260 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
stayed on its nest till we got within a few yards of it, and then flew off, 
circled round, and finally settled in the water. This is not a case, we are 
positive, where birds have escaped from ornameutal waters, as a large flock 
—about forty—of this species took up their quarters here last winter. The 
keeper informs us that some winters ago a much larger flock was here, but, 
owing to the late owner allowing a large number of people to skate on this 
pond, it was dispersed; and no others, as far as we are aware, have been 
seen till last winter.—E. Oscar Lever ; Wiirrep Moss (Loughborough). 
Pheasant and Partridge laying in the same Nest.—When wandering 
in a copse near here, on June 3rd, a little dog which accompanied me 
started a hen Pheasant; I quickly found the nest, but was surprised to see 
in it twelve Partridges’ and nine Pheasants’ eggs, on which the hen 
Pheasant was evidently sitting. The eggs of the two birds were thoroughly 
mixed in the nest, that is, the Partridges’ were not all at the bottom and 
the Pheasant’s at the top, or vice versd, from which it would appear that 
both the Partridge and the Pheasant were using the nest at the same time 
for the purpose of laying. It would have been less strange had the 
Partridge laid her twelve eggs first and the Pheasant then taken possession 
of the nest, but such was plainly not the case. I visited the nest again on 
the 12th, and found it quite empty. Ou searching the ground round the 
nest I came upon two Pheasant’s eggs and the shells of two Partridge’s 
eggs. The Partridges had evidently been hatched, and probably some 
keeper had taken the Pheasant’s eggs, for I found no shells. — Jonn H. 
WitMore (Queenwood College, near Stockbridge, Hants). 
(This is not the first time we have heard of Pheasant and Partridge 
laying in the same nest, and we have heard of a similar partnership between 
the Common Partridge and the Red-leg —Ep.] 
Redstart Nesting in the Co. Wicklow. — On June 18th I had the 
pleasure for the first time of seeing the Redstart in this country. At the 
request of a lady ornithologist resident in the neighbourhood, I visited Lord 
Powerscourt’s demesne, and there was shown the nest and young ones. 
After a short time the hen approached to feed them, and not long after, the 
cock, who was in beautiful plumage, flew down and entered the nest. Mr. 
Anton, the head keeper, a very kindly and intelligent man, informed me 
that this was the first year in which he had seen these birds there—Ca artes 
W. Benson (Rathmines School, Dublin). 
[Want of space has necessitated the omission of the latter portion of our 
correspondent's letter.— Ep. ] 
Blackcap breeding in Co. Waterford. —I have received from an 
intelligent man, who collects eggs for me, a nest composed of dry grass- 
bents, mixed externally with a little moss, and internally with a few fibres 
and hairs, loosely constructed, like the nest of a Whitethroat. It contained 
five fresh egys, which appear to be those of the Blackcap Warbler, This 
