J. E. LITTLEBOY BIRDS OBSERVED IN 1879. 79 



There can, I think, hv no donht as to the correctness of the 

 received belief that the nij;lit-jar fails to provide any kind of nest 

 for the accommodation of its young. 



The Swift {('i/psc/iis Apus). — First scon by Mr. E. D. East, 

 near Huiiton Hridge, on the oth of ^lay, and on the same day at 

 King's Langley ; on ihe 14th near St. Albans; on the 16th near 

 Ashwell; on the 18th near Hemel Hempstead; and on the 19th at 

 AVare, by Mr. 11. B. Croft. 



The Kixgfisher {Alcedo Ispida). — These beautiful birds have 

 been less plentiful than usual at Hunton Bridge during the year, 

 and it seems probable that the hard winter of 1878-79 must 

 have killed a good many of them. Mr. Abel H. Smith reports 

 having taken a nest with six eggs in the bank of a small water- 

 course running into the Beane. The nest was more than a yard 

 from the entrance of the hole. 



The Quail {Coturnix communis). — I find, from a newspaper 

 paragraph, that "a bevy of quails are said to have located them- 

 selves in the County of Herts." Two quails were observed at 

 Ashwell High Fields on the 24th of June, and a single bird in the 

 same locality on the 31st of July. 



The Herox {Ardea cinerea). — Dr. Brett reports that a heron was 

 recently shot in Cassiobury Park, and Lord Ebury writes as 

 follows: "Moor Park, j^ovember 26th, 1879. — Three years ago 

 two or three herons made their appearance on my property. They 

 were wonderfully tame, and frequented not only the water in the 

 park, but also the pond within the old pleasure grounds, which, 

 being very shallow, suited their peculiar mode of fishing. This 

 tempted some of the people about to try and catch or destroy 

 them, and I found one half dead in a field. I then sent a notice 

 to my neighbours expressing a hope that they would not injure 

 them, as they did no harm, and one liked to look at them. The 

 next year they did not return, but this y(>ar they have again been 

 frequent visitors, and some so late as a fortnight ago. I expect 

 they owe their existence in these parts to the large Ruislip mere, 

 and to the thick reeds and plants on its marfiin, together with the 

 large woods that encompass it on three sides." A heron is reported 

 to have flown over Odsey Grange on the 5th of September. 



The Woodcock [Scolojiax Rusticola). — It is probable that wood- 

 cocks have been more abundant in the county of Herts during the 

 past winter than for many previous years. Several are reported 

 by the Rev. H. R. Peel as having been seen near Abbot's Hill on 

 the 29th of October. Dr. Brett informs me that fourteen were 

 seen in Oxhey Woods about the middle of November. Mr. R. T. 

 Andrews, of Hertford, writes that " seven were shot in one 

 day on the Broxboumebury Estate ; " and Mr. H. G. Fordham, 

 that ' ' five were shot on the 1 3th of November in the north of 

 Bedfordshire." They are said to be unusually numerous in Bricket 

 Wood, and are reported as abundant in sev«-ral other localities. 



The Snipe [GalJinago gallinaria). — Thirty or forty snipes are 

 reported by Mr. J. King as having been seen about the middle of 



