396 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



AVES. 



Breeding of the Lesser Redpoll in Sussex. — The breeding of the 

 Lesser Eedpoll in Sussex has been so seldom recorded that it is of 

 interest to note that a pair nested this year in our orchard at Battle ; 

 I found the nest on May 31st, and on examining it on June 2nd found 

 the contents to be six fresh eggs. The nest was built about 13 ffc. or 

 14 ft. from the ground in a fork at the extremity of a bough, one of 

 those which grew straight upwards from the centre of a small apple 

 tree. The structure was a firm and carefully-rounded cup of dry 

 grasses, bents, and fine twigs, mixed with sheep's wool, vegetable and 

 artificial cottons, and a few feathers ; on one side there was a large 

 mass of artificial cotton. The cup was well lined with a mixture of 

 sheep's wool, cotton tufts (perhaps of groundsel), fine grasses, and 

 horse-hairs, the whole forming a soft bed for the eggs. The interior 

 measurements of the nest were 47 mm. in diameter and 27 mm. in 

 depth. The hen-bird sat very closely, only leaving the nest at the 

 near approach of the climber. A second pair of Eedpolls were seen 

 a few days later in another near locality. — Hugh Vv^histler, M.B.O.U. 

 (Battle). 



Late Nesting of Barn-Owls. — I have been observing a nest of 

 Barn-Owls this season. Five eggs were laid about the middle of 

 June. Two were addled ; the three young birds were still in the nest 

 on September 4th, but were trying to make a hurried exit when I 

 looked in upon them. — Joseph H. Symes (Coat Martock, Somerset). 



Scarcity of Corncrakes in Somerset. — In this neighbourhood the 

 Corncrake appears to have become very scarce. I heard one on 

 May 5th and flushed one from a ditch on August 30th, which appeared 

 to be a young bird ; it flew a few yards and then went into another 

 ditch. Corncrakes are not so plentiful here as they were in 1912, 

 when I saw two lots of eggs cut out by the mowing-machine in the 

 same field. — Joseph H. Symes. 



Common Scoter in Shropshire and Worcestershire. — Whilst walking 

 alongside the Eiver Severn at 6.30 a.m. (G.T.) on September 7th, I 

 saw a Common Scoter {CEdemia fiigra). When first observed it was 

 quietly sitting in mid-stream, and allowed me to approach on the 

 river bank right opposite to it, and further, did not attempt to fly 

 until I had twice thrown at it, and then passed down-stream right 

 along the quay-side and through the town of Bewdley. When I first 



