NOTES AND QUERIES. B51 
earliest bird to gather into flocks. In 1885 I saw twenty-two in a 
flock on June 6th, and in 1904 a small flock two days later. Then 
comes the Mistle-Thrush, which may be seen in small flocks (and 
never forms large ones—here, at least) in the first half of July. In 
1883 I counted twenty-nine in a flock on July 8th, and in the follow- 
ing year, on July 14th, I saw thirty-nine together.—O. V. APLIN 
(Bloxham, Oxon). 
Sandwich Tern on Breydon, Yarmouth.—While taking a trip on 
Breydon water with Mr. A. H. Patterson, the well-known Norfolk 
naturalist, on Sept. 3rd, we had the pleasure of seeing, on No. 16 
stake, a Sandwich Tern (Sterna cantiaca). It allowed us to approach 
within about three or four yards of its resting-place; it then flew off 
in the rather leisurely manner which is apparently one of its charac- 
teristics. — Frank A. Arnoup (139, Hamilton Road, West Nor- 
wood, 8.E.). 
Prolific Breeding of the Dabchick (Podicipes fluviatilis) and late 
nesting of the Great Crested Grebe (P. cristatus)—On July 27th last 
I visited a pond in the neighbourhood of Oxted, to which several 
pairs of Dabchicks resort annually for breeding purposes. With the 
aid of my field-glass I detected a Little Grebe with two young, sitting 
upon a nest situated about thirty-five yards from the nearest bank, 
the parent bird leaving as I approached more closely, and being 
followed by her chicks, which experienced considerable difficulty, 
being but recently hatched, in forcing their way through the thick 
coating of “duckweed” which covered the surface of the pool. On 
glancing into the nest I was somewhat surprised at making the dis- 
covery that it contained a single egg, which from its unstained 
appearance was evidently freshly laid. A friend visited the locality 
on July 28th, and reported that a second egg had been deposited, and 
on the day following I accompanied him to the pond, but found that 
the number of eggs had not been increased since his last visit. Un- 
fortunately a day or two later our observations were brought to a 
sudden termination by the nest being destroyed. There can be little 
doubt that this species frequently rears two, if not three, broods in a 
season, but the very rapid means of propagation recorded above must 
be somewhat exceptional. The normal laying period of the Great 
Crested Grebe appears to extend from April to June; it may therefore 
be of interest to record that on Aug. 2nd last I paid a hurried visit to 
one of the Surrey breeding haunts of this beautiful species, and was 
fortunate in discovering a nest containing four partially covered eggs, 
which I judged to be about half incubated. I should mention that at 
