436 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



had met with some accident to their first or even second brood, as 

 all the nests we have taken of this Wagtail have been singularly 

 compact and well made. 



Golden Oriole (p. 46). — The Eev. Dr. Kerr obligingly informed iis 

 tliat one of these birds was seen by him near St. Mai-y Clyst in 1890. 

 He first saw it in his orchard in the month of August quite close to 

 him, and it did not seem at all wild. He watched carefully for 

 another sight of it, and had nearly given up all hope of it, when it 

 appeared again in September, and, after remaining a few days, finally 

 disappeared. 



Spotted Flycatcher (p. 52).— On 31st :\ray, 1883, Mr. Briggs found 

 a nest of this bird at Fursdon with five eggs, that was built on the 

 top of a Hedge-Sparrow's nest in which a brood had been hatched 

 that season. It was placed in a hollow behind some ivy stems 

 against the bole of a spruce, and on 6th July following there was a 

 second nest with four eggs on the same site. 



Pied Flycatcher (p. 53). — Marked as occurring in the parish of 

 llousdon by Swaysland in Sir H. Peek's Catalogue. 



Serin (p. 62). — A specimen of the Serin was captured by an old bird- 

 catcher between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton, November 29th, 

 1891 (W. E. H. Pidsley, Zool. 1892, p. 114). Mr. Cecil Smith 

 (B. of Somerset, p. 180) recorded an example of this small Finch 

 which was shot at Taunton in January or February 1866, and was 

 added to Mr. Byne's collection. Mr. Smith, however, considered that 

 it had, in all likelihood, esca])ed from a cage. The Serin is a native 

 of Southern Europe and North Africa. 



Hawfinch (p. 63). — We have seen Hawfinches in the month of June in 

 the beautiful vale of Wrington in Somerset, where they were doubt- 

 less nesting. Mr. Mansel-Pleydell mentious two instances of a nest 

 having been found in his county of Dorset, to which he considered 

 the bird was chiefly an occasional winter visitant. 



Tree-Sparrow (p. 64). — Occurs at Eousdon (Sir H. Peek's Catalogue). 



Mealy Redpoll (p. 67). — This species is absent from the Dorsetshire 

 list of birds. 



Twite (p. 68). — Also marked in Sir H. Peek's Catalogue as having 

 occurred at Eousdon, 



Common Crossbill (p. 71). — In addition to the occurrences of this 

 bird whicii we have given, we may mention a small flock reported by 

 Bellamy to have visited Yealmpton at the beginning of October 1835 ; 

 another seven years before he wrote (1838), and another twenty-five 

 years before (N. H. S. D. p. 383). 



Cirl Bunting (p. 75). — Mr. Briggs observes that this Bunting and the 

 Common Bunting appear to be as much summer and early autumn 

 songsters as the Yellow Bunting. He thought that as a rule the 

 Cirl Bunting sings from a greater elevation than the Yellow Bunting, 



