480 Captain H. Lyncs — Bird-notes 



During the last week of April many nests were found 

 with fresh eggs, one to five in number, between 2700 and 

 5000 ft. Probably some of the few iudividuals which had 

 spent the winter in the '^ lowlands " were responsible for 

 two nests being built on March 23rd, for at this early date 

 courting was the general order of the day. The numbers 

 subsequently increased daily at the breeding zone, as 

 suggested by the arrival of birds obviously on passage 

 through the "foothills^"' during the preceding days. In 

 breeding, the " Blackstart seemed very faithful to its alti- 

 tude ; many of the craggy tops amo^g the foothills, which 

 appeared to us suitable in every respect, did not hold a 

 single Blackstart.'^ 



They rose very early in the morning, and would start 

 singing before any of the other birds, except, perhaps, the 

 Swallow, quite in the dark ; it is a sweet Hedge-Sparrow- 

 like song, interlarded with an occasional " scratchy '^ little 

 warble, like shaking up a bag of cowries, and may be 

 mistaken for the rustliug of some creature close alongsule. 



It seemed that there were occasional males in a plumage 

 intermediate between male and female, but whether these 

 were actual breeders or only 'Hiangers on" for the season, 

 could not be discovered. A difficulty in determining this 

 point was the abundance of the species, nests with eggs 

 being found within a hundred yards of one another. 



Sierra Nevada. — Where there were craggy bits the Black- 

 start was as plentiful as at San Cristobal, from 4000 ft. 

 right up to the Pefiones at 8500 ft., but chiefly in the 

 middle zone, where several nests were found. A favourite 

 site for the nest was on a ledge of rock, close to a small 

 torrent, exactly like the spot usually chosen by the Grey 

 Wagtail; indeed, in one instance, where both species" were 

 nesting a few yards apart, the sitting birds and eggs were 

 the only signs of distinction. 



[I venture to suggest that some male Blackstarts may not 

 attain complete maturity in the first year. — A, C] 



