92 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



Similarly, large numbers of wild-fowl may often be seen during 

 winter on the two large reservoirs (having a total area of about 42 acres) 

 between Finsbury Park and Stamford Hill, as both Mr. Bidwell and 

 I can testify. These reservoirs are over a mile nearer the City than the 

 Walthamstow reservoirs : that is to say, they are within four miles 

 of St. Paul's. As to what species remain there to breed, I am less 

 well informed, but Mr. Wood tells me the Great Crested Grebe nested 

 on the weeds last year, and a friend assiu'es me that at least one pau" 

 is again breeding there this year ; also that several broods of young 

 wild-ducks (species not stated) are now to be seen there. 



Chelmsford, Jidy \Wi, 1913. Miller Christy. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — T can in some degree confirm Mr. Glegg's observation in 

 your July issue as to the numbers of apparently sterile Tufted Ducks. 

 Through the winter these birds are plentiful at a mere near Alderley 

 Edge, Cheshire, though at times they disappear altogether. This 

 year they dwindled from forty on March 29th to fifteen or twenty in 

 the first week of May, but on May 27th there were still about the 

 same number present, and many of these were apparently paired. 

 Some of these birds may have departed to breed elsewhere, but on 

 June 20th there were four pairs. On July 2nd there were two broods, 

 and on July 21st five broods, hatched out. The mother of one 

 brood of eleven continually drove off another female which attempted 

 to approach her offspring. It occurred to me that the latter might 

 be a sterile female, anxious, more ferainarum, to share the duties of 

 motherhood. 



Alderley Edge, July 24:th, 1913. E. W. Hexdy. 



SMALL CLUTCHES OF EGGS. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — My experience this season is entirely at variance with that 

 of Mr. Loyd {supra, p. 63). I have this season found the clutches of 

 eggs of our commoner birds quite up to the average, and indeed in 

 the cases of Blackbirds, Tlirushes, and Tree-Sparrows above the 

 average, for in the cases of the latter I have four sets of six eggs each 

 in the nesting-boxes where last year I had none, and in the former 

 out of over fifty nests there was a majority of sets of five, where 

 usually we had only four. 



BuRNAGE, DiDSBURY, Jidy \2th, 1913. Herbert Massey. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — ^In reference to Mr. Lewis R. W. Loyd's communication 

 in your last issue as to small clutches of eggs, I see he makes no men- 

 tion of the Cirl Bunting, which is — or was, a few years ago — a common 

 bird at Beer, south Devon. He also mentions the Lesser Whitethroat. 

 I have always understood that in south Devon this bird was practically 

 unknown, or at any rate only a passing bird. Perhaps Mr. Loyd 

 will furnish more particulars as to the occurrence of this species in 

 south Devon. I have identified eggs from north Devon and saw an 

 adult bird in August a few years ago, near Morthoe, but it is rare. 

 Since D'Urban and Mathews's Birds of Devon was published, this 

 bird has probably extended its range westward. It is an interesting 

 fact if it is so. 



Chester, July ISth, 1913. S. G. Cummln-gs. 



