286 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



sounded from the thick, high growth which generally borders 

 both banks, and makes the river itself very private for the birds, 

 for boats are very infrequent on it. There are a few Wild Ducks 

 too, and Herons are often seen — one came close to me by mis- 

 take ! I heard only one Corn-Crake in all those miles of hay- 

 grass. Eeed-Warblers I noticed in three places in willows, and 

 not distributed evenly along the banks — though there are reeds 

 — like the Sedge- Warblers and Heed-Buntings. The Dabchick 

 must be quite numerous, to judge from their frequent crieB, and 

 (although I had to propel as well as steer my boat, and the river 

 winds), I found three nests, two with single eggs, one covered 

 and the other (looking new-laid) not ; the third nest had two 

 downy young just out, and two hatching eggs. Moorhens have 

 their nests on the inner side of this belt of rushes and other 

 water-plants — the iris and the great water-dock both very fine — 

 where they are easily seen from a boat. A row of pollard-willows 

 was inhabited by Tree-Sparrows, whose noisy, shrill cries caused 

 me to land and find a nest just being built, of rather green 

 materials. Carrion-Crows, sitting on a fence at a sluice-gate or 

 flying low over the grass top, are common in the valley, and no 

 doubt keep the wildfowl down. Quite a feature of Bampton 

 itself was the bunch of Swifts, which in the evening, and at 

 3 a.m. too, were swinging round, low down, the little open space 

 in the town, " swee-ree"-ing loudly. 



17.th. — News from Mr. Calvert of two Little Owls shot at 

 Witney last winter, and of one put out of a hollow tree at 

 Pudlicote on the 19th of last month. 



19th. — Garden-Warblers had young just out of the nest ; 

 the latter was just dry grass and a slight affair. Cuckoos and 

 Turtle-Doves common this year, and the former still in good 

 song. Mr. Noble tells me that in Hennerton meadows, close to 

 the river, he saw three adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls and two 

 Herring-Gulls fly over within sixty yards. It was early in the 

 month and blowing hard from S.E. ; a curious time of the year 

 for adult Gulls to be inland. 



24th. — My brother heard a Corn-Crake at Willscote Hill. 



25th. — Not over 49° all day ; wintry, dismal weather ; a cold 

 thick mist last night. Everything is overgrown and spoiling 

 for want of sun. 



