The Zoologist— August, 1873. 3625 



Chiffchoff.—ThH chiffchaff did not make its appearance this 

 year till the 26tb, much later than last year, when I saw one on 

 the 9th. 



April, 1873. 



Sand Martins and Swallows. — Sand martins and swallows 



made their appearance late this year, as I did not see any till 



the 14th, when there were several sand martins about and one 



swallow. On the 15th many of the sand martins, quite fifty 



pairs, returned to their old holes in my quarry, but were doomed 



to some disappointment, as I had to remove the part which they 



had taken possession of last year, in order to get at a new 



cut of stone. In removing this head I found that a pair of 



robins had taken advantage of the absence of the sand martins 



to build in one of their holes, and had already laid two eggs. 



Some of the sand martins afterwards returned to the quarry and 



made fresh holes, which they inhabited, and brought up their 



young, in spile of four men being constantly at work in the quarry 



and occasionally blasting the rock below with powder. 



Cuckoo.— 16th. First heard the cuckoo, the same day that it was 

 first heard near here last year. 



Blackcap.~19th. First saw the blackcap— a little later than 

 last year, when I first saw one on the 16th. 



Summer Snipe.— 27ih. First saw the summer snipe by my 

 pond, much later than last year, when one was killed near 

 Taunton on the 19th. 



Pinkfooted Goose.— On the 27th the piukfooted goose laid its 

 first egg, in the same place as last year. 



May, 1873. 



Rinff Ouzel.— On the 1st I saw a ring ouzel at the Museum at 

 Taunton, which had been killed at Trull, near that place, a few 

 days before. 



Transposition of Eggs in Birds' Nesls.-'Dunn^ this month 

 1 tried several experiments, as suggested by Professor Newton 

 (Zool. S. S. 3473), with a view of ascertaining how far birds in 

 general, and especially some of the foster-parents of the cuckoo, 

 have any objection to eggs of a different colour being placed 

 in their nest. I changed places with blackbirds' and thrushes' 

 eggs J I also placed a robin's e^^ in the nest of a hedge- 



