certain they must have betrayed their whereabouts to several people besides myself, as the noise they make can be heard a considerable distance. I visited the nest on two consecutive days, and by keeping quiet obtained each time a close view of one of the parent birds, probably the hen. I also photographed the nesting site. I am sorry to say that the tree has been "blazed," and a number painted on it, which evidently means that it is to be cut down, though when I cannot tell. I shall be very sorry when the tree falls, as the Greater Spotted Woodpecker is a great rarity around Bath, and this is the first instance of its nesting here which I have personally come across. It is far rarer than its congener, the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, and I have not seen a living specimen for a number of years. The bird was very uneasy at my presence so near the nest, and made a great noise; its note was a sharp "chick." I will not mention the exact locality of this nest, for reasons which all will understand.—C.B. Horsbrugh (4, Richmond Hill, Bath).
Nesting of the Greater Spotted Woodpecker at Wells, Somerset.—On May 14th of this year I was fortunate enough to find the nesting place of a pair of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopus major). On my approaching to within a few yards of the tree one of the parent birds flew out of the hole. On again visiting the nest (May 28tb) I found it contained young ones; the parent birds came and went several times whilst I remained unseen, and the cries of the young ones I could distinctly hear. The entrance hole, hewn out by the birds themselves, is situated six feet from the ground in the trunk of a small and somewhat decayed apple tree; the diameter of the hole is exactly two inches in the clear. On bringing the young ones food, I noticed that the old birds always alighted on the trunk close to the ground, and climbed upwards to the hole. These lovely birds are very uncommon in this district, and are entitled to every protection.—Stanley Lewis (39, High Street, Wells, Somerset).
Breeding of the Gannet.— When off Berry Head in my yacht, I saw, on May 28th last, about ten or twelve Gannets (Sula bassana) fishing. I cannot call to mind that I ever saw these birds so far south at this time of year. Can any of your readers inform me whether they breed anywhere in that neighbourhood?—R.J. Balston (Springfield, Maidstone).
Scaup in Bedfordshire.—On the 22nd May last I saw a bird of this species (Fuligula marila) on the sewage farm at Bedford, which from its plumage was apparently a female. It had dusky plumage and a white face. This bird remained in the neighbourhood for some days. It is possible, having regard to the date, that this bird had escaped from some ornamental water, but of course it may have been blown inshore by a gale. Perhaps some of the readers of 'The Zoologist' may have heard of the escape of
