'38 
NATURE NOTES 
not sufficiently familiar with the sound to determine whether it w'as a call, or 
produced by the wings during flight, though from its regularity it would appear to 
ire the latter. Next morning when looked for at 7.30 the hen had disappeared 
from the nest, and as she never afterwards returned it was evident that some 
accident had happened to her. A careful examination of the lower branches failed 
to afford any evidence of the tree having been climbed, but later in the day a wing 
feather was found, and a further search on the grass resulted in about a dozen 
more being picked up. These were all wing or tail feathers, no small ones being 
found, and all on the south side of the tree, the wind on the night of the 26th being 
from the north. It seems evident therefore, that she must have met with some 
violence on the nest, to account for the feathers being blown down. This 
discovery was a great disappointment, as I had been looking forward to seeing 
the young ones, and the eggs must have been very nearly hatched. About 5.30 p.m. 
on the 27th the male bird appeared in the tree, and sat silent and motionless for 
about five minutes, as though waiting for the appearance of his mate. He then 
hopped up to the edge of the nest and looked into it, and returning to his former 
position, waited silently for some time longer, for the mate who would return no 
more, and finally flew away. 
The fate of the female is somewhat mysterious. It is hardly conceivable 
that any miscreant would shoot her on the nest, or venture to use a gun .so 
near the house, though the act might have been done with a stone or catapult. 
Is it possible that some bird of prey could have carried her off? Possibly some 
reader can suggest an explanation. W. 
Carrion Crows. — Two days ago I saw a carrion crows’ nest which belonged 
not to two but to three crows. I have been told by a very reliable ornithologist 
that it is not an uncommon thing for a pair of these pirds to be assisted in the 
bringing up of their family by a third (presumably barren) bird. Perhaps some 
of your readers can relate similar observations. 
May 10. C. T. Mac L. Plowright. 
Martins. — The house martins were very late in arriving in this district this 
year ; even now they do not seem all to have come. The sand-martins, on the 
other hand, arrived earlier than usual. 
/iiny’s Lynn, May 10. C. T. Mac L. Plovvright. 
ChifF-ChaflFs. — The note of Mr. Harvey’s on page 73 in last issue is very 
interesting to let us know that chiff-chaffs are only partially migratory in Corn- 
wall. Some years ago I remember seeing one on December 12, but it did not 
appear to be a healthy specimen as one wing appeared to be a little deformed, 
and I anticipate that was the cause of it being here. Up to the present time, 
April 10, I have not heard a chifi-chaff, or any other summer migrant, which is 
unusually late. As I am writing, a pair of blackbirds keep bringing worms (which 
they are careful to kill by pecking) to a nest in some laurels a few yards off; it 
contains only three young instead of the usual five, which I attribute to the very 
cold weather when the birds were laying about a month since. This is the 
earliest I ever remember young blackbirds nearly ready to fly. 
Aiiu'ood Bank, Redditch. J. HlAM. 
Late Field-Fares. — On Sunday, the 5th inst., I saw a large flock of these, 
over fifty, whether on their migratory flight I cannot say, but they flew off in a 
north-easterly direction, probably for north Europe. It appears strange that 
these birds of the thrush family should linger here until blackbirds and thrushes 
have second nests of young. It would be interesting to get definite information 
as to their habits in Norway and Sweden. 
J. Hiam. 
Butcher Birds or Red-backed Shrikes.— I have often read of the 
butcher bird’s larder but until to-day never actually came across a case. Hearing 
an unusual commotion amongst the small birds in the garden I expected as usual 
that a cat was the cause until I disturbed the first shrike of the season from some 
hedge croppings on which I found two fresh-killed young hedge-sparrows nearly 
full grown which had evidently been taken from a nest near. One had its head 
