Note on a
Census of Nightingales in
Gloucestershire, 82.

Puffin, in Surrey, 213 ; Recovery of
marked, 268; in Berkshire,
284.

pufinus, Puffinus ., see Shear-
water, Manx.

pugnax, Philomachus, see Ruff.

pusilla, Emberiza, see Bunting,
Little.

pygargus, Circus, see Harrier, Mon-
tagu’s.

of

Quail, Nesting in Kent, 213;
Observed in Hampshire, 213 ;
Breeding in Merionethshire,315.

querquedula, Anas, see Teal.

384 BRITISH BIRDS.

Rail, Land-, in winter in Hamp-
shire, 314.

Raven, Nest with ten eggs, 27.

vayi, Motacilla f., see Wagtail,
Yellow.

Razorbill, Recovery of marked,
72, 268; Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 141; Flock of,
infested with intestinal Flukes,
188, 245; Inland in Essex,
284, 313.

Recovery of Marked Birds, 36,
67, 235.

Redbreast, see Robin.

Redpoll, Greenland, probably in
North Atlantic, 274.

Redshank, Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 139; Recovery of
Marked, 266; Wintering in
Somerset, 351.

— —, Iceland, occurrences in British
Isles, 370.

——-., Spotted, in Lincolnshire, 149 ;
in Sussex in spring, 150;
at Altrincham Sewage Farm,

344:

Redstart, Black, at Brookland’s

Sewage Farm, 342.

Redwing, Iceland, in Kent, 30;

Into Wish. OG:

Reservoirs, see Sewage Farms.
Reviews :—-

Bird-Life in the Isle of Man, 31.

Transactions of the Norfolk
and Norwich Naturalist
Society for 1932-33, 31.

Report of the Cambridge Bird
Club, 1933, 32.

Transactions of the Carlisle
Natural History Society,
1933, 32.

Journal of the Derbyshire
Archeological and Natural
History Society, 1933, 32.

Report of the Marlborough
College Natural History
Society for 1933, 32.

The Role of Environment in
the Life of Birds, 176.

Sea Terns or Sea Swallows,
their Habits, Language, Ar-
rival and Departure, 178.

Habitat Selection in Birds, 179.

The Birds of Cambridgeshire,
St,

Ouest for Birds, The Problems
and Pleasures of an English
Bird-Watcher, 214.

Reviews (cont.) :—

Scolt Head Island, 216.

Birds of Great Britain and
their Natural History, 245.

Birds in Britain to-day, 316.

The London Naturalist, 1933,
317.

Report of the Oxford Orni-
thological Society on the
Birds of Oxfordshire, Berk-
shire and Buckinghamshire,
1933, 318.

Report on the Birds of Wilt-
shire for 1933, 318.

Report of the Sanctuary Club,
1932, 1933, 1934, 318.

The winter Starling Roosts
of Great Britain, 1932-1933,
373:

RICKMAN, PuiLip, Note on Pintail
breeding in Dumbartonshire,
206, 2406.

vidibundus, Larus, see Gull, Black-
headed.

Ringed Birds, see Marked Birds ;
Movements of, from abroad to
the British Islands and from
the British Islands to abroad,
Addenda iii., 106, 133.

Ringers, Notice to, 150.

RINGROSE, BERNARD J., Note
on Avocets in Hampshire,
174.

riparia, Riparia yv., see Martin,
Sand-.

RIvIERE, B. B., Note on “‘ Paget’s
Pochard’’ and _ Ferruginous
Duck in Norfolk, 53; Orni-
thological Report for Norfolk
for 1934, 354.

ROBERTS, BRIAN, The Gannet
Colonies of Iceland, 100.

Robin, Recovery of marked, 46,
239; Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 111 ; with four broods,
iis peatasite On, aii,

Ropinson, H. W., Notes on Dates
of Laying in a Gullery, 55;
Large clutches of eggs in Terns,
150; Mortality among young
Common Terns in Lancs., 211.

vobusta, Tyvinga t., see Redshank,
Iceland.

