WHITLOCK: BIRD-NOTES FROM THE MID-TRENT VALLEY IN 1893. 5 
Pied Wagtail. Motacilla yarrellii. On 12th June I went to 
see a nest in a curious situation. It was built in an old Tree 
Sparrow’s nest in the topmost branches of a holly. It contained 
three eggs, one of them a Cuckoo’s. 
Reed Warbler. Acrocephalus arundinaceus. In company 
with Mr. Storrs Fox I visited all the usual haunts of this species 
in this neighbourhood, but we only heard one bird. But in 
contained a young bird, the other a fresh egg. This was not 
far from the holly tree containing the Pied Wagtail’s nest before 
mentioned. I have every reason to believe the same female 
had visited each nest, as the two eggs were very similar in 
character, but in different stages of incubation. 
Common Bunting. Emberiza miliaria. Though a resident 
species, not nesting even this early year until June. 
Snow Bunting. Plectrophanes nivalis. Six seen, and a pair 
shot for Nottingham Museum, December 3rd. Weather sharp. 
Hooded Crow. Corvus cornix. Common in the early months 
of the year. First seen in autumn, October 2gth. 
Turtle Dove. Turtur auritus. I went on 16th July to examine 
some young, but found the nest occupied by a family of Weasels, 
who refused to move until compelled. Close at hand was 
a second nest, containing broken eggs. 
Land-rail. Crex pratensis. The first I heard of was brought 
t ouse April 24th. It had flown against the telegraph- 
wire, 
Spotted Crake. Porzana maruetta. Scarce this year, or 
perhaps migrating early. I only heard of one individual. 
I believe, however, that a pair bred on the Derbyshire side 
of the Erewash. About the middle of April some chicks were 
calling that were certainly neither young Partridges nor Moor- 
hens, I tried in vain to catch one. 
Baillon’s Crake. Crex bailloni, An example picked up dead 
at Gedling, June 22nd (vide Whitaker, ‘ Zoologist,’ p. 459). 
Charadriidz. I think I heard a Common Sandpiper (Actitis 
hypoleucos) March 26th, which would be early, but owing to 
the favourable weather not many of this species or Dunlins 
( Zringa variabilis) remained to feed. The Redshanks (Zotanus 
calidris) were first seen March 12th, about the same time 
that the Lapwings (Vanellus cristatus) took up their breeding 
stations. A pair of Green Sandpipers (e/odromas ochropus) 
Jan. 1894. 
