CORRESPONDENCE. 145 



having similar conditions as to position, but this time on the side of a 

 steep hill. In this case the Oak was in leaf ; the Ash was covered with last 

 year's fruit, and showed no likelihood of having blossoms or leaves for 

 some time to come. — C. U. Tripp. 



The Oak Leafing or in full leaf in all the lanes about Coleshill and 

 Whitacre, May 16th. No apparent sign of leafing on Saturday, the 8th, 

 the showers in the middle of the week having exerted a great influence 

 on the leafing of trees. Trees growing in large woods scarcely so forward 

 as those growing in the open. The Ash showed no sign of leafing, except 

 in two young trees seen in a sheltered wood. The Beech very erratic. 

 In the lane from Duke's Bridge to Whitacre there are abundant trees in 

 full leaf. Trees just showing for leaf and trees showing no signs of 

 leafing mingling their branches, in some cases growing side by side, in 

 others on opposite sides of the same lane. — J. E. B. 



The Old English Kite or Glead. — I should be glad to hear, through 

 any correspondent of the "Midland Naturalist," whether the old English 

 Kite or Glead is still existing in his neighbourhood. Some fifty years 

 ago it was quite common about here, and ten or a dozen of these fine birds 

 might be seen gliding round and round at a great height. I have a fine 

 specimen of a female Glead, which was shot in the neighbouring woods 

 of Linley, in June, 1861 ; and I have seen one or two about occasionally, 

 up to ten years ago, but now, I fear, they must be considered as extinct 

 in this neighbourhood, but ate still found in North Wales. The common 

 Buzzard or Dunkite is in the same case, and we have only the Kestrel 

 and Sparrow Hawk remaining. The Brown Owl is still plentiful about 

 here, but the White or Barn Owl is very rare. — Arthur S. Male, More 

 Kectorv, Bishop's Castle. 



Ornithological Notes. — There is no period of the year more inter- 

 esting to the ornithologist than that included between the dates of my last 

 letter, April loth, and the present one. During this time the observer 

 who lives in the country can hardly fail to note some new arrival daily ; 

 thus I have sixteen records between April 16th and May 2nd inclusive. 

 They are— April 17th, Sand Martin; 18th, Swallow; 19th, Yellow 

 Wagtail ; 22nd, Tree Pipit and Common Whitethroat ; 23rd, Nightingale, 

 Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, and Redstart ; 24th, Lesser 

 Whitethroat ; 25th, Garden Warbler and Cuckoo ; 28th, Whinchat ; 

 29th, Landrail ; 30th, House Martin ; May 2nd, Grey-headed Wagtail, 

 and lastly on 15th inst., Swifts. With regard to the last named bird, I 

 notice in the " Midland Naturalist " for May a report of Swifts being 

 seen in Warwickshire on April 8th. This is clearly a mistake, as they 

 never reach this country before the second week in May, and are the last 

 of the family to arrive. Harting, in his " Summer Migrants" says, " as 

 a general rule, the Swift is not observed in this country before the third 

 week in May." This is, I think, rather a lat6 average date. I have 

 noticed them as early as May 5th, (1878) ; May 8th, (1877) ; and as late 

 as May 16th, (1874.) My average date for seven years is May 9th. 

 On April 18th, I saw the last of the Fieldfares. The Grey-headed Wag- 

 tail (Motacilla flava) I saw for the first time alive ; it is very rare, at 

 least in this country. It was in company with two Grey Wagtails, and 

 at first I thought it was a Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla rayi) ; a closer 

 inspection, however, satisfied me that it was the Grey-headed. I might 

 add, as a probable explanation of its occurrence, that I have never seen 

 anything like the number of Yellow and Grey Wagtails in any former 

 year, — Thomas Macaulay, M.R.C.S.L., &c, Kibworth, 20th May. 



