226 BRITISH BIRDS. 



" The Soaring of Birds " that he states as a fact that no 

 small birds ever soar. Surely this cannot be true with regard 

 to the Swift {Cypselus apus). They appear to me to have 

 the most marvellous powers of rising to great heights without 

 any motion of the wings, and I have seen them constantly 

 floating in the air for a considerable time without any motion 

 of the wings. 



W. W. Lowe. 



WOODCHAT IN KENT. 



On May 23rd I saw a Woodchat (Lanius pomeranus) near 

 Tunbridge Wells. The white bars on its wings were conspicuous 

 as it flew, looking very similar to the bars on the wings of the 

 Great Grey Shrike, with which bird I am familiar. But the 

 chestnut on the head and nape T only saw when the bird was 

 settled partially out of sight in a hawthorn bush. From 

 thence it flew to an oak tree, and after this I was quite unable 

 to see it ; presumably if flew from one side of the tree whilst 

 I was at the other side. I spent about half an hour near the 

 place but did not see it again. 



I hoped that as it was so late in the spring it would stay, but 

 I frequently visited the place without seeing it, so I suppose 

 it was on migration. 



It is possible that this was the same bird as that recorded 

 in the last issue of British Birds (p. 185) as having been 

 shot at Hadlovv. 



H. C. Alexander. 



ICTERINE WARBLER IN NORFOLK. 



On September 12th, 1907, an Icterine Warbler {Hypolais 

 ictenna) was shot by Mr. J. V. Young, near Cley, Norfolk. The 

 bird flew out of the scrub near the Blakeney sandhills, and 

 Mr. Young was attracted by its very light appearance. It 

 had possibly travelled with a Garden- Warbler which we put 

 out about twenty yards further on. The wind at the time 

 was N.E., but there was practically a dead calm, and there 

 had been a heavy fog all night. The bird was exhibited by 

 Mr. H. F. Witherby on my behalf at the meeting of the British 

 Ornithologists' Club, held on November 20th last. 



E. C. Arnold. 



TITMICE AND OTHER BIRDS COVERING UP 

 THEIR EGGS. 



The habit of covering the eggs while laying is in progress and 

 before incubation has begun is well-known in the case of 



