ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA. 435 



and observed that tlie song had considerable variety, reminding him 

 of some of the notes of the Thrush (but given with much less power), 

 mingled with one or two of those of the Redbreast, and was of the 

 character of the melody appertaining to the Thrushes. In our wading 

 up the Xorth-Devon streams when trout-fishing, we have come across 

 numerous nests of the Dipper, which we have found to be constructed 

 of very varying materials ; some are built entirely of dead oak-leaves, 

 others of moss and dead leaves interwoven, resembling large nests of 

 the Common AYren. The nests are generally dome-shaped, and are 

 sometimes built in holes in masonry or in rocks. AVe were one day 

 leaning against a moss-covered rock by the side of a stream, and in 

 so doing inadvertently imprisoned a Dipper, which flew out of her 

 nest when we moved. Like many nests we have seen of the Common 

 ■ AVren, it harmonized so well in its materials with its surroundings 

 that it had easily escaped our notice. It contained fresh-laid eggs. 



Blue Titmouse (p. 35). — The grub in the centre of the hard round galls 

 on the oak made by Cijnij^)s Icollari is a favourite food of the Blue Tit. 

 The oaks in Devonshire were completely covered with these galls 

 about 1S5;3, so much so as to attract general attention to them ; but, 

 thanks to the Tits which picked open the galls and extracted their 

 occupants, they are now comparatively scarce. 



Marsh-Titmouse (p. 35). — This Tit is very fond of thistle-seed, and 

 in the autumn may be frequently seen clinging to the thistle heads, 

 extracting the seed witli its beak, and carrying them to a neighbouring 

 hedgerow to pick out the contents. On 5th June, 1870, Mr. Briggs 

 saw a Marsh-Tit carrying something away from a plant of Mtr- 

 curialis pereanis, and found it had lost some of its seeds, one having 

 been probably taken by the bird ; and detected another Marsh-Tit 

 extracting the seeds from the berries of the honeysuckle (on September 

 4th, 187'J). Marsh-Tits, like Blue Tits, sometimes obtain a meal 

 from the horse-droppings on the highwaj' ; they are very fond of 

 seeds, and will pick up and carry off grains of maize thrown out for 

 poultr)-. Mr. Briggs generally found the nest of this Tit in a bellow 

 apple-tree [we have found willows the usual trees selected by tliis 

 species], but on ^May 25t]i, 1871, he found one in a hole between 

 some stones on a bank near U])perton, Bickleigh ; the bird hissed at 

 him when on the nest. 



Pied Wagtail (p. 39). — A pair of these Wagtails were seen pulling 

 the fur from off a dead mole in the court at Pursdon,May 2u(.[, 1855 

 (T. K. A. B.). 



Grey "Wagtail (p. 4ij). — ;Mr. Briggs found a nest containing three 

 nearly full-grown young ones, which was built against a bank 

 of earth at Tamcrton Foliot, near a mill-stream. The nest was 

 small, and not very neatly constructed, aiul the old birds were agitated 

 and vociferous. This was on 24th July, 1800, and, from the lateness 

 of the date and the slovenliness of the nest, we believe that the birds 



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