352 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



campanulas, and Anemone japonica, and from the leaves of the zonal 

 pelargonium " Sylvester," and the white perennial phlox. These butterflies 

 are much appreciated by the American Robin, the Nonpareil Finch, the 

 English Buntings, Chaffinches, and all the English Thrushes. — Arthur 

 G. Butler (Natural History Museum). 



The Dipper nesting in Trees.— Referring to Mr. Ellison's remarks 

 on the nesting of the Dipper, Clnclus aquaticus (p. 314), and to your editorial 

 note thereon, I can give two other instances of the Dipper choosing a tree 

 for its nesting-place. In 1888, when trout-fishing in the river Barle, above 

 Dulverton, a Dipper flew out of a willow tree, just over my head, as I was 

 wading. I saw the nest against the trunk, supported by the stump of a 

 dead branch, and the eggs, five in number, I sent to Col. E. A. Butler, and 

 they are probably now in his collection. T had not, until the last few years, 

 much opportunity of watching the habits of this bird, and was not aware 

 that the site was an unusual one. Last year a Dipper nested in a willow 

 tree overhanging a small trout-stream near here, and the remains of the 

 nest are still visible. I saw them a few weeks ago, when fishing in the 

 brook. I should like to know if any of your correspondents have remarked 

 a scarcity of Spotted Flycatchers this year. In this neighbourhood there 

 have not been as many as usual. The pair that nest regularly in this 

 square returned ; but in some places, where they are to be seen year after 

 year, they have not made their appearance. — H. St. B. Goldsmith (King 

 Square, Bridgwater). 



Unspotted Eggs of the Spotted Flycatcher. — I send you an account 

 of a curious variety of the egg of the Spotted Flycatcher, Muscicapa grisola, 

 which I found here a week ago. The nest was placed in a slight cavity 

 made by the juncture of a bough with the stem of an old oak growing on 

 an island, in a pond of some four acres, and the nest appears to me to be 

 rather more substantially made than is usual. The eggs, four in number, 

 are of the palest blue, with no marks of any sort, and are slightly pointed. 

 On finding them I at first thought I had come upon the nest of the Pied 

 Flycatcher, M. atricapilla, but, having since seen both birds together, there 

 can be no doubt that the nest belongs to M. grisola. It was built some 

 eight feet from the ground, and I have several times seen the old bird 

 sitting on the nest. — H. Howard- Vyse (Stoke Place, Slough). 



Reported Nesting of Red-throated Diver and Barnacle in Ireland. 

 — It may interest some of your readers to know that on July ^4th, on the 

 beach at Enniscrone, Co. Sligo, I found a dead Red-throated Diver, in 

 perfect summer plumage. It was perfectly fresh, and had evidently died 

 only a few hours before, for the irides were quite full. The bird, however, 

 was in very poor condition, so probably was not strong enough to leave the 

 bay for any breeding station, the nearest being that on the lakes near 



