238 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
The Kestrel, or Windhover, is or was very common; one 
or two might constantly be seen hovering in the air in search 
of its prey. The Sparrowhawk, Accipiter nisus, I have occa- 
sionally come upon on the lower part of the Common, near 
Coombe Wood. 
The White or Barn Owl I have twice seen in our garden on 
Putney Hill. 
During summer the Red-backed Shrike, Lanius collurio, nested 
both on Putney Heath and on Wimbledon Common. A pair 
frequented our garden on Putney Hill, and had their nest in a 
high hedge in an adjoining meadow. A pair or two were always 
to be seen on the lower part of Wimbledon Common, below the 
rifle butts. These birds are very late on going to roost. I have 
noticed the male, when the female was sitting, hawking for 
beetles, and have frequently seen him catch them on the wing as 
late as nine o'clock on a summer evening, but a few minutes after 
the clock struck nine he generally disappeared. 
The Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola, in summer very 
common in many of the gardens. A pair always built in the ivy 
round our house, and another pair in an apricot tree against the 
garden wall. Although delighting to be near the haunts of men, 
they are jealous of any interference with their nest, and often 
forsake it if there is too much inquisitiveness. 
The Missel Thrush, or Stormcock, is or was also common. 
We had two pairs near our garden. Being an early songster, he is 
heard constantly in the stormy months of February and March, 
and hence the common notion that this bird sings before a 
storm. The Song Thrush and Blackbird both very common; in 
winter there are plenty of Fieldfares and Redwings. 
Both Wimbledon Common and Putney Heath are or were 
very rich in the Sylviide. I have noticed twenty-three spe- 
cies, some of them rather rare. ‘The Hedgesparrow, Red- 
breast, Redstart, Stonechat, Whinchat, Wheatear, Blackcap, 
and Nightingale. The Nightingale becomes more rare every 
year. A few years ago he might be heard in almost every 
thicket. We had three or four always singing in or near our 
garden and the adjoining grounds. Besides these, we had the 
Garden Warbler, Greater Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Wood 
Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, and Golden-crested Wren. 
Of the rarer species, the Grasshopper Warbler might at that 
