FURTHER NOTES ON LONDON BIRDS. 229 
Turning to the migratory birds, the most striking point in 
connection with the spring passage through London was the ex- 
ceptionally large influx of willow wrens. The first was heard on 
the 22nd April, and a few more came on the 23rd ; but when I 
went into Kensington Gardens before breakfast on the 24th, a 
beautiful Sunday morning, the whole place was alive with them. 
There was a willow wren singing on almost every tree. But they 
left as suddenly as they had appeared, and on the following morn- 
ing I did not hear one. Curiously enough there was a 5'oung willow 
wren in New Square, Lincoln’s Inn, on the igth July. How it 
came there is a mystery : I do not think any birds of this species 
nested in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, the most likely place in the 
neighbourhood. 
Apart from the willow wrens, the summer migrants seemed 
to be hardly as numerous as usual. A few redstarts passed 
through in the middle of April ; the blackcap was seen on the 
24th April ; the whinchat on the 2nd May ; whitethroats and 
sand martins on the 4th May; house martins on the loth ; 
while, punctual as ever, the spotted flycatcher appeared on the 
15th. 
Several pairs of flycatchers stayed and nested in Hyde Park 
and Kensington Gardens, but I noticed very few young birds. 
In fact, the first young flycatcher I saw was a fully fledged 
nestling sitting on the back of a chair being fed by its mother 
on the 23rd July. A few swifts were hawking flies over Lord’s 
Cricket Ground on the loth July : on the 27th I observed a 
cuckoo flying over the Serpentine, and saw another on the 
31st in St. James’ Park. 
On the whole, the migratory birds were rather disappointing; 
and even allowing for many being overlooked, it is curious that 
they should not have been more numerous, for throughout 
the whole of the South of England warblers seemed to take 
possession of the country in almost unprecedented numbers. 
Perhaps the fine weather which enabled so many of them to 
arrive safely on our shores after their long journey rendered the 
usual rest in the metropolis unnecessary. 
A. Holte Macpherson. 
TWO OF OUR ROBINS. 
IRDS in their little nests agree” we are told ; but out 
of their “ little nests ” they very often “ fall out and 
chide and fight.” We once had a dear little robin, 
very tame and gentle ; it would hop into our room 
through the French window, and trill out its little song so 
cheerfully from the top of some vase or picture frame. It would 
pick up the crumbs from our afternoon tea, and make itself 
