NOTES AND QUERIES. 457 



nest, and wrote saying it was 53 ft. from the ground, and about 15 ft. 

 from the stem of the tree. He saw the bird taking moss from a Gold- 

 finch's as well as a Chaffinch's nest. The second nest, like the first, 

 was also found in a Scotch fir, in the topmost branches, 72 ft. from the 

 ground. It was placed in a fork, and well hidden. The old birds were 

 very fearless. Indeed, the hen bird was so tame that she went on the 

 nest first found several times when he stopped shaking the bough. The 

 second nest was less than two hundred yards distant from the first one. 

 It also contained two eggs. He found it by watching the old bird 

 stealing moss from a Chaffinch's nest. He is almost certain that it 

 belonged to the same pair of birds, as he discovered it only a few days 

 later. When he found it on May 24th this nest also contained two 

 eggs, and the same number on the 27th. I have frequently seen 

 Siskins about Portlaw — several times in small flocks in the surrounding 

 woods during winter, and again in smaller numbers in spring. I have 

 little doubt but that they breed in this neighbourhood, though I have 

 never found the nest. I had never heard of the Siskin's thieving pro- 

 pensities until my young informant wrote me word. I may mention 

 that he is a most accurate and careful observer, and while he lived in 

 my parish gave me a good deal of help in natural history. Three 

 years ago he brought me a large number of caterpillars and pupae of 

 Lithosia quadra, and showed me a great many larvas feeding on lichens on 

 oak, beech, and whitethorn. A most interesting and detailed account 

 of the Siskin, its life-history, breeding habits, and distribution is given 

 by Mr. Ussher in his 'Birds of Ireland.' — William W. Flemyng 

 (Coolfin, Portlaw, Co. Waterford). 



Nesting of the Lesser Redpoll in Somerset. — Clevedon, I think, 

 may be added to the localities in Somerset in which the Lesser Bed- 

 poll (Linota ru/escens) is known to breed. During the summers of 

 1901-2 several pairs of Bedpolls were observed about here, and were 

 evidently breeding, and last spring there were again several pairs 

 about ; and on May 12th I found a nest nearly finished, which was 

 built amongst ivy against the trunk of a fir-tree, and not more than 

 five feet from the ground. No eggs were found in the nest before the 

 17th, when it contained one ; on the 20th, three ; and on the 22nd, 

 four — all that were laid. The young birds were hatched on June 2nd. 

 The sitting bird allowed a very close inspection without quitting the 

 nest. — H. Meyrick (Clevedon, Somerset). 



Cuckoo's Note uttered while flying. — Some years ago (during 

 1894) a number of notes by different writers appeared in ' The Zoolo- 

 gist ' with reference to the Cuckoo calling while on the wing. At the 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. VII., December, 1903. 2 N 



