OBSEEVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1906. 211 



SO well, and who lias writteu so cliarmingly ou, tlie bird-life of 

 the Lake District, states : " Song, so far as my knowledge goes, 

 the tree-creeper has none, or if he has, he successfully hides it in 

 these parts " ; then I think you will agree with me that I am 

 quite justified in recording the fact that here in Hertfordshire, 

 in the year 1906, I have had the pleasure of hearing the tree- 

 creeper sing, although, as I have stated, I did not realise at the 

 time the significance or the rarity of the occurrence that came 

 accidentally across my path. Needless to say, I shall always 

 treasm-e the memory of what I now regard as one of the " red- 

 letter " incidents of my bird-watcloing experiences. 



Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collwio). — I think it is worth 

 recording that I last year found the nest (containing five eggs) 

 of this species within 300 yards of the outskirts of Watford. It 

 is the first nest of its kind I have found in this district. 



Swallow (Hirundo rustica) and House-Martin (Chelidon 

 urbica) . — Contrary to custom I have received very few notes this 

 year on these common species. Mr. Headley reports that young 

 house-martins were still in the nest at St. Margarets so late as 

 October 9 th ; that about a dozen young swallows were seen 

 about on October 16th, and about the same number of 

 house-martins on October 18th — a date, curiously enough, on 

 which Mr. Headley heard the first fieldfares of the autumn. 

 The same observer sends the following note : — " On a cottage 

 three miles the other side of Hertford, there were 31 house- 

 martins' nests. Not many years back there were 70. Why 

 do they choose this cottage — a small inn ? The landlord once 

 told me it was becavxse all his neighbours swept the nests 

 down." This is an excellent illustration of how much good 

 one real sympathiser with the birds can do in his own quiet 

 but effective way. 



Hawfinch (Coccothratistes vtilgaris). — Mr. M. Vaughau 

 (Haileybuiy) reports that on February 21st he saw fourteen 

 hawfinches together. This is the largest number I have heard 

 of here in one flock. 



House- Sparrow (Passer domesticus). — It is not often, I think, 

 that bird observers interest themselves in the plebeian house- 

 sparrow. Mr. Matthew Arnold has, however, sent to me (per 

 Mr. E. Mawley) the following interesting note : — " The last 

 week in December, 1905, at Home Pai'k Mills, King's Langley, 

 I saw a white sparrow. The bird was of a snowy-white colour, 

 with a few brown feathers on each wing, and a few brownish 

 feathers near the tail. I saw this bird several times during the 

 first week or so in January, 1906, and then lost sight of it. I 

 did not see it again until May, 1906, when I saw it at the same 

 spot. But this time the feathers were cream-colour instead of 

 white, and there were more brown feathers on the back. I last 

 saw the bird the first week in June, by which time it showed 

 a mottled appearance, about half cream and half brown. This 



