BIRDS and nesting in walls and holes of trees. It is a shy bird and its soft alarm note is frequently heard when the bird itself is not seen. Mr. E. W. H. Blagg has taken eggs with distinct fine red spots. [Black Redstart. Ruticilla titys (Scopoli) The Zoologist for 1852 (p. 3503) contains an account of the discovery of a nest supposed to belong to this species, which is also referred to by Hewitson in the third edition of his Eggs of British Birds (p. 1 06). The birds, how- ever, do not appear to have been identified at the nest, and the description of the ' situation in which the nest was found points pretty conclusively to the next species, which is known occasionally to lay white eggs.] 1 1 . Redbreast. Erithacus rubecula (Linn.) Common and partially migratory in very severe weather. A pied variety was observed by Mr. E. W. H. Blagg at Forsbrook near Cheadle in 1892 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 43) 12. Nightingale. Daulias lusdnia (Linn.) A rare summer visitor. Mr. E. Brown (Fauna of Burton, p. 96) records it as extra- ordinarily abundant near Burton about 1853, but rare subsequently. Further notes of its appearances will be found in the Birds of Staffordshire (p. 43) and the Reports of the North Staffordshire Field Club for 1880, 1893 and 1896. 13. Whitethroat. Sylvia cinerea (Bechstein) Locally, Peggy Whitethroat. A very common summer migrant, arriving in May. 14. Lesser Whitethroat. Sylvia curruca (Linn.) A summer migrant, but rarer than the last named species. 15. Blackcap. Sylvia atricapilla (Linn.) A fairly common summer visitor, with a sweet little song. 1 6. Garden-Warbler. Sylvia hortensis (Bech- stein) A summer visitant and generally distributed. [Dartford Warbler. Sylvia undata (Bod- daert) This species is said to have been observed on Cannock Chase, but no specimen appears to have been obtained, and without further evidence its occurrence so far from its usual habitat can hardly be considered as proved (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 47).] 17. Goldcrest. Regulus cristatus, K. L. Koch. A resident and to be found in small family parties in winter. [Firecrest. Regulus ignicapillus (C. L. Brehm) Noted by Garner as 'occasional,' and included in Sainter's list, but no satisfactory identification of this bird has been recorded in the county.] 1 8. Chiffchaff. Phylloscopus rufus (Bechstein) The earliest of our summer migrants, arriving in March and common in most districts. 19. Willow- Warbler. Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.) Locally, Peep. A common summer visitant throughout the county. 20. Wood-Warbler. Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein) A summer migrant, arriving later than the willow-warbler. It is generally distributed in fair numbers in the valleys of the county. 21. Reed-Warbler. Acrocephalus streperus (Vieillot) Locally, Reed Sparrow (E. Brown). A local summer migrant to the Trent, the lower part of the Dove and the larger meres of the county, such as Aqualate, Copmere, etc. It is much less common now than formerly on the Trent and Dove. 22. Sedge-Warbler. Acrocephalus phragmitis (Bechstein) A common summer visitor to marshy districts. [Aquatic Warbler. Acrocephalus aquaticus (J. F. Gmelin) A nest and eggs supposed to belong to this species have been taken at Copmere, but no specimens of the bird have been secured and the resemblance of the eggs of the aquatic warbler to those of the preceding species renders identification very doubtful (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 50).] 23. Grasshopper-Warbler. Locustella navia (Boddaert) A summer migrant, local in its distribution and far from common. It has been recorded as nesting near Cheadle (1888), Trentham, Stone and Burton-on-Trent (see Reports of the North Staffs Field Club). 143
