The Zoologist— June, 1866, 266 



where a suitable food is more abundant, or to a warmer climate. That 

 they do not all leave this country in the winter is pretty certain, since 

 they are not unfrequently found on the coast during severe frost; but 

 are not these birds from more northern parts ? The common bunting 

 is very rarely met with in the Weald of Sussex. 



Grebes. — About the middle of xMarch I was shown two heads of the 

 great crested and two of the Sclavonian grebe, recentl}' killed birds. 

 The skins, of course, cut up for ornaments. 



Wood pigeons remain in flock as late as the end of March. Red- 

 wings and siskins seen up to the 17th. Chiff-chaff first seen on the 

 30th J wheatear on the 31st. 



April, 1866. 



Arrival of Immigrants. — In the following list of immigrants I have 

 given the earliest dates of arrivals that I have been able to ascertain 

 with certainty : — 



April 4th. Willow Warbler. 



- „ 5th. Wryneck and Blackcap. 



„ 9th. Swallow and Cuckoo. 



„ lOlh. Ray's Wagtail. 



„ 12th. Tree Pipit and Nightingale. 



„ 16th. Grasshopper Warbler. 



„ I7th. Sedge Warbler, Common Whitethrbat and House Martin. 



„ 18th. Wood Warbler. 



„ 19th. Whinchat. 



„ 28th. Redbacked Shrike, Swift and Common Sandpiper. 



It is much easier to register, with tolerable accuracy, the dates of 

 arrivals than those of the departures, the arrivals in spring more espe- 

 cially. The greater part of the spring immigrants are in full song when 

 they come over, and their voices having been silent to us for several 

 months are sure to attract the especial attention of the ornithologist the 

 first lime they are heard after that lapse of time. After all, however, it 

 is, as Mr, Blake-Knox remarks (S. S. 220), "another may have seen 

 (or heard) it before " : and of this I have taken advantage, giving dates 

 earlier than my own, whenever T have felt that I could rely on the 

 information received from others. The cuckoo's first appearance js 

 earlier this year than I have ever noticed it before, and I rather 

 hesitated on giving a date so early as the 9th, but the person who told 

 me of it was positive, and 1 have since read in the ' Field' that it was 



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