16 
many Greenshanks and a few Grey Plover—the males in full breeding 
plumage—in this bay. I picked up the remains of a Dotterel in this 
district, a species not often observed in North Wales. 
Mr. Joseph Thompson submitted the following summary of his notes and 
observations :— 
“Mr. Joseph Thompson exhibited a nest, which he described as a Male 
Wren’s nest (Z'roglodytes parvulus), built by the male bird near the usual 
brood nest, and often supposed to be built altogether for his own convenience. 
That is not so, however, as a little knowledge of these birds would soon prove. 
The male bird takes his turn at sitting on the eggs while his mate goes off in 
search of food. As soon as the young brood are hatched the real work begins, 
as it takes both parent birds all their time to supply the increasing appetites 
of their hungry family, so that the male bird has no time to indulge in the 
comforts of a home of his own. Mr. Thompson asked, was it not therefore 
more reasonable to suppose that the extra nest is built as an emergency nest? 
As a matter of fact, that is so, as he had seen that when the brood nest had 
been tampered with, and the birds had been annoyed by the too frequent visits 
of boys before the eggs were hatched, so soon as they were hatched the parents 
carried away their tender young to hide them in the reserve nest.” 
“On a visit to Delamere Forest early in June he noticed that the oak trees 
appeared scorched and almost leafless, and found that this was caused by the 
foliage being devoured by the larva of a little green tortrix moth (Tortriz 
viridana). He saw quantities of rooks, jackdaws, and starlings collecting the 
larva and pupe with which they were feeding their young.”’ 
“Cuckoos appeared to be more numerous than usual this season.” 
The Curator (Mr. Alfred Newstead, F.E.S.) submitted the following notes 
of observations for 1916-17 :— 
Blackbird—two varieties. One with nearly white head, and portions of neck 
feathers white. Adult male. Shot at Connah’s Quay. In the possession of 
Mr. A. E. Goodman. 
Second specimen: Primaries and secondaries white. Head and portion of 
neck, mottled brown and white. Immature male. Caught in trap, Eaton 
Road, Chester, February 17th;, Mr. Caton. 
Honey Buzzard, adult female, shot in North Wales, August, 1916. Seen in 
flesh by A. N. 
Nuthatch, came to food put out by nurses and patients at Hoole Bank, 
Chester, January Ist, 1917. Reported by Miss G. M. Siddall. 
Smew—two males and one female—in the Canal Basin, Chester, February 11th, 
1917. Reported by Mr. Cotgreave. Owing to the severity of the weather 
the birds were remarkably tame, allowing the observer to approach within 
20 yards. 
Tufted Duck—two males and one female—shot on the Mickle Trafford marshes, 
January, 1917, and the first week in February following. 
Water Rails were plentiful at the Crook, Aldersey, Cheshire, in February, 
1917. 
