FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 115 



The great interest in the above notes to my mind is the 

 rapidity with which the parents found food and brought it 

 to the nest, on a dull day when insects were sluggish in their 

 movements, shewing the fact of their capture at rest, and 

 beside this the considerable number of lepidopterous insects 

 brought by them. I particularly noted in returning from 

 the nest that there were hardly any lepidoptera moving, 

 in fact I saw none but what I kicked up out of the grass. 

 (W.P.C.) 

 Alauda arvensis (The Skylark). 



These observations were made in Hants. I was endeavour- 

 ing on June 5 and 6 to photograph a lark sitting on eggs. 



1 think the only parts of my observations of general interest 

 were the following : 



The hen was exceedingly nervous and her hearing was 

 most acute ; she would not stand a nearly noiseless shutter. 

 The cock sang at intervals and sometimes hovered right 

 over the nest. The cock nearly always came to the nest 

 with the hen and sang over her as she settled. 



The hen pitched straight down close to the nest within 



2 feet or 18 inches. 



In returning to the nest the cock always flew higher than 

 the hen and sang when he came, and after she had settled 

 he rose into the air and soared and sang. 



I have noticed that larks have very large openings to their 

 ears, and the hen bird raised the feathers that cover the ear, 

 when listening. She could even hear the noise of my pencil 

 on the paper of my notebook and listened to it with great 

 suspicion. (E.H.C.) 

 Motacilla alba (The White Wagtail). 



September 27th. One seen at Worth Matravers. (W.P.C. 

 and E.H.C.) 

 Motacilla melanope (The Grey Wagtail). 



27th September, 1914. Seven or eight seen in company 

 with ten or twelve Motacilla lugubris at Kingston Hill, Pur- 

 beck. (W.P.C. and E.H.C.) 



