26 Proceedings. 



This bird if disturbed at night will, as I have often noticed, 

 break out into a few notes of its song, but almost instantly 

 relapses into silence — possibly singing in its sleep, I have 

 also often heard the Lesser Whitethroat do the same. 



Robin. — Very plentiful ; it sings more constantly than 

 any other species, but is generally almost entirely silent from 

 about the end of June to the end of July. Last April a pair 

 nested in an old tin oil-can which someone had placed on its 

 side on the branch of a tree ; the nest just filled the can. 

 This bird often begins to build in February. 



Redstart. — This bird is only a very occasional visitor ; 

 I have most often seen it in August, and have observed it 

 feeding on the Berheris hemes. 



Grasshopper Warbler. — I think I have on one occasion 

 heai'd this bird's note, but cannot be quite positive. 



Nightingale. — Some years ago we used to have two or 

 three pairs of this species, and they used to nest frequently ; 

 but latterly they seem to have withdrawn further away, and 

 we have usually only one bird singing in our grounds, and 

 even it seems usually to nest beyond our limits. My recorded 

 dates of an-ival vary between AprU 11th and 24th. 



Blackcap. — Arrives usually about April 7th ; earliest 

 record March 23rd, latest April 21st. In 1867 we had as 

 many as five nests with eggs at the same time. This 

 species has a decided predilection for ben-ies ; and will eat 

 Ivy berries in spring, and Berheris berries and red currants 

 in summer. 



Garden Warbler. — I see or hear this bird perhaps in 

 most years, but can hardly consider it one of our residents ; 

 I only have once known it nest with us, viz., in 1870. 



Whitethroat. — More plentiful just outside on the narrow 

 strip of Wray Common than actually within our borders ; 

 but yet it sometimes nests with us. 



Lesser Whitethroat. — A regular visitor to us every sum- 

 mer ; my earliest recorded date of arrival is April 14th, but 

 the more usual date is about April 23rd. It generally builds 

 in a small Hawthorn-hedge, but the nest is such a slight 

 structure that it may readily be overlooked. 



