352 



Birds. 



were boiled and others not, they invariably broke the boiled ones and threw them out 

 of the nest. — M. Saul ; Fort Green Cottage, Garstang, Avgmty 1843. 



Anecdote of a Male Blackbird building three Nests. Last year a male blackbird re- 

 sided in my orchard, and, as it appeared, failed in finding a mate. As early as Febru- 

 ary he began building a nest under some long leaves by the side of a fenny place in 

 the orchard, having first scratched away a little earth, in order to make a level place 

 for the nest to stand on. When the nest was finished, it was completely concealed 

 from the sight and protected from rain, by the long leaves bending over it; so close 

 was one of the leaves, that the bird had to lift it up every time he went in or out, a 

 feat I frequently watched him perform. About two weeks after this nest was com- 

 pletely finished, the same bird built a second in another part of the orchard ; and in 

 this second nest I often saw him sitting later in the season, and when the leaves were 

 on the trees, he built a third nest in a thorn -bush. During the time he was engaged 

 in these three nests, he would continually perch in one of the highest trees in the or- 

 chard, and send forth his rich and melodious song, as if to invite a partner to join in 

 his family cares, but always without success. — Id. 



Note on the Wnjneck. The wryneck, or cuckoo's mate as it is often called, from 

 its appearing about the same period of the spring as that bird, is not unfrequent in 

 this neighbourhood. I have one stuff'ed, which I caught near Compton. The most 

 singular part of this beautiful bird is its long slender tongue, which, being covered 

 with a glutinous substance, is employed to catch ants and other insects. I have seen 

 the wryneck standing on an ant-hill, and thrusting its long tongue into the mould to 

 procure their eggs, which are its favourite food, — Wm. Heivelt. 



Note on the occurrence of a young Cuckoo in a Reed-tvarbler^s Nest. Being in com- 

 pany with a friend on the 1 2th of June last, we had shown to us the nest of a reed- 

 warbler containing a young cuckoo but recently hatched. This juvenile parasite was 

 alone in the nest when we saw it, and had, without doubt, forcibly ejected the eggs of 

 its foster-parent from the nest, as, on the preceding morning, it contained five eggs, in 

 addition to the one from which the cuckoo was hatched; some of these eggs we disco- 

 vered lying amongst the coarse herbage beneath the nest. — S. Willoughby ; Bratoft, 

 near Spilsbg, Lincolnshire, August 17, 1843. 



Note on the Bunting. Mr. White seemed doubtful whether the bunting left Eng- 

 land in the winter, which it certainly does not, for in these parts they are seen through- 

 out the year. They breed here in summer, and in winter congregate in immense flocks, 

 when they do great mischief by feeding on oat-ricks, and pulling out the straws, at 

 which hundreds are annually shot by our rustic sportsmen. — Wm. Hewett. 



Note on the Snow Bunting. From my own observation, and from the information 

 I have obtained from attentive observers of Nature, T am led to believe that the snow 

 bunting {Emberiza nivalis) may be considered a regular winter visitant to the shores 

 of this neighbourhood. In proof I may mention that considerable numbers have ar- 

 rived on the Skegness coast every winter for the last four years. — S". Willoughby. 



Note on the Shrike. The red-backed butcher-bird or shrike is not uncommon in 

 this neighbourhood. Wherever I have seen them there have been meadows, and green 

 hedges, or bushes. During the summer months they feed on butterflies, and I have 

 often seen them sitting on the topmost twig of some hawthorn hedge, watching for 

 these insects, which, when they have caught, they return again to the same spot, and 

 this they repeat many successive times. — Wm, Hewett. 



