392 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



It was sitting with its brothers and sisters, all of the normal colour, on 

 an old Thrush's nest in a large overgrown hedge. Wishing to examine 

 it more closely, and tbinkiug that it had only recently left the nest, I 

 pursued it, but unfortunately it escaped owing to the thickness of the 

 hedge. Although I never met with it again, I saw it then sufficiently 

 clearly to observe that it was of a uniform cream-colour all over. This 

 I believe to be an uncommon occurrence in the Wren, and should be 

 glad to know if any other instances have been recorded. In the same 

 hedge, on May 12th, I saw a nest of the Goldcrest (Regulus cristatus) 

 in some ivy about eight feet above the ground, which I believe is an 

 uncommon nesting-site for this species. Last year I came across an 

 unusual instance of perseverance exhibited by the Common Wren. A 

 nest of that species was found in a gorse-bush in Battle, which on 

 April 27th contained two eggs ; these were removed. The nest was 

 next examined on the 29th, when it again contained two eggs ; these 

 were also taken, but in spite of this there were another couple of eggs 

 in the nest on May 1st. This rather does away with the theory that 

 a Wren always resents the slightest interference with its nest. — H. 

 Whistler (Battle, Sussex). 



Late Stay of Swift. — When sitting on the lawn close to the sea at 

 Chapel St. Leonards, I saw a Swift on Sept. 15th. The bird was hawk- 

 ing about, and came within ten yards of me several times. After a 

 lot of wind on the 21st the scrub on the back of sea-bank was full of 

 migrants. On the 22nd I was sitting on the top of the bank, and 

 heard a new bird note. I saw a smallish dark bird sitting on a dead 

 twig about six yards away, and got my glasses on it at once ; it was a 

 female Bustic Bunting. I could see every feather, and had it under 

 observation for quite half a minute, when it flew southward over the 

 sand-hills. I also saw a female Pied Flycatcher, and hundreds of 

 commoner migrants, evidently a big lot working south. — J. Whitaker 

 (Rainworth Lodge, Notts). 



lynx torquilla in Cheshire.— A Wryneck was caught in a street- 

 lamp on the borders of Wiusford at 7 a.m. on Sept. 9th. This is an 

 interesting observation, as from a reference to Coward and Oldham's 

 1 Cheshire Birds,' this is the sixth recorded instance in this county. — 

 Joel Southworth (92, Wharton Road, Winsford, Cheshire). 



Hoopoe in Cheshire. — A male specimen of the Hoopoe (Upupa 

 epops) was taken near Chester on August 29th last. According to 

 Dr. Dobie's list of the Birds of Cheshire and North Wales, this is the 

 third specimen recorded for this district. The first specimen was taken 



