WILLOW WARBLER. 85 



of 1886, and on the 14th and 15th October 1892 ; in 1886 

 a final " rush " occurred as late as the 19th October, and in 

 1892 it was associated with Goldcrests, Redstarts, Grey 

 Shrikes, and other small migrants. At Flamborough one 

 was caught on the morning after the great storm of 28th 

 October 1880, while in 1893 an example was seen at the 

 same station as late as the 27th November ; at Spurn this 

 species has been noted in company with Goldcrests in the 

 buckthorn hedges during the last week in October, while so 

 long ago as 1833 this little warbler was the subject of notice 

 by Ed. Blyth, who stated that one came on board ship off 

 the Yorkshire coast, in company with Pipits, Wheatears, and 

 other small birds. (Rennie's Field Naturalist, November 1833.) 



The Willow Warbler has occasionally been observed 

 hanging under boughs of trees when searching for food ; 

 and the fact of one of these birds singing as late as 8-20 p.m. 

 is reported from Sedbergh ; one was heard about the same 

 hour in the Washburn Valley on 21st May 1887 ; and at 

 Ackworth it has been heard singing during the day, in a hot 

 autumn, right up to the end of September. {ZooL 1901, p. 452.) 



An instance of early nidification is communicated from 

 Aysgarth, where eggs were found on 30th April 1887. The 

 site chosen for the nest is usually on the ground, though 

 many departures from this habit are known, and a varied 

 selection of such places might be cited, but it is not necessary 

 to make more than a casual reference to these, viz. : — 



One built three feet above the ground and placed between 

 two rocks at an angle of 40° from each other, near Wilsden ; 

 one in a clump of whins, in the Goit Stock Valley, two feet 

 from the ground ; another in a thick thorn bush at four 

 feet elevation in thick underwood, near Masham ; one 

 built on the top of a newly completed Flycatcher's nest, 

 four feet above the ground, in the ivy on a wall, near Settle 

 {Nat. 1896, p. 37) ; another in the ivy covering of a post 

 used as a stretcher for fruit trees in a garden, at Beverley ; 

 and yet another built against the bole of a tree, at a height 

 of six feet, in Cottingley Wood (E. P. Butterfield, in Hit. 

 1901). 



