340 The Zoologist— August, 1866. 



one there is no appearance of last year's nest, and on the other there 

 remains but a portion of a shell, the second having been blown down 

 or swept away by the torrents of vain. 



Sand Martin. — 7th. The first seen to-day. 



Dartford Warbler.— 7 ih. Though this species has young I have 

 seen none on the wing, but observed to-day an old male carrying 

 food. 



Wliifethroat.— 7th. This species is more than usually abundant: 

 in a stroll over the Downs lo-day I saw a great number; indeed there 

 was hardly a good sized furze-break without a pair or two. 



Sicallow. — lllh. I do not thiuk that this species can have com- 

 menced nesting, innumerable swallows having been seen to-day, after 

 a heavy fall of rain, hawking over the water-meadows near Brading ; 

 but that they will shortly disperse there can be no doubt, few breeding 

 in the neighbourhood. 



Gray Plover. — lltli. A pair of strange birds observed near 

 Lake, but at too great a distance to be identified ; however, later in 

 the day they were again seen near Shanklin ; I had but a momentary 

 view, but that they were gray plovers I have little doubt, though not 

 usually met with at this season. 



Spoiled Fhjcatcher. — 19th. A pair first observed. 



Hook. — The young did not leave their nests' till the second week 

 in May. It may be worthy of remark that these remade and repaired 

 nests are smaller than usual, some being barely large enough to hold 

 the young. Rook shooting commenced about the middle of the 

 mouth. 



Nightjar. — 21st. A fine bird of this species was found this morning in 

 a spare room on the ground-floor, having entered by the verandah- 

 door, which had been left open till a late hour in the evening. The 

 verandah, being thickly covered with ivy, harbours moths, which it 

 was probably in pursuit of, oi;^ it may intentionally have taken up its 

 quarters there. My attention was first drawn to it by hearing a 

 strange rustling noise, and on approaching the window 1 found it 

 fluttering, like a huge moth (which it somewhat resembles) against 

 the panes of glass. I had no difficulty in securing it, as it neither 

 pecked nor scratched, but, drawing back the head, made a kind of 

 hissing noise, together with a hoarse sound from the throat. Though 

 a truly nocturnal species it can discern objects at a short distance at 

 noon-day, under a bright sunshine, for I observed that in flying round 

 the room it would avoid the angles, though occasionally coming in 



