322 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



during this exceptional spring, for this usually late visitor. In ordinary 

 seasons it is seldom seen with us before the end of April or beginning of 

 May. I have a record as early as April 18th. But this season everything 

 ornithological, entomological, and botanical appears uncertain, and out of its 

 usual order. — G. B. Corbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



The Great Spotted Woodpecker in Surrey. — Dendrocopus major has 

 become so rare a bird in Surrey that the successful rearing of a brood 

 deserves to be recorded. Early in June I happened to notice a hole in the 

 trunk of a partially decayed birch tree in an unfrequented part of the Hurt 

 Wood, near Shere. The hole was circular, about fifteen feet from the 

 ground, and appeared to be the work of a Woodpecker. On tapping the 

 trunk the cries of young birds greeted my ears, and I therefore returned 

 the following morning with a glass to watch for the old birds, and ascertain 

 their species. After waiting about twenty minutes a female Great Spotted 

 Woodpecker suddenly flew against the trunk, but, catching sight of me, 

 swerved aside and retired to a small oak tree a few yards from where I sat. 

 Here she perched upon a horizontal branch, lengthways, after the fashion 

 of a Nightjar. She remained almost motionless (thinking apparently that 

 she was invisible), and I was able for a quarter of an hour to examine her 

 with my glass. She had in her bill a large bunch of insects, which, finding 

 inconvenient, she deposited on the branch in front, but removed when taking 

 her departure. When the male bird flew to the hole, as happened in due 

 course, she warned him of the danger with loud and alarming cries of 

 " quick," often repeated at regular intervals. Both birds then retired to a 

 distance, and kept up their answering alarm-notes. After about half an 

 hour the male flew against the further side of the birch, and peered round 

 the side of the trunk in my direction. The young ones had by now become 

 vociferous ; but, though I remained about an hour, neither parent ventured 

 to enter the hole. I am told that the brood was fledged a few days later. 

 The Lesser Woodpecker [D. minor) may still be seen in a good many places 

 in Surrey, and, though very shy and difficult to discover, is not so very rare. 

 Gecinus viridis is abundant, and, I think, increasing in the unbuilt-over 

 portions of Surrey. — Harold Russell (Shere, Surrey). 



Hoopoe in Hants and Dorset.— From information received from friends 

 residing in widely separated localities, both east and west, and whose 

 descriptions could be only referable to this handsome and conspicuous 

 species (Upupa epops), I infer that it has visited us in some numbers, con- 

 trary to its usual scarcity ; and on May 2nd I saw a specimen which had 

 been found dead somewhere on the borders of Dorset, apparently starved. 

 The body was very emaciated, and one wing had been injured, as if by a 

 stone, which must have prevented flight, and possibly was the cause of its 



