ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 285 



28th. — Young Starlings out of the nest. 



June 2nd. — A Linnet has a nest (six eggs eventually) in an 

 Irish yew in the garden, so exposed that anyone passing on the 

 path can see the bird, and so insecurely fixed that it slipped 

 down on one side, and the young had great difficulty in keeping 

 in it until they were ready to leave. Five were reared. 



5th. — Young Starlings now in considerable flocks, and frequent 

 oak-trees partly defoliated by caterpillars. 



7th. — Turtle-Dove's nest in hedge with two eggs was remark- 

 ably slight — only a few rootlets for lining, and the eggs showing 

 through very plainly. A Blackbird sang from the barn-roof 

 ridge, and often did so afterwards ; but this is a new habit here. 



13th. — Kedstart has five eggs in a box. This bird has been 

 strangely scarce of late. The young in the nest perished — 

 I think of starvation, in consequence of the most inclement 

 weather. 



15th. — To Bampton, and on this and the next day made the 

 following notes : — I found that the Bedshank had established 

 itself as a breeding species in this part of the Isis valley since I 

 was here last, and below Tadpole Bridge I saw two pairs and an 

 odd bird which probably had a mate not far off. They were, I 

 have no doubt, breeding, but the great seas of hay-grass would 

 make a search difficult. One pair seemed from their actions 

 to have young hidden in some hay-grass, but they themselves 

 usually settled in a rough thistle and rush-grown meadow on the 

 opposite bank, because it had been grazed and was bare ; the 

 low flood-bank, too, was a favourite perch for them, and along it 

 they ran in an excited manner. Their familiar cries, " teur-y, 

 teur-y-leur," drew my attention first, and soon the birds were 

 flying overhead, "kipping " in an excited way, sometimes settling 

 to run a few steps ; then into the air again, and flying round, 

 crying almost incessantly. These breeding Redshanks are a 

 great addition to the avifauna of the Isis valley. In this calm 

 sunny evening nothing could be prettier than their grey and 

 white plumage and red legs set against the full rich green of the 

 meadows, thickly bedecked with buttercups, of this lush, luxuriant 

 valley. Peewits were pretty common, feeding at the shelving 

 edges of the river, and there were already flocks in the grazed 

 meadows. Moorhens' chuckles and Dabchicks' rattling cries 