Rorsuck, A., Note on Blackbird’s
nest with seven eggs, 29.

INDEX.

Rook, Recovery of marked, 36,
235; Movements of ringed,
from abroad, 106; Notes on
the, 322.

Rooke, kK. B., Notes on Firecrest
in Hampshire, 28; Iceland
Gull in Hampshire and Dorset,
29; Kentish Plovers in Dorset
and Hampshire, 53; Birds
seen in the North Atlantic, 269.
A , and Swrrn, K. D:,
Scandinavian Lesser Black-
backed Gull in Somerset and
Gloucestershire, 117.

voseus, Pastor, see Starling, Rose-
coloured.

Ross, Miss WINIFRED M., Note on
Incubation of Greenshank, 210;
Excavation of Nesting-hole
and Incubation of Crested
did, 226.

vostvata, Carduelis f., see Redpoll, —

Greenland.
yubetra, Saxicola y., see Whinchat.
Ruff, in Lancashire, 86; in Somer-
set, 282; in Devon, 309;
in winter in Cambridgeshire,

316; at Brooklands Sewage
Farm, 342; at Altrincham

Sewage Farm, 344; at Staf-
fordshire Reservoirs, 346.

vuficollis, Branta, see Goose, Red- |

breasted.
vustica, Hirundo r., see Swallow.
rusticola, Scolopax, see Woodcock.
Ryves, LieEvut.-Cor., and Mrs.
B. H., The Breeding-Habits
of the Corn-Bunting as ob-
served in North Cornwall :
with special reference to its

polygamous habit, 2; Supple- |

mentary notes, 154.

SALMON, H. MorREy, see LOCKLEY,
R. M.

Sanderling, in Gloucestershire, 281 ;
at Staffordshire Reservoirs,
3406.

Sandpiper, Broad-billed,
Sussex, 209.

——, Buff-breasted, in Sussex, 148.

Common, in Devon in

Novemrber, 309.

—-—-, Curlew-, in Gloucestershire,
282; at Brookland’s Sewage
Farm, 342; at Altrincham
Sewage Farm, 344.

seen in

385

Sandpiper, Green, in Somerset, 282 ;
at Brookland’s Sewage Farm,
342; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 344; in Somerset in
summer, 351.

——, Purple, in Gloucestershire,
282.

——-, Wood-, in East Lothian, 210 ;
at Brookland’s Sewage Farm,
342; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 344.

sandvicensis. Sterna s., see Tern,
Sandwich.

Scaup, see Duck, Scaup-.

scheniclus, Emberiza s., see Bunt-

ing, Reed-.

Scoter, Velvet-, in Derbyshire, 32 ;
at Staffordshire Reservoirs,
340.

scoticus, Parus c., see Titmouse,
Crested.

senator, Lanius, see Shrike, Wood-
chat.

sevvator, Mergus, see Merganser,

Red-breasted.
SERLE, WILLIAM (Junior), Notes on
Status of Black-necked Grebe
Colony in Forth area, 207;
Wood-Sandpiper in East
Lothian, 210.
; —, and Bryson, DEREK,
Distribution and number of :
the Dipper on the N. and S.
Esks (Midlothian), 327.
SETH-SMITH, D., Notes on Jack
Snipe in Inner London, 29;
Gannet in Middlesex, 312.

Sewage Farms and_ Reservoirs,
Notes from Brooklands,
Surrey, 342; Altrincham,
Cheshire, 343; Staffordshire,

345:

Shag, Recovery of marked, 69,
236; Movements of ringed, to
abroad, 136; inland in Kent,
151; in Essex, 313; in Middle-
sex, 313; in Hertfordshire,
313; in Surrey, 313.

Shearwater, Great, in North
lantic, 275.

——-, Manx, Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 136; Recovery of
marked, 264 ; in North
Atlantic, 275.

——, Sooty, in North Atlantic, 275.

Sheld-Duck, see Duck, Sheld-.

SHIPTON, WILLIAM, Note on Great
Skua in Derbyshire, 212.

