BIRDS 



have found the egg of the cuckoo in a nest of 

 this species. 



11. Redstart. Ruticilla phxnicurus (Linn.). 



This is a common summer migrant which 

 is found in considerable numbers wherever 

 suitable nesting-places can be obtained. In 

 1886 one was seen at St. Albans on March 

 28th, but its usual date of arrival is about the 

 second week in April. The nesting sites 

 chosen by this bird are very varied : during 

 the present year (1900) I found a nest in a 

 hole which had apparently been dug out by a 

 sand-martin (Cotile riparid) in a claypit at a 

 brick kiln near Berkhamsted. 



12. Black Redstart. Ruticilla titys (Scopoli). 



We are indebted to a Mr. A. Sainsbury 

 Verey, of Heronsgate near Rickmansworth, 

 for the addition of this species to the county 

 list. In a letter to the Watford Observer of 

 April ist, 1893, he stated that, while watch- 

 ing for wheatears in his field, the note of a 

 redstart attracted his attention, and on looking 

 at the bird he was immediately struck by its 

 dark back as it sat perched on a wire fence not 

 far away. The bird permitted a close ap- 

 proach, and turning round showed the dark 

 colour of its throat and body, thus confirming 

 his first impression that it was an example of a 

 black redstart. In a further letter to Mr. 

 Henry Lewis, Mr. Verey said that the bird 

 was first observed on March 28th, and that 

 it stayed for two days, and being very tame, 

 gave him ample opportunities of studying it 

 and determining its species. 



13. Redbreast. Erithacus rubecula (Linn). 



This bird, as in other counties, is an 

 extremely common resident, and many are 

 the curious nesting-places that have been 

 chosen by it in Hertfordshire. One or two 

 albino or partial albino varieties have also 

 been obtained, while on two occasions at least 

 pure white eggs of the robin have been found 

 in the place of those of a normal colour. 



14. Nightingale. Daulias luscinia (Linn.). 



This, the finest of our native songsters, is 

 to be found pretty generally distributed 

 throughout the county, although perhaps 

 towards the north it is hardly as plentiful 

 as elsewhere. The earliest record I have of 

 its arrival is April 7th, on which date it was 

 seen at Harpenden in 1884. 



15. Whitethroat. Silvia cinerea (Bechstein). 



The common whitethroat is very plentiful 

 throughout the county, usually arriving about 

 April 20th. 



1 6. Lesser Whitethroat. Silvia curruca (Linn.). 

 This is a bird which in Hertfordshire seems 



to vary greatly in numbers in different years, 

 sometimes being very plentiful, but at others 

 quite uncommon. It generally arrives about 

 the same time as the last-mentioned species. 



17. Blackcap. Silvia atricapilla (Linn.) 



This is a common summer visitor to Hert- 

 fordshire, appearing about the middle of April. 

 In 1896, however, Mr. H. R. Rivers observed 

 it at Sawbridgeworth on March 24th. In 

 May, 1900, I came across two nests of this 

 species, which varied considerably from the 

 usual nest of a blackcap ; instead of being 

 made of grass on the outside, they were com- 

 posed chiefly of sheep's wool with a little 

 grass mixed with it. 



1 8. Garden- Warbler. Silvia hortensis (Bech- 



stein). 



The garden-warbler seems distributed 

 throughout the county, though not in large 

 numbers. It prefers the neighbourhood of 

 woods, and usually arrives towards the end 

 of April. 



19. Dartford Warbler. Silvia undata (Bod- 



daert). 



Hertfordshire should be an ideal county for 

 this bird on account of its many gorse-covered 

 commons. It was not however until 1897 

 that it was actually identified with us. On 

 May ist of that year Mr. Charles Worte 

 with a friend, both of whom were well ac- 

 quainted with the species, recognized a pair of 

 these birds on a small common, known as 

 Commonwood Common, near Chipperfield, 

 and watched them for some time. It is prob- 

 able that the Dartford warbler may in the 

 future be recognized on other commons in 

 the county, as Mr. Harting recorded its occur- 

 rence in Middlesex on Stanmore Common, 

 which is only just outside Hertfordshire, as 

 long ago as 1866. Mr. Worte considered 

 that the birds seen by him were nesting. 



20. Goldcrest. Regulus cristatus, K. L. Koch. 



This pretty little bird is distributed all over 

 the county, but being partial to fir-trees is 

 not so common in Hertfordshire as in counties 

 where such trees are more abundant. 



21. Firecrest. Regulus ignicapillus (Brehm). 



An example of this species was obtained at 

 Tring on January ist, 1887. There is also 

 a statement in the Transactions that the 

 firecrest had occurred at Bennington near 

 Stevenage on the authority of Mr. Chapman 

 of that place, who had often seen them there. 



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