110 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



in .the same direction near Oxford ; but these were too high to 

 be sure of the species — in one case (and probably in the others) 

 it was a Lesser Blackback. 



During April the summer birds arrived, rather early in some 

 cases :— Blackcap, 12th; Martin, 13th ; Bedstarts (several), 13th ; 

 Whitethroats (three or four), 14th ; Sedge-Warbler, 15th ; 

 Lesser Whitethroat, 17th ; Beed-Warbler, 19th (by far my 

 earliest record) ; Swift, 23rd (many, 29th). A pair of Bedstarts 

 just outside the town seemed to be already settled at their nest- 

 site on the 19th. 



18th.— One Black and three Common Terns at Medley Weir. 

 I first saw the Black Tern beating to and fro over the river, but 

 keeping within a radius of some twenty yards. It kept for the 

 most part some six to ten feet above the surface when working 

 downstream against the wind, occasionally dropping down to, 

 and two or three times momentarily settling on, the water ; this 

 evidently in quest of some insect (rather than fish), for it never 

 even dipped its head below water. Its flight, compared with the 

 Common Tern's, seemed lighter and less steady, and more like 

 the Little Tern's. Later it settled on a large stake in the water, 

 and on approaching I then saw the three Common Terns also 

 resting on some other stakes, and all four birds hovered about 

 these for some time, settling, and again flying off. The Common 

 Terns then went farther down river, but the Black one remained 

 and resumed its flying up and down, only moving a little farther 

 off as I approached, till a passing Book began to mob it, and 

 chivvied it so hotly that the Tern cried out in distress, and, 

 mounting to a considerable height, went right away up the 

 valley out of sight. 



A Willow-Wren was already starting to line its nest with 

 feathers by April 26th, and a ChiffchafF s nest was ready for 

 eggs by the 29th. 



28th. — Found a nest of the Grey Wagtail in a low stone wall 

 on a secluded part of the Evenlode. The birds went into the 

 hole, and as both remained evidently very anxious close by, 

 uttering their calls, and "balancing" their long tails, I con- 

 cluded there were young. Just here the stream is so noisy and 

 rapid as to be quite in keeping with these birds, and to re- 

 call their typical Welsh haunts. Some week or more later I 



