364 Major W. M. Congreve : Ornithological and [Ibis^ 



No Harrier or other egg-sucking bird or beast was ever 

 seen in that neighbourhood. By 22 May the colony was 

 practically non-existent, but one more nest, containing 

 young, was found at the end of May by the same friend. 



Anthus trivialis. Tree-Pipit. 



First noted on 29 April. Common and breeding in 

 typical situations. Several nests were found, the average 

 date for fresh eggs being 20 May. 



Anthus pratensis. Meadow- Pipit. 

 Common, especially near the sea-coast. 



Certhia sp. ? The Tree- Creeper. 



Tree-Creepers were fairly common among the willows in 

 the river-valley. The remains of an old nest, containing 

 very strongly-marked egg-shells, was found in a pollarded 

 willow. It appeared to date from a previous year. Unfor- 

 tunately no new nest was found, though a good deal of time 

 was spent trying to do so. * 



Sitta csesia. Nuthatch. 



Scarce. Two pairs were met with in the orchards at 

 Saigneville and one nesting-hole was located, but no eggs 

 were laid, although the parent-birds were in the immediate 

 vicinity on many occasions. 



Begulus regulus. Goldcrest. 



Some birds of this species lived in some fir-trees near 

 St. Val^ry during April, but seemed to disappear later. 

 The district is a bad one for Goldcrests, as fir-trees are very 

 scarce and a yew-tree was never met with. 



Farm major. Continental Great Tit. 



Common, and breeding in suitable situations in the 

 orchards round Saigneville and other villages in the 

 district. 



* Since this note was written I took a nest on 18 April, 1918, near 

 Ypres containing six eggs. The male bird, shot for the purpose of 

 identification, proves to be a tjpical example of C. b. brachydaetyla, 

 which is probably the prevailing form in northern France. 



