THE ZooLoGist—JULy, 1876. 4997 
May 4. Numbers of whitethroats about the hedges.—J. Douglas-Ogilby ; 
36, Elgin Road, Dublin. 
Arrival of Spring Migrants, Nesting of the House Sparrow, &.—The 
chiffchaff was first heard on the 31st of March at Luccombe. Though the 
14th of April was a cold day, with an easterly wind, and the thermometer 
little over 40°, the song of a nightingale was heard at St. Lawrence; and 
on the 15th the wryneck’s note was heard. On the latter day six swallows 
were seen passing over; they never tarry here on their arrival, preferring 
the inland valleys, where sheltered ponds and pools swarm with midges. 
Heard of a wood pigeon’s nest with one egg being found on the 14th of April. 
Observed robins laying the leafy foundation of their nest early in the month. 
That the house sparrow was somewhat late in building I have had pretty 
good proof, seeing that on the 12th of April a sudden gust of wind stripped 
the ivy from off the south gable of the house, bringing some score nests 
down with it—those from beneath the coping so thick together that there 
was no distinguishing or counting them: there were no eggs in any of the 
nests. Though this mass of ivy fell in the night not a sparrow was killed ; 
but their plaintive cry at early dawn was incessant, and they were to be 
seen alighting on the closely-matted ivy and reversed nests; not an egg was 
found in them or on the ground: on a subsequent day they were observed 
gathering, from out the old nests, materials wherewith to construct new 
ones. Having, in the ‘ Zoologist’ (Zool. 5753), minutely described the odd 
materials used by the house sparrow in building,—for example, a threaded 
needle, notice of sermon to be preached, a note of my own, a Latin exercise 
of my son’s, &c.,—I need not enumerate the odds and ends these nests are 
composed of. Though the house sparrow’s nest is a shapeless, unsightly 
mass, it is.warm and snug within ; and the birds at all seasons may be seen 
adding feathers and other things to the lining. Both the house sparrow 
and hedge sparrow I frequently observe perambulating the gravel-paths, but 
what they find to feed on I cannot discover or even imagine, as nothing 
eatable is to be seen,—not a seed, not an insect,—but the constant and rapid 
pecking plainly shows there is something preyed on, though too minute for 
human vision.—Henry Hadfield ; Ventnor, Isle of Wight, April 20, 1876. 
Bird Notes from the Isle of Wight.—Though swallows were seen on the 
14th of April, none remained here, and no martins were observed till the 
beginning of May, but the weather was unseasonably cold; there was a 
slight fall of snow on the 2nd, and frost the two nights following. By the 
end of the month both swallows and martins were more than usually 
abundant, but few breed here. A martin was seen capturing a white 
butterfly; the house sparrow I have frequently observed doing so; anda 
blackbird was seen to catch-one, which was taken to its young, which left 
the nest by the middle of June; they were fed by both male and female till 
8.45 p.m. Heard of young thrushes being taken early in May, and I saw 
SECOND SERIES—VOL, XI. 2M 
