Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/64

42 Strange Nesting-place of the Brambling.—The Brambling has never nested in my aviary till this year, although pairing has taken place and housekeeping preparations been shown by the desultory carrying about of building materials. This year, however, one hen Brambling was more demonstrative than usual in this way, and, to my great surprise, selected a site for her nest at the foot of, and not in, a small fir tree placed on one of the borders of the aviary. After the manner of a Sky Lark she formed a hollow in the dusty soil, and then carefully lined it with hair, moss and wool, after which she laid one egg and sat on it for a day or two, when it disappeared, destroyed probably by mice, or other birds, as my Sky Larks' eggs almost invariably are, in a similar position; and from that lime she deserted her nest, which was soon pulled to pieces. It is the more strange that this strictly arboreal species should have selected such a spot for her nest, as a Linnet was sitting on eggs in the fir bush above her head, and a hen Chaffinch was doing her best at the same time to prompt her deficient instincts by building in a bush just opposite.

Short-eared Owl.—A bird of this species was shown me by a Norwich birdstuffer, which had been brought to him, in the flesh, as early as the 3rd of August, and was said to have been shot just outside the city.

Wild-fowl breeding in Norfolk.—The early "close time" has told well for various kinds of fowl in Norfolk this summer, and that not only in the strictly preserved localities, but in places where, hitherto, they have been much harassed. A considerable number of Garganey were reared about Surlingham, and in the same locality on the 16lh August I saw a "coil" of at least twenty common Teal making for the Broad at sunset. A pair of Shovellers also nested there this year, which they have not done for some years. In West Norfolk Mr. Hamond tells me that some Wigeon remained all the summer on the lake at Narford, and the Gadwall bred freely in that locality. Two broods of young Sheldrakes made their appearance on the estuary of the Lynn river, some of which were captured and turned off on a pond in that neighbourhood. These were, of course, old enough to take care of themselves; but I have recently heard, through a gentleman well acquainted with these birds in a wild stale, as a few pairs still breed aunually on his