5790 Birds. 



replaced on the terrace a pair of pied wagtails (Motacilla Yarrellii) were observed 

 very busily engaged about one of the pots, and on further examination it was found 

 that they had chosen this spot for their nursery. In their nest was a very fine and 

 nearly full-grown young cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus) in good condition and very lively, 

 notwithstanding that he must have been without food for one whole day and two 

 nights. Curiously enough, he had escaped detection from the thousands of eyes 

 that must have beheld his domicile, and was restored in safety to his foster-parents, 

 whose care he had already requited, after the fashion of Cuculidae, by ejecting their 

 own offspring from the parent nest. — William Gostling ; 14, Chester Place, Kenning- 

 ton Cross, September 4, 1857. 



Swallows building against a House. — I have no doubt that you are right in sup- 

 posing that Mr. Slaney (Zool. 5756), in talking of the best way of preventing swal- 

 lows and martins attaching their nests to our houses in inconvenient places, refers 

 only to martins, as of course they are generally the only birds which do build under 

 our eaves ; but yet I think it should be recorded that in one instance, to my certain 

 knowledge, a swallow did construct its nest in such a position. This occurred at 

 Wickham Court, in 1854. I observed a nest under the eaves of a cottage which ap- 

 peared to be not nearly so compact or neat as is usual with the nest of the martin. 

 On watching I soon saw the old bird enter it. I at once thought it was a swallow, 

 though, as the sight was so short, I could not be sure of it. On procuring a ladder, 

 however, the fact was placed beyond a doubt by the five speckled eggs contained in 

 it. The nest seemed very rickety, and loosely attached to the sill, and, unlike the 

 martin's nest, the top was not attached to any part of the projecting eaves, there being 

 a space of about three inches between the two, by which the old bird made its 

 entrance. Indeed, I think when the young birds were hatched it must have been 

 impossible for this crazy habitation to sustain its own weight and that of five young 

 birds ; but, as I left Wickham Court immediately afterwards, I had no means of ob- 

 serving the result. — R. B. Smith ; Marlbro* College, Wilts, September 4, 1857. 



The Cornish Chough (Fregilus graculus) near Tenby. — A few miles from this 

 watering place are the ruins of Manorbeer Castle, which I visited this afternoon. I 

 was interested in observing that they are frequented by the Cornish chough, which are 

 bred there in great abundance. I by chance met the village schoolmaster, who told 

 me that in the breeding-season and in the winter they are very tame, and will collect 

 in numbers round the school-room door at the time the school breaks up, in order to 

 pick up the pieces of bread, &c, thrown to them by the children. He mentioned an 

 anecdote of one of them which had been brought up by some children who lived about 

 two miles from the village. Whenever they left home to go to school the bird would 

 precede them, and arrive there a few minutes after they had started, and about twenty 

 minutes before the children. This it did so regularly that the master knew when the 

 children might be expected. He also told me that the chough is taught to speak 

 more easily than the magpie, and that it is of a very thievish disposition. — Samuel 

 Gurney ; Tenby, August 22, 1 857. 



Nest of the Willow Warbler. — I think it may be worth while to mention, what 

 does not seem known to most of our ornithologists, that the willow warbler often 

 builds its nest some height above the ground. Yarrell mentions the chiffchaff's 

 having its nest in this position as a great rarity. Out of seven willow wren's nests 

 which I have met with during the last three or four years, four of them were above 

 the ground, the remaining three only being in the positions generally ascribed to 



