OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1903. 
133 
an unusually rough texture. They were taken from a nest built 
mostly of leaves in a hedge-hank, and here again it was noteworthy 
that there was a difficulty in catching sight of the bird. I was 
quite at a loss to know to what bird they belonged, and after 
carefully comparing them with a very fine collection of eggs in the 
local museum I found nothing like them there. They were then 
submitted to the Professor of Natural History at the local 
University College: he also failed to identify them, though he 
again carefully compared them with the eggs in the museum 
collection. They were next exhibited at a meeting of the local 
naturalists’ society, at which several expert oologists were present, 
hut no clue as to their identification was forthcoming. Finally, the 
lad was advised to catch the bird after nightfall, and this he did, 
the bird, much to the surprise of all who had seen the eggs, 
turning out to be a robin. 
The facts here mentioned may appear to some of a most trivial, 
perhaps absurdly trivial, character, hut to me they presented a very 
interesting problem, and one moreover which could not be solved 
by a wave of the hand. They also supplied a very pregnant 
illustration of the fact that even the commonest birds we know do 
at times (and perhaps more frequently than we suspect) exhibit the 
most marked variation from their normal habits and type, and that 
although one may have seen the same thing in Nature a hundred 
times over, it may he well worth looking at for the hundred and 
first time, and may then be found to present features or points of 
interest entirely new. It is to possibilities of this kind that bird¬ 
watching and bird’s-nesting, in common with so many other 
pursuits, owe no small portion of their pleasures and their charm. 
In conclusion, I desire to cordially thank all my correspondents 
for the valuable assistance their notes have given to me. 
The list of summer visitors with dates of arrival, etc., is as 
follows :— 
Species. Locality. Date. Observer. 
Nightingale ... St. Albans . April 10.H. Lewis. 
(Duulias luscinia) Elstree . ,, 21.E. P. Thompson. 
Hatfield . ,, 22.T. Brown. 
Hitchin . ,, 25.A. W Dawson. 
Watford... 27.Mrs. Bishop. 
,, (Bousebarn Lane),, 27.W. Bickerton. 
Harpenden. ,, 28.J. J. Willis. 
Harefield. ,, 28.G. E. Eland. 
Berkhamsted . ,, 29.Mrs. E. Mawley. 
Sawbridgeworth. ,, 30.H. S. Rivers. 
Greater Whitethroat . Brockley Mill. May 1.E. P. Thompson. 
(Silvia cinerea) 
Blackcap .... Bushey Heath. April 25.P. J. Barraud. 
(Silvia atricapilla) 
Chifechafp . Bushey Heath. Mar. 22.P. J. Barraud. 
(Phylloscopus rufus) Loudwater . April 2.W. Bickerton. 
St. Albans . ,, 3.H. Lewis. 
(Latest date) Hitchin . Oct. 4.A. H. Foster. 
Willow-Wren . Bushey Heath. April 8.P. J. Barraud. 
(Phylloscopus trochilus ) 
