BIRDS 



Aston Clinton and Halton. Although not a 

 regular migrant, we hardly think that it stays 

 throughout really cold weather in Bucks and 

 Herts. Sir John van Hatten records it as 

 being shot by Mr. F. Sanders on November 

 15, 1774, near Dinton Hall, Aylesbury. 



10. Redstart. Ruticilla phoenicurus (Linn.). 



The redstart is apparently not as common 

 as it is in many other counties, and rather 

 locally distributed. It is however a regular 

 breeder in many places, especially near rivers 

 and streams, where willows and other suitable 

 trees offer good opportunities for breeding. 

 Nests are found, though this is not frequent, 

 in holes of walls. We have both observed 

 several pairs in and near Stowe Park ; Hartert 

 has seen it on the river Ouse, and the late 

 Lionel Wiglesworth informed him that it was 

 a common breeder in willow trees near 

 Castlethorpe. We have seen it rarely near 

 Walton and Aylesbury. Mr. Heatley Noble 

 tells us that it breeds every year on the hill 

 by Fawley village. The Rev. Hubert Astley 

 reports it as nesting regularly on the Chequers 

 Court estate, where in two cases holes under 

 eaves of keepers' houses were chosen for the 

 nest. Grossman and Hartert observed it in 

 June at Burnham Beeches, where it appears 

 not to be rare. 



1 1 . Redbreast. Erithacus rubecula (Linn.). 



(We are of opinion that the more correct 

 name of the British form of the redbreast 

 is Erithacus rubecula melophilus, Hart. The 

 above name (E. rubecula) should strictly only 

 be used for the continental form, which has 

 the throat of a paler red and the back not so 

 deep rufous brown. See Novit. Zoot. 1901, p. 



3I7-) 



One of the commonest birds everywhere 

 throughout the year. We have not noticed 

 any migration in this bird, neither do our 

 birds apparently leave us as a rule, nor have 

 we seen an influx of migrants. Specimens 

 obtained at various times of the year and 

 others closely observed belonged all to the 

 British race. Some months ago a German 

 lady during a visit to England remarked that 

 she had been pleased with the frequency and 

 tameness of the robins, and that they in Eng- 

 land deserved the name ' redbreast ' much 

 more than those on the continent, which 

 were not half so red and bright. This un- 

 sophisticated statement of a person ignorant 

 of ornithology is rather striking, as it agrees 

 with our view on the distinctness of the 

 British race. Mr. A. Heneage Cocks writes : 

 'A nest was found on the ground under dead 



fern on April 14, 1886. A fern pushing up 

 from beneath had rendered the bottom of the 

 nest convex, so that the eggs got arranged in 

 single file round the edge. On the 22nd I 

 removed two eggs which had fallen through 

 the bottom of the nest.' 



12. Nightingale. Daulias luscinia (Linn.). 

 Though unaccountably local, the nightin- 

 gale is seldom absent on low, fertile ground, 

 especially if water is near. It is mostly absent 

 from high dry ground, though sometimes it 

 takes up its residence in such places. The 

 Rev. Hubert Astley found a pair nesting in a 

 hedge bordering a road leading to an out-of- 

 the-way farmhouse in the vicinity of beech 

 woods with very little undergrowth. W. 

 found it more common near Castlethorpe, 

 Buckingham and Newport Pagnell. 



13. Whitethroat. Sylvia cinerea (Bechstein). 

 From the middle or end of April one of 



the commonest birds in hedgerows, gardens, 

 woods and commons. The eggs vary most 

 wonderfully, though we have not seen any 

 very unusual varieties from Buckinghamshire. 



14. Lesser Whitethroat. Sylvia curruca 



(Linn.). 



Arrives generally between April 15 and 

 2O. Hartert has seen it in full song on April 

 1 6. A more or less common bird almost 

 everywhere in similar places, but not as 

 abundant as the common whitethroat. 



15. Blackcap. Sylvia atricapilla (Linn.). 



In suitable localities, viz. well wooded 

 parks and woods with undergrowth, this 

 beautiful songster is common. The majority 

 arrive about the middle of April, but Hartert 

 has heard it in full song on April 10. The 

 pink varieties of the eggs are much rarer than 

 the brown ones. 



1 6. Garden-Warbler. Sylvia hortensis (Bech- 



stein). 



From the end of April or beginning of May 

 this warbler may be found generally distri- 

 buted in quiet, well-wooded parks, gardens 

 and woods all over the county, but it is no 

 doubt much rarer than the blackcap, and not 

 so easily seen, though its song is often to be 

 heard. Grossman and Hartert have observed 

 it near Chesham, Beaconsfield, Burnham, 

 Castlethorpe and Mentmore. The Rev. 

 Hubert D. Astley calls it common in gardens 

 at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. 



1 7. Goldcrest. Regulus cristatus, Koch. 

 (The more correct name of this species, in 



our opinion, is Regulus regulus, as Linnaeus 



