NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF OXFORDSHIRE. 203 



27th. — A very clear evening. At 6.10 p.m. Song-Thrush, 

 Tawny Owl, Partridge and Peewit (spring calls from hill), all to 

 be heard at the same time ; and Blackbird's song just before. 



28th. — A male Blackcap in the garden, sang a little (vide 

 'Zoologist,' 1914, p. 237). Yellow Bunting singing. Fieldfares 

 passing east at intervals, a few at a time. 



About the end of this month Mr. Taylor saw a flock of Black- 

 headed Gulls on his farm at Salford, and shot one. This farm, 

 partly on the slope of the hills, is still a great resort of Peewits, 

 and a score of eggs are sometimes found in a day when an arable 

 field is being " worked" in the spring. 



A mild month, colder towards the end. Kain on thirteen 

 days ; 2*27 inches. 



March 6th. —Many Books' nests at Broughton. Some apricot 

 blossom out. 



7th. — The Blackcap singing for some time in the rain. It 

 got out a good note once, and sang for five minutes at a stretch. 

 Daffodils in flower. 



8th.— Bobin building (vide ' Zoologist,' 1914, p. 237). 



9th. — Blackcap singing in the rain. 



12th. — Floods coming out. 



13th. — Goldfinch in my garden. The Blackcap singing 

 rather well — some high notes. 



15th. — Blackbirds very numerous, and the amount of song 

 remarkable. 



16th. — Song-Thrush's nest with one egg. The nest is small, 

 badly made and placed, and the egg is small, as these early 

 eggs usually are. 



21st. — Snow on the last three days and frost. 



23rd. — A pair of Goldfinches. 



24th. — Greenfinch singing. Books cawing about nests until 

 nearly 7 p.m. Hedges getting green in sheltered places. 



25th.— A Marsh-Tit. 



28th. — A Great Tit sitting in a hedge and singing from the 

 same spot for some minutes. The song was "chaff, chaff, chaff, 

 chiddy-wid" (or " chiddy-widdy ") over and over again. 



31st. — Blackthorn out. Great flock of Chaffinches, with some 

 few Greenfinches, Yellow Buntings, Tree and House-Sparrows on 

 a newly drilled field. 



K 2 



