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  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  fact, 
  this 
  species, 
  the 
  Meadow-Pipit, 
  and 
  the 
  "Wheatear 
  were 
  the 
  

   most 
  numerous 
  birds 
  in 
  this 
  district. 
  Found 
  a 
  Sky-Lark's 
  nest 
  

   built 
  in 
  a 
  hollow 
  among 
  a 
  heap 
  of 
  stones 
  on 
  the 
  roadside, 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  four 
  much 
  incubated 
  eggs. 
  This 
  species 
  nested 
  freely 
  in 
  

   convenient 
  natural 
  depressions 
  sheltered 
  by 
  the 
  grass 
  growing 
  at 
  

   the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  roads. 
  In 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  whilst 
  walking 
  at 
  the 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  road, 
  almost 
  trod 
  on 
  the 
  parent 
  bird, 
  who 
  flew 
  up 
  

   from 
  my 
  feet, 
  disclosing 
  four 
  newly-hatched 
  chicks. 
  A 
  repetition 
  

   of 
  the 
  same 
  thing 
  occurred 
  a 
  few 
  yards 
  farther 
  on, 
  the 
  nest 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  three 
  fresh 
  eggs 
  ; 
  and 
  yet 
  another 
  with 
  four 
  fresh 
  eggs. 
  

   Besides 
  these, 
  several 
  empty 
  nests 
  were 
  discovered. 
  

  

  Pica 
  rustica. 
  — 
  Romney 
  Marsh 
  is 
  hardly 
  suitable 
  to 
  the 
  re- 
  

   quirements 
  of 
  the 
  crafty 
  Magpie, 
  as, 
  comparatively 
  speaking, 
  it 
  

   is 
  a 
  somewhat 
  treeless 
  district 
  ; 
  but 
  nevertheless 
  a 
  pair 
  were 
  

   observed, 
  and 
  the 
  nest 
  located. 
  This 
  was 
  built 
  about 
  eight 
  feet 
  

   from 
  the 
  ground 
  in 
  the 
  thickest 
  part 
  of 
  a 
  hedgerow 
  running 
  

   along 
  the 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  road, 
  and 
  was 
  composed 
  of 
  stoutish 
  twigs 
  

   and 
  the 
  usual 
  formidable 
  thorns. 
  To 
  those 
  who 
  once 
  believed 
  

   in 
  the 
  two 
  species 
  of 
  Magpies 
  — 
  the 
  one 
  that 
  built 
  in 
  a 
  tree, 
  and 
  

   the 
  other 
  who 
  placed 
  its 
  nest 
  in 
  a 
  bush 
  — 
  this 
  present 
  case 
  would 
  

   doubtless 
  furnish 
  substantial 
  evidence 
  of 
  a 
  difference. 
  The 
  nest 
  

   under 
  consideration 
  contained 
  four 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  eggs 
  disposed 
  

   symmetrically 
  around 
  a 
  large 
  stone 
  ! 
  

  

  Acrocephalus 
  2)hragmitis. 
  — 
  Sedge-Warblers 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  

   among 
  the 
  ditch-reeds, 
  incessantly 
  uttering 
  their 
  chiding 
  notes, 
  

   but 
  none 
  seemed 
  as 
  yet 
  to 
  have 
  eggs. 
  

  

  Emberiza 
  scltceniclus. 
  — 
  Reed-Buntings 
  also 
  very 
  abundant. 
  

   Found 
  a 
  nest 
  containing 
  five 
  typical 
  eggs 
  built 
  amongst 
  the 
  

   grasses 
  of 
  a 
  ditch-bank, 
  and 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  inches 
  of 
  the 
  water- 
  

   level. 
  

  

  Anthns 
  pratensis. 
  — 
  A 
  nest 
  of 
  four 
  fresh 
  eggs, 
  well 
  concealed 
  

   in 
  a 
  dense 
  tuft 
  of 
  coarse 
  grass. 
  My 
  attention 
  was 
  drawn 
  to 
  it 
  

   by 
  the 
  grasses 
  being 
  parted 
  from 
  one 
  another, 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  

   parent 
  birds' 
  continual 
  ingress 
  and 
  egress 
  to 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  nest 
  

   itself. 
  

  

  Saxicola 
  cenanthe. 
  — 
  A 
  pretty 
  conspicuous 
  bird, 
  and 
  abundant 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  district, 
  more 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  waste 
  lands 
  and 
  

   the 
  golf-links. 
  Incubation 
  had 
  not 
  apparently 
  become 
  general, 
  

   and 
  as 
  a 
  consequence 
  very 
  few 
  birds 
  flew 
  up 
  from 
  their 
  nesting- 
  

  

  