Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/344

316 from the river Rother, at a height of from twelve to fifteen feet from the ground. "When found it contained three eggs, of which one was taken at the time. The birds were watched and identified, and it was intended, when the full clutch of eggs had been laid, to take them, substituting small eggs of the Linnet for the Redpoll to hatch out, and then subsequently, when the birds had flown, to remove the nest for preservation. But on visiting it a week later (for the purpose of substituting Linnets' eggs as mentioned), the remaining two eggs were gone, as was also the lining of the nest, which consisted of vegetable down. There was no evidence of broken eggs anywhere on or around the tree, no signs of other visitants, and a Thrush's nest in the adjacent tree, low down and hard to overlook, was untouched, increasing the improbability of boys having found the Redpoll's nest, as their wont is to pull out every nest they can find, and to wantonly destroy or carry off every egg they can lay their ruthless hands upon. The theory of a passing Jay or Jackdaw or Magpie having carried off the eggs is hard to reconcile with the fact that the lining of the nest was gone. Mayhap the old birds may have removed it to line a new nest subsequently to the eggs being taken from the old one. It is believed this is the first recorded instance of the Lesser Redpoll's nest having been found in Sussex.Kent, Surrey, Hants are counties mentioned, but Sussex is not, as far as the books consulted may be taken as covering the ground. To revert to the wanton destruction of nests and eggs and young of birds by the ordinary boy nester, I may mention that recently Mr. Arthur Byatt, noticing a hole in a tree mudded up, remarked, "No Nuthatch has done that; some boy has closed it to prevent the birds sitting." He climbed up, removed the mud, was unable to enlarge the hole itself, but, finding the wood thin below it, made a counter opening some nine inches beneath, and dragged out from beneath a lot of rubbish, evidently pushed in through the original opening, six dead young ones of the Green Woodpecker. — (Hurst House, Midhurst, Sussex).

Common Roller in Sussex.—A Roller (Coracias garrulus) was shot on June 2nd at Ninfield, near Sidley, Bexhill, Sussex. The bird was taken to Mr. G. Bristow, of Silchester Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, for preservation.— (Fairseat, High Wickham, Hastings).

[Two other specimens of this bird, obtained in Sussex, have recently been recorded in these pages. One procured on Sept. 24th, 1897 (Zool. 1897, p. 469), and the other on Oct. 12th, 1898 (Zool. 1898, p. 24.—]