230 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiii 



On June 17th, 1916, I succeeded in locating my first nest 

 in a Scotch pine. The bird left the nest, which was that of a 

 Crow from which the eggs had been taken, without making 

 a note of any kind and almost at the first tap on the tree. 

 While I was climbing the tree the bird came quite close in her 

 swoops and finally settled in the next tree in full view and 

 remained there continually making her alarm-note while 

 I was at the nest. The nest contained three typical eggs 

 which were quite fresh, and deeply embedded in the lining 

 of the nest. I waited near the tree for some time but without 

 again seeing either of the birds. 



In 1918 the birds were on the ground, but owing to the 

 extensive tree felling going on in the district they were very 

 much disturbed and apparently did not settle down to nest. 

 On June 29th, 1919, I located my second nest as a result 

 of three previous week-ends watching. My companion had 

 already made several fruitless climbs when I got my glasses 

 on to an old nest nearly at the top of a Scotch pine, on which 

 I could quite easily distinguish the bird sitting, her white 

 cheeks showing up conspicuously. We hit the tree several 

 times but she refused to budge. My companion then threw 

 up a piece of wood nearly hitting the nest, and the bird went 

 off with a characteristic dip and away over the tops of the 

 trees and again without a note. The nest contained three 

 very beautiful and typical eggs, quite fresh. From the time 

 she left the nest we neither saw not heard the bird again. 

 My experience with the Hobby's nest is limited to these two 

 occasions, on which it will be seen that the sitting birds 

 behaved in a totally different manner in spite of the incuba- 

 tion being in precisely the same stage. 



The Hobby is by no means a rare bird in Surrey though 

 one must be on the ground continually to appreciate its 

 presence and I agree that it is most conspicuous in the 

 afternoon and evening, though the alarm-note may be heard 

 at all times of the day providing it is not too hot. It is very 

 strange that there are so few records of its breeding in the 

 county. I, however, apply the same remark to this species 

 as I have to the Grasshopper- Warbler. 



Redshank {Tringa totaniis) . — Several birds remained right 

 through the spring of 1918 and 1919 in the south-west district, 

 and from their behaviour I have no doubt that they bred 

 somewhere on the commons. 



Curlew (Numenius arquata). — Curlews show a decided 

 increase in the south-west district, and I have counted ten or 

 eleven birds in a day. I have known them here since 1906 



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