170 



REPORTS. 



tors could be induced to move in the matter just for the sake 

 of our feathered songsters without whose sweet singing the 

 country-side, even in spring and summer, would be dull indeed. 



Ornithological Reports have been published in our 

 Society's Transactions since 1903, and as supplementing this 

 year's observations, I have added in brackets at the end of 

 each note the earliest and latest recorded date for that 

 particular bird with the year and the authority responsible for 

 the observation. 



Chiff Chaff. — Heard several of these early Spring arrivals on March 23rd in 

 the Fermain Bay valley. They were in song almost as in the height of 

 the season : it was most delightful to hear them once more. Exactly 

 when they arrived I cannot say, as this was my first visit to the valley in 

 search of them. Before the end of the month the birds were quite 

 plentiful at St. Martin's. I continued to hear the bird until the early 

 days of October, my last date being the 8th, when I heard one at Moulin 

 Huet, below the Oourtes Fallaises. 



[March 23rd in i910.— Mr. B. T. RowswelL] 

 [October 22nd in 1908.— Mr. E. D. Marquand.] 

 Wheatear. — Mr. E. D. Marquand and his son saw two Wheatears at Icart 

 Point, St. Martin's, on the 28th of March, one day later than last year. 

 The first I saw was on April 5th, on the Moulin Huet cliffs. At 

 l'Ancresse Mr Hocart did not see any until the 10th of the month, and 

 the last seen by him in that district was on October 11th. At St. 

 Martin's I continued to see Wheatears off and on at Petit Port up to 

 October 25th. 



[March 12th in 1903.— Mr. G. Dalgliesh.] 

 [October 25th in 1910.— Mr. B. T. RowswelL] 

 Wryneck. — The cry of this always most welcome harbinger of Spring and 

 of the Cuckoo was first heard on March 29th by the Rev. R. H. Tourtel, 

 at Torteval, who reports hearing it several times that afternoon. A week 

 later, on April 5th, the bird was heard by Mr. E. Durman at St. 

 Saviour's, find on the 8th I heard the cry myself at the bottom of the 

 Water Lane, St. Martin's. At the Vale Mr. Hocart's notes give 

 April 11th as the date of arrival in his district. Mr. Hocart says : — 

 " The bird was seldom heard, and disappeared unusually early," and he 

 mentions June 25th as the last occasion on which he heard the bird 

 calling in his neighbourhood. The Rev. R. H. Tourtel gives July 15th 

 as his last date. At St. Martin's I continued noting the sound until 

 July 18th on which date, while walking along the Moulin Huet cliffs, I 

 heard the bird for the last time. Two days earlier, and on the same 

 cliffs, I got almost within touching distance of a Wryneck still in full 

 song. The strength of the cry at close quarters is almost startling and 

 the clearness of the note delightful. 



[March 29th in 1910.— Rev. R. H. Tourtel.] 

 [July 30th in 1908. -Mr. J S. Hocart.] 

 CuekOO. — This, probably the best known of all our feathered visitors, was 

 heard first on April 21st and again on the 22nd by Miss Boley, in the 

 Sausmarez Manor grounds at St. Martin's. On the 23rd the bird was 

 heard generally all over the island for Rev. Tourtel, at Torteval ; Capt. 

 Lenfestey, at Le Bordage, St. Peter's -in -the -Wood ; Mr. Robert, at New 

 Place, Vauvert ; Mr. Durman, at St. Saviour's, and Mr. Hocart, at the 

 Vale, all report hearing the familiar call, in the districts named, on this 

 day. It was also recorded in several parts of St. Martin's, and the 

 Evening Press stated that it was both seen and heard at Les Varendes at 

 6 a.m. This well distributed, and I may add thoroughly trustworthy 



