462 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



upper water- meads ; they seem to come nearer the town during 

 winter, and to distribute themselves more widely for the breeding 

 season. The Keed Buntings, for instance, at the end of this 

 month, have moved away to their breeding haunts a few miles 

 down the river. Thus we have such birds as the Wagtails, 

 Buntings, Dabchicks, &c, performing regular migrations on a 

 small scale. 



On the 25th a Thrush's nest was found with three eggs, and 

 three Blackbirds' nests had eggs in two cases and young birds in 

 the third. All the nests were in evergreens. The first Swallow 

 arrived in water-meads on the afternoon of the 27th. On the 

 29th Mr. Chalkley received a Ring Ouzel from Avington, and on 

 the 30th a specimen of the same bird from Highbridge, four or 

 five miles on the opposite side of the town. 



April. 



By the 2nd Swallows were numerous in water-meads, and on 

 that date the first Sand Martin arrived. On the 3rd a stormy 

 wind was blowing from the east, and two Herring Galls payed a 

 visit in the morning. The Jackdaws began their nests on this 

 date in the College chapel tower. On the 4th a young Thrush 

 of the year, fully developed except in the tail-feathers was seen, 

 and the first Whitethroat was reported past St. Cross. 



In Kent (Beckenham) the Swallows and Sand Martins arrived 

 on the 19th ; and on the 23rd I was fortunate in seeing the first 

 birds of the season arrive in North Staffordshire. 



Mr. Kelsall, from the New Forest, reports, " Chiffchaff, 1st; 

 Cuckoo, 14th (heard in Kent first on 20th) ; Nightingale, 18th (in 

 Kent 19th) ; Willow Wren, 20th." He says, however, that it is 

 uncertain whether these were first arrivals, as he was away for 

 " the first rush." 



On the 30th eggs of the Great Tit were taken at Crabbe 

 Wood. Pied Wagtails with their congeners have deserted the 

 water-meads near the town by now, save for a few pairs of the 

 first species, preparatory to spending the breeding season further 

 down the river. They usually return about the middle of 

 November (see Zool. 1897, p. 34). 



