926 The Zoologist — October, 1867. 



reached us, but to gaiu which a loug detour was necessary round a 

 level marsh traversed by a deep winding gut. This difficulty at length 

 surmounted, we quietly advanced up the broad shaley bank, every now 

 and then disturbing an oystercatcher or ringed dotterel. A few 

 hundred yards in advance, and upon a reach of bare muddy shore, 

 appeared a multitude of small stakes with bent heads, but a glass 

 being brought to bear upon these resolved them apparently into young 

 oystercatchers, i.e. birds of last season, all precisely in the same 

 attitude, and mostly immovable. It was evident that this spot, as 

 indeed might well be expected from its position off the angle of the 

 shore (and directly opposite Hilbre Island), is much frequented by 

 numerous species of sea-fowl, perhaps too much visited for free in- 

 cubation, as, though we were satisfied the old birds we had disturbed 

 had eggs among the bank of shingle, the acreage was too great to be 

 looked closely over, and we failed to find any eggs. 



Somewhat disappointed with our lack of success hitherto, and 

 seeing neither terns nor other likely banks ahead, we did not pursue 

 the coast line much further, but after looking into several openings 

 among the now increasing sand-hills, passed the lighthouse, and 

 struck off from the beach in search of the breeding-places of the 

 shieldrakes reported to us. A covey of young partridges were first 

 stumbled upon in some thick bent grass, and then a nest of young 

 pheasants, an odd egg of a partridge occurring at no great distance 

 upou the bare sand. A little farther on a stock dove emerged from 

 the mouth of a rabbit-burrow, in a manner suggesting occupation for 

 breeding purposes, as was shortly proved through the extraction of an 

 egg from a position some three feet down the aperture. The find was 

 all the more welcome being unexpected, for few ornithological writers 

 mention the breeding of this species in burrows : pollard hornbeams 

 would seem, from these authorities, to be its favourite resort, but in the 

 absence of such in the northern counties, burrows seem to be utilized, 

 as iu the Norfolk warrens, and Upon the ranges of sand-hills common 

 to the seaboard of sandstone districts. Bewick locates this bird's nest 

 in hollows of decayed trees, assigning it two broods in the year, a limit 

 probably often overstepped, especially when the first eggs are taken, 

 at least such is the opinion of the writer in absence of ascertained fact. 

 A second nesting was subsequently found, containing two eggs placed 

 upon a few roots of grass : doubtless many others were to be procured 

 with time and patient grubbing, although " early in April " is the 

 seasou Mr. Hewitson published as that of iucubation, whilst here we 



