94 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



numbering one hundred at least. Mr. F. C. Aplin saw a flock at 

 Bodicote the same day. This is very late for them to be here in 

 numbers. 8th. — Flock of a score or so of Fieldfares near Barford. 

 11th. — Listened to-night for some time to a Nightingale in the 

 lane leading from this village to Milton. It is now a good many 

 years since one was heard in the parish. Curiously enough, I was 

 only talking about them to the present occupier of Wickham Farm 

 and Mill a few days before ; he said they always used to have them 

 at Wickham years ago, and had an idea that the wet summer of 

 1879 killed them all; but it was before that date that they left 

 off visiting this parish. He rather startled me by saying — 



" * A thorn in my nest 

 Disturbs my rest,' 



that is what they say." He said he had heard this rhyme all his 

 life, since he asked as a child why Nightingales sang at night, and 

 was answered thus. It seems a rather interesting local survival. 

 12th. — Heard a Whimbrel, which called as it passed over, going 

 N.N.E. at a great height apparently. This was at 9.30 p.m., 

 wind calm, but had been easterly in the day, rather cloudy, and 

 full moon up about half-an-hour. These birds pass over here 

 pretty regularly at migration times, but very rarely alight. 

 13th.— Under this date Mr. Fowler writes from Oxford : — " This 

 morning I went to Marston Wood, where the number of Nightin- 

 gales was quite astonishing. I am not surprised to hear of yours. 

 I really think they are increasing. We have one in the Parks." 

 16th. — A Bodicote mason, who knew all about the former 

 abundance of the Nightingale at Bodicote about five-and-twenty 

 years ago, told Mr. F. C. Aplin to-day that there was one about 

 a mile from the village, where the latter subsequently heard it. 

 2 1st. — Green Woodpecker's nest about fifteen feet up in the trunk 

 of an elm between here and Milcombe. On account partly of the 

 abundance of timber on that side of the parish, and partly of the 

 numerous ant-hills on Milcombe Gorse, close at hand, these birds 

 are really common here. The Vicar of Milcombe showed me a 

 Goldcrest's nest in his garden, and told me he had half-a-dozen 

 pairs of Goldfinches about. This is another bird which has 

 increased considerably of late years. I do not consider it at all an 

 uncommon thing to see two or three pairs in a summer's day now. 

 A day or two after this there were two males in song in a small 



