OENITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 61 



17th. — Willow-Wren and Redstart. Chiffchaff in song for 

 the second time only this spring. The weather turned warm to- 

 day. I have not known the grass-fields so soaked with water for 

 some years at any season. 



20th. — Swallows appeared in the village, and a pair went at 

 once into my barn-loft, where they always breed. Blackbird 

 singing while perched on a thatch -coped wall. 



21st. — Nightingale and Whitethroats. 



22nd. — Cuckoo noisy. 



23rd. — Lesser Whitethroat common; Sedge-Warbler, Ray's 

 Wagtail, Whinchat. A White Wagtail on a ploughed field close 

 to the village. A Nightingale in the paddock-walk again this year. 



27th. — Mr. A. H. Macpherson and I saw a fine example of 

 the large race of the Wheatear near the weir-lock, Adderbury ; it 

 appeared to be half as large again as a Chaffinch, and had a 

 very rich buff breast. 



28th. — No fewer than three Nightingales in Milcomb gorse, 

 and four reported from the spinney and fox-cover at Tadmarton 

 Camp, near there. The steady increase of this bird during the 

 last few years is most gratifying ; but it is as impossible to account 

 for the increase as it is for the Nightingale practically ceasing 

 to visit the immediate neighbourhood for many years. House- 

 Martin ; Grasshopper-Warbler. Not a Stonechat to be seen in 

 Milcomb gorse or on Tadmarton Heath, in both of which places 

 it was a few years ago always to be seen in spring ; in the latter 

 locality it used to be quite common, and a characteristic feature. 

 No reason for the disappearance can be given, unless it is that 

 the particular race of Stonechats which used to pass the summer 

 there has been exterminated by severe seasons. The Stonechat 

 was always a partial migrant in North Oxon, appearing in 

 February or March, stray birds being seen very occasionally 

 away from their summer haunts in winter, and more frequently 

 at the time of their return in spring. We watched a Goldfinch 

 shelling out the seeds of Scotch fir-cones. 



30th.— Turtle-Dove. 



May 2nd. — Could hear two Nightingales as I stood at one of 

 the windows to-night, a thing I never did before, although a 

 quarter of a century ago they were always to be heard about the 

 village. 



