BIRDS well as of the two former ones, the following notes from my diary, taken on the Lydd coast in the autumn of 1896, may be of interest : — September th, 1896. — On my way to Rye. Large numbers of swallows flying to and fro over the hops. The hop fly is very abundant this year. These birds were busy catching them as they left the hops. Sept. 6th, near Lydd. — Young swallows and martins are in great strength, skimming to and fro over brackish pieces of water, or basking on the sands at low tide. Towards evening these large bands had moved eastward along the coast and were within two miles of Dnngeness Point. Sept. wth. — Stormy, south-westerly wind. Numbers of young swallows and with them a few sand martins. Sept. J2t6. — Cloudy, south-westerly winds. Large numbers of sand martins, both old and young. Sept. l^ti. — Strong south-westerly wind. The majority of swallows and sand martins have left. Sept. z^ti. — Very rainy ; a strong south-westerly gale. Sept. zdth. — Squally. A further influx of young swallows and sand martins has taken place. The swallows seemed tired, many squatted motionless on the grass, now and again hovering over it after the manner of kestrels. The sand martins were by far the most active. Their flight appeared steady and strong. Sept. 2%th. — A large number of swallows, pro- bably the last batch of migrants. They hovered to and fro over a row of corn stacks, catching the flies and insects that were attracted by the straw. 3 p.m. — The flocks of swallows round the stacks have suddenly disappeared. Towards even- ing heavy rain came on with a strong south-westerly gale. It looks as if these birds had foreseen the coming storm and had taken advantage of the com- paratively fine afternoon to cross the channel in safety. October th. — A few swallows and house martins about ; they are in very poor condition. The mortality in these late passages must be great. Oct. I ith. — The main body of the late broods of house martins appeared on the coast this morn- ing. They attached themselves in parties to cot- tages and farm buildings, in front of which they hovered and circled in a sluggish manner. Several were found perished on the window sills, while not a few lacked tail feathers, looking in this state, as they flitted to and fro, more like little bats than anything else — a routed army flying in full retreat. It would not have been difficult to knock many over with a stick, so weary did they seem, barely possessing enough strength to fly up to the eaves, where they clung to peer and search in vain for tiny mud-beaded houses, like those they had left only a few weeks back. 63. Greenfinch. Ligurinus chlorU (Linn.) A common resident. In autumn and winter these birds resort to the stubble fields with chaffinches and sparrows. In September the greenfinch does considerable damage to the hops. During severe weather they leave the fields for the vicinity of farm buildings. In the collection of Mr. Prentis there is a wild hybrid between this species and the linnet. This occurrence is extremely rare. 64. Hawfinch. Coccothraustes vu/garis,V?dhs. Locally, Grosbeak. Previous to 1895 this bird was not com- mon. Now it is steadily increasing in the wooded districts, nesting annually in our woods. I have frequently found in one small wood several nests within a short dis- tance of one another. It is only since we have experienced the caterpillar plagues of the oak-moth that this bird has become numerous in the Weald. Partial migration of the hawfinch occurs in the winter, the bird returning to our woods in the spring. In Kent it nests in the woods, and in our orchards and pleasure grounds. In the woods the hawfinch generally chooses an overhanging bough of a large oak or the fork of a ' tiller ' for its nest, whose height from the ground varies from 12 feet to 15 feet. Sometimes fresh leaves are intertwined with the nest as additional concealment, and this is invariably the case when it is built on a tree-limb which has leaf-shoots. Consider- able discretion is shown in the choice of a nesting site, the oaks that are the most for- ward being selected, so that by the time building is completed the oak may be out in full leaf, when the other trees are merely toned with the filmy green of bursting buds. Although this species is shy in character, it prefers to nest in the proximity of dwellings ; for instance, near a keeper's cottage or in a tree that borders a much-frequented ride in a wood. The number of males appear to pre- dominate over the females. Very often in the breeding season the female will have a follower in the shape of another male. Should anything threaten the nest both males appear on the scene and share in the common danger ; and if by chance the female's mate is destroyed, the second male takes his place and performs all his duties. In March a con- siderable influx of these birds occurs. Num- bers of pairs arrive in gardens and enclosures where beech trees grow, and these favoured localities are resorted to yearly. In these places they stay till about the middle of April, when they betake themselves to neigh- bouring woods and copses to breed. The early morning is the time to observe these birds. They go stringing over the tree-tops in single and double file in order to recon- 281 36
