5042 Tue ZooLocist—AucGust, 1876. 
hatched in confinement; this year the same pair laid five eggs, but unfor- 
tunately did not hatch them, probably owing to the female bird having been 
apparently less healthy than she was last year. This year’s eggs were laid 
on the 23rd, 25th, 27th, 2¥th and 3lst May. Iam glad to be able to add 
that Mr. Fountaine informs me that the two surviving young birds of last 
year’s brood continue to be well and flourishing —J. H. Gurney; 
Northrepps, Norwich, July 18, 1876. 
Castings of the Spotted Flycatcher.—I know of a great many spotted 
flyeatchers’ nests, yet I never can find Mr. Bartlett's “ blue pills,” which I 
believe only exist in grimy Loudon, where the hot and indigestible house-flies 
abound. Your readers will remember that they were castings found under a 
nest of the spotted flycatcher in Regent’s Park.—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Blackbird’s Nest on the Ground,—While walking a few days since with 
a friend I was much surprised by finding a blackbird’s nest built on the 
ground in a field which was put up for hay; it was composed principally 
of grass, roots, twigs and mud, lined with grass; there were three fine 
young birds in it just fledged. What could have induced the bird to have 
built there, instead of its usual nesting place, a hedge, seems impossible to 
say.—H. C. Warry; Chalbury Rectory, Wimborne, Dorset, July 6, 1876. 
Redstart’s Nest built in a Human Skull,—A great number of human 
skeletons were recently discovered in Mr. G. Stacey Gibson’s meadow, close 
to that gentleman’s garden, no Jess than one hundred and seventy having 
been found: the place is supposed to have been the site of a Saxon cemetery. 
During the time the skeletons have been exposed a redstart has made a 
nest in oue of the skulls and brought out its four young ones. So singular 
an incident may be of some interest to the readers of the ‘ Zoologist.’— 
J. Travis ; Saffron Walden, June 25, 1876. 
The Bunting (Emberiza miliaria)—We are told, in Saxby’s ‘ Birds of 
Shetland’ (1874) that the bunting (Zmberiza miliaria) is common in winter 
and rare in summer. On the other hand, we are told in Robert Dunn’s 
‘ Ornithologist’s Guide’ (1837) that in Orkney it is common in sunimer 
and rare in winter, or words to that effect. Can time have changed the 
habits of this species, or can its habits differ so materially in the two groups 
of islands? Iam very sure that the observations of such a naturalist as 
Saxby are not likely to be wrong, and I hope the discrepancy between his 
account and Mr. Dunn’s (who was also a very good observer) will be cleared 
up by Captain Kennedy in his work, when that is published. Mr. R. Dunn 
may have been quite right, and he is rather corroborated by the Rey. George 
Low, who, in his ‘ Fauna Orcadensis’ (p. 60), says, “ The bunting continues 
with us the whole year, builds in the fields of corn, often in a tuft."—J. H. 
Gurney, jun. 
 Black-headed Bunting” (Zool. S. 8. 5003).—T think it cannot be 
questioned that “black-headed bunting” is the right name to use for 
