NOTES. 163 



Herts, and Bucks. — A flock of sixteen (both green and red 

 birds) seen near Tring on the boundary between the two 

 counties, on September 12th (C. Oldham). 



Surrey. — A flock of a dozen visited Oxted on August 4th 

 and stayed for a fortnight (P. H. Bahr). 



Staffordshire. — Mr. F. A. Monckton, of Stretton Hall, 

 Stafford, writes that a flock of 20-30 appeared there on 

 August 29th, and another small flock on September 2nd 

 {John R. B. Masefield). 



Shropshire. — On July 22nd a party of about 20 Crossbills 

 paid a passing visit to Petton Park, near Shrewsbury. 

 They appeared to be flitting about in a generally westerly 

 direction. I received three from Cressage (two S — one 

 ? ), shot on September 4th, out of a party of about 

 forty. Two were killed near Oswestry about the same 

 date (H. E. Forrest). 



Ireland. — Flocks of Crossbills have been reported from 

 several places around Dublin. I saw a party of twenty 

 in Palmerston Park, one of the city suburbs, on the 

 16th July (W. J. Williams). A solitary bird seen to 

 settle on the only pine tree in the district, at Maam's 

 Cross, co. Galway, on August 17th, and another heard 

 calling in the same tree on August 20th (P. H. Bahr). 



ALPINE SWIFT IN NORFOLK. 



The appsarance of an Alpine Swift (Cypselus melba), during a 

 recent stay at Cromer, may be worth recording. The bird 

 could be seen any day flying up and down the cliffs up to 

 the date of my departure, July 31st. 



The differences between this bird and the Common Swift 

 were very marked, the Alpine Swift having a more powerful 

 flight, being larger in size, having white under-parts, and 

 being generally browner in appearance. 



D. W. Mussel-White. 



EARLY BREEDING OF NIGHTJAR IN IRELAND. 



On May 13th, 1909, a Nightjar (Caprimulgus europceus) was 

 flushed from one egg, laid on a bare patch of ground amongst 

 gorse,one hundred yards from the sea, in co. Waterford. The 

 bird was again flushed from one egg on May 16th. The egg 

 was then taken and handed to me on May 20th unblown. 



R. Hamilton-Hunter 