At-

386

Shoveler, Diving of, 206, 241;
at Brookland’s Sewage Farm,
342; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 343; at Staffordshire
Reservoirs, 345.

Shrike, Great Grey, in Surrey, 352.

——, Red-backed, Probable nesting
in Midlothian, 243.

Siskin, Movements of ringed, from
abroad, 106.

Skua, Arctic, Breeding on Noss,

Shetland, 87; in Berks.,

PIN.

Great, Breeding on Noss,
Shetland, 87; in Derbyshire,
212; in North Atlantic, 275;
in Yorkshire, 352.

—, Long-tailed, in North At-

lantic, 275.

——, Pomatorhine, in flight, 118 ;

in North Atlantic, 275.

shkua, Stercovavius s., see Skua,
Great.

Skuas, Census of breeding, on
Noss, Shetland, 87.

SMALLCOMBE, W. A., Note on

Tawny Owl eating Newts, 205.

Smew, at Staffordshire Reservior,
340.

SmitH, K. D., Notes on Birds in
Devon, 309; Little Stint and
Spotted Redshank wintering ;
and Green Sandpiper in
summer in Somerset, 351.

—~—, , see ROOKE, K. B.

——., W. Hastines, Note on Red-
necked Phalarope in Cardigan-
shire, 211.

Snipe, Recovery of marked, 266.

——, Faeroe, in Kent, 30; Move-
ments of ringed, from abroad,
139.

——, Great, in Hampshire, 244.

, Jack, in Inner London, 29.

Song, Fluctuations in, of Song-
Thrush, Blackbird and Chaf-
finch, 364.

Sparrow, Hebridean Hedge-, Newly
described JBritish subspecies,

95.
——, Hedge-, Recovery of marked,

48, 239; Building in Black-
bird’s) dese, S77. feigning
death, 368.

——, House-, Number of feathers in
nests of, 309.

Irish Hedge-, Newly des-
cribed subspecies, 96.

BRITISH BIRDS.

Sparrow, Tree-, Recovery of marked,
42; Notes on for 1934, 347.

spermologus, Coleus m., see Jack-
daw.

spinoletta, Anthus, see Pipit, Alpine.

spinus, Carduelis, see Siskin.

SPITTLE, R. J., Note on Montagu’s
Harrier in Oxfordshire, 279.

Spoonbill, seen in Carmarthen-
shire, 56; in Lancashire, 86;
in Norfolk, 36r.

squatarola, Squatarola, see Plover,
Grey.

Starling, Recovery of marked,
37, 235 ; Movements of ringed,
to and from abroad, 106.

——, Rose-coloured, at Lundy, 49.

——, Shetland, breeding in S.
Uist, 96.

stellatus, Colymbus, see Diver, Red-
throated.

Stint, Little, in Derbyshire, 32 ;
in Sussex in winter and spring,
54; im Cardiganshire, 284;

at Altrincham Sewage Farm,
343; at Staffordshire Reser-
voirs, 346; Wintering in
Somerset, 351.

——, Temminck’s, obtained in
Herefordshire—Correction, 30 ;
Breeding of, in Scotland, 97;
Extension southward of breed-

ing-range in Norway, 148;
in Lincolnshire, 149; in
Ayrshire, 209; Courtship

flight of, 214; in Norfolk, 362.
Stonechat, Hebridean, Newly des-
cribed British subspecies, 95.
stvepeva, Anas, see Gadwall.
stviata, Muscicapa s., see
catcher, Spotted.
subbuteo, Falco, see Hobby.
subruficollis, Ivyngites, see Sand-
piper, Buff-breasted.
Swallow, Recovery of marked, 48,

Fly-

240; Utilizing Robin’s nest,
146; Clutches and _ broods,
146; Results of Ringing and

Trapping in Carmarthenshire,
17o; Rood or nestling, nye
flying through narrow aperture,
I71I ; young, assist in building
the second nest, 204; a Fly
parasitic on the, 225; in
North Atlantic, 274; in
Yorkshire in December, 352.

