308 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



two fresh eggs, much lighter in colour than the first four. I trust therefore 

 that a brood was eventually reared. The nest was built behind a tuft of 

 nettles growing from the wall of a sluice. Both nest and eggs were of the 

 typical Grey Wagtail type, and although I did not see the bird myself, it 

 was observed and identified without doubt by Mr. Elliot, who knows the 

 species well. I have obtained the nest and eggs of the Grey Wagtail in 

 Somerset, and believe it has been obtained also in Hampshire, but I know 

 of no previous actual record of the nesting of this species in the south- 

 eastern counties of England. I discovered an old nest of the Dipper, 

 Cinclus aquaticus, in a disused culvert. It was just such a spot as the 

 Dipper loves to select for its home, but unfortunately there were no signs 

 of the nest being renewed this year, and from its appearance was probably 

 two years old. As I can find uo previous notice of the Dipper nesting in 

 any of the south-eastern counties, this record may stand for what it is worth 

 until somebody is fortunate enough to actually discover the eggs or young. 

 Every ornithologist will have noticed the partiality of the Dipper and Grey 

 Wagtail for similar localities, on which account their general distribution 

 is generally very similar. It is somewhat remarkable, however, that this 

 companionship should be carried so far as the nesting of the two species 

 within a few yards of each other in a locality where practically neither had 

 been found breeding before. — Robert H. Read (The Grove, Ealing). 



Black Tern in Yorkshire.— The keeper of the Hoyle Mill-dam (about 

 seven miles from Wakefield) gave me, for identification, an adult Black 

 Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra, in good spring plumage, which he shot at the 

 dam on May 15th. It measured 22 inches from tip to tip of extended 

 wings, and was one of a large flock which came down to the dam on the 

 evening of that date, and stayed there about half-an-hour, skimming over 

 the water and frequently touching it as they flew. While they were there 

 all the Coots retired into the rushes, and there was neither a Swallow nor 

 a Swift to be seen there. These Terns came from the N.E. and flew off in 

 a south-easterly direction. — C. I. Evans (Ackworth, near Pontefract). 



Ornithological Notes from the Alps. — At the end of J une it was my 

 good fortune to start with Mr. Warde Eowler for Switzerland, where we 

 spent twelve days in search of birds, and where we found a few nests, a 

 description of which may be of interest. I need hardly say that without 

 Mr. Fowler's experience I should have found very few of the birds we saw, 

 and it is only at his wish that I venture to write this account. At Stanz- 

 stadt, where we commenced operations, is a large expanse of marshy 

 ground where meadow-sweet [Sjurcea ulmaria) and other tall plants grow in 

 abundance. Here the Marsh Warbler {Acrocephalus jmlustris) was 

 common ; and though several evidently had their young about with them, 

 we succeeded in finding one nest of this species with eggs. This was 



