Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/490

462 upper water-meads; they seem to come nearer the town during winter, and to distribute themselves more widely for the breeding season. The Reed Buntings, for instance, at the end of this month, have moved away to their breeding haunts a few miles down the river. Thus we have such birds as the Wagtails, Buntings, Dabchicks, &c, performing regular migrations on a small scale.

On the 25th a Thrush's nest was found with three eggs, and three Blackbirds' nests had eggs in two cases and young birds in the third. All the nests were in evergreens. The first Swallow arrived in water-meads on the afternoon of the 27th. On the 29th Mr. Chalkley received a Ring Ouzel from Avington, and on the 30th a specimen of the same bird from Highbridge, four or five miles on the opposite side of the town.

By the 2nd Swallows were numerous in water-meads, and on that date the first Sand Martin arrived. On the 3rd a stormy wind was blowing from the east, and two Herring Galls payed a visit in the morning. The Jackdaws began their nests on this date in the College chapel tower. On the 4th a young Thrush of the year, fully developed except in the tail-feathers was seen, and the first Whitethroat was reported past St. Cross.

In Kent (Beckenham) the Swallows and Sand Martins arrived on the 19th; and on the 23rd I was fortunate in seeing the first birds of the season arrive in North Staffordshire.

Mr. Kelsall, from the New Forest, reports, "Chiffchaff, 1st; Cuckoo, 14th (heard in Kent first on 20th); Nightingale, 18th (in Kent 19th); Willow Wren, 20th." He says, however, that it is uncertain whether these were first arrivals, as he was away for "the first rush."

On the 30th eggs of the Great Tit were taken at Crabbe Wood. Pied Wagtails with their congeners have deserted the water-meads near the town by now, save for a few pairs of the first species, preparatory to spending the breeding season further down the river. They usually return about the middle of November (see Zool. 1897, p. 34).