NOTES AND QUERIES. 299 



Song of the Grasshopper Warbler.— Walking along the sunny side 

 of Bruerne Wood, near Chipping Norton, on April 30th, I came to a spot 

 where some trees had been cut down, and where the young saplings growing 

 out of the long grass were only two or three feet high. Here I caught the 

 unmistakable " reel " of the Grasshopper Warbler, the ventriloquism of 

 which was very obvious ; but the bird uses a crescendo in the middle of a 

 long spell at it, which betrays his position. Thinking that I might 

 possibly get a sight of it, I crossed the low hedge, and got in among the 

 grass and saplings up to the point where I had heard it. I made a great 

 crackling and noise in the dry grass, which was not to be helped; but 

 nevertheless I very soon saw the bird about ten yards away, perched on a 

 twig. The feature which most attracted my attention was the long and 

 very flexible olive throat, which was moved about a great deal, thrust 

 forward, and again drawn back so as to fold like a double chin. I have no 

 doubt that the ventriloquistic power is connected with this long neck; but 

 when the bird again begun to "reel " he turned his tail towards me, so that 

 I could not so well see the throat at work. So far as I could see, however, 

 there was no very marked vibration of any part of tlu body in making the 

 noise, to which I then listened for some minutes, but failed to hear a longer 

 effort than forty seconds by my watch— though the bird was quite at ease, 

 I think. At this point my little terrier came worrying about in the grass 

 and the bird became uncomfortable, though it was some time before it left 

 its perch. When it did so it moved with a peculiar half-flying, half-creeping 

 or climbing motion, e.g., it ran down a sapling, or looked as if it did so, 

 using its broad tail freely to balance itself. It finally disappeared in the 

 grass under a little bush, from which I started it again, but not before 

 I was almost treading upon it. My field-glass enabled me to see the bird 

 almost as well as if it had been in my hands. — W. Warde Fowler (Lincoln 

 College, Oxford). [Communicated by Mr. 0. V. Aplin]. 



Waxwings in Cumberland.— About six examples of Ampelis garrulus 

 were shot in the Carlisle district between December and February, 1882-3, 

 an old female and a young male being obtained within 30 yards of a farm- 

 house at Cotehill. Early in March I spent a day in searching for the only 

 member of the flock surviving ; but, though it had been seen shortly before, 

 I never caught a glimpse of it ; nor did I hear the call-note, which I know 

 well. All those shot had been gorging themselves on the berries of the 

 wild rose. — H. A. Macpherson. 



Black Redstart in Kent in May.— On May 9th, having been fishing 

 in some preserved water in this neighbourhood, I saw a Black Redstart. I 

 was in a waggonette at the time on my way home, and my keeper was with 

 me and saw the bird as well very clearly. The bird was an old male, as I 

 inferred from the plumage being perfect. It was close to the road and very 



