Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/492

464 present the records for this bird in the neighbourhood are—"Nested at Alresford, 1891; seen near College, February, 1892; shot at Otterbourne, 1892, and at Hursley, 1893." On the 17th Red-legged Partridge's eggs were taken, and on this date Mr. Chalkley received two Tufted Ducks from Alresford, and a Hobby from Northwood. The Ducks have only been known to breed recently at Alresford, a pair first nesting there in 1890. A Wryneck was shot during this month near here, not a very common bird with us. On the 13th Chiffchaff's eggs were found at St. Cross.

I have been on the look-out during the past few months for L. ridibundus, which often pays a visit in fair-sized flocks to water-meads, but I have not been successful. It has been suspected that it occurs in fair numbers in company with L. canus during the winter, but I am inclined to disbelieve this. I may here mention that although L. canus was very numerous during the winter months, the date of its departure was extremely early as compared with other years. Mr. Sutton Davies gives the beginning of May as the average date for its departure to the coast. On the 31st a Whinchat's nest with three eggs in it was brought to me from a boy who had found it "near water" past St. Cross. At the beginning of this month an interesting variety of the Blackbird's egg was found; ground colour pale blue, with a light brown continuous patch at the thick end, as if the egg had been "singed" there. Out of five eggs three were normal, and two presented the variety described.

On the 1st Lesser Whitethroat's eggs were found, and on the 4th Reed Warbler's. On the 14th Turtle Dove's eggs were fresh; May 13th is the earliest date I know for the eggs of this species near here (1893). There were young birds in a Garden Warbler's nest in the town on the 14th. Very little ornithological work has been done this month owing to general business.

On the 11th I saw a mature Peewit in water-meads with the wings a dark brown colour all over. Otherwise the bird was typical, and I had no difficulty in recognizing it, as it flew for