( 75 ) 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



A VES. 



Status of Blackcap and Garden-Warbler. — I can assure Mr. Gill* 

 that in this district, or perhaps I ought to say on this property, the 

 Blackcap far out-numbers the Garden-Warbler, and is, in fact, our 

 commonest Warbler. In forty years I have found but three nests of 

 the latter, whereas in any normal season one could find upwards of 

 thirty nests of the former. I have always been most careful about 

 the identification, and have invariably watched the bird on the nest 

 when there has been any possibility of a mistake. It is very curious, 

 and I can see no reason why one bird should be so rare and the other 

 so common, when the locality seems equally suited to both. Some 

 years ago I spent several days in the JBlagdon Valley, and thought 

 Garden- Warblers slightly predominated over Blackcaps. In Hungary, 

 where both species are numerous, we found about an equal number 

 of nests of each. — Heatley Noble (Temple Combe, Henley-on- 

 Thames). 



Waxwings in Suffolk. — The first we heard of the visitation of the 

 Waxwing (Ampelis garrulus) was on Christmas Day (1913), when 

 my daughter reported two seen on Dec. 22nd close to their house at 

 Rougham by her husband and herself. They got a good view of the 

 birds through glasses at less than twenty yards' distance, and could 

 distinctly hear the call they gave. The Waxwings were feeding on 

 hips, and were fortunate in having the glasses brought to bear on 

 them instead of a gun. — Julian G. Tuck (Tostock Rectory, Bury 

 St. Edmunds). 



Nutcracker in Surrey. — By editorial request I have pleasure in 

 sending particulars of the Nutcracker in my possession, which was 

 taken in Addington Park, Surrey, on October 14th, 1913. The reason 

 for not recording it before is because I sent it to my nephew, who 

 forwarded it to Mr. J. A. Coward to identify and get properly stuffed, 

 and it was returned this week with his remarks. It is the slender- 

 billed form (Nticifraga caryocatactes macrorhynchiis). Its habitat is, 



* Cf. ante, p. 36. 



