Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/36

12 miles of this place.... On March 21st [1896] I went to one, a spruce plantation about two miles away from here, and saw a Long-eared Owl fly off her six hard-sat eggs on the top of a Squirrel's nest. On April 3rd I discovered another Longeared Owl's nest with four eggs in a plantation close here." These eggs and the next two clutches were taken by Rooks; from the fourth clutch four young were reared. Writing again on May 29th, the same observer mentions having seen, up to that date of the present season, three pairs of Long-eared Owls nesting. And on June 15th he wrote that he had recently seen four lots of young.

March 6th.—News from Mr. Fowler that he saw a Buzzard at Kingham on this day. It flew in a south-easterly direction towards Bruern Wood, after coming nearly over his head. Although very high up, its flight and shape were unmistakable.

13th.—Rooks built one nest.

20th.—Song-Thrush's nest with two eggs in shrubbery. Eighteen Rooks' nests in the far rookery.

26th.—Chiffchaff in song.

One day this spring (exact date not preserved) I saw in my brother-in-law's garden here a Missel-Thrush's nest with eggs, placed, not more than seven feet from the ground, on and near the end of a slender, nearly horizontal bough of a yew tree which stretched to the edge of the tennis lawn. The way the Missel Thrush has of putting away some of its shyness in the breeding season and approaching our dwelling-houses to breed is well known. Possibly in this case the slender bough was chosen as being difficult of access by cats, which are the greatest curse that the birds of Bloxham gardens suffer from. It is absolutely useless to pass (and even to enforce) laws for the protection of small birds while no restraint is imposed upon the keeping of cats. Curiously enough, when I was at Rainworth the same year in July, Mr. Whitaker showed me a Missel-Thrush's nest from which young had flown, also placed at the end of a yew bough extending to the edge of the croquet-ground, and only about four feet from the ground. Nests at these low elevations are, I should think, not common.

April 11th.—Blackcap in song in shrubbery. Several Redstarts by the brook.