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NOTES AND QUERIES. 



AVES. 



Blackbird Laying on the Ground. — On April 26th, in the grounds 

 of a friend at Claygate, I was shown a nest with four eggs of the 

 Blackbird (Turdus merula) on the ground. The nest, so called, con- 

 sisted simply of a hollow without any lining whatever scraped amongst 

 the fallen pine-needles and trailing ivy in a shrubbery, the eggs being 

 laid on the bare ground. They were evidently deserted when I saw 

 them, but my friend's son told me he had put the old bird off the eggs, 

 and the gardener also informed me he had twice seen it brooding on 

 them. About a week previous to the discovery of the eggs my friend 

 had pulled out a new empty nest of a Blackbird from a cypress close by, 

 and I think it probable the owner, not having time to build a new one, 

 laid her eggs on the ground a yard or two away from their destroyed 

 intended home. — Robeet H. Read (7, South Parade, Bedford Park, W.) 



British Examples of the White-spotted Bluethroat. — Referring to 

 the note of Mr. Nicoll on this subject in ' The Zoologist ' for December 

 last (p. 464), may I be allowed to state that the first British-killed 

 example of the White-spotted Bluethroat was obtained at Scarborough, 

 and described by the Rev. J. Gr. Tuck (Zool. June, 1876, p. 4956, and 

 ' Field,' May *6th, 1876).— T. H. Nelson (The Cliffe, Redcar). 



The Status of the Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans) in Britain. — 



Essex. — Resident, local, not abundant ; partly migratory ; decreas- 

 ing (Miller Christy, 1890). 



Wiltshire. — Everybody knows : never so abundant as to beget 

 familiarity : rapidly diminishing in numbers. Very rare in North 

 Wilts (Canon Goddard). Not seen one for several years (Rev. A. C. 

 Smith, 1887). 



Devon. — Resident ; formerly numerous ; now scarce in most locali- 

 ties, except in autumn breeds. Decrease enlarged upon. A rare 

 event to see an example of this once abundant bird (Rev. M. A. 

 Mathew, 1892). Parfitt (1876) has it " frequent in orchards through- 

 out the county." 



