EDITORIAL NOTES. 
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female sitting peacefully on her nest while her mate was perched on an opposite 
chimney surveying the landscape around. —Wm Berwick, M.P.N.S., Anstruther 
April 13 th. 
Ornithological Notes from Reading. —A single pair of rooks have 
established their nest in a tall elm in the town of Reading. There is no rookery 
within half a mile or so from them. I believe they have eggs or young already 
and will no doubt rear their young unless disturbed. Is this not a rather 
singular circumstance ? Some years ago a pair tried to build in the same place, 
but did not succeed. Birds are rather early nesting this year. I have already 
found the following nests, March 24th, Three thrush’s with eggs. 31st, 
Missel thrush’s with three eggs hard set, and two blackbird’s. April 2nd. 
Several thrush’s with eggs and young. 4th, Hedge sparrow’s with eggs. 7th, 
Blackbird’s with young.— J. R. White. 
THE WILLOW WREN. (PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS.) 
The willow wren is one of our earliest summer visitors, and one of the most 
welcome, generally arriving here about the first or second week in April and 
leaving about the beginning of October. It frequents the margins of streams 
and brooks, where osiers and willows abound, and hence its name. It is a very 
restless little bird, running along the branches and pecking at the leaves, bring¬ 
ing to an untimely end thousands of insects and flies upon which it feeds, and 
is also very dexterous in capturing them while on the wing ; a sharp snap of 
the beak denotes that the desired object has been attained. He is not of a shy 
disposition, and can often be approached within a few yards, when busily 
engaged on moss covered banks or ferny glades. Although the song has little 
variety, it is very pleasing ; soft and mellow, and generally poured forth from 
the higher branches of a moderate sized tree, but sometimes while on the wing ; 
it consists of syllables ten , toi, pronounced several times in succession, beginning 
with the highest notes, and gradually getting softer, and descending in the 
scale. The nest, which is an oval structure, is composed of grass, moss or ferns 
corresponding with the surroundings, and lined with feathers ; it is placed on 
the ground among long grasses near the outskirts of a wood : it is very carefully 
concealed, and difficult to find, unless the bird be closely watched. I 
found one this year which had five eggs in ; after visiting it once or twice, the 
bird, apparently knowing of my visits, cleverly hung a black feather right over 
the entrance of the nest (which is always at the side) thus completely concealing 
the eggs from view. When the nest of the willow wren is approached, the 
bird will fly out and pretend it cannot fly any distance, hopping along the 
ground with one of its wings hanging down and apparently broken ; but when 
a good way from the nest, will fly up to some tree near, and before long will 
find her way back to the nest again. This is done simply to attract any stranger 
away from the nest; anyone seeing the bird during this performance, and not 
up to these tricks, would naturally think it wounded and try at once to catch 
it; but the little strategist takes good care to keep well in front of the pursuer. 
In the number for May 1893, I notice a correspondent writes that he has taken 
a nest of this bird at an elevation of seven feet from the ground, this is 
undoubtedly a rare occurrence.—B. R. Harrison, Highgate. 
EDITORIAL NOTES. 
Our late editorial chief, Air. H. K. Swann, by whose exertions the 
Naturalist's Journal has been raised to its present high position among 
scientihc periodicals, being unable to give the time and attention needed to the 
carrying out of the numerous improvements contemplated by the proprietors, 
