206 ORl^lTHOLOGICAL AND OTHER NOTES. 



and dispersed themselves among the surrounding bushes. Passing by on 

 the following day, I found that they had returned, and were again occupying 

 the nest. This is the only instance I have met with, of young birds return- 

 ing to the nest after having once quitted it. 



Nest with five eggs of the Redbreast. (Erythaca rubecula.) One egg pure 

 white ; the others of a pure white ground, with spots of pale yellow at the 

 larger end. Without a strict adherence to trvith, communications of every 

 kind must be worse than valueless ; I am therefore compelled candidly to 

 acknowledge, that, although I first met with this nest on the day here 

 recorded, it had been lying at the house of the gamekeeper of Walter Strick- 

 land, Esq., who took it in Cokethorpe Wood ten days previously, not 

 knowing, from the somewhat strange character of the eggs, to what bird it 

 belonged : so that it cannot be said to be a nest found in August. But, as 

 incubation had not commenced at the time it was taken, the young would 

 not have been hatched until some time in that month, had the nest been 

 allowed to remain. Under these circumstances, I have ventured to introduce 

 it into my Journal of that month. 



Nest with eight eggs of the Land Rail. This nest was situated in the 

 same meadow, and within less than a hundred yards of the one I found on 

 the 1st. 



August 5th. Nest with two eggs, the second laid this morning, of the 

 Ring Dove. (Columba palvmbns.) This nest was composed of a platform of 

 •twigs, upon which was placed a substantial layer of straws. 



Nest with two eggs of the House Martin. [Hirundo urbica.) 



August 8th. Nest with four eggs of the Little Grebe, (Podicepg minor,) 

 floating among flags on the Isis. 



August 11th. Nest with three eggs of the Yellow Bunting. {Embei-iza 

 citrinella.) 



August 12th. Nest with five eggs of the House Sparrow. {Passer domes- 

 ticus.) 



August 13th. A third nest of the Land Rail, containing nine eggs. 



Nest with three eggs of the Reed Warbler, within a short distance of the 

 one found on the 2nd, and like it, suspended among reeds. 



August 14th. Nest with two eggs of the Little Grebe, near the one found 

 on the 8th. 



Nest with three eggs of the Hedge Warbler. (Accentor modularis.) 



August 22nd. A second nest with three eggs of the Yellow Bunting. 



A second nest of the Goldfinch, containing four eggs. 



August 23rd. Nest with nine eggs of Quail, (Goturnix vulgaris,) disclosed 

 by the scythe in mowing a field of barley. 



August 31st. Nest with young of the Song Thrush. (Merula musica, Meyer.) 



I have already stated that no particular search was made after these nests, 

 but that they were met with in my ordinary walks. I have no doubt but that 



