1918.] Ooloyical Notes from the River Somme valley. 353 



the ancient fortifications of the town of Abbeville. The 

 parent-birds were not very light-coloured, and it is possible 

 that Pied and White Wagtails overlap and interbreed in 

 this district, as undoubted " Pieds " were seen now and 

 again in May as also were seen unduly dark-looking 

 " White " Wagtails. 



Motacilla lugubris. Pied Wagtail. 



Common in the early spring. Not proved by the writer 

 to be actually breeding, though undoubted specimens of this 

 species were seen now and again in May, but there never 

 happened to be time or opportunity for investigation. 



Motacilla rail. Yellow Wagtail. 



A few seen among Blue-headed Yellow Wagtails on 

 28 April near St. Valery. It is probable that a few pairs 

 remain to breed, as undoubted males were seen at the end 

 of May among the lucerne crops near the mouth of the 

 river. 



Motacilla flava. Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail. 



Very common on the meadows and lucerne fields near 

 the mouth of the river. This Wagtail was first noted on 

 27 April, and a colony of about ten pairs had taken up 

 their residence ia a marshy, coarse grass- and rush-covered 

 flat near St. Valery by 28 April. 



Tlie first two nests were found on 10 May, well concealed 

 under tufts of coarse grass, and they contained respectively 

 one egg and three sucked eggs. A nest with six fresh eggs 

 was found on 15 May, and three more nests with sucked 

 eggs. A day or two later a friend, \\ ho used to go about 

 with the writer, caught a Cuckoo red-handed beside another 

 nest of tliis species with newly-broken and partly-sucked 

 eggs. The Cuckoo was shot, and subsequently another 

 Cuckoo was found dead, evidently shot, on the same patch 

 of ground. Other eggs found sucked were those of the 

 lleed-Buntiug and Partridge. It seems impossible to believe 

 that a soft-billed bird like a Cuckoo can suck Partridge eggs, 

 but there was no doubt about the Wagtails\ 



