III.] 



The Summer Visitors. 



311 



Willow Wrex. (^Sylvia trochilus. 

 Lath.) Many are to be seen about the 

 middle and end of April in the young 

 enclosures, where I have frequently 

 caught the bird on its nest. • 



Wood Wren. (^Sylvia sibilatrix, 

 Beclist.) Its nests and eggs are gene- 

 rally found about the same time as the 

 willow wren's. 



Whitethkoat. (^Sylvia cinerea, 

 Lath.) Common. 



Lesser Whitethkoat. (^Sylvia 

 curruca, Lath.) Not abundant. 



Whin'chat. {Sylvia rubetra. Lath.) 

 Known throughout the Forest as the 

 " Furze Hacker."^ 



Tree Pipit. {Anthus arboreus, 

 Bechst.) Common. 



Reed Wren. {Sylvia arundinacea, 

 Lath.) The five foregoing species come 

 much about the same time, namely, the 

 end of April, but the reed wren is ex- 

 cessively scarce in the Forest, and I 

 have only once or twice heard its note 

 in the Bcaulieu river. Mr. Hart assures 

 me that it builds on the banks of the 

 Avon, but its nest has yet to be found. 



Landrail. {Gallimda ci-ex. Lath.) 

 About the end of April or beginning of 

 May. A good many yearly build round 

 Milton, and the south parts of the 

 Forest, and even in the interior, as at 

 Fritham and Alum Green. 



Common Sandpiper. ( Totanus hy- 

 poleucos, Tem.) A pair now and then 



remain to breed at Whitten pond, near 

 Burley, and also at Ocknell. 



Tdrtle Dove. {Cuhimba tiirtur, 

 Lin.) Not uncommon. Makes a slight 

 framework of heather for a nest, which 

 it places in a furze bush or low holly. 

 Is extremely shy, and easily forsakes 

 its eggs. 



Swift. {Cypselus apus, Illig.) 



Nightjar. {Caprimulyus Europceus, 

 Lin.) Known throughout the Forest 

 as the "Night Hawk," "Night Crosv," 

 " Ground Hawk," fi-om its habits, and 

 manner of ilying. I have received its 

 eggs at all dates, from the middle of 

 May to the end of July. 



Spotted Flycatcher. {Muscicapa 

 grisola, Lin.) Amvcs about the same 

 time as the thi-ee preceding, namely, 

 the beginning of May. 



Redbacked Shrike. {LaniuscoUurio, 

 Lin.) 



Hobby. (Faico subbuteo, Lath.) 

 Generally breeds from the beginning to 

 the end of June. Mr. Farren, how- 

 ever, in 1861, found a nest containing 

 three eggs so early as May 28th. See 

 Chapter XXII. p. 261. 



Honey Bl"zzard. {Falco apivorus, 

 Lin.) Never amves before the end of 

 May. See Chapter xxii. pp. 262-265. 



Puffin. {Mormon fratercula, Tem ) 

 Comes to the Barton cliffs from the Isle 

 of Wight, where it breeds. 



Here, as before, the list clearly indicates the nature of the countiy. 

 The wheatear proclaims the clo-n-n-like spaces on the tops of tiie hills, 

 whilst the hobby and the honey-buzzard tell of the vast extent of woods. 

 In the following division the winter birds speak, instead, of the morasses 

 and bogs, and the river estuaries and mudbanks, which sui-round the 

 Forest district. 



ShortearedOwl. {Strixbrachyolus, invariably met specimens in heathy and 

 Gmel.) Not uncommon. Mr. Cooper, marshy spots at Harvestslade between 

 the Forest Keeper to whom I have before Burley and Boldrewood. A specimen 

 referred, tells me that in winter and late j was killed in November, 1860, in Dihden 

 in the autimin for twenty years past he has i Botloui, by L. H. Cumberbatch, E.s\i. 



311 



