NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN 1898. 137 



I have not in tliis papor, as in former years, referred to previous 

 ocourreucos of the rarer speeies, as I consider tliat the list of the 

 birds of Hertfordshire, which will shortly appear in our ' Transac- 

 tions ' (see pp. 84-102), is of a sufficiently recent date to render 

 the former custom unnecessary, at any rate on this occasion. 



Egyptian Goosk {Chenalopex (cgyptiaca). — An example of this 

 species was shot in jS^ovember last at Beech Farm, about 3 miles 

 from St. Albans, by Mr. Pattison, in whose possession it now is. 

 It was an adult male and was preserved by Mr. Spary, of 

 St. Albans, to whom I am obliged for these particulars. I think 

 that there is little doubt that this is an introduced species, but 

 it is of course gradually becoming naturalized in this country. 

 According to Mr. Howard Saunders, there is no authenticated 

 record of this bird in a wild state ever having come north of 

 the Mediterranean. 



In the usual way I will now give the notes that I have collected 

 on various bii'ds which are not new to our list, but which will, 

 I think, interest our members. It will be seen that some of these 

 notes do not refer solely to the year 1898, but I always try in my 

 annual report to incorporate such information therein as has not 

 been given in any of the preceding reports. 



Elackbied {'f Urdus merula). — Mr. Spary informs me that he 

 has in his possession a cinnamon-coloured variety of this bird, 

 which was obtained at Digswell in 1874. Mr. T. Vaughan Roberts 

 states that the pied blackbird, which was recorded as being in his 

 garden in 1897, was still there last year. A blackbird's nest with 

 eggs was reported in one of the papers as having been found in 

 Hatfield Park in December last. 



Kedbreast [Eritliacus ruhecula). — A nest of this species containing 

 one egg was found at Sopwell, St. Albans, on 20th February. 



Hedge- Sparrow {Accentor modularis). — Mr. Spary has a variety 

 of this bird of a cinnamon colour, which was shot near St. Albans 

 in 1896. 



Great Tit {Parus major). — Mr. A. Sainsbury Vcrey infonns me 

 that he found a great tit's nest in a hole in the ground where 

 a post had been taken up. The hole was about three inches in 

 diameter, and as deep as the length of his arm. Unfortunately 

 wet weather ensuing caused the bird to desert the nest. 



Ween [Troglodytes jmrvulus). — A man walking along the railway 

 near Rickmansworth saw a bird fly out of an apparently empty can, 

 but on examination he found a finished wren's nest in it. 



Great Grey Shrike {Lanms excuhitor). — Mr. H. S. Rivers saw 

 a bird of this species at Rediicks, near Sawbridgeworth, and 

 watched it for some time. 



Pied Flycatcher {Muscicapa atricapilla). — On April 25th and 

 the two following days the Hon. A. Holland-Hibbert saw a male 

 pied flycatcher in a plantation by the Colne in his garden at 

 iMundcn, near Watford, and watched it for some time each day. 

 On each occasion it was catching insects. He did not observe 

 a female with it. 



VOL. X. — part IV. 11 



