OBSERVED IN HERTS IN 1893. 53 



in flyinp; against the telegraph wires on Royston Heath on the 

 6th of December ; one shot at Triplow, Cambridgeshire, as early 

 as the loth of September; and another shot in January last at 

 Sandou, Herts, by Mr. Lees. 



Jackdaw [Corvus monedula). — A keeper informed Mr. G. Gooch, 

 of St. Albans, that last spring he lost a number of young pheasants, 

 and it was some time before he became aware who the thief was. 

 At last a jackdaw was caught in the act of killing one. I have 

 but little doubt the species had to suffer on account of his good 

 taste. Canon McLean informs me that he observed on several 

 occasions at Caistor in Lincolnshire a jackdaw with legs feathered 

 down to the toes. 



E.00K {Curvus frugilegus). — Last spring both I and my son 

 noticed the rooks breaking the small branches of the trees in 

 the Abbey Orchard, to mend or construct their nests with. 



XiGHTJAR {Caprimulgus europmis). — At the kind invitation of 

 Mr, Charles Dickinson, I visited the wood where this bird last 

 year safely reared its young, and found close to the same spot 

 two young ones squatting on the ground. "When I saw them they 

 were always head and tail together, the head of one bird situated 

 against the tail of the other. I am not aware if this is their usual 

 position or was merely accidental. 



Woodpeckers and Kingfisher. — Last March Mr. Arthur 

 Dickinson observed a pair of the lesser-spotted woodpeckers in 

 his wood near St. Albans. Mr. Seymour has received, amongst 

 a number of other specimens, both the greater and lesser-spotted 

 woodpeckers {Bendrocopus major and minor), as well as the green 

 woodpecker {Gecinus vzridis), and I am very sorry to add a large 

 number of kingfishers {Alcedo ispida). Mr. Seymour also informs 

 me that he has seen the kingfisher use its feet to remove the earth 

 from its nest-hole. I mention this to corroborate a former state- 

 ment to the same effect. 



Little Oavl {Athene noctua). — Mr. W. Norman mentions: "On 

 Monday, the 12th of March, I was delighted to have brought in 

 a lovely specimen of that rare bird the little owl {Athene noctua), 

 killed at Wimpole, Cambridgesliire, and sent to me by the Rev. E. 

 L. Fellows." I mention this as it is somewhat singular that the 

 only specimen I can find mentioned in the late Mr. J. E. Littleboy's 

 register is reported by Mr. AV. jS^orman as having been obtained 

 in May, 1877, at Ashwell, near Royston. I regret that we cannot 

 place this recent record on our register, the occurrence being 

 outside the limits of our county. 



Pheasant and Partridge. — Mr. Seymour has shown me several 

 varieties of tlie pheasant [Fhasianus colchicus) ; and last October 

 Mr. Arthur Spary showed me a singularly marked (pied would 

 perhaps be the right word to use) partridge {Perdix cinerea), killed 

 by Mr. Lattimore on his farm near Wheathampstead. When 

 walking one summer's evening in Gorhambury Park, a partridge 

 suddenly arose at my feet. I was suii)rised to see her tumble and 

 flutter along as i£ wounded just in front of me, but was very soon 



