24 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. C. W. Walker, of Pontrilas. We saw a Water Ouzel fly into the 

 middle of the stream, settle there, dive more than once, like a Dabchick, 

 and when we got quite near to the place, rise from the water and fly away. 

 There was no question what the bird was. How it accomplished these 

 feats is more than I can say, but that it did so I am a witness. — 

 B. St. John Attwoob Matthews (Pontrilas Court, Hereford). 



[We have repeatedly seen the same thing when fishing in Northumber- 

 land and in North Wales, and supposed it well known to all observant 

 anglers on streams where the Dipper is common. It has a pretty habit of 

 alighting on the water, or entering it from a stone in mid-stream, and 

 allowing itself to be carried down by the current. You see what appears to 

 be a little ball of white foam approachiug you, and when within a few 

 yards it turns out to be the white breast of a Dipper, which suddenly rises 

 and flies away. — Ed.] 



White Wagtail in Worcestershire.— On the 6th May last I shot a 

 White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, at Brandwood End, King's Heathj; and ou 

 the 13th April another was shot within a few miles of Brandwood End. 

 These are the first I have on record for Worcestershire. I saw another, 

 but did not interfere with it. I watched it almost daily until the end of 

 June. — F. Coburn (Holloway Head, Birmingham). 



Nesting of the Sparrowhawk.— Having for some years particularly 

 noted the materials used by this bird in nesting, I have found that three- 

 fourths consisted not only of the usual twigs and sticks, but also of a quantity 

 of small pieces of bark, on which the eggs are laid — not necessarily the 

 bark of the tree in which the nest is built, for, in one case that came under 

 my notice, a Sparrowhawk repaired the old nest of a Carrion Crow that had 

 wintered many a year in the top of a large holly tree, with the bark of both 

 fir and oak for lining. I have found Sparrowhawks not only utilising nests 

 of the Carrion Crow in several instances, but returning to old nests of their 

 own species after a lapse of one or more years, these nests having in the 

 meantime been occupied by Long-eared Owls. In the majority of cases, 

 however, they seem to build entirely fresh nests. — J. S. Elliott (Dixon's 

 Green, Dudley). 



Waxwing in Worcestershire.— A portion of the flock of Wax wings, 

 Ampelis garrula, which visited us last winter, made their way to the Lickey 

 Hills, Burnt Green, Worcestershire. A solitary specimen was picked up 

 dead at the foot of Rednall Hill, and brought to me on the 23rd February 

 last. I saw a Waxwing fly from some trees on the banks of the River 

 Mawddach, near Barmouth, North Wales, on the &8th December, \89± — 

 F. Coburn (7, Holloway Head, Birmingham). 



Cats catching Butterflies and Moths. — May I ask if you have known 

 many cases of a cat catching butterflies and eating them ? I was staying 



