NOTES AND QUERIES. 155 



pine, and arbutus. I once saw a Goldfinch's nest in an oak tree, but 

 it was never completed. — Eobert Morris (Uckfield. Sussex). 



Parental Instinct in Rooks. — There was in Cambridge in the 

 spring of 1912 an apparently flourishing rookery high up in an 

 avenue of elms. Late one afternoon an unfortunate fledgling fell 

 from the nest and landed with considerable force in the road. He 

 was of a fair size, but his steel-blue skin was covered with feathers 

 only on the wings and head. The loud cries of the young bird 

 quickly brought both parents to the rescue. They walked round for 

 a few minutes as though in consultation, and then each seized the 

 youngster by the wing in their beaks, and attempted to regain the 

 nest. With great difficulty they raised their burden about two feet, 

 when it slipped and fell to the ground. They made a second attempt, 

 which proved equally fruitless, and^then finally abandoned the baby. 

 The little creature may have been injured by the fall, for he died 

 three days later, in spite of frequent feeding and the warmth of an 

 incubator. This may have influenced the parents when they left 

 their offspring to its fate. — (Miss) M. Callard (Dulwich). 



Hen-Harrier in Bedfordshire. — An adult female Hen-Harrier 

 (Circus cyaneus) which I examined whilst in the hands of the taxi- 

 dermist was shot at Crow Hill, Bolnhurst, on December 29th, 1911. 

 The Duchess of Bedford informs me a large Hawk was reported to 

 her Grace, seen some weeks previously at Woburn, which was 

 probably the same bird. This makes the fifth known record for that 

 county in recent years, the majority of which I believe have been 

 adult females. I have no record of any old blue male being obtained. 

 Until the close of the eighteenth century there seems sufficient proof 

 (if one may draw such conclusions from hearsay evidence alone) that 

 the Hen-Harrier nested not uncommonly in at least several parishes 

 of that county. — J. Steele Elliott (Dowles Manor, Shropshire). 



Black Redstart in Bedfordshire. — From the continued occurrence 

 of the Black Bedstart (Buticilla titys) in Bedfordshire, it is evident 

 that it is a regular though rare winter migrant to that county. 

 Whilst giving a recent observation of this species it may be of 

 interest for comparison to include all the other local records known 

 to the writer. In November, 1860, one was seen by Mr. A. Covington 

 on the old hostelry ' George Inn ' in Bedford. About 1865 Mr. T. 

 Cane killed one at Luton and saw another some years afterwards 

 and heard of a third being seen in that locality. December 29th, 

 1872, a second seen by Mr. A. Covington on St. Paul's Church, 

 Bedford ; one, probably the same bird, was killed in Bedford the 



