310 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



nestlings were generally of a huffish colour, the head being paler than 

 the body ; the under parts were distinctly spotted and barred, and 

 this became more noticeable before they left the nest. The tongue 

 and the inside of the mouth were orange-yellow in colour and un- 

 spotted. The flanges were pale yellow, and the upper mandible was 

 distinctly down-curved. There were no thorn-bushes near to the 

 nest, and I was unable to find any insects impaled on a gorse-bush 

 near by. The parent birds were very bold whenever the nest was 

 approached, and when I put up the camera to photograph the young 

 they moved from bough to bough, continually jerking their tails up 

 and down, and "chacking" in a most threatening manner. The 

 nestlings left the nest on June 29th. This Shrike used to breed in 

 some numbers in the Barmouth district, but is certainly less common 

 than was formerly the case. — C. Kingsley Siddall. 



Lesser Redpoll at Hampstead. — Since the publication of my note 

 on the breeding of the Lesser Eedpoll here (ante, p. 269), I have found 

 two more nests, making seven in all this year, and quite half a dozen 

 more must have eluded my search. On one occasion I found a male 

 bird sitting on one of the above nests, and while so occupied he com- 

 menced his loud trilling note, which soon had the effect of bringing 

 up the female, who fed him on the nest, although I was standing 

 within two feet of it at the time. — C. H. Meyrick (The Mount, 

 Hampstead). 



Mortality among House-Martins. — It would be interesting to know 

 in what other localities the House-Martin (Chelidon urbica) has de- 

 creased as in this neighbourhood. During the first week in July I 

 picked up several dead ones in this and adjoining parishes, since when 

 I have kept careful observation on the species, and find its remaining 

 numbers are few indeed, while I fear the mortality has been a very 

 heavy one. From several other places in this county I hear of the 

 same scarcity. During June we had a prolonged spell of wet and cold 

 weather, and this may have affected their food-supply. On the other 

 hand, Swallows, Sand-Martins, and Swifts do not appear to have been 

 similarly affected, and the former at least have succeeded in providing 

 for full nests of young. That the House-Martin depends to an extent 

 on a different food-supply may account for such results. — J. Steele- 

 Elliott (Dowles Manor, Shropshire). 



An Account of a Ramble with the Birds in Anglesey and Carnar- 

 vonshire. — Our rambles in the interest of bird-life this year 

 commenced on the 24th day of March, on which date we cycled to 



