66 W. BICKERTON — NOTES ON BIRDS 



others flying low over the surface of the water. Grlancing up the 

 side of the lake, I saw, under the shelter of a large embankment, 

 a little dark bird crouching on the ground just at its base, and, 

 approaching nearer, I saw that it was a house-martin. It allowed 

 me to get within six yards before taking flight. It seemed very 

 loth to go at all, yet it flew fairly well when it once got away. 

 Soon after I had passed, it was back again near the same spot, 

 and on my returning, it this time allowed me to go right past it 

 without taking flight. It looked very feeble, benimibed by the 

 cold in fact, and I had no doubt it was a young bird. There 

 were one or two others about. More strange still, I next saw 

 a couple of sand-martins crouching in the same place, and their 

 brown plumage was very distinctly seen. I could scarcely 

 believe my eyes at first, for I thought all the sand-mai-tins had 

 migrated long ago. On looking round, I identified three others 

 of the same species, and I think that some of the other hir undines 

 flying about there — a dozen to fifteen in all — were also of the 

 same kind. They took fairly long flights across the water, but 

 they all in turn seemed very glad to get back for prolonged 

 periods of rest to the shelter of the high bank. 



On returning a second time along the same route, I also saw 

 and identified two swallows, so that here were all three kinds of 

 our hirundines living through the spell of the unusually hard 

 weather we were then experiencing for the end of October. The 

 house-martins and the sand-mai-tins were, I fear, too enfeebled to 

 take the long migration flight, but the swallows looked all right, 

 and capable of an}i;liing in the way of flight. I should not have 

 quoted this incident at such length had it not been for the quite 

 unusual presence of the sand-martins so late in the year. Had 

 I not l)een perfectly well acquainted with all three species, and 

 had I not had them all there before me at the same time, 

 I should, as stated, scarcely have believed my eyes so far as the 

 sand-martins are concerned, for these are the first of the family 

 to come in spring, and also the first to depaii; in autumn, their 

 return journey being usually taken in August and September. 



Goldiinch (Carduelis elegans). — This bird, it is pleasant to 

 state, is again reported to be on the increase. Mr. E. P, 

 Thompson (Elstree) reports a flock of seven early in March ; 

 Mr. H. Le^ds (St. Albans) reports an increase in his district ; 

 and Mr. E. Hartert reports similarly from Tring. I have seen 

 more of them than in any previous autiunn, including one bird 

 (with chaffinches) in Cassiobury Park on October 22nd, a fine 

 gathering of fifteen near Wilstone Reservoir on October 28th, 

 four at Batchworth Heath on October 29th, and three at Dors 

 Common on November 5th. I have also heard of a number 

 haunting Croxley Moor, and that practically all of them were 

 taken by birdcatchers, who, it seems, in spite of County Council 

 Orders and Acts of Parliament, still ply their nefarious trade. 



Brambling {Fringilla mont if ring ilia). — It is three years since 

 I saw or heard of any brambliugs in the county. This winter 



