426 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



more observations are made the bird will be found to occur there 

 annually. — N. F. Ticehuest (Guy's Hospital, S.E.). 



Siskins in Sussex. — This autumn seems to have been more marked 

 by the appearance of small Finches, &c., than for many years past in 

 this locality. On Sept. 14th I saw a Siskin {Chrijsomitris spinus) on 

 some brickfields near the West St. Leonards Eailway Station. On the 

 16th I saw three large flocks of the same species, and from that time 

 onward they seemed to increase in numbers, it being hardly possible 

 to go out without seeiug at least one large flock. It would be inter- 

 esting to know if they have been observed in any number in other of 

 our southern counties this year. The Eedpoll \Linota rufescens) also 

 arrived in some numbers, and unusually early. I saw the first on 

 Sept. 19th, the usual time of their arrival here (St. Leonards) being 

 the second week in October. — Michael J. Nicoll (10, Charles Koad, 

 St. Leonards). 



Breeding Habits of the Swift. — It may interest your correspondent, 

 the Eev. Allan Ellison, to know that the number of eggs laid by the 

 Swift was the subject of several letters in the ' Field' and 'Zoologist' 

 as far back as 1867 (c/. Zool. 1867, pp. 915 and 990). Two corre- 

 spondents, Messrs. Parnell and Marcus Richardson, related instances 

 in which they had found three eggs. Ou the other hand, Mr. Sterland 

 had never found more than two ; and the editor quotes his ' Dictionary 

 of British Birds ' and ' Birdsnesting ' to the effect that " the eggs of 

 the Swift are two in number." The numerous instances in which 

 three eggs have been found without any reasonable probability that 

 they were the produce of two hens seem, however, to prove that the 

 normal number of eggs varies from two to three, and I believe that 

 occasionally four eggs are laid. If it were a common occurrence for 

 two hens to lay together, surely clutches of four would be numerous 

 instead of being exceedingly rare. — Francis C. R. Jourdain (Clifton 

 Vicarage, Ashburne, Derbyshire). 



Hobby Breeding in Shropshire. — It is pleasant to record that the 

 pair of Hobbies I F(j/co mhhuteu) mentioned in this Journal twice before 

 (Zool. 1900, pp. 143 and 382) i returned again to breed in the same nest 

 for the third time this year. Mr. J. Palmer, Mr. J. Steele Elliott, and 

 I visited the nest ou June 27th, when there were, as usual, three eggs 

 in it. A young Hobby with traces of down on the neck was shot near 

 Bridgnorth about Sept. 10th, probably one of the same brood. — H. E. 

 Forrest (Shrewsbury). 



Red-footed Falcon in Essex. — On Oct. 17th, Mr. Cole, of Norwich, 

 received for preservation, for the Rev. J. R. Owen, an immature male 



