826 BRITISH BIRDS. 



have an egg that was placed in a Hedge-Sparrow's nest three 

 weeks after the owner had deserted her one egg. The whole 

 proceeding was watched by my brother, who sent me both 

 eggs. 



J. F. Green. 



COMMON BITTERN IN YORKSHIRE. 



On 20th January last a boy when returning to Mork at mid-day 

 noticed a strange bird standing in a dry ditch outside the 

 Vicarage garden of Bishop Monkton, a village near Harrogate. 

 The boy cautiously approached the bird, which made no 

 attempt to fly, and allowed itself, after a short defence, to be 

 captured. It was uninjured, but died next day. It was 

 a young Bittern {Botaurus stellaris), and was suffering from 

 starvation. 



On the day of its capture, as also on the preceding one, 

 the wind was strong and from the east. Within four miles 

 are ponds suitable for its concealment and sustenance. 



E. S. Steward. 



COMI^ION SNIPE NESTING IN AUGUST. 



Mr. Charles J. Wilson informs me that on the 21st of 

 August last he flushed a pair of Snipe on Eunant Moor, near 

 Llanwddyn, Montgomeryshire, and discovered that they had 

 a nest containing two newly-hatched young and one egg. 

 So far as my experience goes, the Snipe is not double-brooded, 

 and I have never before heard of a nest so late in the season. 



H. E. Forrest. 

 [In the 4th Ed. of " Yarr ell's British Birds," Vol. III., 

 p. 345, it is recorded that young in down have been observed 

 in August, and that two broods are apparently sometimes 

 reared in a season. The authors of the " Birds of Ireland " 

 record a clutch of nearly fresh eggs on 25th July, and state 

 that " there is reason to beheve that second clutches are 

 laid."— Eds.] 



A MARKED SNIPE. 



Herr Chr. Mortensen writes to me that he has had a 

 Common Snipe sent to him with a ring round one of its legs. 

 On the ring is the inscription " R.P. E. 3594." The bird 

 was shot by a sportsman in Andalusia, Spain. 



Perhaps one of your readers may know something of the 

 history of this bird. 



C. B. TiCEHURST. 



[In addition to the birds noted in our last number as having 



