ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 447 



colour — miles away. Some old pollard willows at the side of 

 the raised marsh-road leading down to the river are the haunt of 

 Tree- Sparrows. On my way home I heard a Corn-Crake in the 

 Cherwell valley at Somerton. 



11th.— Mr. P. T. Duffield reported in the 'Field' to-day a 

 bird he had seen over the river at Oxford, which was evidently a 

 Black Tern. 



19th. — Lesser Whitethroat continues to sing in shrubs in 

 front of the house, and I think must be breeding. I have seen 

 some about the village all the season ; it is a garden bird to some 

 extent. 



23rd. — The Eed-backed Shrikes have had their eggs taken 

 once this year, and now are quartered on the west side of the 

 railway-station ; they are always somewhere close to the railway. 

 Listened to a Quail in a barley-field on Tadmarton Heath, and 

 was told of another near there. It did not call much until after 

 7.30 p.m., and repeated the call from three to eight times each 

 time it called; there was a slight emphasis on the second 

 syllable. 



24th. — News from Mr. Fowler, at Kingham, that the Marsh- 

 Warbler had just hatched its young. 



25th. — While waiting for the Badgers to come out, I heard 

 the other Quail. This seems to be a Quail year. Mr. E. Cole- 

 grove heard one near South Newington, and Mr. W. Newton 

 wrote from Crowmarsh that he heard more Quail calling in the 

 spring than for 'many years ; the first on May 26th. A nest 

 containing seven hard-sat eggs (two of which I have) was found 

 in a barley-field (when it was cut) on Waterloo Farm, Burford, 

 on August 26th. In other years the Quail has nested late in 

 the season. I have an egg from another August nest (1900), 

 and one found in September, and have seen a record of a third 

 August nest. 



There is an uncertain ebb and flow in the numbers of our 

 migratory birds each summer. The Bedstart was scarcer than 

 usual last year, and still more so this season. Bay's Wagtail 

 has been quite rare for two or three years. House-Martins are 

 increasing again. 



26th. — The habit of singing while perched on buildings is 

 now common with the Song-Thrush. A favourite perch is the 



