VOL. VI.] THE 1912 INQUIRY. 311 



G. F. Clarke reports this species to be twice as numerous as 

 usual, \\hile the Rev. J. G. Cornish considers it to have 

 been decreasing at the same place for the last three years. 



Many illustrations of the decrease of this species might be 

 given, but the following will suffice : On a bridge at York, 

 Captain Seppings reports that there were fifty-two nests 

 in 1910, forty-two in 1911, and thirty-four in 1912. At 

 Woodford (Essex) Mr. C. L. Collenette says, of five colonies 

 under eaves in 1911, only two were occupied in 1912 in 

 diminished numbers, and no fresh colonies could be found. 

 At Barcomb (Sussex) the Rev. C. Toogood found twenty 

 nests round some farm buildings in 1911, in 1912 there were 

 none. Some observers consider that the Martin has been 

 ousted by the Sparrow ; but that it is decreasing there can 

 be no reasonable doubt. 



Weyneck (Jynx t. torquilla). 

 Increase 3. Decrease 16. Normal numbers 17. No returns 78. 



The Wryneck seems to have been below the average in 

 numbers in 1912. From the negative information* as well 

 as from the actual returns it seems beyond question that 

 the species is decreasing, while the distribution is extremely 

 restricted. Mr. J. G. Dalgleish reports an increase from 

 Midhurst (Sussex) ; but as a rule the increase does not amount 

 to much — e.g. Uckfield (Sussex), " a slight increase " (R. 

 Morris); Maidenhead (Berks.), "two pairs" (F. W. 

 Proctor). 



Normal numbers are reported from several localities 

 in Kent, but the average is often quite a small one, e.g. 

 Boughton Monchelsea and Langton Green " two pairs only," 

 and from Haileybury (Herts.), " normal numbers, but never 

 a common bird here " (F. W. Headley), while attention 

 is constantly being drawn to the fact that the numbers 

 of this species have been and are decreasing, e.g. Bosham 

 (Sussex), " almost extinct " (F. H. Adkin) ; Cambridge, 

 " none either year " (H. G. Alexander) ; Hayling Island 

 (Hants.), " marked decrease " (J. E. H. Kelso) ; New 

 Forest (Hants.), " decreasing " (R. E. Coles) ; Abergavenny 

 (Monmouth), " none seen for years " (S. W. White) ; 

 Lowestoft (Suffolk), " very scarce " (C. B. Ticehurst) ; 

 Tunbridge Wells (Kent), " no increase or decrease but 

 unusually few both years " (H. G. Alexander). 



* Of course the bird's restricted range and its patchy distribution 

 must be taken into consideration in this connexion, but apart from these 

 returns there is good evidence to show that the Wryneck has been 

 decreasing, especially on the outskirts of its range in England, for some 

 years. — Eds. 



