OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1888 . 
143 
that both these suggested causes have influenced the action of the 
bird in seeking “ pastures new ” in its breeding season—increase of 
population necessitating migration to a greater distance, so as to 
cover a wider area than usual, and severe climatic conditions limit¬ 
ing, in an unusual degree, the area sought to he occupied. It is 
difficult to imagine that increase of population alone would cause 
migration on such a vast scale, at such long intervals of time as a 
quarter of a century; and we have no grounds for inferring that in 
the regions usually visited by Syrrhaptes in the breeding season 
there has been excessive cold or snow in the spring time, only in 
the years 1863 and 1888. The probability of 1863 being the first 
year in which there was a great irruption of Syrrhaptes paradoxus 
into Europe becomes very great when we consider that such an 
occurrence could not have happened for at least a century before 
that time without being recorded. 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 
The following notes are chiefly compiled from the register of the 
late Mr. Littleboy, and from the letters of his correspondents. 
Reed-warbler ( Acrocephalus streperus). —Mr. Henry Lewis states 
that a bird frequents the water at Sopwell Park, St. Albans, which 
is most probably the reed-warbler, although he has not been able 
to secure a specimen for identification. The reed-warbler has only 
hitherto been recorded in our county from the low meadows near 
King’s Langley, and as frequenting the Tring Reservoirs. 
Golden Oriole ( Oriolus Gatbula ).—Mr. Henry Warner, of 
Wormley, writes on 20th July that a pair of golden orioles had 
that week paid a visit to the garden of Mr. Thorne of Rroxbourne, 
one of them having nearly paid the penalty of being caught in a 
strawberry-net. The golden oriole is an irregular straggler to 
England on migration, occasionally breeding in the south. It has 
only twice before been recorded in Hertfordshire. In 1881 a nest 
with three eggs was found near Ware, and in 1886 a bird was 
shot near Welwyn. 
Great Grey Shrike ( lanius Excubit or). —The Hon. Walter 
Rothschild informs me that a great grey shrike appeared at Tring 
in October. Although a rare autumnal visitant to the British 
Islands, this bird has frequently been seen, and shot, in our county. 
Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes vulgaris). —Mr. Littleboy saw a pair 
of hawfinches in his garden at Hunton Bridge on 27th April. 
Brambling ( Fringilla montifringitta). —Mr. Lewis observed a flock 
of bramblings at St. Albans about 23rd Eebruary. 
Crossbill [Loxia curvirostra). —In a letter to Mr. Henry Lewis, 
Mr. Chapman of Bennington states that on the 29th of July he 
observed there a flock of crossbills (14 in number). He saw them 
on some fir trees and was quite close to them. 
Hoopoe ( JJpupa Epops ).—A hoopoe was observed by Mr. Joseph 
Procter, near The Hoo, Great Gaddesden, in April. It did not 
remain long, and the fact of a hoopoe being shot near Wendover a 
few days after one had been seen near Great Gaddesden would 
