VOL. VI.] NOTES. 155 



bark. The only other species with Avhich it could be 

 confused is the Redstart, but Redstart's nests as I have 

 invariably found them — with the exception of one which was 

 placed on the branch of a pear-tree trained against a wall^ 

 are in a more or less horizontal hole, whereas this was a 

 vertical hole and fairly deep too, as stated above. During 

 my fortnight's stay in the neighbourhood, 1 saw nothing of 

 either species, but the feather lining mixed with a few horse- 

 hairs, which is characteristic of the Redstart, was entirely 

 wanting in this case, and the appearance of the egg furnished 

 confirmatory evidence. In Mr. Jourdain's work on The Eggs 

 of European Birds, p. 246, it is stated that Hargitt obtained 

 eggs of the Pied Flycatcher from Inverness in 1864, and it 

 probably bred in the Moray area in 1890 and 1891, so that 

 nesting-records from this district are evidently scarce. 



C. E. Stracey Clitherow. 

 [Captain Stracey Clitherow has kindl}^ submitted the nest 

 to me, and after examination it certainly seems to have all 

 the characteristics of that of the Pied Flycatcher. The 

 appearance of an infertile egg and the nesting-site would 

 not be enough in themselves to distinguish the Pied Fly- 

 catcher with certainty from the Redstart, but taken in con- 

 junction with the nest they render identification in this case 

 as certain as it is possible to be in the absence of the parent 

 birds. — F. C. R. Jourdain. 



WREN BREEDING IN OLD NEST. 

 In connexion with the note in a recent number of British 

 Birds (p. 90) relating to a pair of Wrens [Troglodytes t. 

 troglodytes) returning to breed in a deserted nest, the following 

 may be of interest. During the spring of 191 1 a pair of Wrens 

 took possession of a Swallow's nest of the previous year and 

 built a " cock's nest " inside it, entirely filling the space 

 between the nest and the roof of the shed. It was deserted, 

 but the birds remained in the neighbourhood the whole of 

 the following winter, and on May 27th, 1912, I foimd that 

 they had lined the nest with feathers and the hen was incu- 

 bating. The yoimg were safely hatched (May 31st) but on 

 June 8th I found them dead in the nest, one of the old birds 

 lying crushed beneath. A. Geoffrey Leigh. 



CUCKOO LAYING IN NESTS OF MARSH- WARBLER 



AND ROCK-PIPIT. 

 On June 11th, 1912, I found the nest of a Marsh-Warbler 

 {Acrocephalus palustris) on a river-bank in west Gloucester- 

 shire. The nest Avas placed among tansy, about one foot 