Swallows, Homing experiments
with, 283.

INDEX.

Swan, Bewick’s, in Anglesey, 280 ;
in Carmarthenshire, 311.

——-, Mute, Young, diving, 150.

Swift, Late passage of to Ireland,
172 ; Late passage of in Sussex,
204,279; Recovery of marked,
261; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 343.

—-—., Alpine, in Pembrokeshire, 174.

sylvatica, Strix a., see Owl, Tawny.

tadorna, Tadorna, see Duck, Sheld-.
TATE, Critve, Note on Tameness
of a Guillemot, 314.
Teal, Recovery of marked, 68,
262; Movements of ringed,
to and from abroad, 135.
lemminckii, Calidris, see
Temminck’s,.
TEMPERLEY, GEORGE W., Some
Breeding-habits of the British
Willow-Tit, 165 ; Note on
Diving of the Shoveler, 241.
Tern, Arctic, in North Atlantic, 275.
——,, Black, in Westmorland, 213 ;
in Lancashire, 213 ; in Devon,

Stint,

309; at Altrincham Sewage
Farm, 345.
-——-, Bridled, Addition to the

British List, 91 ; Notes on the
breeding-habits, 93.
———, Common, Mortality among
voung, 211.
+ Sandwich, Recovery of
marked, 72, 267; Movements of
ringed, to and from abroad, 140.
——, White-winged Black, in Nor-
folk, 363.
Terns, Large clutches of eggs in, 150.
Territory, In the Great Crested
Grebe, 191, 246; some Re-
flections on, 247.
Territory and Food, 191, 285, 287.

testacea, Calidvis, see Sandpiper,
Curlew-.
TETLEY, H., Plumage changes

observed in an Iceland Gull in

Somersetshire, 199.

~, ——-, see Davis, H. H.

theresae, Savicola torquata, see Stone-
chat, Hebridean.

Tuomas, J. F., Notes on result of
Ringing and Trapping Swal-
lows in Carmarthenshire, 170 ;
l‘ood of nestling, 171 ; Bewick’s
Swans and = Leach’s’ Fork-
tailed Petrel in Carmarthen-
shire, 311.

387

THompson, Gordon B., Note on
Ectoparasites of the House-
Martin— and an appeal, 278.

Thrush, Song-, Alighting on sea
and killed by Lesser Black-
backed Gull, 28; Recovery of
marked, 43, 238; Attacking
Lizard, riz.

— —-, British Song-, Alteration in

name of, 96, 186; Movements

of ringed, to abroad, 110; fluc-

tuations in song of, 364.

. Hebridean Song-, Alteration

in name of, 96, 186.

—~—.-, Mistle-, Recovery of marked,
43, 238; Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 110.

TicEHURST, Dr. N. F., Notes on
Little Stint in Sussex in winter
and spring, 54; Swallow
utilizing Robin's nest, 146;
Spotted Redshank, in Sussex,
in spring, 150; Broad-billed
Sandpiper seen in Sussex, 209.

tinnunculus, Falco t., see Iestrel.
Titmouse, Blue, Recovery of
marked, 42; eggs of, hatched
by Great Titmouse, 113.
British Willow-, Breeding-
habits of the, 165 ; in Radnor-
shire, 212; Breeding in Nor-
folk’ 359.
——, Coal-, double brood, 203.
——, Crested, Excavation of nest-
ing-hole and Incubation, 226 ;
in West Ross-shire, 277.
——-, Great, Recovery of marked,

42; Hatching eggs of Blue
Titmouse, 113; Building
underground, 119; Parasite
On, 30%.
torda, Alca, see Razorbill.
_ torquatus, Turdus t., see Ouzel,
Ring-.

totanus, Tringa t., see Redshank.

tridactyla, Rissa t., see Kittiwake.

trochilus, Phylloscopus, see Warbler,
Willow-.

troglodytes, Troglodytes t., see Wren.

