Ii8 
NATURE NOTES. 
seen near Chichester on March 30, and at several other places in this county 
on March 31. From the Brighton Gazette of the 7th inst., I learn that a pair 
of cuckoos were observed at Ardeley, Stevenage, on March 22 — an excep- 
tionally early date. 
Hove, Brighton. M. Morgan. 
Stock-Doves. — These birds were considered by Gilbert White to be winter 
migrants, and it was a puzzle to him to know where they nested (see Letter LIV. ) 
They are always the first birds to nest here, taking to boxes placed up in the trees, 
in fields or quiet plantations, they being much wilder than their companions the 
ring-doves. I found the first box-home occupied and sitting on March 5 this 
year, and the young fledged April 12. In addition to stock-doves, I have had 
a variety of makeshift homes occupied by the following list, viz. — kestrels, barn- 
owls, starlings (very numerous), house-sparrows, tree-sparrows, redstarts, fly- 
catchers, robins, wrens, blue-tits, marsh-tits, great-tits and lesser-spotted wood- 
peckers. Could we not have a good pattern home called “ The .Selborne ”? 
Astivood Bank, Worcestershire. Jas. Hiam. 
A Strange Birtliplace. — A few days ago I was staying at a farmhouse 
in this neighbourhood, and was told the following story : — Last summer a pair of 
starlings built their nest in a very large yew tree in the garden ; all went well 
until the young ones were hatched, and then my friend’s cat took a fancy to 
them, appropriated the nest for herself, and two kittens were born in it. It was 
noticed for a fortnight that pussy was seldom at home, when one day a violent 
thunderstorm accompanied by much rain, made her home in the tree very un- 
comfortable both for herself and little ones. She then brought them down in her 
mouth, one at a time, and carried them upstairs into her master’s bedroom and 
deposited them upon the hearthrug, very much to the amusement of those whb 
watched her. 
Settle, Yorks. JOHN Wollerton. 
Birds at Window (p. 78). — It is interesting to hear of the existence of 
any tits that do not attack a coco-nut. The reason may be that the other 
varieties of food put out for them are more tempting, and if the coco-nut were 
hung up by itself with no other food near it perhaps the tits would then go to it. 
My experience is that to hang up a coco-nut means the instant appearance of tits 
(various kinds), which peck at it all day long and finish the whole nut in about 
four days. If both ends are sawn off a tit will often be seen clinging to each end 
at the same time. On the other hand, I wish your correspondent could tell me 
how to attract nuthatches near the house. I believe there are some in the 
neighbourhood, but they never appear with other birds to be fed. What kind 
of nuts do they like best ? 
Malvern. F. R. 
The Daisy a Meadow Plant (p. 95). — Certainly, I should say, unless the 
term “meadow” is strangely restricted in its application. Nor do I think that even 
if only the riverside pastures, which in Yorkshire are called “ ings,” are included 
under that designation, the daisy could be omitted from the list of their charac- 
teristic plants. In niy numerous notes of walks over Fulford Ings, Clifton Ings, 
Middlethorpe Ings, Bootham Stray, Knavesmire, and similar low-lying grass 
tracts around York, it always finds a place, often with a remark indicating its 
abundance. The same is the case for Oxford and Abingdon, and their low 
meadows by the Thames. But a field at Ledsham, near Castleford, in Yorkshire, 
showed me the daisy in its greatest profusion and beauty. I, at any rate, should 
call that field a meadow. It was situated at a distance of two miles, perhaps too 
feet above the level of the river Aire. Receiving the drainage, by a gentle slope, 
from a higher background, it was kept fairly moist. On nearing this field, which 
is known as Ledsham “ Dale,” in May, 1883, it seemed as if snow covered from 
the profusion of daisy flowers in it. Its extent is perhaps six acres ; I can but 
roughly guess. I took some pains to form an estimate of the number of blossoms 
in that space, and concluded that there could not, after all deductions for sparsely 
covered parts, be less than three millions visible at once. Indeed, 150 to the 
