218 J. E. LITTLEBOT — NOTES OlST BERDS 



It was mounted by Mr. Norman, of Royston, and is now in the 

 possession of the Eev. C. "W. Harvey. A second specimen was 

 shot abuut the same time by Mr. H. H. Gibbs' gamekeeper, near 

 Elstree Reservoir. 



The Red-Backed Shrike {Lmiius coUurio). — Red-backed shrikes 

 are reported to have built in an orchard at Chorley Wood, and a 

 pair, now in the possession of Mr. W. Downer, were shot on the 

 18th of July at the same place. Some young shrikes were observed 

 flying in and out of a tall hedge, near Park Street, by Dr. 

 Hensman ; and the Rev. J. A. Ewing reports that a pair built, 

 as they have done for several successive years, in a tall hawthorn 

 hedge, within thirty yards of the village school, but (need I add 

 the words) inaccessible to the school-children. 



The Greenfih^ch {Ligurinm chloris). — Greenfinches have been 

 wonderfully numerous, almost competing in abundance with the 

 chafiinch. An albino variety was shot at Chapmore End, near 

 Hertford, about the end of September. It was mounted by Mr. G. 

 Shrimpton, and is thus described : — " General colour creamy 

 white ; wings mostly yellow, and eyes pink." 



The Crossbill {Loxia mrvirostra). — Mr. R. W. Brett reports 

 that a considerable flight of these interesting and peculiar birds 

 took possession of a fir-grove, facing S.S.E., at Bengeo Warren, 

 near Hertford. Skins of both male and female birds were obtained, 

 in colour varying from red to dull green. 



The Black-headed Bunting {Emherim melanocepTiala). — A 

 black-headed bunting was observed on a hedge, by the road-side, 

 at Broadway, near Berkhamsted. I also noticed several near 

 Stanmore, just within the borders of Middlesex, on the 7th of 

 March. 



The Magpie {Pica rustica) . — Magpies appear to be more 

 frequently met with than was the case a few years ago. In 

 the neighbourhood of Elstree they are tolerably abundant, and 

 Miss Selby reports that a pair built in a wood, close to Aldenham 

 House. 



The Jay (Garrulus glandarius). — Jays have been unusually 

 numerous on this side of our county during the past winter. Mr. 

 J. Stannard informs me that he counted more than twenty of these 

 gaily-plumaged birds in a small wood that borders Hazelwood 

 Park, and I have received similar reports from several other 

 quarters. I had written these words prior to observing in the 

 pages of the 'Zoologist' (January, 1883, p. 1), a letter from Mr. 

 J. Cordeaux, which appears to account, in rather a remarkable 

 manner, for the immigration I have alluded to. "On the 8th of 

 October," writes Mr. Cordeaux, " a perfect storm of jays " was 

 observed by Herr Giitke as they passed "over and on both sides" 

 of the island of Heligoland. In further confirmation of this fact, 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., has sent me an extract taken from a 

 private letter, received by him from the same veteran obseiwer, in 

 which " continuous flights of thousands and thousands of jays, on 

 the 6th, 7th, and 8th of October," are again reported. Referring 



