1166 The Zoologist— April, 1868. 



of a grayish white colour, and had only the little spots, like fly marks, 

 observed in the eggs mentioned before. Tf it should be supposed lhat 

 the contemplation of the eggs in the chosen nest has an influence on 

 the cuckoo's egg just about to be coloured, it remains still to be in- 

 vestigated how the colouring exists in those eggs which are laid in 

 nests which are covered in above, and are only provided with a little 

 entrance-hole at the side, or those which are laid in the holes of trees, 

 as for instance, of Troglodytes, Phyllopneuste, Ruticilla, &c." 



In 'Naumannia' for 1854 is a plate (coloured) of sixteen speci- 

 mens of cuckoo's eggs, taken from the following nests, and closely 

 resembling the eggs of the nest from which they were respectively 

 taken (p. 415) : — 



No. 1, from the nest of Sylvia rubecula. 



E. Baldamus. 



Birds on Blackheath. By Matthew Hutchinson, Esq. 



May 21, 1867. First noticed the house martinsfflying about the new 

 houses in the Shooter's Hill Road, nearly one month later than usual. 



May 22. Snow storms. May 23. Cold winds. Swallows and 

 martins sweeping the ground, flying fast, evidently a hard matter to 

 get food. During the last four months of 1866 and the first four 

 months of ] 867 we had scarcely a dry day, and, if it did not rain daily, 

 the atmosphere was so saturated with moisture that there must have 



