OTES 



NOTE ON BREEDING-HABITS OF LESSER 

 REDPOLL IN DORSET. 

 To the interesting notes on the breeding-habits of the Lesser 

 Redpoll [Carduelis linaria cabaret) by Messrs. Ingram and 

 Salmon {antea, p. 159), I should like to add that I think the 

 appearance of three birds at the nest is not very unusual 

 and not easily accounted for. I have not had a great deal 

 of experience with this species during the breeding-season, 

 having found only about a dozen nests, but I well remember 

 at the first nest I found being puzzled at the presence of two 

 females and one male. All three together flew into a small 

 birch tree entwined with honeysuckle, in which the nest was 

 situated. One of the females entered the nest and began to 

 arrange the brim, while the other female and the male engaged 

 in antics very similar to those described by Messrs. Ingram 

 and Salmon, their attitude towards one another appearing 

 sometimes amorous and at other times hostile. 



1 have twice since witnessed similar incidents, and at one 

 nest in course of construction I noticed four birds mixed 

 up in a scuffle similar to those so often indulged in by the 

 common House-Sparrow but in this case they appeared to be 

 fighting for possession of the nest. 



It is quite a common sight in spring before nesting begins, 

 to see three and sometimes four birds in company wheeling 

 and twisting about over the tree-tops, uttering their trilling 

 notes, and it might be worth mentioning, as far as my observa- 

 tions go, that during the building of the second nest (this 

 species is certainly double brooded — here in Dorsetshire at 

 any rate) the behaviour of the breeding pair is quite normal, 

 with no interference from others, although three or four 

 pairs may be nesting in close proximity — I have known three 

 occupied nests within a stone's-throw — and it is at first nests 

 only that I have noticed this communal habit. 



W. J. ASHFORD. 



POSSIBLE MIGRATORY MOVEMENT OF YELLOW 

 BUNTINGS IN BEDFORDSHIRE. 

 Since my letter {antea, p. 214) has not elicited any very 

 definite information of a migration of Yellow Buntings 

 {Emberiza citrinella) on the night of December 29th, 1920, 

 my own observations may perhaps be worth recording. 

 On that night I was called down to my hospital late in the 



