NOTES.— No. 1. 



BY MR. C. STUBBS. 



Brown Rat, (Mus decumanus.) — I have, while ferreting Eats in hedge-rows, 

 frequently seen them run to the top of the highest branches, and try to conceal 

 themselves among the foliage till the danger is past. 



Heron, (Ardea cinerea.) — A few pairs of Herons breed about here, but 

 nowhere in sufficient numbers to be worthy the name of a Heronry. I had 

 a fine one brought to me, which was shot just as it had captured a pike 

 weighing about three pounds; it had struck a hole right through the fish at 

 the back of the head. I saw three settle one day in a Rookery^ the Rooks 

 immediately drove them ofi", and followed them for some distance. I have 

 never seen more than seven together, unless in nesting-time. 



Kin^sher, (Alcedo ispida.) — This beautifully-plumed bird is rather common 

 along the banks of the Thames here. I have oftentimes taken their eggs, 

 and occasionally the young ones, but never could discover anything like a 

 nest, only a few fish bones. I once took six young ones; they were nearly full- 

 grown, and could fly some distance. There was a dead gudgeon and another 

 fish, (I think it was a bleak,) in the hole: the hole smelt very bad indeed. 



Green Woodpecker, (Picus viridis.) — A pair of these birds were about building 

 their nest close to Grey's Court, a fine old mansion in this neighbourhood, 

 last year, but they began boring so many of the trees, and made the lawns 

 in such a mess with the chips, that they were destroyed. I saw them; they 

 were in good feather. I never knew that they would breed so close to human 

 habitations before. I was in Windsor Park last March, when I was startled 

 by hearing the cry of this bird, as I thought, close to me; I looked about, 

 and saw it fly off a tree some distance from me; it soon came on to rain after. 

 In some counties they are called the Rain-bird. That pretty little species the 

 Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, (Picus minor,) is occasionally seen and obtained 

 about here; a boy killed one with a stone in Yansley Wood, and I have one 

 that was shot near Park Place here. The Greater Spotted Woodpecker, 

 {Picus major,) has been shot several times; a fine pair were shot at Mill 

 End, near here, some time back. 



Cuclcoo, (Cuculus canorus.) — I was once out in a boat taking Reed Warblers' 

 nests, when I found the egg of the Cuckoo in one. This was a curious nest 

 to select, as it was continually being swayed by the wind, and, I should have 

 thought, not large enough to have held the young Cuckoo when hatched. 



Common Tern, (Sterna hirundo.) — A pair of Common Terns were shot here 

 late last autumn; they are a rare bird with us, being so far inland, but have 

 occasionally been met with. 



Black Tern, (Sterna nigra.) — On the 23rd. of April, 1852, I saw a very 

 fine specimen of this bird, which had just been shot here, on the Thames. It was 



VOL. IV. c 



