VOL. X.] NOTES. 41 



Hertfordshire. It is an exceedingly rare species in Hertford- 

 shire. The bird was in an oak wood and was busily engaged 

 in catching insects. W. Percival Westell. 



EARLY LAYING OF REED-WARBLER AND CUCKOO. 

 With reference to the note on this subject {supra, p. 20) the 

 Reed- Warbler in the Henley-on-Thames district would seem to 

 have two distinct dates of arrival. The first nests are often 

 found early in May, but the larger number are not seen until 

 Jime. The bird is still exceedingly common in our reed-beds, 

 though not nearly as numerous as thirty years ago. I am 

 sorry I have not kept more notes of early nests, but I see on 

 May 3 1st I foimd two hatching, the clutch in each case being 

 four. If we allow twelve days for incubation, the first eggs 

 would have been laid by May 16th. 



A Cuckoo's egg was found in a Pied Wagtail's nest near 

 Henley on May 6th, 1916. Heatley Noble. 



[For previous records of early laying of the Cuckoo see 

 Vol. VI., pp. 18, 88, 90 and 122.— Eds.] 



BLACKBIRD'S NEST MADE OF STRING. 



It may be worth recordmg that early in April, 1916, a pair 

 of Blackbirds (Turdus m. merula) built in a wood-pile on a 

 farm in Bedfordshire a nest constructed entirely of binder 

 string. The nest was partially demolished by a great storm 

 and the birds built another nest of the same material, about a 

 foot away in the same wood-pile. W. Rowan. 



BLUETHROAT OFF NORFOLK IN MAY. 



A Bluetkroat flew on board my ship at 4 p.m. on May 11th, 

 1916, while we were patrolling ten miles north-west of Cromer. 

 As it came into the captam's cabin and stunned itself flying 

 against the glass of the window, I picked it up and was able 

 to examine it closely. The breast was a brilliant metallic 

 blue, and I did not observe the red spot, but was not looking 

 for it, as I did not then know the bird. The rest of the 

 plumage, of which I wrote a description the same day, agrees 

 accurately with that of Luscinia svecica, a specimen of which 

 I saw in Booth's Museum, Brighton, when on leave a week 

 later. Dr. Langton, of Brighton, also verified it for me. 

 I gave the bird some crumbs and water : it remained about 

 the decks half an hoiu" or more and then flew away. 



R. WnsrcKwoETH. 

 I The Bluethroat is seldom observed on the spring migration. 

 —Eds.] 



