ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM MID-WALES 79 



the month, the wet evidently suiting them. I found the pair of 

 Kites again attempting to breed in the same locality as last year. 

 On May 23rd they were lining a newly -built nest, situated in the 

 same tree and in the same fork as five years ago. This was 

 evidently the second attempt of the season. An old nest was 

 lined with rolls of sheep's wool. A pair of Buzzards had a nest 

 with a single young one, resting against a shrub of birch on the 

 steep hillside, with scarcely anything of a fall below it. A pair 

 of Ravens, which had three young nearly ready to fly, did not 

 venture within a quarter of a mile of us, their behaviour being 

 thus strikingly different from that of the above-mentioned pair. 

 Pied Flycatchers were breeding freely, often in disused nesting- 

 holes of the Green or Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Examining 

 a number of Jackdaws' nests in the cliff, I found in many cases 

 the whole brood dead, as the result of the cold wet weather at 

 Whitsuntide. In June I heard the note of the Quail in two 

 localities some six miles apart. 



On Sept. 7th I noted a pair of Choughs passing over the hill 

 at the northern end of the town. A Black Redstart frequented 

 the College roof for at least a fortnight, basking upon the leads 

 every fine day, and hawking for flies from the lightning-conductors. 

 I last saw it on Nov. 6th. On Nov. 1st Thrushes and Blackbirds 

 on migration were beating against the College windows after dark. 

 Mr. Hutchings showed me a curious light-coloured variety of the 

 Polecat on Dec. 29th, and reported three or four Bitterns obtained 

 during the frost. 



