J. E. LITTLEBOY BIRDS OBSERVED IN 1879. 77 



the attack of a stoat on a colony of saiul-martins have been kindly 

 sent to me by Mr. Alfred Kaiisom, of llitchm. " The sides of the 

 chalk-(|narries near the Hitehin Station rise to a height of from 

 60 to 70 feet above the level of the rails, and in some places they 

 are nearly perpendicular. On the top of the chalk is a deposit of 

 chiy, gravel, or sand, varying greatly in thickness, and almost 

 every vein of sand is bored and inhabited during the summer by 

 sand-nuirtins. In one part where the clitf is almost upright, and 

 the vein of sand about 14 feet in thickness, there is the largest 

 settlement of these interesting and useful little birds. On several 

 occasions this season, after the young were hatched, the workm(>n 

 below noticed a great commotion among the old birds, accompanied 

 by cries of alarm and distress. At last they discovered that a stoat, 

 ■wliich had made its w^ay down the cliif where it was not quite so 

 steep, having worked a gallery through an angle of the sand, was 

 climbing from hole to hole on the nearly perpendicular face, ab- 

 stracting and running off with the young birds." 



Thk Great Spotted AVoodpecker {Picm major). — I am informed 

 by Mr. Solly that a pair of these beautiful birds has been located 

 in the grounds at Serge Hill for several months, and that both 

 birds are seen and heard quite frequently. 



The Lesser Spotted "Woodpecker (Pious minor). — A specimen 

 of this species was observed by Mr. Harold Proctor, at the Hoo, 

 Great Gaddesden, on the 24th of January. 



The Greex Woodpecker {Gecinus viridis). — Observed near 

 Elstree, on the 5th of February ; at Russell Farm, on the 19th of 

 April ; and at Moor Park, by Lord Ebury, on the 16th of April. 



The Cuckoo [Cuculus canonis). — First heard at Russell Farm, 

 by Mr. W. F. M. Copeland, on the 16th of April; at St. Albans, on 

 the 18th; at Hunton Bridge, on the 21st; at Ware, on the 22nd, 

 by Mr. II. B. Croft ; at jS'utfield House, by Miss Wilson, on the 

 23rd ; and near Odsey Grange on the 26th. 



Mr. R. D. East informs me that he found a young cuckoo in a 

 hedge-sparrow's nest near Chipperfield ; and Mr. Abel H. Smith 

 has forwarded the following very interesting jiarticulars of the 

 manner in which young cuckoos are fed and nourished by their 

 foster-parents. " I saw the other day a curious sight — a young 

 cuckoo being fed by wagtails. I watched them through a glass, 

 and distinctly saw them bring something and put it right into the 

 cuckoo's mouth, both birds sharing the labour ; the cuckoo now 

 and then took a short flight, and was followed by the wagtails." 

 I think there can be no doubt that the cuckoo here referred to had 

 been hatched in the nest of the wagtails. It will be remembered 

 that in May, 1876, Dr. Brett reported to this Society* two instances 

 that occuiTed at Wiggenhall, in which cuckoos selected the nest of 

 the wagtail for purposes of incubation. A similar case was recently 

 reported in the ' Daily News,' and the Rev. F. 0. Morris has 

 written to the * Times ' on the same subject. Mr. Morris relates 



* ' Trans. Watford Nat. Eist. Soc.,' Yol. I, p. 136. 



