86 REPORTS. 



CHAFFINCH. — During the prevalence of the boisterous and cold E. wind 

 at the end of October (already referred to) the island was visited, 

 temporarily, by a big influx of chaffinches. At St. Martin's and in the 

 suburbs of the town, large numbers were observed for some days 

 feeding on the fallen beech-mast. 



ORDER PICARI7E. 



SWIFT. — As observed by myself swifts were with us from May 5th to 



August 21st. The date of arrival, confirmed by Miss K. Tardif, who 



1 observed two on the same day, is late, the swift appearing usually 



in the last week of April. In some years stragglers are still to be seen 



in September. 



NIGHTJAR. — Miss Brock has sent me some particularly interesting notes 

 of observations of a nightjar that sojourned in the garden at Petit Bot 

 House during several weeks this summer. She writes : 



" A female nightjar was in our garden during August and Septem- 

 ber. I last saw it on September 25th. It was so remarkably tame 

 that I had every opportunity of studying it. It had two or three 

 favourite roosting places where it would be regardless of interrup- 

 tions unless violently disturbed. By approaching it gradually and 

 carefully it would allow me to come within reaching distance, 

 showing no sign of fear, but keeping careful watch on every move- 

 ment through nearly closed eyes. After dark it hawked noiselessly 

 about the garden. Its beautifully marked plumage, large, full, 

 dark eyes, and curious way of lying flat along its perch, its head at a 

 lower level than the body, give it a very weird appearance and cer- 

 tainly give the impression of a reptile rather than a bird. I wish I 

 could have photographed it, but its natural gift of camouflage would 

 have prevented it showing up well. At no time did I see any sign 

 of a mate." 



Mr. W. H. Jones, I may add, heard a nightjar in Les Hubits on May 

 20th. 



WRYNECK. — A very backward spring notwithstanding the wryneck was 

 not late in announcing itself. It did not, however, declare its arrival 

 quite so early as the Evening Press would have had us believe, viz. 

 February 6th ! On April 3rd, the Rector of Torteval, the Rev. R. H. 

 Tourtel, heard the ever welcome song, and on the 14th, (Good Friday) 

 Miss Brock noted it in the Petit Bot valley as I did at Les Choffins, 

 St. Saviour's. As in recent years I heard the bird on very few days 

 during the season and not at all after June 5th. Miss Brock on the 

 other hand heard the song up to the middle of July, and on the 24th of 

 that month my wife and friends heard it on the cliffs of the Petit 

 Bot valley. This is late, but not a record, for in 1908 the late Mr. J. S. 

 Hocart, of the Vale, reported hearing it on July 30th. 



CUCKOO. — First heard April 9th, at Havilland Hall farm, and the next 

 day at Les Buttes, St. Saviour's, by Miss E. A. G. Allez. The cuckoo, 

 as noted in previous reports, distributes himself very quickly over the 

 island on arrival. On April 12th, the Rev. R. H. Tourtel heard one in 

 the Torteval district and Miss K. Tardif and others at St. Martin's. 

 For the first time since 191 7 the song was, apparently, not heard in 

 July. The last two dates given me are June 26th, Rev. Tourtel, and 

 June 29th, Mr. S. M. Henry, the latter at Mount Row, In 192 1 Miss 

 Brock heard the song as late as July 19th. 



At St. Martin's last summer, and again this year for a longer period, a 

 three-note cuckoo was to be heard. The song that fell on the ear was 

 not the " kecuckoo " variation we are all familiar with, but an addi- 

 tional note pieced unto the well-known two and uttered, after a slight 

 pause, in the same tone as the last, thus, " cuckoo-koo, cuckoo-koo," 



