BIRDS 
1895. He once had a fine old male, shot in 
a yew tree in the Grove, Bedford. 
46. Pied Flycatcher. 
Linn, 
This bird probably passes through the county 
annually but in very limited numbers on its 
spring and autumn migration. On 13 May 
1871 Mr. J. King shot a female in his gar- 
den at Langford. Mr. W. R. Butterfield of 
St. Leonards-on-Sea gives me particulars of a 
specimen of this bird in his collection, an 
adult male, which was killed near the river 
Ouse in the vicinity of Bedford, September 
1895. Mr. A. Covington says he has never 
had a local specimen through his hands, but 
has a note of one shot at Wilshamstead in 
the autumn of 1870. Mr. Cane informed 
me that a male was shot at Pepperstock from 
a pair that were said to have a nest in the 
hole of an apple tree. Colonel Barclay men- 
tions that he observed the pied flycatcher 
during 1898 at Tingrith. 
Muscicapa atricapilla, 
47. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa grisola, 
Linn. 
Locally, Wall-bird. 
A common summer migrant equally dis- 
tributed throughout the county. Frequently 
nests in private gardens and the public walks 
and grounds of towns; in Bedford it nests 
regularly. Mr. A. Covington told me of a 
pair that built near his house in Lurke Street, 
Bedford, in the fork of a grape vine trained 
to the wall, for nineteen years in succession, 
and were still doing so when he left that 
neighbourhood. Mr. C. F. Woods mentions 
a pair that built their nest for four consecutive 
years on the hinge of a pair of very heavy 
doors at Woburn. 
48. Swallow. Hirundo rustica, Linn. 
Generally arrives about the middle of April, 
but in some years it may be a few days later. 
Its departure takes place usually at the end 
of September or early in October, though 
many may have left us before these dates. 
The swallow has been observed with us as 
late as November. ‘There are many osier and 
reed beds locally where swallows and martins 
congregate to sleep in enormous numbers. 
Several white varieties or albinos have been 
recorded. 
49. House-Martin. Chelidon urbica (Linn.) 
Although the house-martin arrives at about 
the same‘time as the swallow, and one of its 
first thoughts seems to be to visit its old nest- 
ing haunts, as a rule it is somewhat later than 
the latter bird in starting incubation, it being 
seldom before the second week in June that 
its full complement of eggs is found. It 
evidently rears at least a second brood, as 
young birds may be observed in the nest very 
late inthe year. Mr. A. Need sent particu- 
lars to the Fie/d, 1898, of two pairs still with 
young in nests on his house at Leighton Buz- 
zard during the first week of October. De- 
parture takes place generally about the end of 
September and early October, but they are 
frequently observed in some numbers up to 
the middle of the latter month. Mr. J. King 
mentions seeing one on 4 November 1898 at 
Langford. In the Field some fifteen or 
twenty are mentioned as staying within the 
county as late as 17 November in 1875. A 
perfectly white house-martin is reported as 
having been seen about the neighbourhood of 
Bedford (Field, 11 August 1877). 
50. Sand-Martin. Cottle riparia (Linn.) 
The sand-martin is generally the first of 
the swallow family to arrive. Mr. J. King 
has observed it at Langford as early as 26 
March 1897, and on 3 April 1899 ten or 
more came under my observation flying 
around Southill Pool. Departure takes place 
towards the end of September, although many 
may leave at a much earlier date. By far the 
largest breeding station within the county is 
the colony at Sandy, where they nest in the 
sandy cutting close to the railway station in 
numbers roughly estimated at a thousand 
pairs, and perhaps this is considerably below 
the correct figure. ‘Two white sand-martins 
were killed by Mr. J. Cole at Haynes many 
years ago ; one is in Mr. T. Cane’s posses- 
sion, and the other retained by Mr. Cole 
himself. 
51. Greenfinch. Ligurinus chloris (Linn.) 
Locally, Green Linnet. 
A resident species which, with the excep- 
tion of the common sparrow, considerably 
outnumbers any of our other species of finches. 
During the autumn and winter they flock 
together in considerable numbers in company 
with many other species, but particularly with 
the common sparrow, and remain gregarious, 
often as late as April, some time after other 
species have left them. For sleeping accom- 
modation the flights of greenfinches resort to 
certain of the numerous tall hedgerows so 
common in some of our districts, where they 
congregate in hundreds towards the evening. 
This they continue to do so long as the 
leaves remain to afford them sufficient shelter; 
when these fail they resort to evergreens. 
52. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vulgaris, Pallas. 
This bird has probably increased in num- 
Ill 
