VOL. XI. NOTES. 47 
edges of which were in contact and each of which contained 
two eggs. Before touching them he pointed them out to 
a friend who can also vouch for the accuracy of his statement. 
Mr. Bates informed me that he has hunted for plovers’ 
nests for nearly fifty years, but has never seen anything 
of the sort before. T.SMITH, 
SNIPE PERCHING ON A BARN. 
On June 8th, 1917, I watched a Snipe (Gallinago g. gallinago) 
standing, apparently quite at ease, on the top of a high old 
barn in Shropshire. I was.only thirty yards from the building 
when chancing to look up I was startled to see the Snipe 
clearly outlined against the sky. Being in a hurry I could 
not wait to see how long it remained on its lofty perch, but 
it did not look in any hurry to move. 
I believe it is not so very uncommon for Snipe to alight 
on posts, etc., but do not know whether there are any records 
of them perching on buildings. FRANCES PITT. 
[For correspondence on Snipe and other waders perching 
on trees, bushes, posts, rails, etc. (a frequent occurrence), see 
Vol. III., pp. 59 and 89. Perching on buildings has very 
rarely been noticed we believe.—Ebs. | 
ARCTIC TERN IN SHROPSHIRE. 
On May 16th, 1917, an adult Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisea) 
was brought to me, which had been found dead on a hill 
pasture at Ticklerton, Church Stretton, the previous day. 
This species only occasionally visits Shropshire at the t.mes 
of spring and autumn passage. H. E. Forrest. 
EFFECTS OF THE SEVERE WINTER ON Birps.—We have 
received a number of interesting communications on this 
subject, but hope that many more readers will send us notes, 
especially regarding the diminution of “resident ’”’ birds. 
Some sort of comparison with the numbers in 1916 should 
be given to indicate as nearly as possible the proportion 
of decrease. It should also be mentioned in which species 
no decrease has been noticed as conditions appear to vary 
in different districts. The subject is of considerable 
importance, and the more information we receive the more 
reliable will be the detailed report which we propose to 
publish.—Ebs. 
Porousness oF Eaa-SuHetis.—In connection with the 
letter on this subject in Vol. X., p. 296, Mr. T. Smith writes 
that he had a recent experience with a Jay’s egg, the contents 
of which oozed through the shell in many places before any 
hole had been made with the drill. This was the only egg 
