232 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
30th.— Watched some Coal-Tits for a while. 
31st.—Saw the first Lapwing’s egg to-day, also a pair (male and 
female) of Wheatears. 
April 6th.—Spent to-day in the rookery. Found two nests with 
six eggs, and several with five; also one nest containing young birds. 
Forty Fieldfares flying north-east. 
7th.—Every place white with snow. Fieldfares abundant, pass- 
ing over us. 
8th.—First primrose shows itself to-day. 
9th.—White Wagtail at the loch. 
19th.—Fieldfares have been passing in small flocks for some days. 
To-day I saw about fifty flying north-east. Moorhen’s nest with 
eight young ones. 
23rd.—Sedge- Warbler seen to-day. 
24th.—Common Sandpiper arrived; last year the date was the 
12th, which is about the usual. 
28th.—The keeper’s dog to-day flushed a Land-Rail from some 
gorse. This is the earliest record i have. Found a Red Grouse’s 
nest with ten eggs. 
30th.—Two Snipes’ nests, each with four eggs. 
May 3rd.—Went to-day to examine some Jackdaws’ nests built 
in spruce-fir trees. They are very large structures, being roofed over 
with sticks, just leaving a hole large enough to admit the bird. One 
of the four I examined containing eggs was quite open. The keeper 
told me he JOE in the last week of April a Woodcock’s nest which 
was “run.” 
5th.—Heard the welcome sound of the Cuckoo’s voice. 
'6th.—A Curlew’s nest with four eggs. I got near enough to 
flush the bird from her nest—a most unusual experience. 
7th.—Barn-Swallows arrive. 
8th.—Met the assistant keeper to-day with a young Tawny Owl 
in his pocket. It was found in the “Crow Wood,” and bore marks 
of having been pecked by the Rooks. 
9th.—Heard the Land-Rail “craking.”’ 
1ith—Found another Red Grouse’s nest with ten eggs, hard- 
sat. There were four ae of Golden Plovers, out I could not find 
a nest. 
12th.—Sedge- Warblers abundant and in fine song. 
16th.—Water-Rail’s nest with seven eggs; also three Mallards 
nests with seven, five, and one egg respectively. 
~ 17th—Dunlin’s nest with four eggs, and also Curlew’s with four 
eggs. ; 
