( 47 ) 
Y. 
NOTES ON BIRDS OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE DURING 
THE YEAR 1900. 
By Alan E. Crossman, E.L.S., E.Z.S., M.B.O.IT. 
Read at Watford, 26 th March , 1901. 
Each year it becomes more difficult to obtain materials for my 
annual report on the birds of Hertfordshire. Our county list is 
now so extensive that the chances of adding to it are very slight. 
The number of my correspondents also decreases year by year. 
This may partly he due to there being no new records to com¬ 
municate, for I am afraid that I have yet to convince observers 
that I am only too glad to receive notes on any of our county birds, 
rare or common, great or small. Let my correspondents take it 
from me that whatever notes may be sent to me concerning the 
wild birds of this county are always acceptable. How can I obtain 
adequate information as to the feathered inhabitants of Hertford¬ 
shire and their distribution in the county if people who reside 
in the various districts do not send me notes? I cannot, merely 
by spending an afternoon or two in a locality, hope to obtain such 
a knowledge of the birds in that place as those who have lived 
there the best part of their life. It is they whom I want to send 
notes to me, and if only I could persuade farmers and keepers to 
take an interest in this work I should be able in a very short time 
to compile a fairly good account of the birds of our county. It would 
give them very little trouble just to jot down day by day such 
birds as they noticed in their district, and in time it would become 
quite a pleasure, and would also largely increase the powers of 
observation and sight in which the present war in South Africa 
has shown so many of us to be wanting. The roughest of notes 
are all I want : it is not quantity but accuracy that I require. 
I now give the notes on the various species. The year 1900 
was, in our county at least, extremely unproductive in rare birds. 
Missel-Thrush ( Turdus viscivorus ).—This bird was extremely 
plentiful in the autumn of last year. 
Pied Wagtail ( Motacilla lugubris). — I found in the neighbourhood 
of Aldbury several nests of this species which contained eggs of the 
cuckoo. 
Grey Wagtail ( Motacilla melanope). — I identified this species at 
Berkhamsted on 14th August, 1900, a date nearly two months 
earlier than usual. 
Meadow-Pipit ( Anthus pratensis). —I saw a few pairs of these 
birds on Berkhamsted Common, which undoubtedly from their 
behaviour were nesting, but I was unable to discover a single nest. 
Great Grey Shrike ( Lanius excubitor). —I cannot do better 
with regard to this species than quote a letter which appeared in 
