34 
NATURE NOTES 
the loch had no doubt been attracted by the light at the window. (The birds 
are often seen crossing the loch, which is about a mile wide at this point.) Their 
Christmas dinner quite compensated for the glass bill. 
R. C. Lowther. 
Attacked by a Nightjar. — Last year I accidentally came across a young 
nightjar in what was apparently meant to be a nest. Stooping down to look at 
the tiny little bird I suddenly became aware of a flapping sound close to me, and 
I found the mother bird making every attempt in her power to drive me away. I 
could feel the brush of her wings against my cap sometimes, but I had no desire 
to hurt her chick, so went away. 
48, George Square, Edinburgh, R. C. Lowther. 
January 8, 1903. 
Swallow’s Nest. — Two swallows built their nest in an out-house and laid 
five eggs. Before they were hatched the hen was killed by knocking her head 
against the lintel of the door. For a month the nest remained unused and 
deserted, the eggs cold. After that time the cock bird found another mate, and 
he and the little hen were very busy for a few days bringing fresh hay and mud to 
the nest. I did not like to watch too closely, but I certainly wondered what they 
were doing to the eggs, as no traces of broken eggshell, &c., were to be seen on 
the ground. I let them bring up their young brood undisturbed, and then 
removed the nest (it was getting late in the season), when I discovered that they 
had built a false bottom to it, with a new edging of nnid to hold the hay together, 
and that the new family was brought up above the cold eggs. The false bottom, 
with mud attached, was easily lifted off, the cold eggs being found intact beneath. 
I do not know if this is a common occurrence : I have not come across it 
before. 
Angmering Rectory, near Worthing. Beatrice Orme. 
Black Woodpecker. — I have received several letters about this bird, and 
the facts respecting its occurrence in Britain are accumulating. A letter from a 
sportsman of Belfast says: “Seeing your interesting letter about the great 
black woodpecker in The Times of December 17, I take the liberty of saying 
that while staying in Bournemouth, in the early part of the spring of 1887, I 
observed one of these handsome birds, about two miles from Lyndhurst Road 
Station, when in pursuit of ornithology. . . . The large bird flew from tree 
to tree, passing quite close to me, so that I observed the colour of its plumage 
quite distinctly. . . . Although I have searched the New Forest and other 
woods in England well, I have not since succeeded in observing another 
specimen of the great black woodpecker.” 
This was previous to the time referred to in my memoranda of November 
last, when some birds were liberated by the late Lord I.ilford. 
Market Weston, Thetford. Edmund Tiios. Daubeny. 
The Cow Bird (Molothrus bonariensis). — Having recently had occasion to 
look up the life and habits of this bird, and having learned a good deal respecting 
it, it was with considerable surprise that, glancing through vol. xi. of Nature 
Notes, with no particular aim in view but that of passing away a pleasurable and 
profitable half an hour, 1 found on page 83 the following extract from an article 
“On Cuckoos,” by Mr. H. Stuart Dove, F.Z.S., of Table Cape, Tasmania: 
“ Another inhabitant of the United States, and one that migrates from South to 
North and vice versa, in a manner similar to the bird just described [ i.e . the 
yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)], is the ‘ cowpen ’ bird ( Mo/obrus 
bonariensis), and this, strange to say, does adopt the tactics of the European 
cuckoo, never building for itself but dropping an egg here or there into the nests 
of small birds. The molobrus is not of the cuckoo family at all, but belongs to 
the Sturnidae or starling family, and on the approach of winter masses in large 
flocks in the Southern States, thus resembling its cousin, the English starling.” 
Now before proceeding further, it is only fair for me to add that an errata note is 
included at the end of the Index to vol. xi. as under : “ Page 83, lines 18 and 17 
from bottom, read ‘Cowpen’ bird (Molothrus bonariensis) ; line 17 from bottom, 
for ‘Molobus’ read ‘Molothrus.’” Thus, two of the errors in the aforesaid 
article do not need any further comment in view of the errata note above referred 
