BIRD NOTES IN SANK. 263 



hood. This bird seemed to have a nest, but I did not discover its 

 whereabouts. 



Goldcrest (Begulus cristatus). — One sang from some firs close to 

 ■where we were staying ; it was not a common species. 



Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus rufus) and Willow- Ween (P. trochilus). — 

 A few in the neighbourhood of the Dixcart valley. 



Wood-Wren (P. sibilatrix). — Less abundant than the last two 

 species. 



Hedge-Sparrow {Accentor modularis). — Common everywhere, seem- 

 ing to have no special preference for any one locality, and met with 

 often on the cliff sides. 



Great Tit (Parus major). — More of these birds than any other 

 members of the family ; saw a family among the bushes at the top of 

 the Creux Derrible on May 26th. 



Blue Tit (P. caruleus). — Not so many of these birds as might 

 have been expected. No other representatives of the Parine birds 

 came under my notice. 



Wren (Troglodytes parvulus). — Very abundant everywhere on the 

 island. Found several dummy nests, one built into the side of a furze- 

 bush, and, as usual, none of them with any lining. On several occa- 

 sions the Wren was heard singing quite close to the sea, almost as 

 low down as the Eock-Pipit. 



Meadow-Pipit (Anthus pratensis). — The breeding period, as a rule, 

 must have been over, for I saw no nests of this species with eggs. 

 They sang incessantly from the gorse-covered cliffs, launching forth 

 into the air, and descending in their own peculiar parachute-like man- 

 ner. On May 28th, on the cliffs above Havre Gosselin, saw a parent 

 feeding one of its offspring. The youngster, just able to fly, perched 

 on a spray of gorse, agitating its wings as though to balance itself, 

 and the parent (I am not sure which sex) hovered in the air over the 

 young one, and dropped what looked like a caterpillar into the opened 

 mouth. 



Rock-Pipit (A. obscurus). — Local name, " Sea-Lark." By far the 

 most common kind of Pipit, and even perhaps more abundant than 

 any other kind of bird, excluding of course the sea-birds. Spent much 

 time trying to find the nest, but without success. The fishermen, 

 though so familiar with this bird — a common species in the Channel 

 Islands — were mostly ignorant of its nest and eggs. 



(To be continued.) 



