9724 Birds. 



greater part of two years" only ; that is, till the latter end of the second 

 summer, though I doubt whether the bill will then be of the bright 

 reddish orange colour of the adult. Temminck says the bill is red. 

 Two young swans of this species were killed at one shot by an 

 acquaintance of mine when flying over-the lirading Marshes; the 

 whole plumage being of a grayish brown and the bills dusky, tinged 

 with yellow, they were doubtless birds of the season escaped from 

 captivity. 



Raven. — July 19. T find that a pair of ravens still breed in the cliffs 

 near Luccombe. The young are now fully fledged. 



Sand Martin. — This species is gradually moving to the eastward : 

 I remember the time when there was a colony to the westward of 

 Luccombe Chine; their next settlement was in the lofty sand cliffs 

 nearer Shanklin, where they securely nestled till the holes were over- 

 whelmed by a down-pouring of liquid mud, and the falling away of 

 the cliff above raised a mound of such height as to make the nests 

 accessible. The holes, though numerous, are w'ithin a narrow circle, 

 shallow or choked with mud. 



Bluethroaled Warbler. — July 22. I am inforuied by one of the 

 gardeners on the spot that the bird is still about the grounds, but, 

 robin-like, lost its tail some weeks since, doubtless in fight, as it could 

 not be moulting early in July. Tliough there have been reports of its 

 breeding and the young having been seen, I have no faith in them, for 

 it could hardly have escaped my notice or that of the gardener referred 

 to ; besides, if paired, it must be with the common robin. 



Goldencrested Wren. — The young having flown I have carefully 

 examined and measured the nest, and find the external diameter to be 

 two inches and eight tenths; external widtli three inches and three- 

 tenths ; internal breadth one inch and six-tenths ; internal depth 

 about one inch and five-tenths. The nest was attached to and 

 suspended from five slight twigs of the cedar, and at about 

 eighteen inches from the extremity of the branch; it is somewhat 

 flattened on one side by contact with the foliage, but not " resting 

 on a branch," and the wall of the nest is there of less thickness, 

 averaging but about half an inch, whereas the external front wall is an 

 inch or more and well rounded. Some of the twigs are regularly built 

 into the sides of the nest, leaves and all, and are, as well as the rest, 

 securely bound round with woollen threads, but some are of such 

 exceeding fineness as to be like gossamer; others appear as if several 

 of these minute fibres had been woven together to make a stronger 

 cord, which is securely fastened to the twig by being passed over the 



