240 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



specimen was killed near Ringwood, in the adjoining county of 

 Hampshire, on February 8, 1908, and two more were reported 

 from other parts of the county at about the same time. 

 (E. R. B.) 



PIED FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa atricapilla, L.). Mrs. Richard- 

 son and I watched a male Pied Flycatcher in our vegetable 

 garden for some time on April 28, and it continued there most of 

 the morning. It was not at all shy, and took very little notice of 

 our presence, and continued to flit about amongst the pea sticks 

 after insects. On former occasions I have noticed that it is 

 anything but a shy species, being almost as tame as a chaffinch. 



DIPPER (Cinclus aquaticus, Bechstein). One was seen near 

 Corfe Castle by Mr. Hugh M. Dodington on March 2, 1908. So 

 far as I know, this is the first occasion on which this species has 

 ever been observed in the Isle of Purbeck, and its occurrence 

 here is of special interest as showing that, having firmly 

 established itself in the neighbourhood of Wareham in the 

 course of the last few years, it is now endeavouring to further 

 extend its range in East Dorset. During the rest of the year I 

 often visited the spot, where the bird had been observed, but 

 failed to see anything of it either there or elsewhere. (E. R. B.) 



DARTFORD WARBLER (Melizophihts undatus, Bodd). One 

 seen near Poole Harbour April 18. (G. R. P.) 



On May 1 2 one was heard singing, watched, and examined 

 through field glasses by my brother, Mr. A. E. Bankes, and 

 myself on a heath near Corfe Castle. In contrast to the usual 

 skulking habits of the species, this individual, when frightened 

 at our near approach, time after time alighted on the topmost 

 shoot of the tallest furze bush, and sat there until again alarmed. 

 The late Mr. J. C. Mansel-Pleydell, in his " Birds of Dorset- 

 shire," p. 29 (1888), expressed the fear that this interesting 

 Warbler had been exterminated in Dorset by the severe winters 

 of 1 880-8 1 and 1886-7, b ut > although reduced almost to the 

 vanishing point by these and the intense frosts of 1895, it has 

 fortunately survived, and seems to be slowly increasing in 

 numbers, specimens having been occasionally seen of late years 



