1922.] Letters, Extracts, an d Notes. 7 19 



Nesting in Esthonia. 



Sir, — I send you lierewitli two skins of Co/ceus monednia 

 collaris, which are typical of the Esthonian birds, and 

 which I shot near Wesenberj?, Esthonia. I think they 

 are a pair from a clutcli of six eggs which I took. Tlie 

 female I am sure of, and nearly sure of the male. Possibly 

 tkey may be of some interest. I am afraid I have to record 

 a disappointing spring. Everything was very late, and there 

 was still snow at the beginning of May. As a consequence 

 the early birds were, with few exceptions, late in nesting, 

 and the later ones started at the same time, and the season 

 was very short. Further, I could not get away ranch, and 

 one cannot get anybody else to collect here. Koch, who 

 was going to help nie, has been detained in Germanv bv his 

 Avife's health. I got a Goshawk and three eggs, a Hawfinch 

 and six, but only took two, as it is only recorded as a 

 " doubtful breeding species here," and unluckily somebody 

 else took the others. I found a Scarlet Grosbeak and one 

 egg, the rest having been taken. Got c./6 and c./5 Northern 

 Bullfinch: Marsh, Great, and Willow Tit: Great Crested 

 Grebe : Garganey : Little Tern : Pochard, etc. Found a 

 C./5 Woodchat Shrike, but these were just hatching. A 

 forester sent Mr. Weltz two clutches of Great Snipe (four 

 each), but packed them so badly that they were all hopelessly 

 broken. However, he writes that the way to find them is to 

 go out just after heavy rain, and then the bird gets straight 

 oil' the nest. I hope to try again next year. I went down 

 to Plapsaal purposely to get Erolia alpina (which, despite 

 Hartert, I and all here say is '^ schintzi^^). 



I could not get away till the beginning of June, and after 

 much hunting found three nests, all with the young just 

 hatched or hatching. They must have begun almost before 

 the snow was off the ground. Got two nice blue clutches of 

 Black-headed Gull ami a c./3 Gommou Tern, with two blue 

 and one whitish egg. 



If I am still here next year, as I expect to be, I must hope 

 for more luck. I failed to get either Melodious Warbler or 



SER. XI. VOL. IV. 3 D 



