42 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



SHORE-LARK ON WORCESTERSHIRE-HEREFORD- 

 SHIRE BORDER. 



On January 14th, 1920, while on my way from Great Malvern, 

 Worcestershire, to West Malvern, Herefordshire, at the top 

 of the " Happy Valley " (1,100 feet) I saw a bird running 

 on the ground, which at first sight I thought was a Cirl Bunting 

 {Emberiza cirlus) . It did not then allow of a close approach, 

 but I crawled after it, taking what cover I could behind the 

 scanty furze, and altogether spent an hour observing it on 

 various parts of the hills. I saw it very well once or twice 

 within a dozen yards through my glasses, and made out the 

 black and yellow markings about its throat and face, and 

 noticed the black ear tufts blowing about in what little wind 

 there was (it was a beautiful day and comparatively calm). 

 It flew somewhat like a Wheatear ((E. oenanthe) and once 

 or twice uttered a quiet inconspicuous note like a subdued 

 Rock-Pipit's {Anthiis s. petrosus). I have not the least 

 possible doubt that the bird was a Shore-Lark {Eremophila 

 a.flava), a particularly rare visitor to the west of England. 



Martin S. Curtler. 



LATE SPRING MOVEMENT OF PIED WAGTAILS. 



With reference to the notes on the spring movements of 

 Pied Wagtails {Motacilla alba lugubris) {antea, Vol. XIV., 

 pp. 258, 278) it may be of interest to record that while at 

 Winscombe, Somerset, on May 22nd, 1921, I watched a flock 

 of these birds feeding on gnats by the roadside, and counted 

 twenty-six on the road at one time, while there must have 

 been many more in the surrounding bushes I naturally 

 expected to see White Wagtails {M. a. alba) in flocks at 

 that date rather than Pied, and consequently I watched them 

 for some time with binoculars and at close range. Most of 

 them were decidedly black on the mantle ; all were adults and 

 most of them males. W. PI. Thorpe. 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER RETURNING TO DESERTED 



NEST. 



About the third week in May 192 1, a pair of Spotted 

 Flycatchers {Muscicapa s. striata) built a nest in the fork of 

 a pear tree trained against a wall in my garden at Allesley, 

 CO. Warwick, and commenced sitting. About the 29th, 

 they deserted the nest. A week or so after this I examined 

 the nest ; the lining was disarranged and the eggs, which 

 were cold and damp, had mostly sunk beneath it. The pair 



