92 BRITISH BIRDS. 



with undecided, wavering flight, high above the tree-tops, 

 w^ere the outstanding feature in the bird-hfe of the common. 



Charles Oldham. 



[For former records of the Lesser Redpoll nesting on 

 Wimbledon Common and in other places in Surrey, see Vol. I., 

 p. 184.— H. F. W.] 



HAVE STARLINGS INCREASED BEYOND THE 

 CAPACITY OF NESTING SITES ? 



Late last year two packs of Starlings of about 1000 each 

 took possession of a young larch plantation near Ross, 

 Herefordshire. Every evening the numbers increased until 

 it was impossible to make any estimate of them, but to give 

 some idea, I saw^ on one occasion a field of about four acres 

 so covered with them that it was difficult to see any soil at 

 all. Their movements, as night drew near, were a source 

 of great interest to me. At times they would wheel for 

 half-an-hour in the air, each battalion independent of the 

 other ; at others they would settle in high trees and maintain 

 a ceaseless chattering ; while, once or twice, being apparently 

 still hungry, they w^ould settle on ploughed ground and busily 

 search for food. 



The majority have distributed and paired, but there are 

 still a number of small packs, ten to tw^enty in each, which 

 pass my house every night on their w^ay to roost, and I have 

 noticed for the last three years that many remained unpaired. 

 These are neither old birds which have done nesting, for as 

 yet (June 7th) I have seen no young birds abroad ; nor are 

 they for the same reason young birds. What, then, is the 

 reason for these bachelor habits ? 



It cannot be that there are greater numbers of either sex, 

 because Nature's balance is very even ; nor can it be that they 

 do not breed until the second season. 



Is it possible that there are not enough suitable nesting 

 places for so many ? 



Fred. A. Herbert. 



NUTCRACKER IN KENT. 



In Vol. I., p. 388, we referred to a Nutcracker which had been 

 reported by Mr. N. F. Richardson as having been shot in Kent 

 on December 29th, 1907. On page 28 of the present volume 

 Mr. G. M. Beresford-Webb suggested that this might have 

 been a bird which escaped from his aviaries. Mr. Richardson 

 has very kindly submitted the bird, with full particulars, 

 to Mr. Beresford-Webb for examination, and that gentleman 



