1914.] 



REPORTS. 125 



Wheatear.— Mr. J. S. Hocart, of Les Mielles, Vale, gives me March 30th 

 as the date when the Wheatear appeared in his neighbourhood. This is 

 four days earlier than last year. At St. Martin's I did not see the bird 

 until April 28th. On that day one was feeding on the Petit Port cliffs. 

 As regards their departure Mr. Hocart wrote me: " I cannot give any 

 date for its disappearance from my observing ground, L'Ancresse. I 

 missed the bird in the latter part of September, and although I visited 

 the Common several times in October, failed to see any." The Wheatear 

 usually stays with us until well past the middle of October, but my own 

 observations confirm Mr. Hocart' s and point to the bird having left our 

 shores decidedly early. On September 24th I saw several near Fort Le 

 Marchant, L'Ancresse, two at Petit Port, St. Martin's, on the 25th and 

 29th, and the last, near Bordeaux, on October 1st. Last year the bird 

 was seen up to October 25th, and in 1908 as late as November 3rd. 



Wryneck. — The Wryneck was heard at St. Martin's by Jurat Khmersly on 

 April 1st, and by several people at Torteval also on the same day. This 

 is not at all a late date for the arrival of the Cuckoo's mate. On April 

 3rd one was singing with charming freshness and vigour at Les Blanches 

 for fully twenty minutes between 8 and 9 a.m. I was able to approach 

 the little songster quite closely and enjoy a feast of Wryneck music 

 seldom vouchsafed to anyone I should imagine on the first day of hearing 

 the ever-welcome note. Mr. Hocart, at the Vale, did not hear the bird 

 until the 12th, and reports that he only heard it once afterwards, while 

 many people in that parish did not hear it at all and believed the migrant 

 had failed to come this season. At St. Martin's we were more fortunate, 

 but I must say that my last date for noting the song, June 22nd, was 

 unusually early — in fact it constitutes a record. The Rev. R. H. Tourtel, 

 of Torteval, informed me that he heard the bird yet ' ' on or about ' ' July 

 10th, a date much nearer the normal than my own. 



Cuckoo. — Writing to me on April 8th, Mr. E. D. Marquand asked if I had 

 seen that the Cuckoo had (t been heard in many places quite early this 

 year." Well, our own observations confirm those made in England, for 

 the date of arrival of the bird here, April 10th, is the earliest on record 

 by three days for the twelve years, 1903-14. On Mr. Carey Curtis' au- 

 thority the note was heard near the Mont Saint, St. Saviour's, on that 

 date. In support of this affirmation I have extracted the following from 

 the notes sent me by the Rector of Torteval. He says: " I heard the 

 bird on the 19th April, but Mr. T. Langlois, of Le Gree, heard it on 

 April 14th, and I have good authority for saying it was heard on April 10th, 

 Good Friday." To Mr. Curtis and the Rev. Tourtel's evidence I may 

 add that from a reliable source I was informed that the call was also 

 heard at Baubigny on the 10th. If, however, early to announce itself in 

 some parts of the island, the bird was not heard at St. Martin's until the 

 17th, when Mr G. G. Tardif heard one at Petit Port, and the next day 

 Jurat Kinnersly, myself and others came within range of the old familiar 

 note. On this day also Mr. Hocart first heard it at the Vale. At Sark, 

 Capt. Henry, of the Vallee du Creux, heard the bird on the 19th. As 

 regards the dates of last hearing the Cuckoo, Mr. Hocart has given me 

 June 27th for the Vale. At St. Martin's the bird was still calling on 

 July 1st as reported by Miss Boley, Mr. George Alles and others ; while 

 for Torteval Mr. Tourtel said : " Heard frequently during the latter half 

 of June, and last heard by Miss Tourtel on 2nd July." In 1912 I noted 

 the appearance of a Cuckoo in the gardens of Clifton and remarked that 

 many years ago one sang there regularly for several seasons. This 

 Springj one was heard there again on the 6th, 7th and 9th of May 

 from the Guille -Alles Library. 



Swallow. — On the same day as last year, viz., April 10th, and one day later 

 than in 1912, Swallows were noticed to be arriving. Some were first seen 

 by Mr. Hocart on this date at the Vale. On the 14th I had the pleasure 

 of watching close upon a dozen flying about over the lower reaches of the 



