NOTES AND QUERIES. 313 



Mr. James Johnston, of Bray, Co. Wicklow, kindly sent me a nest of 

 Siskin in the branch of a spruce fir, taken by him in the forest near 

 Powerscourt Waterfall, where these birds breed regularly. It is built of 

 similar materials to the nest last described, except that the rim of horse- 

 hair is wanting. There were four eggs in the last stage of incubation, 

 which were unfortunately broken in transit. — R. J. Ussher (Cappagh, 

 Co. Waterford). 



Reminiscences of the Kite in Lincolnshire. — I lately heard the 

 following from an old man, 77 years of age, now a considerable farmer, but 

 who began life as an assistant to a gamekeeper. He well remembers when 

 he was a boy that the " gleade " was very common in the big woods near 

 Louth — he had seen scores of them ; during a great part of the day they 

 were on the wing, flying and soaring in circles at a great elevation on 

 motionless wings. His father kept a good many geese, and almost the first 

 job he was put to as a child was to tent goslings. If the least remiss in 

 his duty, down swooped one of the ever-watchful Kites, and in an instant 

 one of his charges was carried off. Not only were they skilful foragers in 

 the poultry-yard, but equally adept at carrying off linen from the drying- 

 grounds and hedges, illustrating the well-known line of Shakespeare — 



"When the Kite builds look to lesser linen." 



Winter's Tale, Act iv. Sc. 2. 



Handkerchiefs, socks, and specially children's clothing, disappeared, to be 

 used as building materials for their nests ; and he had many a time to 

 climb trees in the woods to recover these lost articles. — John Cordeaux 

 (Great Cotes, Ulceby). 



Redwings singing in April.— During the afternoon of April 11th, 

 when under some very tall trees, I heard a twittering song of birds which 

 I at first took for Starlings, but on looking through my glasses I found 

 the notes proceeded from a small flock of Redwings. The song was 

 something like that of the Starling, with several notes like those of the 

 Song Thrush, but much lower. The sun was shining, and the song 

 continued for some time, ceasing occasionally and then recommencing, 

 several birds singing at the same time. I never before heard the Redwing 

 sing in England. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth, Notts). 



[Some years ago there was a long discussion in this journal on the 

 question whether the Redwing ever sings in England, the result of which 

 tended to show that it is very exceptional, doubtless because this bird, being 

 a winter visitant, leaves the country before the usual time for its coming into 

 song. See ' Zoologist,' 1864, pp. 8946, 9040, 9104, 9106.— Ed.] 



The Wood Warbler and White Wagtail in the Midlands.— If 

 Mr. Montagu Browne would now take the trouble of visiting Charnwood 

 Forest, he might (provided he really knows a live Wood Warbler) at once 



ZOOLOGIST. — AUGUST, 1891. ^C 



