OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1905. 51 



Ireland and England to the Eastern counties. On 26tli and 

 27tli November, 1905, such a gale was in evidence, and to this 

 occurrence doubtless we owe the presence of our Watford 

 specimen. 



It is perhaps worthy of remark that a note in ' Knowledge ' 

 for January, 1906, recorded the fact that another bird of the 

 same species had been obtained during the last week in 

 November, 1905, at Caversham, in Berkshire, having probably 

 been driven inland by the late strong westerly ■^dnds. 



In concluding my notice of this interesting addition to our 

 fauna, I should like to express n\v thanks to the Editor of the 

 ' Watford 01)server ' and also to Mr. J. Goodall for the assistance 

 they so readily gave me in connection with the matter. 



This being the only addition to our list, I now pass, as usual, 

 to my general notes, taking the birds in the order of the 

 recognized list. 



Commencing mth the thrush family, I noticed that in the 

 Watford district these birds were unusually silent during 

 January (1905). There was very little song, indeed, until 

 almost the end of that month and the beginning of February, 

 and this has been in marked contrast to the experience of 

 previous years. Coming to the end of the year, I heard a thrush 

 {Tardus musicjis) in full song at Mundeu on November 4th — 

 a wet, dripping, autumnal day. Quite early in December a fair 

 number of thrushes were singing, and the volmne of song 

 increased considerably right on through that month and into 

 January of the present year. Since writing the above I have 

 heard from Mr. M. Yaughan, of Haileybury, who states : " The 

 spring notes were late ; I heard the first thrush on February 2nd " 

 (i.e. 1905). It may be remembered that in my report for 1904 

 I referred to the fact that the nest of a blackbird near Hamper 

 Mill had been found " adorned " with the strips of paper 

 scattered on the road by boys when having a paper-chase. It 

 is a little singular that a nest of the song-thrush has this year 

 been found (and reported to us by Mr. J. Langford Lewis) 

 with similar paper-cuttings woven into its structure. This also 

 was near Hamper Mill, and Mr. Lewis has kindly sent me a 

 photograph of tlie nest, which, by the way, was taken for, and 

 reproduced in, the ' Daily Mirror.' 



There were a fair numlier of Redwings (Tiirdus iliacus) in the 

 Watford district during the early months of the year, but I have 

 not seen one of this species so far dimng the winter of 1905-6. 

 Fieldfares (T. jnlaris) were more plentiful both at the beginning 

 and end of 1905, and were, I think, earlier than usual in arriving. 

 I saw and heard the first one on October 29th, between Hamper 

 Mill and North wood. Mr. E. P. Thompson reports that at 

 Elstree fieldfares and redwings have been scarcer than usual, 

 the latter very much so. On the other hand, Mr. G. E. Bullen 

 reports that redwings have been more plentiful and fieldfares 

 scarcer in the St. Albans district. 



