ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 439 



20th. — News from Mr. Fowler that Mr. Pycraft saw a Cor- 

 morant at King's Weir, Oxford, on the 17th, and a Black Tern. 



22nd. — Mr. Fowler saw a Blue-headed Wagtail on Port 

 Meadow; ''white eye-stripe, and a very dark head even for that 

 species, I should say " (in litt,). 



24th. — A Song Thrush sang from the ridge of the house-roof. 

 It uttered its rattling alarm-note once in the song, and the quiet 

 alarm-note two or three times. But this might have been 

 accounted for by the fact that it was uneasy. 



28th. — A Spotted Flycatcher in the garden is an unusually 

 frequent singer. The song is low, but shrill ; weak, yet remark- 

 able when heard at a short distance. It comes tinkling out like 

 the sound of a tiny streamlet, but the notes are thin and shrill. 



The Eev. J. Goodwin tells me of a Hawk, which, I think, must 

 be a pale grey Harrier, seen at Broughton lately. 



29th to July 8th. — Away in Norway. 



June 5th. — The Marsh Warbler arrived at its favourite osier- 

 bed at Kingham for the fifth year, and was heard by Mr. Fowler 

 to-day, the same day as in 1892. It was only heard in song 

 occasionally after the 13th. Nest found on the 27th. 



July 10th. — Brancher Spotted Flycatchers. 



19th. — Covey of Partridges, thirteen in all, the young nearly 

 as large as the old. Hot dry weather for some weeks. 



20th. — Another covey with young quite as big. 



August 4th. — Saw a Hobby at Kignell Spinney, near Barford 

 St. Michael. 



10th. — Many Swifts ; very noisy. 



11th. — Not many Swifts to be seen, though some still nesting. 

 Saw a Nightingale in the paddock-walk. How little we know of 

 this bird in the late summer. Also saw a Wren's nest, which I 

 had never noticed before. It was against the trunk of a slightly 

 ivied tree, and built of moss with a thick outside covering of 

 some plant. The latter is now withered and brown, and the 

 nest is very conspicuous (a great drought had prevailed during 

 summer), but I have no doubt the plant was green when the 

 nest was built. 



13th.— Still some Swifts. 



14th. — About this date I saw a flock of fourteen Missel 

 Thrushes. 



