Migratory Birds. 
(248) THE BIRD WORLD. 
looked in Vain. 
Referring to the Whitethroat family, 
the “ common ” and the “ lesser,” the 
former of which was at one time very 
numerous in this district, and the latter, 
too, at times, we find their numbers 
gradually thinning. We have always ex¬ 
pected to find a nest or two of the one 
or both in our immediate neighbourhood, 
and, of course, expected a raid on the 
peas later on, but this year not a nest 
have we met with, nor have we seen a 
single Whitethroat in the garden. The 
handsome little Redstart used formerly 
to put in an appearance at its appointed 
time. We annually met with its nesting 
site in spots favoured by the bird, but we 
have not seen it this year, and this makes 
the fourth season that we have failed to 
detect it; and the same experience has 
been reported to us by other gentlemen 
in the locality. 
An Early Arrival. 
We noted the arrival of the Chiffchaff 
on the first of April, a day or so earlier 
than usual, although we have in some 
years been aware of its arrival at the 
end of March. On Whit-Monday we 
found the homely nest, some few inches 
from the ground, in a clump of black¬ 
berry bushes, but this bird, too, has 
been scarce this year, and its note is but 
seldom heard. The same remark applies 
to the Willow Warbler. We have heard 
its charming song but little this season, 
and have met with but two of its nests, 
one of which was built in some rough 
grass in our own garden. The Blackcap 
Warbler was singing on the 14th of 
April. It had returned to its old site in 
the copse adjoining our garden, and we 
confidently expected some beautiful sing¬ 
ing and a batch of little Blackcaps; 
but it suddenly disappeared, without 
rhyme or reason, much to our regret. 
We now come to the great disappoint¬ 
ment of this season, so far as our dis¬ 
trict is concerned—the Nightingale. For 
many years past we have been able to 
hear from four to five of these birds sing¬ 
ing nightly around our house, and by 
walking but a quarter of a mile or so 
from it could hear several more. Not 
a single note has been uttered around 
us this season, and the only occasion on 
which we have heard the bird singing, 
and that in a half-hearted way, was in 
the copse adjoining the Flax Bourton 
railway station. Neither have we seen 
the birds around us, yet a pair built 
their nest in a bank at the far end of a 
quarry at the rear of our house. It was 
found by one of the quarrymen on 
June 1 st, the eggs being hard set, and 
he told us that it was built within five 
or six yards of the bush from which it 
had daily sung. It is strange that we 
did not hear the song by night, but the 
wind may very possibly have wafted the 
notes away from us. 
Amongst the Finches. 
To turn to the Finch family, we have 
met with several of the beautiful nests 
of the Chaffinch. The Greenfinch seems 
to be getting scarcer. This, however, 
may be our imagination, as so much of 
the grass land has this year been put 
down for mowing that we have not had 
the opportunity of visiting the many 
fences, the nesting site of this bird. The 
Bullfinches have with us this year been 
conspicuous by their absence. We do 
not complain. Much as we admire this 
handsome Finch, we are certainly of 
opinion that, with the exception of the 
Blackbird, it is one of the most mis¬ 
chievous birds in the garden. The ques¬ 
tion of its alleged offences has been 
much discussed, words spoken in its 
favour and hard words against it, but we 
should like to hear what the pear-bud 
had to say on the subject. We have en¬ 
deavoured to ascertain the state of the 
Hawfinch in this district this season, but 
we have not been able to glean much in¬ 
formation. It is not often that we hear 
or see much of that beautiful bird, the 
Goldfinch, in this locality. The bird 
is not, as a rule, met with in well-cul¬ 
tivated lands, as its principal food is 
the seed of the thistle, and it follows 
that we must search in wilder, unkempt 
places for these. But this year a pair of 
the birds have built at the extreme end 
of a whitethorn bough at Wraxall Court. 
For safety the place could not have been 