Tucker, W. B., Letter on Some
Reflections on Territory, 247.

tundra, Charadrius h., see Plover,
Arctic Ringed,

388

Turnstone, Probably, in North
Atlantic, 275; in Gloucester-
shire, 281; at Altrincham

Sewage Farm, 343; at Brook-
land’s Sewage Farm, 342; at
Staffordshire Reservoirs, 346.
turtur, Stveptopelia, see Dove,Turtle-
Twite, Hebridean, Newly described
British subspecies, 95 ; Colour
of bill of Hebridean Twite in
nesting-season, 170.

urbica, Delichon u., see
House-.

Martin,

vanellus, Vanellus, see Lapwing.

VENABLES, L. S. V., Notes on Terri-

tory in the Dartford Warbler,

58; Census of Breeding Skuas

on Noss, 87.

,;——, » ——, and LAck,

Davipb, Territory in the Great

Crested Grebe, 191.

Vickers, i. S:,, Note) on’ iittle
Owl’s Nest under Railway, 84.

vidalii, Athene n., see Owl, Little.

viscivorus, Turdus v., see Thrush,
Mistle-.

vulgaris, Sturnus v., see Starling.

Wagtail, Blue-headed, at Altrinc-
ham Sewage Farm, 343.

——, Grey, at Brookland’s Sewage
Farm, 342.

——, Yellow, Movements of ringed,
to abroad, 110.

Wagtail-roost in Derbyshire, 32.

WaALtis, H. M., Note on Swallow
flying through narrow aper-
Cure; 7a.

Warbler, Dartford. Notes on Terri-
tory, 58; in Devonshire, 204,

244.
——-, Willow-, Recovery of marked,
43; Apparent Polygamy of,
G3) & in Glamorganshire in
December, 283.
Water-Birds, A Census of, on the
Highgate and Ixenwood Ponds,

129, 288.

WATERSTON, GEORGE, Letter on
Fulmar Petrel Investigation
(1934), 182.

Watt, Mrs.- WINIFRED Boyp,
Notes on Temminck’s Stint in
Ayrshire, 209 ; Pintail in
Middlesex, 280.

Wheatear, Recovery of marked, 239.

BRITISH BIRDS.

Wheatear, Black-eared, possible,
seen in Pembrokeshire, 8r.
——, Greenland, in North Atlantic,

274.
Whinchat, Early nesting and build-
ing again while feeding young,

144.

Wigeon, Movements of ringed,
from abroad, 135.

Witiiams, J. G., Notes on Hobby
breeding in Breconshire, 205 ;
Osprey in Radnorshire, 205 ;
Iceland Redshank in Mon-
mouthshire, 370.

WITHERBY, H. F., Additions and
Alterations to the British

List, 90; The Names of the
Song-Thrushes, 186; The
British Birds Marking

Scheme’, Progress for 1934,
302; Notes on birds laying
while still attending brood
from previous clutch, 151}
on the plumage-changes in
Iceland Gull, 202; on Shags
inland, 313; Iceland Red- |
shanks in British Islands, 372.
. , and Leacu, Mtss
FE. P., Movements of ringed
birds from abroad to the
British Isles and from the
British Isles abroad, Addenda
ilil., 106, 133 ; Note on Emigra-
tion of Lapwings in winter
1933-34, 208.
OOD, D., Note on Arctic
Skua in Berkshire, 242.
——, S. B., Note on Early brood of
Coots in Cheshire, 372.
Woodchat, Seen in Sussex, 50.
Woodcock, Recovery of marked,
71, 266; Movements of ringed,
to and from abroad, 139.
Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted, Mor-
tality among nestlings, 147.
Woodpeckers, Spruces ringed by,

5a

Wren, Incubation- and Fledging-
Periods of, 204; Number of
feathers in nest of, 310.

———, Fire-crested, in Norfolk, 310,
360; in Kent and the bird’s
call-note, 349.

——., Golden-crested, Two nests in
one tree, 49.

WRIGHT, W. A., see MANN, E.

zetlandicus, Sturnus v., see Starling,
Shetland.

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