NESTING OF WILLOW-WARBLER AND CHIFFCHAFF. 159 



From the reference to Harrow, I assume the nests of which 

 Mr. Kirke Swann writes were found in Middlesex, and, in 

 corroboration of his experience of the peculiarities of some 

 birds of that county, I quote the following from Mr. J. E. 

 Harting's (author of " The Birds of Middlesex ") article in The 

 Zoologist, November, 1867, p. 968, on "The Distinguishing 

 Characters of some Nearly-allied Species of British Birds." 

 Under the heading "Keed and Sedge-warblers," he writes: 

 " The nest of the Sedge-warbler is placed on the ground, 

 formed of dry grass and lined with hair." In the Midlands 

 I have found scores of the nests of this bird placed, I may 

 say almost invariably, at from one to three feet, and some- 

 times as much as four and even five feet, from the ground. 

 I have never found one on the ground, and very seldom with 

 a hair lining. Mr. Harting exactly describes the situation 

 and the nest of the Yellow Wagtail as found in the Midlands. 

 I notice that the same author, probably with a wider experi- 

 ence, in "Our Summer Migrants" (1875), p. 84 writes, " S. 

 phragmitis builds on the ground or very near it." 



Many readers of The Ornithologist would be still further 

 obliged to the editor if he would also give particulars of the 

 markings of the eggs found in the nests of these Chiffchaffs 

 and Willow-wrens nesting in what I cannot but regard as 

 abnormal sites ; for it would be a most interesting fact, 

 worthy of being placed on record, should it be proved that 

 the two species have, in the different districts, not only 

 reversed their usual nesting sites, but also the colour of 

 the spots on their eggs. 



By the Editor. 



In spite of the astonishment manifested above by my two 

 critics, I can only say that I am satisfied as to the correctness 

 of the rules I laid down in my handbook (pp. 26-7) as to the 

 nesting- sites of these two species. 



Indeed, I must in turn express my astonishment that my 

 critics should never have found a nest of the Chiffchaff in 

 contact with the ground, and I will therefore afford the 

 following instances from Middlesex of what is to them such 

 an astonishing occurrence : — May 16th, 1888, nest with three 



