20 
House Martin. April 30th, first seen, Lache Lane. August 23rd, fewer 
this season. August 28th, migrating. September 13th, seen, Christle- 
ton Pond. September 19th, numerous, Eccleston. 
Swift. May 6th, Chester, the Northgate. May 8th, about a dozen over 
the weir. May 9th, more. May 10th, all apparently arrived. August 
16th, last one seen over Boughton Cricket Ground. 
Cuckoo. April 2ist, at Lake Vyrnwy. April 22nd, heard and seen, Eaton 
Road and Helsby. May 7th, common at Legacy. 
Corncrake. May 15th, Green Lane, Tarvin Road. 
Viper.* August 11th, a black one at Beeston Castle. 
Butterflies, &c. Fewer, perhaps owing to the cold, dull summer of 1912. 
July 14th, went to Whitegate Heath for the local butterfly—C. Davus 
(Tiphon). Found locality reclaimed and bearing a crop of oats. Butter- 
fly exterminated. Abbot’s Moss—Found two specimens of the rare 
moth, A. straminata. Only 4 specimens recorded, three of which fell 
to me. The black-headed gulls almost attacked me—they had young 
ones. 
* Mr. Arkle also read an interesting communication from Sergt. D. 
Driscoll, of Aldershot, who was “ badly bitten ’”’ by a Viper. . 
NOTES ON THE BIRDS IN DELAMERE WOODS, 1913. 
By Mr. A. Saunpers. 
I have not noticed any diminution in the numbers of birds this year, 
except in the case of Martins, who arrived at my cottage much later this 
season than usual. Two pairs did not come until after I had seen the Swifts 
in the neighbourhood. Red Starts were more numerous in the Forest. - 
May 15th. A Great Spotted Woodpecker’s nest in a dead birch, 7 feet from 
the ground. On the same day a Green Woodpecker busily engaged in 
completing its nesting hole in a large beech tree. Two young Tawny 
Owls, about one week old, in a tree close by. 
May 17th. Found three Coal 'Tits nests, all with young; two of these nests 
were in holes in the side of a ditch and not more than four yards apart. 
A Long-tailed Tit’s nest with young in the hanging branch of a Scot’s 
Pine; and in the tree next to it we found a Sparrow Hawk’s nest with 
5 eggs. On the same day another Sparrow Hawk’s nest with 4 eggs was 
discovered. 
May 18th. Kestrel’s nest in fir tree, with 5 eggs. 
May 28th. The young Owls found on the 15th we discovered dead in the 
nest. I think that the old birds had been killed and the young had died 
for the want of food. 
May 29th. I noticed a Green Plover drive a Kestrel back into the woods, 
after the Kestrel had been hovering over a field. The Plover was very 
determined and the Hawk made off; in all probability the former had 
young ones on the field. A great many Wood Wrens were to be heard 
at this time. The nest still remains to be discovered by me. Most 
of the migrants are to be found in their usual nesting sites. 
June ist. A Spotted Woodpecker’s nest with young in a birch tree. Five 
years ago a Spotted Woodpecker nested in the same tree (not the same 
hole), and on visiting the nest a week later to examine it, we found, to 
our surprise and sorrow, one egg in the nest, and one on the ground, 
the latter together with a newly hatched dead bird. I cannot think this 
work was done by anything but a stoat or weasel. The hole was 15 feet 
up. The tree has now been snapped off by a gale at the point of the 
nesting hole. 
