Jan., 1891. 
THE BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE. 
7 
That richly coloured bird, the Golden Oriole, has been shot 
in Mav, under circumstances which leave little doubt of its 
intention of nesting in the county. It is curious to find a 
pair of Dippers—birds of the swift-flowing streams of the 
west and north—nesting in Oxfordshire. In May, 1876, a 
pair nested at Claydon, and, as a natural consequence of their 
temerity, were both shot and their eggs taken. The 
Mistletoe-thrush in Oxfordshire is locally known as the 
“ Norman Gizer,” or Norman Thrush, a name which the 
author thinks may have been conferred on the bird from a 
common belief that it first appeared in this country with the 
Normans, and his further remarks seem very fairly well to 
bear out this theory. In Craven, in Yorkshire, this bird is 
also recognised as the Norman Thrush. The Nightingale 
seems very partially distributed, Mid Oxon and the Thames 
Valley being its most favourite districts. The Black Bed- 
start, is an occasional visitor ; it is now recognised as not of 
very unfrequent occurrence in the autumn, on migration, 
occurring about four weeks after the departure of the 
common Bedstart. 
Mr. Aplin’s remarks on the Marsh Warbler, a species only 
recently recognised in Great Britain, are very interesting. 
In 1886, a nest and eggs, now in the British Museum, was 
taken near Broughton Grange. The bird’s very close 
resemblance to the Beed Warbler is such that it might 
readily be overlooked. Another rare bird is the Dartford 
Warbler; it has been observed at least on two occasions, and 
the nest and eggs taken. From its very shy and retiring 
nature, it might also be easily passed over. 
There can be little doubt that the now rare and beautiful 
Bearded Titmouse, or Beedling, once haunted the reed beds 
along the Thames Valley; it has occurred as a wanderer as 
late as in 1888. 
Of the four species of Wagtail recorded by Mr. Aplin, 
the white, the Continental representative of our pied bird, 
has been recently detected in the county. The Grey Wag¬ 
tail—during the nesting season a bird of the mountain 
stream—has been seen on several occasions in summer, and 
the evidence seems quite sufficient as to its remaining 
occasionally to nest. The Woodlark, as is the case in other 
counties, is of extremely local distribution. 
The Grey Crow, Snow Bunting, Twite or Mountain 
Linnet, so plentiful during the winter in the east coast dis¬ 
tricts, rarely wander so far westward as Oxfordshire ; in fact, 
it is doubtful if the Twite has been recognised. We have once 
seen an example of the Grey Crow shot as far west as the 
border of Monmouthshire. The Brambling, another winter 
