The Zoologist — August, 1866. 339 



gulls are nesting, though some forty or fifty of the above species have 

 assembled; the kittiwakes in the proportion of three to one. Though 

 no nests were found, the latter are evidently paired, as I observed 

 them alight in couples, and they would sit preening their feathers side 

 by side; besides, the male is readily distinguished, at a short distance, 

 it being considerably the largest, though Macgillivray says it exceeds 

 the female in length by half an inch only, and measures but one inch 

 more in extent of wings. The raven, kestrel, daw and starling were 

 observed in and about the clitf. The latter species has greatly 

 increased of late years ; I can remember when it was an uncommon, 

 not to say rare, bird in the under-cliff. Numbers of swallows were 

 seen by the way, but no martins. 



Whilethroat. — Appeared aboutthe middle of the month, but few 

 were observed till towards the latter end. 



Swift. — 30th. The swift has preceded the martin, one having been 

 seen to-day flying low, against an easterly gale. 



Rook. — This species, I find, had young by the middle of the 

 month. 



May, 1866. 



Green Linnet.— Ua-y 3rd. Observed to be nesting. This species, 

 as well as many others, is very late in breeding, owing to the want of 

 foliage and the low temperature; thermometer 42° only yesterday 

 at 9 A. M. 



Sparrow/iawk.—ith. A nest was found to-day among the upper 

 branches of a moderately sized beech, though the trunk was too large 

 and smooth to be readily climbed. One of the birds was seen near 

 the nest, which is but imperfectly concealed, the tree not being in full 

 leaf. In a former note I mentioned having seen a sparrowhawk 

 chased by wagtails ; I have twice lately remarked the same thing. 

 The missel thrush, another pugnacious species, will not allow a hawk 

 to approach its nesting haunts. The moss-covered nest of this 

 thrush, though built in the fork of a leafless tree, is not readily 

 discovered. 



Martin.— No martins were seen until the 6th, when three or four 

 were observed about the houses on the cliff's, where three pairs bred 

 last season, as recorded; they were flying round and over the 

 buildings, closely inspecting the sites of their former nests ; for that 

 they are the same pairs which built there last year there can be little 

 doubt, or why should these houses be now preferred to all others ? On 



