260 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



I ha^'e received the following 



NOTES ON RARE AND OTHER BIRDS IN 1905. 



WOODCHAT (Lamus auriculatus , Miiller). This rare visitor 

 to Britain having been very seldom observed in Dorset, I should 

 like on the principle of " Better late than never" to place on 

 record the fact that about the year 1894, either in April or May, 

 I watched for some minutes at only a few yards distance a fine 

 specimen at Corfe Castle a little further down the same 

 stream, beside which the late Rev. Owen L. Mansel saw one on 

 April 21, 1893, as recorded by myself at the time in the Dorset 

 County Chronicle and in Proc. Dors. N.H. and A.F.C., XV., 196. 

 Unfortunately, I have searched in vain for a note of the date, so 

 can only give it approximately (E. R. B.). 



PIED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa atricapilla, L.). I saw one at 

 Symondsbury Rectory on April 27 and 28 at the same spot. 

 This bird is extremely rare in the locality, and I have never . 

 previously observed it. It was very tame, and allowed me to 

 approach to within a few yards of it (Rev. R. C. Maunsell). 



THRUSH (Turdus musicus, L.). A well-fledged young one, 

 able to fly about 40 yards at one flight, was met with on April 14 

 a remarkably early date (E. R. B.). 



On April 30 my attention was attracted by the angry screams 

 of a thrush, and I saw a jackdaw make two dashes at a young 

 thrush sitting on a bough. It failed each time, and was driven 

 off to a considerable distance by the old bird (J. R.). 



ROBIN (Erithacus rubecula, L.). I have heard that robins are 

 never seen to bathe like other birds. Not long ago I saw one in 

 the act of taking a bath in a pool (J. R.). 



Robins bathe at least as much as other birds in a large dish 

 on my lawn (N. M. R.). 



REDSTART (Ruticilla phcenicurus, L.). Seen at Corfe Castle 

 April ii (E. R. B.). At Chickerell, where it is usually rare, 

 April 4 (N. M. R.). 



NUTHATCH (Si/ fa ccesia, Meyer). A pair with young feeding 

 in an elm tree (J. R., Pulham). 



