438 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



some of j'our correspondents who live where mistletoe abounds will give me 

 their opinion. — William E. Beck with (Eaton Constantino, Salop). 



Swifts laying in Martins' Nests. — In ' The Zoologist ' for September 

 (p. 348) I see Mr. F. Bond writes about Swifts nesting in Martins' nests. 

 About ten years ago I found two or three pairs of Swifts building, or rather 

 laying, in Martins' nests outside a barn in Lincolnshire. I saw the Swifts 

 going in and out of the Martins' nests, and, getting up to the latter with a 

 ladder, I found Swifts' eggs in the nests, some of which I have still in my 

 collection. — G. E. Lodge (5. Verulam Buildings, Gray's Inn). 



Late stay of the Swift in Ireland. — On October 4th, near Cappagh, 

 Co. Waterford, while watching the movements of a large flight of 

 Swallows, in company with my friend Mr. R. J. Ussher, we were 

 astonished to see among them a Swift, which came flying close over 

 our heads in full view, and was clearly identified by both of us. Is 

 not this an exceptionally late stay for this bird, at least in Ireland? At 

 Shillelagh the Swifts have never remained later than August 16th, and 

 they generally depart at least a week earlier, though this year I saw a 

 solitary one flying about Shillelagh church on August 27th. The flock of 

 Swallows among which we saw the Swift was a very large one, numbering 

 some hundreds, most of them Hirundo rustica, but with a few House 

 Martins amongst them, many settling from time to time on the tree tops, 

 and then flying off again. They had evidently halted for a short time to 

 rest and feed before finally leaving the country. Later in the afternoon 

 we noticed large numbers of Swallows flying towards the south-east, in the 

 direction of the sea. I observed several House Martins near Shillelagh on 

 October 11th. Mr. Ussher wrote to me that there was again a large 

 number of Swallows at Cappagh on the same day. The Chiffchaff was still 

 at Shillelagh on October 6th. — Allan Ellison (Shillelagh, Co. Wicklow). 



Knot on the West Coast of Scotland. — The Knot, Tringa canutus, 

 is generally considered a scarce bird on the west coast of Scotland, and the 

 late Mr. Robert Gray was of this opinion ; yet ever since the middle of 

 September there have been several hundreds of birds of this species on the 

 shores of Loch Gilp. To what extent does the species really occur on this 

 coast? — Arthur H. Macpherso.n (Bishopton, Lochgilphead, N. B.). 



Lesser Redpoll nesting in Middlesex. — On Sept. 14th I found two 

 young Lesser Redpolls, Linota rufescens, at Highgate, dead, but quite fresh. 

 This is interesting, not only as afi'ording evidence of the Lesser Redpoll 

 nesting in Middlesex, but on account of the late date for the nestlings, which 

 is unusual. In the ' Birds of Cumberland,' where a full account is given of 

 the nesting habits of this bird (p. 47), the authors say, " The first eggs are 

 usually laid early in May, but we have found fresh eggs in July. In a letter 

 to me upon the subject, one of the authors, the Rev. H. A. Macpherson, 

 writes, " The date is very unusual. I have known Goldfinches to have 



