76 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM MID-WALES. 

 By J. H. Salter, University College, Aberystwyth. 



The following notes, referring to the past two years, are in 

 continuation of those which appeared in ' The Zoologist ' (1898, 

 pp. 198-201):— 



A Cirl Bunting was singing upon Jan. 8th, 1898. This species 

 with us appears to sing much more freely in winter than the 

 Yellowhammer does. A visit paid to a small Heronry upon 

 March 28th showed that these birds vie with the Raven in the 

 matter of early breeding. In one nest young birds were calling 

 loudly. There were egg-shells under two other nests, while a 

 fourth contained three small young ones, and an egg which was 

 hatching. On April 7th the young birds of the first mentioned 

 brood were flying from tree to tree. At Craig-y-Pistyll, on 

 March 28th, a pair of Ravens had a nest with five fresh eggs. It 

 was found with difficulty, being inconspicuous amongst the 

 heather and brambles which grew from the ledges of the crag. 



While staying at Abergwesyn, in the extreme west of Brecon- 

 shire, I noticed with interest the Nuthatch upon the trees — 

 almost the last in this direction — close to the hotel. It does not 

 cross the mountains, and hence only occurs very exceptionally 

 upon their western or Cardiganshire side. 



On April 9th I visited one of the few remaining breeding 

 haunts of the Kite, an oak wood covering the slopes of a rocky 

 hill. The pair of birds soon appeared, and, as they soared, 

 showed their graceful flight to perfection. In turning, one or the 

 other would often "throw over" almost on to its back against 

 the stiff breeze. The nest, about thirty feet from the ground in 

 an oak, being a new one, was small as compared with the size 

 attained when utilized year after year. It contained two eggs, 

 indicating that in this district the Kite breeds about a fortnight 

 earlier than the Buzzard. A very large nest, from which, to my 

 knowledge, Kites' eggs were taken in 1893, proved to be grass- 



