152 
NATURE NOTES 
flew away in a great hurry. Can Mr. Millard, or any other reader who has 
made a study of the cuckoo, inform me whether there is any difference in the 
threatening notes or sounds of the two sexes ? 
The Nurtons, Tintern , Mon., H. Bird. 
July 9, 1906. 
375 . Martin. — To-day I saw a neat little performance by a martin. It 
had captured a something which at the distance I could not quite make out, 
but which appeared to be a large moth or butterfly, and was doubtless intended 
as a tit-bit for the young folks at home. Watching its flight for a short time the 
something either made its escape or was accidentally dropped, when the martin, 
being equal to the occasion, with a graceful curve and a swoop recaptured its 
prey in mid air, and once again proceeded on its journey. 
Clark Road, Wolverhampton, John Horne. 
June 21, 1906. 
376 . Red Sparrow. — During the last two years I have frequently seen in 
this town a red sparrow. It has none of the markings of an ordinary sparrow, 
but is red all over. It is invariably seen in the same locality. Although occa- 
sionally alone it is generally in company with other sparrows of the ordinary 
sombre hue. 
Wolverhampton, John Horne. 
June 21, 1906. 
377 . Blue Tit. — I saw a little family affair from my dining room window, 
which I think I must tell you of. I have a board for feeding birds and under it 
a hollow log for “tits.” Mr. and Mrs. Tit took possession of it in the early 
spring, and had their family, which must have been chiefly brought up on the 
cocoa nut, which was just beside their hall door. Well, one day as we were at 
luncheon we saw an unusual excitement going on at the “ door.” Mr. and Mrs. 
Tit were bustling about the entrance, and soon after they both flew away. When 
they had gone, we saw the head of one of the family peering out, but it was 
very hastily withdrawn ; again it looked out and again it seemed to withdraw 
on looking down from the door. At last the young bird took courage and flew 
on to a branch opposite, just by our window. Then five little tits — blue tits — 
went through the same performance, and we resigned ourselves to luncheon, 
thinking the whole family had gone. But no, the parents came back, and one 
went into the nest, and on its coming out again both flew away, and then we 
saw another little head. The same thing was gone through, looking down in 
fright at the distance to the ground and retiring again, till at last it did as the 
others did and flew out, and we never saw anything of them after. They never 
returned to the nest, as I think most birds do. The sparrows succeeded in 
making the “ door” larger and now have a nest of young ones there. I do not 
take the same interest in them that I did in the blue tits, but I do not like to 
evict them. 
Charmrood Forest, W. R. T. 
June 19, 1906. 
378 . Moorhen. -On May 20, 1905, I found a moorhen sitting on eggs in 
an old magpie’s nest, 15 feet above the water, at Marsh Barton, Swimbridge, 
N. Devon. 
W. Shelley. 
379 . Birds on the Riviera. — The martins and swallows were about the 
Riviera in the recent cold spring weather before March was out, and the swifts 
(whose empire is the air, yesterday Africa, to-day Fiance, to-morrow it may be 
England), appeared about ten days afterwards. The summer migratory warblers 
arrived, I think, about a fortnight earlier than with us, shortly to depart further 
northwards, each she and he carrying their music with them — their places being 
quickly taken by new-comers in the Grove Orchestra -whilst nightingales made 
musical the April nights. In Var, and also on Marguerite Isle, I noticed that 
beautiful bird, the hoopoe — which, alas, seldom shows its lovely crest near 
English homesteads without falling a prey to some prowler with a gun. 
Thomas Pole. 
