The Zoologist— November, 1871. 2831 



m 



north wind blowing at the time, I saw two swallows on the road 

 scarcely able to flutter above the ground. A correspondent of the 

 'Daily News,' writing from Paris on the 12th of June, was even 

 beguiled from the all-absorbing topic of the war to remark, "For 

 several days past large numbers of dead martins (a species of 

 swallow) have been found in the public streets." 



Summer Warblers. — The long duration of north-east winds and 

 the low temperature during the early summer seemed to have but 

 little eifect upon the numbers or liveliness of most of our sylvan 

 warblers. Nightingales were more numerous than usual and full 

 of song, and redstarts and willow wrens were very plentiful. In 

 the marshes the reed and sedge warblers, although silent during 

 the cold weather, were found, later in the season, to be tolerably 

 abundant. 



Garganey Teal. — Several pairs are known to have nested this 

 year in the Broad district, A female was flushed from her nest on 

 an open marsh near Horney Ferry, on Whit-Monday, having then 

 a full complement of eggs laid in a bed of grayish down. Another 

 was sitting at the same time, on the opposite side of the Bure, at 

 Ranworth ; and at least two pairs, as shown by the young subse- 

 quently killed, must have remained to breed at Surlingham. 



Hobby. — An adult female that had evidently been sitting was 

 shot near Belaugh on the 7th. 



Nightjar and Cuckoo. — The first-named bird appears to have 

 been unusually plentiful this summer, so much so as to attract the 

 notice of country people in many localities ; the latter, though not 

 scarce, has been extremely silent. 



Turtle Dove. — The increase in the number of these summer 

 visitants during the last three or four years is remarkable. Some 

 forty or fifty years ago this species was looked upon as a rarity, 

 and the increase of fir-plantations was supposed the chief attrac- 

 tion ; but it now nests throughout the Broad district, in the small 

 bushes — sallow, alder or birch — scattered over the open marshes, 

 as well as in the adjacent " carrs" and belts of plantations. Indeed 

 it is one of the most common birds to be seen on the wing during 

 a day's cruise on our rivers. 



July. 

 Swift. — Probably from arriving later, these birds did not suflFer 

 the same privations as the swallows and martins, and both around 



