io8 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



from Mr. A. G. Atkins of Farnham Court, Slough, 

 appeared in the Times of the 23rd of March, 1865; 

 " Some of your readers may be interested by the 

 mention of a fact which in this neighbourhood, at 

 least, is without parallel in the memory of the oldest 

 inhabitant. A large flock of Bramble-finches have 

 taken up their residence in Stoke Park. Their numbers 

 may be estimated when I state that the flight, which 

 was seen starting from their roosting-place one morn- 

 ing, continued streaming on without interruption for 

 thirty-five minutes. The person who noted this killed 

 forty-five at one shot. I may mention that before they 

 came to their new quarters, thousands of Starlings 

 congregated there nightly, but since this invasion of 

 northerners the ancient inhabitants have been dis- 

 possessed ; but they have not forgotten their former 

 homes, and now that returning spring has warned our 

 new friends to seek more quiet quarters before pairing 

 and building time comes upon them, the Starlings 

 are again making their appearance in great numbers." ' 



The Brambling is found at Pangbourne and Abing- 

 don, and Mr. R. B. Sharpe informed me that in winter 

 these birds frequent the woods at Dropmore and 

 Cliefden, where they roost, but as soon as it is light 

 they fly ofT in flocks to Quarry Wood, near Marlow, 

 where they find plenty of beech-mast. 



Bramblings are taken at High Wycombe annually, 

 as well as near Uxbridge and Aylesbury. A remark- 

 able fact connected with this bird occurred at Eton, 



