456 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



weather was very mild and wet, and no snow fell till after New 

 Year's Dav. 



1901. 



A fair number of Woodcock were seen and shot in the Dove 

 Valley in January. Three were killed in one afternoon at Nor- 

 bury, where it is usually rather a scarce bird. On Jan. 17th (not 

 27th, as stated in the ' Field') a Bittern was shot at Spondon. 

 The Wild Ducks at Osmaston began to breed exceptionally early, 

 and a nest with seven eggs was found on Feb. 27th, and another 

 with four eggs on March 2nd. On March 18th a Starling's nest 

 between Bradley and Ashburne contained four eggs, quite a 

 month before the usual date. Curiously enough, this was the 

 same place where a nest was found in January, 1898, with nearly 

 fledged young ('Knowledge,' 1898). On April 17th a Long- 

 eared Owl was put off a newly-built Magpie's nest in Bradley 

 Wood, near Ashburne, which proved to contain one young Owl, 

 two hard-sat eggs, and three mice. The Redshanks, which are 

 annually increasing their breeding range in the Trent and Dove 

 Valleys, made their appearance this spring for the first time in 

 the meadows between Norbury and Calwich. Near Calwich 

 Grey and Pied Wagtails nested within a few inches of one 

 another in the hollow left in the masonry of a wall for the in- 

 sertion of a plank bridge. Kingfishers' nests were, I am glad to 

 say, very numerous during this season on the Dove. Mr. Storrs 

 Fox has already recorded (Zool. 1901, p. 270) the Little Bustard 

 shot at Middleton Top, near Youlgreave. 



On examining a Hawfinch's nest found on May 20th, the 

 lining was found to be composed entirely of pigs' bristles. In 

 suitable spots these birds are quite common, and several pairs 

 may be found breeding within a space of a few hundred yards. 

 They are, however, exceedingly shy, and forsake their nests very 

 readily if eggs have not been laid. Deserted nests are at once 

 dismantled, and the lining frequently removed, probably to help 

 in the construction of another nest. 



A Nightingale was reported to me as singing in the Holly 

 Wood, Snelston, on the 21st, and Mr. W. H. Walton ('Field,' 

 May 25th, 1901) mentions two in full song at Ockbrook, and 

 another at Mickleover. The eggs in a Redstart's nest, taken at 

 Thorpe on May 22nd, were distinctly spotted. This type occurs 



