272 
W. BICKERTON-NOTES ON BIRDS 
four in number, smooth and creamy-white in colour; measure¬ 
ments 2*7 by D8 inches. The brent goose is a day-feeder, 
searching on the ooze, or with head and neck extended below 
the surface of the water in shallow places, for aquatic plants 
and sea-ware, especially grass-wrack and layer; whence the 
local names ‘ ware-goose ’ and ‘ road-goose,’ i.e., root-goose. The 
call-note is a loud cronk or IfionkT The length of the bird is 
22 inches, the females being a little smaller than the males. 
With this brief account of the latest addition to our list I pass 
on to the general notes for the year. 
Mistle-Thrush ( Turdus viscivorus ).—I generally see a few 
nests of this species each year, and, as a rule, they are built high 
up in tall hedgerow or parkland trees, and securely lodged on 
a strong branch or in a fork between branches. This year I saw 
a nest in a very unusual position. It was only about h\ feet 
from the ground, could therefore be easily reached with the 
hand without climbing, and was built at the crossing of two 
very slender branches of a Hew Zealand pine ( Taxodium semper- 
virens ) in Moor Park. In spite of its low and insecure position 
the eggs were safely hatched and the brood got off. Mr. Headley 
(Haileybury) reports mistle-thrushes as singing vigorously on 
December 8th. 
Song-Thrush ( T . musicus). —I found my first nest of this 
species which contained eggs (three) on March 17th, about 
a normal date. Dr. E. Hartert (Tring) reports that he saw fully 
fledged young ones flying about on April 8th. 
Redwing ( T. iliacus ) .—Reports on this species from the various 
districts differ very much, as usual. Mr. Foster (Hitchin) states 
that redwings were much more abundant there than £or many 
years past, while Mr. Dickinson (Hew Farm, St. Albans) and 
Mr. Headley (Haileybury) report them as scarcer. Around 
Watford I think they have been about as numerous as usual, 
and my experience is that whether you see any redwings or 
not (even when you feel sure they are in the district), depends 
very much upon the quality of the particular day. On a mild 
open day of winter or spring you may see none, yet should the 
weather become hard a few days later, plenty of redwings may 
be seen in the fields where none were to be found only a few 
days previously. The following interesting note comes from 
Mr. Oldham:—“ On March 8th, and again on the 21st, I heard 
the seep of redwings after dark. The emigration of this 
species in spring seems, like the immigration in autumn, to 
be a protracted affair, for on April 10th there were still many 
redwings in the neighbourhood of Tring. In several places 
on that date I heard the twittering chatter—like starlings at 
a distance—of the flocks in the tree tops, and five or six birds 
were singing a flute-like ‘ trui trui trui,’ repeated again and 
again mistle-thrush fashion. This I take to be an earnest of 
the true love-song. A week later, on April 17th, I failed to find 
redwings anywhere.” 
