NOTES. 29 



of their being shot should come to hand ornithologists will 

 know their origin. 



D. Seth- Smith. 

 Zoological Society's Gardens, 

 Regent's Park. 



Incubation and Fledging Periods in Birds. — Mr. S. E. 

 Brock contributes an interesting note on this subject to the 

 Zoologist (1910, p. 117), in which he states that the Mistle- 

 Thrush, Song-Thrush, Blackbird, Sedge-Warbler , Pied Wagtail. 

 Spotted Flycatcher, Greenfinch, and Yellow Bunting have an 

 incubation-period of 13-14 days, and that the young leave 

 the nest from 13-14 days after hatching; the Whitethroat 

 has an incubation-period of 11-12 and a fledging-period of 

 11 daj^s ; the Willow-Wreri an incubation-period of 12-13, 

 and a fledging one of 13-14 days ; the H edge-Sparrow an 

 incubation and fledging-period of equal lengths, viz., 12-13 

 days ; the Dipper an incubation-period of 15-17 days ; 

 the Swallow one of 15-16 days, and a fledging-period of so 

 many as 21-22 days ; the Starling takes only 12-13 days to 

 incubate, but the young take 21-22 days to fly ; the Magpie 

 and Book have incubation-periods of 17-18 days, and fly 

 in 29-30 days ; Avhile the Carrion-Crow takes 18-19 days to 

 incubate, and 33-34 days to fly ; the Long-eared Qui takes 

 28-30 days to incubate, the Sparrow-Hawk 30-32, and 28-30 

 to fly ; while the Moorhen takes 19-20 days to incubate. Mr. 

 Brock also makes some interesting remarks on the regularity, 

 irregularity, times, and intervals, of laying of different birds. 

 Comparing these incubation-periods with those given by Mr. 

 W. Evans {Ibis, 1891, pp. 52-93, 1892, pp. 55-58), we find 

 fair agreement, except that Mr. Evans makes the Willow- 

 Wren 13-16 days, and the Yellow Bunting 12-13 days. As 

 regards the Sparrow-Hawk Mr. Evans has no observation of 

 his OAVTi, and those he quotes seem not very reliable. Dr. 

 J. H. Salter made the incubation-period as much as 37-38 

 days by observation of a nest in Wales {Zool., 1894, p. 341) ; 

 while Mr. J. Steele Elliott estimates the period during which 

 the young stay in the nest as about 27-28 days {t.c, 1909, 

 p. 466). Jourdain's notes show that the incubation-period 

 is not less than four w^eeks and possibly more, while Howard 

 Saunders gives five weeks {Man., Errata, p. 756). 



Remains of Birds in an Irish Cave. — In a paper on 

 " Cave Hunting," Mr. R. J. Ussher mentions {Irish Nat.. 

 1910, p. 41) that among the remains found in the second or 

 lower bed in some caves in co. Clare which he has been 



