NOTES ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF. OXFORDSHIRE. 207 



years ago, and where they breed in holes under the eaves in the 

 thatched cottages. A Corn-Crake reported heard to-day at 

 North Aston Mill, the only one I heard of. 



18th. — The scarcity of the Cuckoo is much remarked on. 

 Blackcaps have sung little siuce the 12th, and have, I fear, 

 passed on. Several pairs of Goldfinches about. 



24th. — Flycatcher. Mr. Fowler wrote on this day of the 

 scarcity of summer migrants, especially Whinchats, on the rail- 

 way banks, where many pairs used to breed. He writes : " No 

 Whinchats, no Yellow Wagtails, no Kedstarts (or only one pair 

 seen by A. H. M., which I can't find), and, still more amazing, 

 no Flycatchers." 



26th. — A most destructive wind-frost. A pair of Flycatchers 

 in the garden for the first time. 

 27th. — Another frost. 



30th. — Flycatcher's nest in half a cocoanut shell, torn down, 

 by a cat probably, contained already three eggs. Peewit's nest 

 with three fresh eggs. Another with four, slightly sat on, 

 yesterday. 



31st. — Eedstart still sings. Turtle Dove. 

 The difference between the oak and the ash leafing is greater 

 than I ever knew it before. Oaks came out in April, but the 

 ash is hardly in full leaf, and some trees have shot very 

 little yet. Some of them were cut by the last frost. A destruc- 

 tive drought now in progress. A dry month, with some hot days 

 in the latter half. Eain (1*09 inches) spread over fourteen days, 

 and therefore of little use. 



The following is a short report on the numbers of the 

 summer migrants noticed this year : — 



Meadow-Pipit; very few passed. Chiffchaff; very scarce. 

 Blackcap ; several in April, more than for some years, but 

 seemed to go on without breeding. Swallow ; very few and 

 some nests here not occupied. House-Martin ; numerous ; 

 more than in the last year or two. A steady recovery. Willow- 

 Wren ; average of recent years. Cuckoo ; scarce at first. 

 Bather more later, but below the average of recent years. 

 Tree-Pipit ; average number. Whitethroat ; average of recent 

 years only. Lesser Whitethroat ; scarce. Eedstart : several 

 pairs ; more than for some years, but still far less common than 



