284 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



5th. — Brimstone Butterfly in garden. A late spring. 



6th. — Two Chiffchaffs in song in Milcomb bushes. A new 

 Crow's nest (five eggs on 27th). Country quite wintry looking. 



7th. — A Swallow over the garden. Several Brimstone and 

 Tortoiseshell Butterflies have been seen, and I saw that a Tortoise 

 in a neighbour's garden had emerged to-day. 



8th. — Two Swallows together over garden, singing. 



9th. — Hedges black, country wintry and dry. Greenfinch 

 singing. 



10th. — Several Swallows. 



16th. — Redstart. Magpie's nest with five eggs. 



19th. — Cuckoo noisy. Tree-Pipit. I never before saw Swal- 

 lows here in numbers so early. 



20th.— House-Martin. Willow- Wren. 



24th. — Lesser Whitethroat. 



25th. — Song-Thrushes have suddenly begun building ; three, 

 if not four, nests have been put up in the garden during the last 

 day or two. Clutch of five Crow's eggs brought in. 



26th.— Blackcap. 



27th.— Away until Maylst. Clutch of three hard-sat Crow's 

 eggs brought in. 



Frost on twelve days, snow on two ; over two inches of rain 

 fell, chiefly in the latter part of the month. 



May 1st. — A little snow and heavy rain. 



2nd. — A male Nightjar flew in the face of a man on a bicycle 

 between here and Banbury to-night, and was captured ; I saw 

 it later. 



4th.— Swifts. 



8th. — A Quail (heard since 3rd and picked up on 6th) brought 

 from Adderbury (vide Zool. 1909, p. 469). 



9th. — It was reported in the ' Oxford Times ' of the 22nd that 

 to-day three pairs of Redshanks were seen at the old spot below 

 Eynsham, and three Common and one Black Tern close to 

 Oxford. 



11th. — Moths flew in at window at night. At 11 p.m., calm 

 and starlight, I heard Whimbrel passing over. 



12th. — Cinnabar month. Fine warm month so far, and, as 

 it proved, May afforded the best weather of the year. Left 

 home until 27th. 



