NOTES FROM LANCASHIRE, 193 
I know of, been taken. Altham saw it on the Bowland fells in 
the spring of 1880. 
On this 9th of May our further rambling brought us to the 
discovery of a Merlin’s nest with four eggs, and Golden Plover 
were heard whistling in the distance, though we did not see them. 
A good many dead Grouse, all being males, were seen; the 
scarcity of water was very great. 
June 8. Altham had heard a Chiff-chaff near the heronry, 
and we went to look for it, but did not any ‘‘ chiffing” whilst 
we were there. He had also heard one near Colthurst, Sir John 
Holker’s place. I had been told of its occurrence in this 
neighbourhood many years ago, but it has not been heard for 
a long interval till within a year or two. We have never been 
able to find a nest yet, though in Holland we saw them often, 
and spent a good many hours watching them. With regard to 
their note, too, we are unable to discover any different accentua- 
tion which might be translated into “ chiff” and ‘ chaff,” though 
the late Mr. Thomas Garnett, of Clitheroe, always asserted this 
was the case. Maybe our ears are in fault. 
June 20. Walking to-day over the Waddington Fells, and 
whilst looking for Nightjars in the open places of a little wood, 
we heard a tremendous row out on the open fell, and rushing to 
the wood-edge and peeping over the wall, we saw a great sight. 
Twelve old Curlews, all up at once, driving off four Carrion 
Crows. The alarm-note of the former became a perfectly hoarse 
bark, they were so enraged, and it was a long time before they 
settled again. We passed a sedge pool where, on May 8lst, 
Altham saw a pair of Wild Ducks with seven young, and also 
came across a pair of Golden Plovers, very anxious, and with 
young doubtless. We found 'two Curlews’ nests, both forsaken, 
one with two eggs in, and another with three, and about eight 
p-m. disturbed a pair of Twites, but could not find the nest. 
In the first week of September, when sitting in the garden 
about seven in the evening, I noticed great numbers of Pied 
Wagtails flying into a high tree near. I began to count on Sep- 
tember 2nd, and although the tree-top was already swarming, I 
saw 450 pass into it. It is common to see Pied and Ray’s Wag- 
tails roosting together in autumn in bushes overhanging ponds, 
but I never saw such an assemblage as this before. It went on 
every evening for about the whole week, and might have been a 
20 
