Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/546

514 of April Pied Wagtails, with their congeners, had deserted the watermeads near the town (Winchester) on the southern side, save for some of the first species, preparatory to spending the breeding season further down the river. Of course, as a rule, the Grey Wagtail leaves England altogether at the end of March, although I may mention that I have several well-authenticated records of its breeding in the Itchen Valley; and last May I myself saw the bird some four miles from the town. At the end of April, indeed, Pied Wagtails do extend their range a good deal to the south for the breeding season, and in autumn and winter congregate into small parties of seven and eight, which are especially regular in the near water-meads just south of the town, in company with parties of the Grey Wagtail. I also stated that both species returned to these water-meads about the middle of November. This is not accurate; the usual date is about the beginning of October, though last year I did not observe any Grey Wagtails near the town until December. The parts of the Itchen most frequented by both species in winter are decidedly the rich and fertile water-meads immediately south of the town for a distance of about five miles. This district is a favourite one for resident birds in winter, as Reed Buntings, Starlings, Rooks, Gulls, Jackdaws, Dabchicks, &c. — (Ivy Bank, Beckenham).

Strange Nesting Habits—Nuthatch and Starling.—Mr. W.G. Clarke's article last month (p. 449) reminds me of the following case of two birds building in close proximity to one another. I had noticed a pair of Nuthatches going in and out of a hole in a huge oak some time in the beginning of last May, so one day I brought a chisel and hammer, and set to work to reach the nest. At the first few strokes of the hammer a Starling flew out with a scream of alarm. I thought this was rather curious, but went on enlarging the hole, until I could get my hand in. All this time the two Nuthatches had been in a great state of agitation, uttering their "twit, twit-tit" of alarm. On inserting my hand I found that just beyond the entrance of the hole there was a cup-shaped hollow containing a Starling's egg. Beyond this there was a turning to the left, at right angles to the entrance. Round this corner the Nuthatches' nest must have been, but I could not get my hand there. Almost directly I had left the tree one of the Nuthatches entered the hole. In this case the Nuthatches must have hopped over the sitting Starling every time they went to their nest.— (82, Finchley Road, N.W.).

The Question of Popular Ornithological Fallacies.—I am glad that Mr. Davenport has defended the Cuckoos (p. 473). Not only is it rash to conclude, because sucked eggs are found, that Cuckoos are the culprits, but such statements bring a beautiful and interesting bird into unnecessary