OTES 



NOTES ON BREEUING-HABITS OF GREY WAGTAIL. 

 During May 1921 I had a pair of Grey Wagtails {Motacilla 

 c. cinerea) under observation during the nesting period. 

 The nest was built upon a branch of virginian creeper, directly 

 beneath a window opening off a staircase, and was in con- 

 sequence easily observed. 



The first eg^ was laid on May qth ; on the loth there were 

 two eggs ; on the nth three eggs, one of which had what 

 appeared to be a small hole in the side. On that evening 

 there were only two eggs, both intact, the damaged egg 

 having apparently been removed by the birds. On May 12th 

 the female was disturbed off the nest at 8.30 a.m., both 

 birds were about the nest all day, but she did not return 

 to it to sit, and there were still only two eggs at nightfall. 

 On the 13th she was seen to leave the nest at 8.30 a.m.. 

 and it then contained three eggs. Incubation started on 

 May 14th, and was shared by both birds, the male doing the 

 larger share during the daylight hours : it was remarked that 

 the female seemed to take very little interest in or trouble 

 about the eggs, spending a considerable amount of time 

 daily in sitting on a window-ledge close by, and whenever 

 she was on the nest, she called to the male after sitting for 

 five minutes or so ; she was also far more timid than he ; 

 ner attitude in incubation was different, she sat stretching 

 herself out over the eggs and nest, whilst he sat erect. 



On May 23rd there was great fluttering of both birds in 

 and round the nest, and subsequent observation showed that 

 it again contained only two eggs. On this date the birds 

 removed these, forsook the nest and on May 27th com- 

 menced a new one in some ivy on the front wall of the 

 house and about four feet from the ground, this was also 

 forsaken and left unfinished some three or four days later. 



H. Rait Kerr. 



GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER NESTING IN LINCOLN- 

 SHIRE. 

 In my list of the Birds of Lincolnshire referred to {antea, p. 57) 

 I did not attempt to give any definite instance of the nesting 

 of the Grasshopper-Warbler in the county, but without doubt 

 it must frequently breed there. I have often heard its song 

 in May. June and July in various parts of the county, but 



