NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 233 
mole’s manner of eating earthworms, which Mr. Woodward published in the 
Daily Express for July 27. Mr. Runciman describes the mole as first biting 
a small piece off the tail of the worm, and then turning the worm round and 
cramming it into its mouth head first, so that the earth with which the body of 
the worm is filled is squirted out. Our country members might well devote some 
observation to the mole, its fortresses and its habits. 
55 . Singing Mice. — In the Daily Express for August 4, Dr. Louis Elkind 
gave a popular resume of what has been observed as to the vocal powers of mice. 
They are said to sing most after dark and before a change of weather, to have a 
compass of two octaves, and notes compared to those of the canary, the thrush, 
the quail, the clucking of a hen, the base hoarse voice of the frog, and the 
nightingale 1 They are also said to enjoy the violin or violoncello, but not the 
cornet ! Musical members who keep no cats may be able to add to our know- 
ledge of what was long ago described as a disease in the vocal organs of a few 
individual mice. 
56 . A Compound. Nest. — Last June I discovered in this garden a compound 
nest of a blackbird and song-thrush : it was built in a syringa bush, about five feet 
from the ground and close to a much-frequented path. The structure had 
evidently been begun by the thrush, as the materials were the same as used by 
that species, including the mud lining, but on the top of this a cushion of dried 
grass had been placed, undoubtedly by the blackbird. On June 3 there were 
seven eggs, three thrush’s and five blackbird’s. On the ground, a few feet from 
the nest, lay another thrush’s egg, with a hole on each side of it, which seems to 
point out that it was removed from the nest by the bill, for both holes had jagged 
edges. The process of hatching was carried on at first alternately, a hen thrush, 
without a tail, sitting in the morning, and a hen blackbird for the rest of the day. 
But for some time before the eggs were hatched only the blackbird sat, and I 
therefore suppose that the thrushes were driven away. In a short time the black- 
birds’ eggs were hatched, and some of the young birds flew about the beginning 
of July. I regret to say that one of them died, and on examining the nest after a 
certain lapse of time the three thrush’s eggs were found at the bottom of it. On 
breaking them they proved to be addled. Of the many thrushes’ nests I have 
watched this year, the eggs were addled in nearly every case. 
The Poplars, Pucklechurch, near Bristol. Blanche A. Coney. 
October 8, 1903. 
57 . Rare Visitors. — The marsh country, by the eastern Rother, near 
this village, has recently been visited by several of that rare bird (in this 
country), Plegadis falcinellus (glossy ibis, or black curlew). A group of 
four have been seen on several occasions lately, but unfortunately the gunner 
was about and one of the four was shot. A medical friend, Dr. Montgomery, 
of Beckley, obtained the body and carried out a post-mortem. He found, 
from the undigested food, that the bird had been feeding on the rat-tailed 
maggot. The specimen, now stuffed, shows a handsome bird, standing over 
20 inches in height, with handsome dark brown plumage, showing in some lights 
a purple hue, and in other lights a dark, glossy metallic green. The beak is more 
than four inches long and is curved. 
The wild bird life of this corner of Sussex is very interesting. Unusually large 
numbers of wild duck, widgeon, teal and snipe have been seen this season. 
The Oast, Beckley, Sussex. Frank L. Brewer. 
58. Swifts. — In your September number I notice that a correspondent remarks 
on the lateness of the swifts in arriving. May I be allowed to point out that they 
are also unusually late in departing ? As a rule they leave us early in August, and 
last year I noted down August 20 as an exceptionally late date on which to see 
one. This year, however, all my records have been broken. On August 26 
I saw one, three on September 2, one on September 7, and to-day, September 13, 
I have seen another. In each case the birds passed close to me, so that it was 
impossible to make a mistake as to their identity, and even at a distance it is not 
difficult to recognise their long, black, scythe-like wings. I heard, too, less than 
a week ago, of a pair about two miles from here that were still feeding their young 
