188 FIRST AftEARANCES OP BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



The following notes are by (E. J. B.), Osmington : 



" Swallows were with us without apparent diminution till October 

 15th, and at Warmwell in diminished quantities till the 17th. 

 They were missed on the 18th in the inland parts, but on the 19th 

 I saw some still in the warm shelter of the cliffs at Osmington 

 Mills. After that I only noticed stragglers. 



A pair of ravens passed over us early in the nesting season, and 

 a pair of falcons again nested on the cliffs between here and 

 Lulworth, fortunately in safety, though last year a coastguard 

 informed me he was offered a reward for taking the eggs. 



A curious fact about swifts. They are to be seen in plenty at 

 Preston, but though I have constantly looked out for them I have 

 never seen one in this village (1 J miles distant). Why should they 

 never come up the hill ? 



I verified this year Mr. Warde Fowler's statement about 

 chaffinches' imperfect attempts to produce their song early in the 

 year, though I cannot say whether what I heard was the young 

 birds learning their song for the first time, or the old birds 

 endeavouring with only partial success to remember theirs of last 

 year. But certain it is that for the first fortnight their song was 

 heard it was only the first few notes of the cadence, with an 

 occasional success in rendering the whole. 



Each species of tit except the bearded (which I have not seen in 

 this neighbourhood) is abundant here. 



The labourers speak of a large yellow bird "about the size of a 

 blackbird." That was to be seen in the haymaking season of 1805. 

 They summoned one another to look at it. Was it a Golden 

 Oriole ? 



I proved this year that the Meadow Pipit sometimes covers over 

 its nest with grass when alarmed." 



(J. M.), Hawkchurch, sends the following note : 



"The universally mild winter of 1895-6, followed by a very early 

 spring, caused many plants to flower much earlier than usual, The 

 persistent drought which immediately followed had a visible effect 

 on the young foliage of such trees as the Lime, Ash, Plane, &c. 



