152 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vni. 



One nest provided some particularly interesting observa- 

 tions as follows. June 2nd, nest in a moat placed among 

 a thick growth of irises, one egg. June 8th, seven eggs 

 covered with herbage. June 24th, the surrounding irises 

 had been opened out some days before so as to secure a 

 photograph ; now the eggs are uncovered but the irises have 

 been pulled over in the form of an arch, and the archway 

 extends a short distance beyond the nest, which must have 

 necessitated the bird leaving the nest and standing in the 

 water to complete the structure. Later this archway was 

 extended still further. 



On several occasions when lying hidden to watch a nest 

 I have seen the old bird return, settle on the nest, and 

 stretching up slowly, pull the svirrounding flags so as to 

 form a loosely constructed arch, which archway helped 

 materially to conceal the structure. 



Incidentally the incubation period was found to be from 

 fifteen to seventeen days, not infrequently twenty-one, 

 and once as long as twenty-eight, but this latter was due, 

 without doubt, to the fact that the nest was placed on a 

 pond adjoining a cottage garden, in which a numerous 

 family of young children played from morning to night, 

 and under these circumstances it was surprising the eggs 

 hatched at all. With very few exceptions, we found the 

 Moorhen laid at the rate of one egg a day : on a very few 

 occasions there was a lapse of two or three days between 

 the first and succeeding eggs. J. E. H. Kelso. 



[The incubation period in this species appears to be very 

 variable, but other observers record longer periods than Dr. 

 Kelso. Thus Mr. S. E. Brock gives the duration as 19-20 

 days ; Mr. 0. A. J. Lee noted that the first chick of nine was 

 hatched on the 22nd day after the nest had been found ^ith 

 three eggs, and Mr. W. Evans' results show that the period 

 ranges from 19 to 21 days. — F. C. R. Jourdain.] 



IcTERiNE Warblers in Orkney. — Mr. J. Bain records 

 {Scot. Nat., 1914, p. 237) the occurrence of a male and female 

 Hypolais icterina at the Pentland Skerries on June 10th and 

 11th, 1914. 



Long-tailed Skua in Co. Donegal. — Mr. D. C. Campbell 

 records {Irish Nat., 1914, p. 227) that an example of 

 Stercorarius lo7igicaudus was observed at the island of 

 Doagh, Innishowen, on May 30th, 1914. In connexion 

 with this record the occurrences previously noted {antea, 

 pp. 77-9) should be consulted. 



