OTES 



BROODING PRIOR TO LAYING. 

 As is well known, birds are generally to be found on the nest 

 for a short time previous to laying, but in some cases the 

 period seems to be much prolonged. The habit of brooding 

 is, I think, fairly common in the Kestrel [Falco t. tinnunculus) , 

 as I have often observed it ; it is also occasional, at any rate, 

 in the Peregrine {F. p. peregrinus). I can only recall one case 

 of a Sparrow-Hawk [Accipiler n. nisus), and although she was 

 constantly on the nest, she may have been adding small 

 material or shaping the nest during this period, and not merely 

 brooding. 



I have also known instances of Rooks and Crows {Corvus 

 frugilegiis and C. corone) brooding for quite a considerable 

 time before laying. One Rook seemed to be always on the 

 nest for about a fortnight, but day after day we put her off and 

 climbed up, only to find the nest still empty, till at last she 

 deserted. 



An empty nest of Hedge-Sparrow {Prunella m. occidentalis), 

 with the bird on first found on June 13th, 1920, was still 

 empty on June 20th, although the bird was again on. Two 

 days later a boy whom I sent reported that she was again 

 sitting, but had not laid. I revisited the nest on June 27th 

 and found the bird still brooding on the empty nest. This 

 was also the case when the nest was visited on June 2gth, 

 but four daj^s later we found the nest deserted. During the 

 whole of this period there was no sign of any addition to the 

 nest material. 



This habit is of course quite distinct from incubation on an 

 empty nest after the eggs have been laid and taken, as is 

 often noted in the case of domestic fowls. J. H. Owen. 



NOTE ON BREEDING-HABITS OF LESSER 

 REDPOLL IN S. GLAMORGANSHIRE. 

 The occurrence of the Lesser Redpoll {Carduelis linaria 

 cabaret) in this district during the summer is sufficiently 

 rare to warrant a record being made of a rather interesting 

 incident which came under our notice this season. 



On May 14th, 1920, a female Lesser Redpoll was seen. A 

 second bird was with her. They moved to an alder tree, 

 about three yards away. Here one of them disappeared, 

 but a careful search with glasses revealed it moving about 



