NOTES AND QUERIES. 319 
certain they must have betrayed their whereabouts to several people besides 
myself, as the noise they make can be heard a considerable distance. I 
visited the nest on two consecutive days, and by keeping quiet obtained 
each time a close view of one of the parent birds, probably the hen. I also 
photographed the nesting site. J am sorry to say that the tree has been 
“blazed,” and a number painted on it, which evidently means that it is to 
be cut down, though when I cannot tell. JI shall be very sorry when the 
tree falls, as the Greater Spotted Woodpecker is a great rarity around Bath, 
and this is the first instance of its nesting here which I have personally 
come across. It is far rarer than its congener, the Lesser Spotted Wood- 
pecker, and I have not seen a living specimen for a number of years. The 
bird was very uneasy at my presence so near the nest, and made a great 
noise ; its note was a sharp “chick.” I will not mention the exact locality 
of this nest, for reasons which all will understand.—C. B. Horsprueu 
(4, Richmond Hill, Bath). 
Nesting of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker at Wells, Somerset.— 
On May 14th of this year I was fortunate enough to find the nesting place 
of a pair of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopus major). On my 
approaching to within a few yards of the tree one of the parent birds flew 
out of the hole. On again visiting the nest (May 28th) I found it con- 
tained young ones; the parent birds came and went several times whilst I 
remained unseen, and the cries of the young ones I could distinctly hear. 
The entrance hole, hewn out by the birds themselves, is situated six feet 
from the ground in the trunk of a small and somewhat decayed apple tree; 
the diameter of the hole is exactly two inches in the clear, On bringing 
the young ones food, I noticed that the old birds always alighted on the 
trunk close to the ground, and climbed upwards to the hole. These lovely 
birds are very uncommon in this district, and are entitled to every pro- 
tection.—Sraniry Lewis (389, High Street, Wells, Somerset). 
Breeding of the Gannet.— When off Berry Head in my yacht, I saw, 
on May 28th last, about ten or twelve Gannets (Sula bassana) fishing. I 
cannot call to mind that I ever saw these birds so far south at this time of 
year. Oan any of your readers inform me whether they breed anywhere in 
that neighbourhood ?—R. J. Batston (Springfield, Maidstone). 
Scaup in Bedfordshire.—On the 22nd May last I saw a bird of this 
species (F'uligula marila) on the sewage farm at Bedford, which from its 
plumage was apparently a female. It had dusky plumage and a white face. 
This bird remained in the neighbourhood for some days, It is possible, 
having regard to the date, that this bird had escaped from some ornamental 
_ water, but of course it may have been blown inshore by a gale. Perhaps 
some of the readers of ‘ The Zoologist’ may have heard of the escape of 
