1915.] 



REPORTS. 201 



like nothing so much as a snowflake floating in the breeze, has been 

 here as usual. I saw none, however, until May 1st (some must, I think, 

 have arrived earlier) and I saw none after October 5th — a very early date 

 for last seeing them. House Martins stay normally as late as Swallows. 



Swift.— On the same date as last year (April 28th) and one day earlier 

 than in 1913, Swifts were observed to have reached our shores. On 

 that day Miss K. Tardif saw one at l'lslet, and on May 1st I saw three 

 circling about the Town Church tower ; two days later the number of 

 these steeple -loving birds had gone up to seven. It was Grant Allen 

 I believe who wrote of the Swifts as ' ' canonical birds that haunt the 

 village steeple," and certainly they seem to delight in circling round 

 tall objects. These birds I am glad to say have again been abundant 

 this summer, but as far as my own observations go the main body 

 departed early, few being seen after July. The Town Church party were 

 still en evidence on August 10th uttering their shrill cry as they chased 

 each other round the tower, but I did not see them again. Miss Tardif 

 saw one on the Fermain cliffs on the loth, and on the evening of the 18th 

 I saw one (the last) near the Hermitage at St. Martin's. Stragglers 

 are often seen well into September, but none have been reported this 

 or the last two years. 



Corncrake. — We are still being deserted by the Corncrake— wh at can 

 be the cause F Only one observation of the occurrence of the bird here 

 this summer has been supplied me. This came from Mr. CI. F. Alles who 

 reported hearing the well-known croak near the Forest Church on 

 June 11th. Rev. Tourtel said, "have not heard the Corncrake this 

 year." Dr. Creswell's evidence has been given already, and a farmer 

 of Les Bemonts, St. Andrew's (a favourite haunt of this bird when it does 

 come), told me on July 17th that he also had not heard the cry this 

 season. Corncrakes are unknown now in Sark I have heard, but appear 

 to migrate in numbers to Alderney. Both Mr. R. P. Spencer who 

 was in that island in the early part of May, and Miss K. Tardif in June, 

 have told me that Corncrakes were abundant there then. In connection 

 with the almost total disappearance of the bird from Guernsey it is 

 interesting to note that its growing scarcity in some parts of England 

 in recent years has aroused a good deal of comment. The following 

 paragraph from the Yorkshire Weekly Post of August 28th may be 

 cited as an example. The writer, Mr. F. Skelton, said : " You recently 

 "mentioned the great scarcity of Corncrakes in Holdemess this year. 

 "Is it possible that the birds have gone westwards, for I have never 

 "seen as many Corncrakes as there were round Nantwich and in 

 "Cheshire generally this season ? " I may add that I saw no reply 

 to this query. 



Nightjar. — I have no record of the Nightjar having been seen here this 

 year, but at Sark Mr. S. Henry disturbed one on two successive days 

 at the beginning of October. He tells me that the Sark name for 

 the bird is Grossegoule (big mouth) ; the patois name here is, I believe, 

 Engoulvent. 



Great Grey Shrike.— The shooting of a Great Grey Shrike (Butcher bird) 

 at the Marais, St. Sampson's, on October 23rd, is the event of the 

 year. This bird is a very rare visitor to the islands — in fact this is the 

 first specimen recorded for Guernsey and Mr. Sinel says that only three 

 specimens have been taken in Jersey in the last thirty years. Cecil 

 Smith in his "Birds of Guernsey" (1879) writing about the Redbacked 

 Shrike, said : "I have no evidence of any other Shrike occurring in the 

 "islands, though I should think the (reat Grey Shrike might be an 

 " occasional autumn or winter visitant to the islands ; but I have never 

 "seen a specimen myself or been able to glean any satisfactory 

 "information as to the occurrence of one, either from the local 

 " bird- stuff ers or from Mr. MacCulloch, or any of my friends . . . ; 



