5i 



bird in question, a Whitethroat, Fairy by name, has been in Mrs. Briglitweu's 

 possession over six years and the record is a confirmation of what members 

 of F.B.C. are already acquainted will], viz., that intelligently kept, insec- 

 tivorous birds can and do thrive in captivity, and are even happy and 

 contented under such conditions. The perusal of this work cannot fail to 

 be both instructive and interesting and is sure to awaken iu its readers a 

 keener interest in Nature generally. 



British Birds : The March issue is a most interesting one, and 

 the article by William Farren on the crouching habits of the Stone- 

 Curlew, illustrated with four photographic reproductions of the youug 

 crouching amidst different surroundings, is a most valuable addition to the 

 literature of protective assimilation. Equally interesting is Major F. W. 

 Proctor's account of the Lesser Redpoll as a Berkshire breeding species. 

 Very valuable are Messrs. H. F. Witherby and N. F. Ticehurst's com- 

 munications on the additions to our knowledge of British Birds since 1S99. 

 Among the miscellaneous notes are two which cannot be passed by, both 

 are quoted in extenso. 



" Thrke Cuckoo's eggs in Robin's nest : The following particulars supplied to me 

 " by Mr. Thomas Gillah with regard to a Robin's nest iu which three Cuckoo's eggs were 

 " laid may be of interest. The nest, which was particularly well concealed, was found at 

 " Well Hall, near Chelsfield, Kent, in June, 1905. On 1st June, when first found, the nest 

 "contained two eggs of a Robin and one of a Cuckoo. One of the Robin's eggs atid one 

 " of the Cuckoo's were taken. On June 6th there were two more Cuckoo's eggs iu the 

 " nest, while one more Robin's egg had been laid. All the eggs were fresh, but they were 

 " cold, and appeared to have been deserted. They are now in my collection, and the 

 " three Cuckoos' egg are so unlike each other that there can be no doubt that they were 

 " laid by three different birds. As shewing that the Cuckoo is not always a wiseacre, I 

 " have an egg that was placed in a Hedge Sparrow's nest three weeks after the owner 

 " had deserted her one egg. The whole proceedings were watched by my brother who 

 •' sent me eggs. J. F. Green." 



" Large clutch of Eggs of the Great Crested Gkkbe : It may interest many 

 " to know that on 20th May, 1907, I found a nest of the Great Crested Grebe on a reservoir 

 " near Aylesbury, Bucks, containing no less than seven eggs ! Surely this is an extremely 

 " large number, and possibly the product of two females,* L. W. Crouch. 



The other notes contain records of Black Redstart near Dublin, 

 Lesser Whitethroat in Cumberland, Cirl Bunting in Merionethshire, Common 

 Bittern in Yorks, Greenshauk in Staffs., Ospreys iu co. Sligo, Night Heron 

 in co. Meath, Sabine's Snipe iu co. Cork, and Sabine's Gull in the Firth of 

 Forth. The issue is one of the most interesting yet published. 



The Condor, the Magazine of the Cooper Ornithological Club for 

 January- February is to hand, and is an intensely interesting issue containing 



* While not impossible, it appears scarcely probable that two hens of so quarrelsome 

 a species would lay in the same nest.— Ed. 



