42 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Strange Nesting-place of the Brambling.—The Brambling has 
never nested in my aviary till this year, although pairing has taken 
place and housekeeping preparations been shown by the desultory 
carrying about of building materials. This year, however, one hen 
Brambling was more demonstrative than usual in this way, and, to 
my great surprise, selected a site for her nest at the foot of, and not 
in, a small fir tree placed on one of the borders of the aviary. After 
the manner of a Sky Lark she formed a hollow in the dusty soil, 
and then carefully lined it with hair, moss and wool, after which 
she laid one egg and sat on it for a day or two, when it disappeared, 
destroyed probably by mice, or other birds, as my Sky Larks’ eggs 
almost invariably are, in a similar position; and from that time she 
deserted her nest, which was soon pulled to pieces. It is the 
more strange that this strictly arboreal species should have selected 
such a spot for her nest, as a Linnet was sitting on eggs in the fir 
bush above her head, and a hen Chaffinch was doing her best at 
the same time to prompt her deficient instincts by building in a 
bush just opposite. 
AUGUST. 
Short-eared Owl.—A bird of this species was shown me by a 
Norwich birdstuffer, which had been brought to him, in the flesh, 
as early as the 3rd of August, and was said to have been shot just 
outside the city. 
Wild-fowl breeding in Norfolk.—The early “ close time” has 
told well for various kinds of fowl in Norfolk this summer, and that 
not only in the strictly preserved localities, but in places where, 
hitherto, they have been much harassed. A considerable number 
of Garganey were reared about Surlingham, and in the same locality 
on the 16th August I saw a “coil” of at least twenty common Teal 
making for the Broad at sunset. A pair of Shovellers also nested 
there this year, which they have not done for some years. In West 
Norfolk Mr. Hamond tells me that some Wigeon remained all the 
summer on the lake at Narford, and the Gadwall bred freely 
in that locality. Two broods of young Sheldrakes made their 
appearance on the estuary of the Lynn river, some of which were 
captured and turned off on a pond in that neighbourhood. These 
were, of course, old enough to take care of themselves; but I have 
recently heard, through a gentleman well acquainted with these 
birds in a wild state, as a few pairs still breed annually on his 
