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SURREY FIELD NOTES. 



PERCY F. BUN YARD, f.z.s., m.b.o.u. 



House-Sparrow {Passer d. domesticus). — -For the last two 

 springs in one district these birds have taken possession of 

 small clumps of thorn, the nests being easily reached from 

 the ground. 



Crossbill {Loxia curvirostra) . — Evidence of recent visits 

 in the spring of 1919 to clumps of Scotch pines in the south- 

 west districts was found, quantities of cones having been 

 attacked, though the birds had evidently passed on as none 

 was heard or seen. 



CiRL Bunting {Emberiza cirlus). — On June 8th, 1919, I 

 found a nest with four highly incubated eggs. The nest was 

 placed at the bottom of a small beech growing on a bank 

 by the road-side. I flushed the female several times, and on 

 one occasion had a good view of the male, which came and 

 settled on a fence opposite the nest. The eggs are typical 

 Cirl's, but with the whitish ground-colour. This is the first 

 time I have found the bird breeding in the county. 



Wood-Lark {Lullula arborea). — Though I have heard the 

 Wood-Lark several times in the south-west districts, it was 

 not until 1919 that I had the pleasure of finding it nesting 

 in the county. On April i8th, 1919, I visited this district 

 with Mr. Clifford Borrer and Mr. G. K. Baynes, and while 

 we were walking on the edge of a large common, Mr. Baynes 

 called my attention to two birds on the ground about 20-30 

 yards ahead, which he thought were Wood-Larks. Owing to 

 previous experience with the species in Suffolk and with the 

 aid of my glasses I had no difficulty in confirming his suspicions. 

 We watched the birds for some time, when they both flew 

 in the direction of a small bank between two sand tracks. 

 We gave them some time before following up and in the mean- 

 time I heard the unmistakable note, and saw one of the birds 

 on the opposite bank. We then visited the spot where they 

 first alighted and I put up a bird almost at my feet. After 

 a careful search Mr. Baynes discovered the nest with four 

 fresh eggs, all of which were absolutely typical. The nest 

 was placed among very short patchy ling in a very deep 

 scratch-out exactly as I had found them in Suffolk. I visited 

 the spot again in the evening and following day, and the birds 

 were singing beautifully. There are Scotch pines within 



