324 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



previously. Although it seemed attached to this particular spot, 

 where it was a conspicuous object, it could not be found on the 

 25th, or ever afterwards. 



June 13th. — T went with Mr. Fowler to a spot on the Isis 

 above Oxford, where two pairs of Redshanks have been breeding 

 this year. One bird was flying round, uttering the usual " clip- 

 clip-clip" of a bird with young ones, and I heard another. We 

 put up a full-grown young one, which flew low and pitched in a 

 bed of rushes on the river-bank, from which I could not again 

 rouse it. Probably the rest were in the mowing-grass. The Red- 

 shank is new to the list of birds known to breed in Oxon, although 

 doubtless it bred commonly years ago. I examined a Hoopoe 

 which flew against the telegraph-wires near Tackley on April 

 22nd, a Great Crested Grebe killed near Kirtlington at the season 

 of Rook-shooting, and a Pied Woodpecker shot in Stowe Wood on 

 May 12th. Many oaks and beech trees — in the valleys especially 

 —are for about half-way up them quite brown, as if burnt by fire. 

 This was caused by the great frost in May. 



15th. — Examined a Grey Plover (a very rare bird inland) in 

 adult summer dress, which had been shot in an arable field near 

 Farnborough, and only just over our borders, on May 27th. Also 

 a female Hobby, shot on the 13th inst. at Tusmore (where they 

 occur every year). Warblers, especially Lesser Whitethroats, 

 scarce this year. 



17th. — Flycatchers have used the old Goldfinch's nest again 

 (vide Zool. 1906, p. 448), and laid five eggs ; there are some small 

 feathers in the nest-lining. Goldfinches are probably breeding 

 in the same tree — a very tall old pear — for they were about the 

 tree, jerking their bodies from side to side in their peculiar 

 stiff way. 



23rd. — A pair of Bullfinches have a nest with five eggs in a 

 pyracanthus-bush which hangs down over our wall, and the nest 

 could be reached by the village boys were not the bush of great 

 width and very thorny ! But here the Bullfinch has bred before, 

 for there are two old nests in the bush. They also breed in my 

 garden at the back of the house, but it is only of late years that 

 they have become garden birds in the summer. A few days ago, 

 as I was getting up, I watched the first-named pair, the male 

 feeding the female. Paired Bullfinches are always close together, 



