NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 407 



birds breeding in holes under thatched eaves usually used by 

 Sparrows, and sometimes by Swifts. To-day I saw a Jackdaw 

 come from a hole in the big Wyken Pippin tree here with a 

 young one in his beak ; the old Starlings were furious ! One 

 pair, occupying a box, made no nest at all, and I found the 

 young (only three) on the bare floor of the box. 



2nd. — Bullfinch singing lately " whee-tee-tir " over and over 

 again. 



3rd. — Heard a Quail calling here. 



7th. — Two Quails calling to the south of the village, one 

 towards Barford and the other near Milcomb. A late clutch of 

 four Peewit's eggs taken from an arable field being worked. 



11th. — A boy who takes Crow's eggs for me found two 

 pigeon's eggs in a hollow in the limb of an ash tree with no nest ; 

 but the eggs are large, even for Bing Dove's, and pure white, not 

 tinged with cream colour like Stock Dove's eggs. 



13th. — Visited the place where I found Beed- Warblers breed- 

 ing last year (' Zoologist, 1913, p. 329) but found none ; the 

 growth of reeds was scanty. A pair of Bay's Wagtails appeared 

 to be breeding in a clover field being cut near Clifton. They 

 were flying about, much distressed, and the nest was probably 

 covered by a swath of clover. This is the only breeding pair of 

 this once common bird I have seen this year. A clutch of four 

 fresh Peewit's eggs brought from another arable field. 



14th. — Went down to the meadows at night to find a Corn- 

 Crake reported as heard there a day or two ago ; it seemed to 

 have passed on and I feel sure we did not have a breeding pair 

 in the parish this summer. 



17th. — Visited Blenheim and walked round the lake. There 

 were many pairs of Great Crested Grebes ; I saw a nest in some 

 thin rushes (Stirpus) and two young following the old birds. It 

 is probable that the Pike take many of the young on this water. 

 I also picked up under a tree two eggs evidently sucked by one 

 of the Crow tribe. I was glad to see or hear several Nut- 

 hatches, for we have none here now, and a few Bedstarts about 

 the ancient oaks. Many House-Martins were breeding on the 

 great bridge over the lake, where there is plenty of food to be got. 

 In the " Description of Blenheim " (not dated, but an edition as 

 early as 1806) there is a footnote mentioning the rough apart- 



