NOTES AND QUERIES. 333 
excited manner when their breeding-haunts are invaded. After a little 
search we found two Redshank’s and one Lapwing’s nests. The former 
were placed in tufts of grass, and were artfully concealed, the old bird 
appearing to push the blades of grass well over the nest when she leaves it. 
The Lapwing’s nest was quite exposed upon a patch of bare ground, and 
contained the full complement of eggs, as did one of the Redshank’s, while 
the other had three eggs. There were three or four pairs of Lapwings, and 
six or seven pairs of Redshanks. Besides the nests with eggs there were 
several depressions in other tufts of grass, where nests had evidently been 
commenced. A few days later the nest containing three eggs had its full 
complement; and another nest, also with full complement of eggs, was 
found. In addition to these birds I noticed large numbers of Skylarks and 
Titlarks, a few pairs of Common Buntings and Yellow Wagtails, and one 
pair of Whinchats breeding in Chatham Yard. In the neighbourhood of 
Harwich, during the first week in June, I noticed Redshanks and 
Lapwings breeding in several localities; and on June 8th, on the shingle, 
near Felixstowe, there were a number of Ringed Plovers and a colony of 
Little Terns breeding. The latter had young, as most of the old birds 
Were carrying small fish; but I could find neither eggs nor young. The 
same day, while looking for larve of Bombya castrensis, in a marshy field 
on the banks of the Stour, I nearly trod upon a young Lapwing as it was 
crouching in a tuft of grass; and a little farther on I found another. They 
were almost fully fledged, but the wing-feathers were not quite grown. [ 
picked them up and took them to a piece of smooth turfy ground, where I 
set them down. ‘They ran off at once in different directions; and as soon 
as they reached high grass they looked about for a convenient tuft and hid 
themselves. I caught them again and repeated the experiment several 
times, and always found that they ran off in opposite directions. Had 
there been four of them I suppose they would all have gone different 
Ways; a wise provision of Nature, for it would not be possible to keep 
one’s eyes on four at once.—Grrvase F. Maraew (H.M.S. * Penelope,’ 
Berehaven). 
Supposed Occurrence of the Icterine Warbler in Co. Wicklow.— 
While walking in Coollattin Park Woods on the 29th of May I heard and 
saw a bird which in every respect corresponded to the description of the 
Icterine Warbler (Hypolais icterina). I was attracted by a splendid bird- 
song which was quite new to me, and much superior to any that I had 
heard before, and soon discovered the utterer among the branches of a 
large oak. I watched the bird for a considerable time, and got a close 
view, so that it is hardly possible that I was mistaken as to its identity. 
But for its very superior song, I could hardly have distinguished the bird 
from our common Willow Warbler, but it was of a more decided yellow 
colour, and had a longer tail: it was also, like that bird, in continual 
