112 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



Passer domesticus (The Common Sparrow). 



7th May, 1914. A specimen seen at Bournemouth 

 that was entirely dove grey in coloration. 

 (E.H.C.) 

 Emleriza citrineUa (The Yellow Hammer). 



Although this is really a Hants observation, the following 

 notes may be of interest. 



31st May Found a nest with four young pitched 



at the bottom of a stunted sloe bush in 

 rank grass (mostly Nardus stricta}. The 

 nest was made of rank grass and lined 

 with fine grass only, no hair of any 

 kind. The young birds were partially 

 feathered. 

 June 1st, 11.30 I went into my hiding tent about 



10 feet from the nest. 



At 11.30 cock bird arrived with a beetle and removed the 

 excreta. The young suffered from the bright sun, as 1 had 

 removed a part of the bushes shading the nest to get a better 

 light : one young bird quitted the nest and got lost in the 

 long grass surrounding the nest. It is a curious fact that 

 neither parent noticed the loss, nor troubled to look for the 

 young bird, which must have been close at hand. 



The food brought was beetles and insects, but I had lost 

 my pencil and could make no proper notes. Both birds 

 preferred to come to the back of the nest, and gave little 

 chance of photographs, so I cut a lot of small pieces of furze 

 and erected a regular chevaux-de-jrise at the back of the 

 nest, after which the birds came to the front. 



At 12.10 I went to lunch, and as the young birds seemed to 

 suffer so much from the sun, I erected a screen and determined 

 to bring some water with me on my return. 



At 2.5 I came back and gave the remaining young birds a 

 good drink by means of a pipette ; this they seemed to enjoy 

 very much and seemed much refreshed, and when I came 

 out of the tent with the pipette and water bottle on subse- 

 quent occasions they all craned eagerh forward and opened 



