72 J. E. IITTLEBOY BIRDS OBSEEVED IN 1879. 



during the past year. The Society is much indebted for informa- 

 tion of this description to Mr. H. G. Fordham, Odsey Grange, 

 E-oyston ; to Mr. Abel H. Smith, Woodhall Park, Sacombe ; to 

 Lord Ebury, Moor Park ; to the Kev. CM. Perkins, St. Albans ; 

 to Mr. Toovey, King's Langley ; and to several others. In order 

 to prevent the too frequent repetition of the same names, I will 

 here state that the reports from Odsey and Ashwell have 

 been furnished by Mr. Fordham ; those from Sacombe and Wood- 

 hall Park by Mr. Smith ; those from E.edbox;rn and St. Albans, 

 •when not otherwise spocitied, by Mr. Perkins ; and those from 

 King's Langley by Mr. Toovey. 



I have selected the following memoranda as likely to interest 

 our members. 



The Nightingale {DaiiUas L^iscinia). — First heard by Mrs. 

 Fawcett, near Mardale House, Watford, and by Mr. E. B. Croft, 

 at Ware, on the 1 9th of April ; reported at Hertford by Mr. H. 

 C. Heard, on the 22nd, at Odsey Grange on the 24th, at King's 

 Langley on the 26th, and became general throughout the district 

 before the end of April. It was last heard at Odsey Grange on the 

 23rd of June. 



Tlie song of the nightingale was less frequent during the past 

 spring than is ordinarily the case. It was tolerably frequent 

 about the end of April, but for a fortnight after that date, owing 

 probably to ungenial weather, it was but seldom heard, and atter 

 again commencing, continued, but with decidedly diminished power, 

 somewhat later than usual. 



The Stonechat {Pratincola rubicold). — A pair of stonechats was 

 seen on the 23rd of March, at Broadway, near Berkhampstead ; and 

 on the 11th of December a pair was also observed between Hunton 

 Bridge and King's Langley. 



The Missel-Thrush [Turdiis viscivorus), the Song-Thrush [T. 

 musictis), THE Eedwing (T. iliacus), the Fieldfare [T. pilaris). — 

 Thrushes appear to have suffered to an unusual extent through 

 the severity of last winter. There is a marked diminution in their 

 number, and gardens in which it is generally impossible to mature 

 fruit without netting, have this summer enjoyed a comparative 

 immunity from their attacks. During the early part of December, 

 fieldfares and redwings were abundant. Fieldfares are hardy birds, 

 and remain with us, very generally, during the winter months, but 

 I did not see one after the middle of January, 1879. Mr. H. G. 

 Fordham writes as follows: *' Odsey Grange, December 13th, 1878. 

 — Early in November fieldfares were extremely abuudant in the 

 open fields, now they have almost all gone." And again, under 

 date Jan. 17, 1879 : " Fieldfares have entirely left this neighbour- 

 hood since Christmas." The mortality among redwings and thrushes 

 has been almost, if not quite, unprecedented ; they were observable 

 during January, either dead or dying, by the side of nearly every 

 hedgerow. The redwing did not appear to possess sufficient strength 

 to migrate, like the fieldfare, to more genial climes, and it was a 

 pitiable sight to see such numbers of them indifferent to the approach 



