NOTES AND QUERIES. 313 



empty. When crossing the common towards the cliffs, we saw a 

 Meadow-Pipit rising from the bracken and grass-covered ground 

 ahead of us. On coming to the spot, we found the nest with its 

 three eggs after a little trouble, built beneath the friendly shelter of 

 a bracken leaf. The Kittiwakes had by to-day settled down, and 

 some of them had nests nearly ready. As we were lying down full 

 length on the top of the cliff, peering down, a bird flew from out of 

 a crevice in the rock about two yards below us. This was a Rock- 

 Pipit, and, after endeavouring to see into the nest, we found that it 

 contained four greyish rather long eggs. A Kestrel was seen leaving 

 a little cliff, but we could not discern any eggs on the grassy ledge 

 whence it flew. 



Before leaving Penmon we found a single Oystercatcher's egg, 

 laid in a scratching lined with sheep-dung as a substitute for pebbles. 

 One evening following this, we cycled to Llyn-Bodgylched. Here, 

 just as we arrived at the top of a little hillock in view of the lake, 

 the first birds that met our gaze were a pair of Coots, together with 

 their brood of six. The old birds immediately flew off, their tails 

 trailing the water in doing so, while the young scattered in all 

 directions into the rush. Next we found a nest with five eggs of a 

 Sedge-Warbler, which was very well hidden in the thick sedge. In 

 walking through the reeds, &c, we came across a brood of young 

 Wild Duck, but we did not get a long glimpse of them, as they soon 

 disappeared, and all we could see was the shaking of the reeds where 

 they were. A few Reed-Buntings were flying about, the cock birds 

 of which were very conspicuous with their black heads. At the 

 other end of the lake, a flock of Black-headed Gulls rose up from the 

 rush and kept screaming overhead. Thinking that they might have 

 nests, we waded out, but, alas ! we could not go as far, so we could 

 not ascertain whether or not they had nests, but the place is very 

 suitable for them. On Whit-Monday my friend went to the moun- 

 tain, I myself going to Newborough in order to see the Merlins which 

 I knew bred there. Leaving my bicycle at a farmhouse I pushed 

 forward into the sand-dunes, and found that Wheatears abounded in 

 the place ; but, although common, their nests were difficult to find. 

 In a marshy field near to the sea I watched a pair of Redshanks that 

 were flying noisily overhead, thinking that they might have a nest, 

 but from the noise they made and considering the time of the season, 

 I thought that most likely they had young. Saw a Cuckoo being 

 chased about by a pair of Meadow-Pipits, and on a river were some 

 few Sheld-Duck. At length I arrived at the spot where the Merlins 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XI V , August. 1910. 2 b 



