76 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
six nests of this bird; they are easily found, for the male is continually 
going to and fro while the female is sitting; and on one occasion there were 
two males in attendance. We took an egg from one of the nests without 
disturbing the bird, and she more than once allowed us to push her up 
from her eggs. This nest was in a hole in the rock on the hill-side, and 
another one we found in the root of a tree. Wood Wrens (Ph. sibilatrix) 
are, I think, in greater numbers than Willow Wrens (PA. trochilus), and 
they are certainly more conspicuous. They sing chiefly in the oaks on the 
hill-sides, and, as the hills are very steep, you can get quite close to them 
by going rather higher up. | We never came across their nests by chance, 
but we found two by watching the hen bird. The Chiffchaff was by far the 
scarcer bird of this genus. I only saw two pairs of Red-bhacked Shrikes; — 
their eggs were beautiful specimens of the two varieties. Of all the 
summer migrants in this part of Wales, I think Tree Pipits and Wheatears 
are the most numerous, except perhaps Swifts, which build under the eaves 
of half the houses in the village. Ravens have built for many years in an 
old hole in our quarry. The farmers wage war against them, because they 
kill the lambs and the yeaning ewes; but Cader Idris and the Bird Rock 
will keep the district supplied. Early in December I heard that a new pair 
had come about the old place in the quarry. ‘There are always a few 
Curlews on the hills in summer, and I hope next season to go to a place a 
few miles off, where I am told several pairs breed. There are no game- 
keepers to destroy the Crows and Magpies, which rear their young quite 
close to the houses. I have never found Kestrels using their nests here; 
they seem to confine themselves to the rocks. Many of the common birds 
are absent ; and I have only seen one Starling, and that was five miles from 
our valley.—F. H. Brriry (Dormans Land, East Grinstead). 
Egyptian Geese on the River Taw.—Three Egyptian Geese have 
receutly been killed on the River Taw, close to this town. Two were shot 
on Dec. 28th and one on Jan. 2nd. They were all three together when 
first seen; doubtless the third bird obtained was the one which got away 
when the first two were killed. From what I can gather from a boatman, 
who saw them approaching, they came from a north-westerly direction, and 
were going south or south-east; they were at a great height, but suddenly 
came down rapidly to the river not a quarter of a mile above the town. 
They are very fine specimens, and are being set up by Mr. Rowe, the bird- 
stuffer of this town. He informs me he has not had one of these birds for 
quite ten years.—JosErH Hamuine (The Close, Barnstaple). 
King Eider at the Farne Islands.—On April 25th, 1885, an adult male 
King Hider, Somateria spectabilis, in good plumage, was shot. For several 
years a male of this rare visitor has been noticed at the Farnes; in 
1881 and 1883, when I visited there, he was constantly seen, but was very 
wild and difficult to approach. He was frequently accompanied by two 
