3580 The Zoologist — Junr, 1873. 



finished, though without eggs : it was placed in a stunted privet-bush, almost 

 leafless. On the 11th the first egg was laid ; another on the 12th, when one 

 was taken and a robin's egg substituted ; on the 13th the hedgesparrow was 

 on the nest, but suddenly quitted it on seeing me ; the robin's egg was there 

 safe and sound, and another hedgesparrow 's egg beside it. Owing to absence 

 from home, the nest was not again inspected until the 23rd, when the old 

 bird was found on it, and I had to brush past to get her off; the I'obin's egg 

 ■was lying between the two blue ones, with which it contrasted most strongly. 

 Did not disturb her on the 24th, the eleventh day (which, according to 

 Mr. Morris, is the time of incubation), the weather being unseasonably cold ; 

 thermometer 44'' at 9 a. m., with a sprinkling of snow. On the 25th, at 

 noon, found a newly-hatched bird lying motionless at the bottom of the nest, 

 its head hanging down ; at 3 p. M. the nestling was sitting with upraised 

 head and open mouth : the other egg was perforated, though the aperture 

 was but slight; the robin's egg unchanged. By midday of the 20th the 

 second chick had quitted the shell and was endeavouring to stand, but the 

 robin's egg proved a stumbling-block ; and there is now reason to fear that it 

 will not be hatched, the old bird having to leave the nest in quest of food. — 

 Henry Iladfiehl ; Vent nor, Isle of Wiijht, May 7, 1873. 



Note ou the Malerhcn. — The following circumstance was recently related 

 to me by an eye-witness, and though it did not happen this year I think it 

 worthy to be recorded. In the moat attached to Ashwellthorpe Hall, in 

 Norfolk, there reside certain waterhens, which, not being disturbed and 

 being frequently fed with bread thrown into the water, have become very 

 tame. A pair of these birds hatched two successive broods of young during 

 the same spring, and soon after the second brood was hatched the young 

 birds of the previous brood were observed to pick up the crumbs of bread 

 ■which were thrown on the water, and to feed with these crumbs, the younger 

 chicks of the second brood. — J. II. Gurney ; April 25, 1873. 



^'hite Stork in Suffolk. — For the last day or two we have had a rare 

 visitor in our marshes, in the shape of a white stork (Ciconia alba) : he is 

 a most conspicuous object, a^nd may be seen from a great distance. We 

 watched him yesterday (May 21st) for a long time, with a good glass: he 

 appears to be in good plumage, and is very wary, not allowing us to get at 

 all near him. When flying he was followed and mobbed by some peewits, 

 which evidently looked upon him as a most unwelcome intruder. As there 

 happened to be a heron on the wing nearly at the same time, we had a good 

 opportunity of comparing the flight of the two birds : the stork looked the 

 larger bird of the two, and his wings appeared to be longer and less rounded 

 than those of the heron : the different manner of carrying the head was also 

 very striking ; it was poked out in front of the bird, but not stretched out so 

 straight as that of a swan in flying.— G. T. Hope; Leiston, Suffolk, 



