VOL. XV.] NOTES. 87 



I remarked this fact as long ago as 191 1, and both my brother, 

 Brian Stoneham, and I often refer to it. At first I thought 

 it was an optical illusion, but whilst in Mesopotamia in 1918 

 and 1919, I had wonderful opportunities of obser^dng many 

 thousands of these birds, among others, on migration often 

 flying about 6 feet from the ground, and was able to settle, 

 without a matter of doubt that on occasion the Swift does 

 fly " alternately." Again this year, when Swifts are so 

 numerous everywhere, I have seen it happen on several 

 occasions with certainty, and many other times on which it 

 was difficult to decide definitely. Mr. Cave is the first person 

 to my knowledge who has published this observation, but I 

 have many notes and private records of the same. 



H. F. Stoneham. 



BREEDING OF THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER 

 IN CUMBERLAND. 



With reference to the breeding of the Great Spotted 

 Woodpecker {Dryobates major anglicus) in Cumlierland 

 {antea, p. 62), it should be pointed out that, although not 

 common in this county, it is by no means a recent addition 

 to the list of our breeding species. Writing nearly 30 years 

 ago in the Vertebrate Fauna of Lakeland, Macpherson reported 

 it as breeding at Edenhall, Brampton, Woodside, Corby and 

 Warwick Bridge. There are several breeding haunts near 

 Carlisle known to me at the present time, one of which has 

 harboured it for ten years at least, and in another it has bred 

 for the last six seasons. It is a species which seems to be 

 extending its range in Cumberland. There is a note in the 

 Naturalist for August 1921. p. 282, on a brood of four young 

 being reared this season in the parish of Melmerby, under 

 Cross Fell. F. H. Day. 



With reference to the note {antea, p. 62) on this subject, it 

 may be of interest to record that an immature Great Spotted 

 Woodpecker taken from a nest on June 17th, 1921, at Mel- 

 merby, about eight miles north-east of Penrith, was sent to 

 me by the Rector of the parish for identification. 



F. L. Blathwavt. 



HONEY-BUZZARD IN HAMPSHIRE. 



I WAS crossing the downs some miles to the east of Winchester 

 on July nth, 1921, when I saw a Honey-Buzzard {Pernis a. 

 apivorus) resting on the ground near a large beech on the top 

 of the downs. It flew into the tree near by after allowing us 

 to walk up to within a few yards — so close that it was possible 



