ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 323 



but not late in evening ; unlike the Song-Thrush, which sings 

 less in the day, but a great deal late in the evening. 



10th.— Eedstart. Mr. E. W. Calvert reports in the ' Field ' 

 of the 8th that a Tawny Owl was found sitting, near Langley 

 House, on six eggs on March 21st. 



12th. — Willow- Wren. Two Hedge- Sparrows' nests (of four 

 and three eggs) not six feet apart, in a row of box-bushes. Boy 

 threw three young Carrion-Crows about two days old out of a 

 nest yesterday. These are early. 



13th. — Eeport of Swallow seen on 3rd on the Grove Estate. 



15th. — Eay's Wagtail and Tree-Pipit. Blackthorn full out. 



16th. — Blackcap. 



21st. — A Swallow over a pond here, looking feeble ; the fifth 

 day of cold N.E. wind. 



24th.— Whitethroat. 



26th. — Cuckoo seen. 



27th. — Some Otter " spraint " full of remains of Crayfish. 

 Nightingale. 



28th. — House-Martin. Swallows singing about these premises 

 this evening. 



29th. — A clutch of four Crow's eggs brought by boy, who said 

 he had thrown out of the nests four broods of "bolched" \i.e. 

 unfledged) young ones. 



May 1st. — Whinchat. 



8th. — A Hobby reported as shot on this date near Shipton- 

 under-Wychwood. 



Away from home May 4th-June 9th. 



Mr. C. B. Chambers wrote me word from Fifield, Milton- 

 under-Wychwood, that on each day from the 20th to the 23rd he 

 saw and watched near there a Woodchat- Shrike, which he de- 

 scribed accurately. On two days he watched it for a considerable 

 time, but did not hear it utter a sound. It seldom settled on the 

 hedge, but preferred to perch in the small ash trees that stood in 

 the fence, flying down to the gronnd, hopping about for a second 

 or two, and then up into the trees again. Sometimes it would 

 sit motionless in a tree for five or ten minutes together. The 

 Chaffinches "spinked" as though its presence was not required, 

 but it seemed to be feeding on insects only. Mr. Chambers 

 thought it was a male. It has only occurred in Oxon once 



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