FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 157 



20th June, 1915. At Poole Mr. J. T. Curtis made the 

 following observation : 



" 8 a.m., whilst watering the front garden I saw a cock 

 blackbird catch a brown moth and eat it. There was no 

 mistake about it, the bird was only 4 or 5 feet from me." 



15th November. There was an abnormally large number 

 of these birds at Canford ; we counted 50 in one small clear 

 patch in one wood. Suggesting a Southerly movement. 

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

 Erithacus rubecula melophilus. (The British Redbreast). 



4th April. We found a robin had already brought off a 

 brood in one of our nesting boxes at Canford, and we saw 

 another carrying nesting material. 



llth April. Two observed building at Berewood. 



8th May. At Canford one observed feeding young, and one 

 observed building. 



9th May. This latter bird had completed and laid one 

 egg. W.P.C. endeavoured unsuccessfully to get a really good 

 colour record, but the lighting of the situation was so very 

 difficult that he failed. The nest was very peculiar ; it started 

 quite low in the bank and was built up quite 10 inches till a 

 fairly good platform was obtained,on which the nest proper 

 was placed. We have never seen quite so elaborate a 

 structure by a robin and the birds must have been wonderfully 

 industrious to get the material together, since there was more 

 than sufficient material to make six ordinary blackbirds' nests. 



15th May. This bird was sitting, 5 eggs. 



22nd May. W.P.C. endeavoured unsuccessfully to photo- 

 graph this bird sitting, but robins are very knowing, and 

 whilst she would sit complacently as long as W.P.C. was not 

 in the tent, she resolutely declined to come if he were inside. 



18th June. At Canford W.P.C. observed this bird taking 

 Cabera pusaria into its nest about 7.30 a.m. 

 Luscinia megarhyncha. (The Nightingale.) 



Common in the valley of Kit Brook. (E.S.R.) 



8th August. A couple seen on Handley Down moving 

 Southward. 



