OCCASIONAL NOTES. 309 



three and two eggs respectively, much incubated. There seemed very few 

 eggs, but plenty of young in the down. On our way to the Roman road we 

 saw Red Grouse, Redshank, Snipe, Curlew, &c. The Roman road follows 

 alongside of the Roman wall, which in many places is quite a prominent 

 feature in the landscape. — Edward J. Gibbins (The Graig, Neath). 



Wildfowl breeding at Rainworth, Notts. — Though last winter 

 was the worst one I ever knew for wildfowl in this district, we have a good 

 many ducks nesting with us. There are about sixteen pairs of Tufted 

 Ducks which were sitting June 8th, though there is one on the island, within 

 fifteen yards of my front door, which only began to sit on June 15th ; we 

 also have several pairs of Teal and common Wild Duck, and when driving 

 over the forest I saw, on a pond of about six acres, five pairs of Shovellers 

 which were evidently nesting, it being the middle of May. I hear from my 

 keeper that he thinks there are six or seven Woodcocks also nesting in the 

 big wood near here, and there are five Snipes' nests in a small bog not far 

 off. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth Lodge, uear Mansfield). 



Curious Site for a Flycatcher's Nest. — In an orchard adjoining a 

 farm near here a tin laving-pot was hung upon the branch of an apple tree, 

 about six feet above the ground. The orchard is used as a drying-ground, 

 aud several clothes-pegs had been thrown into the laving-pot, to suit the 

 convenience of the moment, on a washing day. When the owner of the 

 clothes-pegs went to take down the laving-pot, it was found that a pair 

 of Spotted Flycatchers had taken possession of it, and were building their 

 nest, cleverly interweaving it amongst the pegs. The pot was replaced, and 

 the little builders left undisturbed ; the nest was soon completed, and when 

 I saw it about a fortnight ago, the hen bird was sitting upon four eggs, which 

 have since been hatched. One of the birds takes up a position upon 

 a clothes-line stretching between two trees, and from this vantage-point 

 keeps a sharp look-out for passiug insects. — T. H. Nelson (North Bondgate, 

 Bishop Auckland). 



Short-eared Owl breeding in Cambridgeshire. — Last year I had 

 the pleasure of recording in ' The Zoologist' (p. 336) the fact that the Short- 

 eared Owl had bred on Wicken Fen, near Cambridge. On the 24th of 

 June last I was again on the Fen, and, seeing an old man cutting reeds, I 

 inquired of him if he ever found Owls' nests there. He told me that about 

 three weeks back, his " mate " had found a nest with several hard-set eggs, 

 which he took, and laid them on a heap of sedge, but the Crows came and 

 destroyed them. The old bird was either seen or caught on the nest. I 

 could get no further information thau this, but I should think the old man 

 might be trusted to know an Owl when he saw one. If so, it seems 

 probable that at least one pair still breeds regularly on the Fen. — R. M, 

 Christy (Saffron Walden). 



