OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1910. 
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Blue Titmouse (Parus eseruleus). —I think there must have 
been a sort of open competition going on among certain of the 
Herts birds last year, as to which of them could find the most 
extraordinary site for a nest, for in a cutting from the ‘ Herts 
Mercury,’ sent to me by Mr. Hopkinson, it is recorded that 
“ a pair of tomtits are bringing up a nest of young ones in 
a three-gallon beer-jar standing outside a cottage at Great 
Munden.” One wonders whatever possessed the birds to adopt 
so strange a place for the upbringing of their family. 
Hr. Langston Day reports that “ for the past two or three 
years a pair of blue tits have nested in a flower-pot turned 
upside down in a garden here [Baldock], and they do not seem 
to resent the pot being taken away and the nest examined. 
The puzzle to the owner of the garden is how the young 
birds get out of the only exit—the central hole in the top. 
The flower-pot is 10 inches high, and stands on the open space 
of ground where the potting of the plants is done.” 
Wren (Troglodytes parvulus ).—Miss Dickinson (St. Albans) 
sends a curious note on this species. “ In March a pair of 
common wrens commenced building their nest in the ivy on the 
wall of the house. They apparently deserted the nest for weeks, 
but in June returned to it, took up residence again, and reared 
a family of four, which left the nest on July 10th.” I had 
an exactly similar experience. A pair of wrens had made their 
nest on a willow-stub in a wood near Watford, and this I visited 
for two or three weeks in succession, but always found it empty. 
I therefore gave it up as deserted. A month later I happened 
to be passing the site, and was surprised to see one of the adult 
birds slip off the nest, which I then found contained six eggs. 
The brood subsequently hatched off. 
Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris). —Mr. Dickinson sends the 
following note on this species :—“ On April 13th a pair of pied 
wagtails commenced to build their nest in a yew hedge. On the 
following morning the birds were noticed sitting on the garden 
path and looking very disconsolate. Then it was discovered 
that a pair of blackbirds had taken possession, pulling the 
wagtail’s nest to pieces and commencing to build on it. The 
blackbirds were driven away, and did not return. The wagtails 
selected another site at the back of the house in a wooden fence 
covered with ivy, where a robin had built its nest a few weeks 
before, and had then been accidentally killed in a rat-trap. 
They added slightly to the nest, and the next day the first 
egg was laid, a family of live being eventually reared. After 
the young had flown the nest was destroyed, but on May 15tli 
they commenced rebuilding, rearing a second family of four.” 
G-oldfinch (Carduelis elegans). —Mr. Poster reports the species 
to be increasing in the north of the county, and Mr. Oldham 
states that he has seen birds on many occasions both in the 
Watford and the Tring districts. I wish some one would give 
me the opportunity of photographing a nest of this species. 
