34 . THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Sparrow's egg laid in Swift's nest ; the old Swift was sitting on this 

 egg and one of its own. Starling's nest built in Green Woodpecker's 

 hole. Jackdaw's eggs laid in Starling's nest in hole in elm-tree ; also 

 in old Crow's nest. Cuckoo's eggs in various nests. Barn- Owl's eggs 

 in nests of Stock-Dove, and in tame Pigeon's nest in a dovecote. 

 Long-eared Owl's eggs in nests of Sparrow-Hawk and Wood-Pigeon ; 

 young of ditto in Book's nest, amongst several other Books' nests con- 

 taining eggs. Sparrow-Hawk's nest built on Wood-Pigeon's nest. 

 Honey-Buzzard's built on Squirrel's nest. Merlin's five eggs laid in 

 a Baven's nest on a ledge of rock on a Scotch hillside. Kestrel's eggs 

 in nests of Carrion-Crow, Magpie, Common Buzzard, &c. Pheasant's 

 eggs laid in Partridge's nest ; also in Wild Duck's nest. Oyster- 

 catcher's egg in nest of Lesser Black-backed Gull. Green Sandpiper 

 in nests of Squirrel and Song-Thrush. 



Doubtless many readers of ' The Zoologist ' could add considerably 

 to this list. In addition to these many birds either repair their old 

 nests, or build new ones on their own old nests of preceding years, 

 such as the Book, House-Martin, Eagles, Buzzards, Osprey, &c. On 

 one occasion I found three nests of Bobin, one over the other, the top 

 one containing fresh eggs, and the middle one stale eggs of the pre- 

 ceding year. It may not be generally known that some of the Limicola, 

 have the same habit. Underneath the-nests of Peewit and Avocet, I 

 have found old egg-shells and nesting material of previous nests, which 

 in all probability were made the year before by the owners of the new 

 nests. In one instance, in the hollow amongst the pebbles which did 

 duty for a nest of Oystercatcher, were three fresh eggs laid amongst 

 the bleached bones of another Oystercatcher, which must have been 

 lying there at least a twelvemonth. Sometimes two birds of the same 

 species will lay in the same nest. This is a not uncommon habit 

 among game-birds, but I have found Song-Thrush with eight eggs, 

 Starling with eight, Wood-Pigeon three, Tufted Duck twenty, Black- 

 headed Gull five and six — in each case evidently the produce of two 

 females. — Eobert H. Bead (Bedford Park, W.). 



Hooded Crow at St. Albans. — I beg to record the shooting of a fine 

 male Hooded Crow (Corvus comix), early last October, by J. Last, the 

 gamekeeper, on Oaklands, a small estate near here. The bird was 

 observed feeding ravenously upon a Babbit caught in a trap. It was 

 shot at whilst so engaged, but flew into an adjacent tree. The keeper 

 thereupon stalked the bird, and fired again, this time with success. It 

 is rare indeed that one is enabled to get a second shot at these birds, 

 and this particular bird must have been suffering from the pangs of 



