372 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
and destroyed by cold rains, coupled with an abormally low and 
continuous temperature. 
Up to this date (the end of July) I have been struck with the 
general paucity of young birds which have left the nest. This is 
very marked in the case of the ground-builders, and the numerous 
instances in which we find nests deserted and eggs spoiled will 
fully account for the scarcity. The constantly recurring heavy 
rains have reduced this strong-land district mto a swamp of 
soddened grass and liquid mud. Enormous as was the loss 
amongst birds in the last severe winter, the survivors have 
hitherto had a poor chance of recruiting their ranks from the 
young of the year. 
A reference to my note-book shows that from January 20th, 
and a fortnight later, with biting north-easterly winds and frosts 
and snow, the only birds to be seen in this bleak and exposed 
district were Larks and Snow Buntings. By the 3rd February 
Linnets and Twites appeared, and on the 8th Thrushes were 
singing, and Rooks had paired and returned to their nesting 
haunts. From the 16th to the 25th the wind was still N. and 
N.E., with many heavy snow squalls and sharp frosts. Larks 
were still packed together in flocks, vast numbers migrating 
southward, others remaining about the stubble-fields in company 
with Snow Buntings. At this time large flocks of Lapwings and 
Golden Plovers returned. On the 28th, the first really warm 
and spring-like day, with a south wind, there was a regular burst 
of melody. Blackbirds, Thrushes, Larks, and several other 
species were singing; and on March Ist the mellow notes of the 
Golden Plover were general in marsh-land. 
During the first fortnight in March I almost daily saw 
flocks of Tree Sparrows. They used to come regularly to some 
paddocks near the house to feed on small seeds and refuse from 
the farmyard, spread on the grass. These flocks may have been 
migrants going northward, as they were not seen after the middle 
of the month. In June I found Passer montanus nesting in holes 
in old and decayed pollard willows overhanging a trout stream on 
the wolds. 
There was a single Wheatear on the high wolds on the 
19th March. Most common as they are in the early spring 
in our marshes during the migratory period, it is somewhat 
curious that this year has been an exception, as I have seen 
