230 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



about a minute it began to fall slowly forward until nearly 

 upside-down, being supported by only a twig under the chin 

 (the head being consequently bent right back) and by its 

 feet, with which it never let go. It made not the shghtest 

 effort to save itself and when I re-passed the spot (after 

 having moved away) some moments later was in exactly 

 the same position. I stretched out my hand to rescue 

 it from a most uncomfortable, if not fatal, position, but 

 before I could touch it it dropped to the ground (only a 

 few inches) and thence flew capably away into the middle 

 of the hedge. 



Was the bird obeying injunctions from its parents not 

 to move when in the face of danger except as a last re- 

 source, or did the close and continued staring to which it 

 was subjected cause it for a while to lose control of its limbs, 

 a control which was only regained owing to the additional 

 fright given by the proximity of my extended hand ? 



Lewis R. W. Loyd. 



BLACK REDSTARTS IN LINCOLNSHIRE AND 

 NORTHUMBERLAND. 



Mr. G. H. Caton Haigh informs me that he shot a Black 

 Redstart {Phcenicurus o. gihraltariensis) on the north-east 

 coast of Lincolnshire, on October 13th, 1913. It is very 

 rarely met with in Lincolnshire, and I only know of about 

 four records, all in the month of October. 



F. L. Blathwayt. 

 [It is rather strange that the Black Redstart is not more 

 frequently seen on the Lincolnshire coast, but this may be 

 for Avant of observers, as the bird is a fairly regular passage- 

 migrant at Spurn, on the north side of the Humber, and 

 in Norfolk. I may here record that an adult male was 

 obtained at Holy Island, Northumberland, on November 

 5th, 1913, and sent to me in the flesh. I saw one at the 

 same place on October 11th, 1912, but there are only some 

 five previous records for Northumbexland, though this 

 apparent rarity may be due, to a certain extent, to want 

 of observation. — ^H. P. Witherby.] 



BREEDING OF THE DIPPER IN WILTSHIRE. 



While on a visit to Lacock in north Wiltshire (about twelve 

 miles east of Bath) Mr. G. PuUen was shown a nest and 

 four eggs of the Dipper {Cinclus c. hritannicus) on June 11th, 

 1913, built on a ledge of a culvert over a brook. The birds 

 were seen several times by Mr. Pullen, who is famihar with 

 the species in Derbyshire. He was informed that another 



