12 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



miles of this place On March 21st [1896] I went to 



one, a spruce plantation about two miles away from here, and 

 saw a Long-eared Owl fly off her six hard-sat eggs on the top 

 of a Squirrel's nest. On April 3rd I discovered another Long- 

 eared Owl's nest with four eggs in a plantation close here." 

 These eggs and the next two clutches were taken by Rooks ; 

 from the fourth clutch four young were reared. Writing again 

 on May 29th, the same observer mentions having seen, up to 

 that date of the present season, three pairs of Long-eared Owls 

 nesting. And on June 15th he wrote that he had recently seen 

 four lots of young. 



March 6th. — News from Mr. Fowler that he saw a Buzzard 

 at Kingham on tbis day. It flew in a south-easterly direction 

 towards Bruern Wood, after coming nearly over his head. 

 Although very high up, its flight and shape were unmistakable. 



13th. — Books built one nest. 



20th. — Song-Thrush's nest with two eggs in shrubbery. 

 Eighteen Books' nests in the far rookery. 



26th. — Chiffchaff in song. 



One day this spring (exact date not preserved) I saw in my 

 brother-in-law's garden here a Missel-Thrush's nest with eggs, 

 placed, not more than seven feet from the ground, on and near 

 the end of a slender, nearly horizontal bough of a yew tree 

 which stretched to the edge of the tennis lawn. The way the 

 Missel Thrush has of putting away some of its shyness in the 

 breeding season and approaching our dwelling-houses to breed 

 is well known. Possibly in this case the slender bough was 

 chosen as being difficult of access by cats, which are the greatest 

 curse that the birds of Bloxham gardens suffer from. It is 

 absolutely useless to pass (and even to enforce) laws for the 

 protection of small birds while no restraint is imposed upon the 

 keeping of cats. Curiously enough, when I was at Bainworth the 

 same year in July, Mr. Whitaker showed me a Missel- Thrush's 

 nest from which young had flown, also placed at the end of a 

 yew bough extending to the edge of the croquet-ground, and 

 only about four feet from the ground. Nests at these low 

 elevations are, I should think, not common. 



April 11th. — Blackcap in song in shrubbery. Several Bed- 

 starts by the brook. 



