556 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



always struck me as very curious how the nesting habits of birds change 

 in different localities. With us the Willow-Wren almost always builds its 

 nest on the ground; in fact, in twenty years I have only once known an 

 exception, whereas on the Spey side last year I fouud as many nests 

 in bushes, &c, off the ground as I found on it. The highest nest I saw 

 was quite twelve feet from the ground in the ivy on a house. The Chiff- 

 chaff with us always breeds on the ground (at least, I know of no excep- 

 tion). Dr. Butler's experience is different. — Heatly Noble (Temple 

 Combe, Henley-on-Thames). 



Tree-Creeper nesting in Roof. — During the winter we have often seen 

 a pair of Tree-Creepers [Certhia familiaris) on the big trees on the lawn 

 here, and once or twice they were seen running up the side of the house, 

 which is sand-dashed. On May 17th, when ou the lawn, I saw one settle 

 on side of house, and run up the wall ; there is a greenhouse standing 

 from the house, the top of the wall being covered with sheet lead, and the 

 bird went in under this. I procured a lad'ier, and found a nest built on top 

 of bricks against the wall of house. It is within four feet of a bedroom 

 window, and close to the top of one of the drawing-room windows : a snug, 

 dry, and warm place, but an unusual one for a Tree-Creeper. — J. Whitaker 

 (Rainworth, Notts). 



Abnormal Nesting Place of Spotted Flycatcher.— Last year (Zool. 

 1898, p. 429) 1 recorded the finding of a nest of the Spotted Flycatcher 

 (Muscicapa grisola), built inside that of a Swallow's. It may be interesting 

 to readers to know that on May 11th last, in an old cowshed three hundred 

 yards from the gruff hole, I again found a nest of the Swallow tenanted by 

 Flycatchers; a frail nest was built inside containing three eggs. The 

 sitting bird flying from the nest led to the discovery. It seems remarkable 

 to me that in the same small area, on two occasions, a pair of these birds 

 should occupy a nest of the Swallow for the rearing of their offspring. Of 

 course, I do not know whether they were the same pair of birds. Would 

 this habit be inherited by the offspriug ? — Stanley Lewis (Wells, 

 Somerset). 



Hobby in Westmoreland.— I am sorry to say that a poor little Hobby 

 (Falco subbuteo), an immature bird, was shot by a keeper in Mtlkiuthorpe 

 Wood, Westmoreland, about the 24th of August. The Hobby is of rare 

 occurrence in Lakeland ; I do not recall any other specimen as having been 

 killed in Westmoreland, though a few Cumbrian Hobbies exist in local 

 collections. It is possible, nevertheless, that the recent specimen (which I 

 have added to the Carlisle Museum) may have been bred in the district in 

 which it came to its untimely end. Our excellent taxidermist, Mr. Hope, 

 of Penrith, informs me that his father once killed a pair of Hobbies at their 



