316 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



was 32 in., and it only weighed 3| lb. At this season the Cormorant 

 often wanders inland. — O. V. Aplin (Bloxham, Oxon). 



Shoveler breeding in North Devon. — The earliest record of the 

 breeding of this species {Spatula clypeata) in North Devon appears 

 to be a note contributed by Mr. John Cummings to 1 The Zoologist ' 

 for 1905, p. 112, in which he states that a brood were hatched out at 

 Braunton in 1904. This is two years earlier than the date mentioned 

 in Mr. Bruce Cummings's note {ante, p. 255). — F. C. R. Jourdain 

 (Clifton Vicarage, Ashburne, Derbyshire). 



Avocet at Hampstead. — It maybe worth recording that on August 

 10th I saw an Avocet {Becttrvirosta avocetta) flying over the Heath 

 here. My attention was first called to it by hearing a clear and often 

 repeated note, which sounded to me like " tu-it," emanating from a 

 bird in black and white plumage flying overhead, and I had time, with 

 the aid of my glasses, to make quite sure as to its identity. It was 

 flying rather high up, and in a westerly direction towards Hendon. — 

 H. Meyrick (Holly Cottage, The Mount, Hampstead). 



Notes on Nest-Boxes. — Our nest-boxes, &c, have been occupied 

 during the past season by the Robin (in a kettle), Blackbird, Great 

 Tit, Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Nuthatch, House- Sparrow, Tree-Sparrow, 

 Starling, and Stock-Dove. The Blackbird's nest was in an old hollow 

 log of elm, which has usually been the abode of Starlings. When 

 looking round the boxes early in the year to give them a spring- 

 cleaning I found in one the remains of a cock Blackbird ; possibly 

 the unfortunate bird crept in for shelter and could not get out. One 

 of the most interesting nests I have seen was that of a Moorhen, built 

 last year in a thorn-bush overhanging the river, which this season 

 was repaired and used by a Blackbird. The Tawny Owls bred in the 

 church-tower in the same place as last year and the year before ; only 

 two eggs were laid, but both were hatched and the young reared. 

 One day I found in the nest about the finest specimen of Mus flavi- 

 collis I ever saw, but too much mauled to be of any use. I have not 

 seen or heard a Redstart or Wryneck the whole season. Cuckoos 

 have been more numerous than usual ; one perched on a croquet-hoop 

 in our garden one day, and a rough sketch made of him has turned 

 out into rather a successful lantern-slide. The only egg I have found 

 this year was taken under rather unusual circumstances. The Pied 

 Wagtails which always nest in our ivy wall did so as usual, and some 

 robber (probably a Rat) destroyed the young when they were about 

 two days old. A day or two later a Cuckoo deposited her egg in the 



