A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE Mr. Davenport subsequently informed me that he shot a bird at Skeffington which may have given rise to the above note, but although he thought at the time that it was a fire-crest, he is now convinced that he was mistaken. To prevent similar mistakes in the future, I may briefly state that this bird is very easily distinguishable by the two black stripes on each side of the head the lower one passing through the eye and a white streak under each, giving the head a striped appear- ance.] 1 9. Chiffchaff. Phylloscopus ruftis (Bechstein). Locally, Bank-jug (as also the following species), Lesser Pettychaps (obsolete). A summer migrant, commonly distributed and breeding. Harley remarked that two broods appear to be reared during the season, he having seen the first hatch on the wing early in June, the second in August. Said by the late Dr. Macaulay (Mid. Nat. 1883, pp. 85-6) to have been seen at Langton, 21 Feb., 1882, and also at Gumley, n Nov., 1882. The winter of 1 881-2 was the mildest ever known in the Mid- lands, and it is possible consequently that the bird may have arrived earlier than usual. I heard a chift- chaff several times in a small spinney at Aylestone in 1 8 8 3 so late as 2 1 September, and on 2 2 Sept., 1897, Dr. Macaulay and I heard it at Saddington Gorse. Mr. G. Frisby of Quorn saw and heard one on 1 1 April, 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1905 : '22 March, 1896, is my earliest note of its arrival. Three or four pairs breed in Market Harborough.' All nests he has found have been placed from 3 in. to 3 ft. above the ground. I heard it at Cotesbach, 3 April, 1907. 20. Willow-Warbler. Phylloscopus trochilus (Linn.). Locally, Willow-Wren, Yellow Wren (almost obsolete). A summer migrant, commonly distributed and breeding. I have received nests and eggs of this bird from Aylestone, Belvoir, Bradgate, Knighton, and other places in Leicestershire, much more frequently than those of the chiffchaff. Apparently it is equally common with that bird, and its nest is just as skilfully concealed. Mr. G. Frisby of Quorn heard this bird on 5 April, 1906, and the writer heard it in the wooded part of Coleman Road, Leicester, 16 April, 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn, writing in 1906, says : 'The most abundant of our summer migrants quite six times as numerous as the chiffchaff. Nests in Market Harborough ; 26 April, 1896, singing on the wing ; 7 Sept., 1895, singing.' 21. Wood-Warbler. Phylloscopus slbilatrix (Bechstein). Locally, Wood-Wren. A summer migrant, said by Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.) to be ' not uncommon.' Despite this the writer, during a twenty-five years' residence in the county, has not met with it, and the Leicester Museum contains no local specimen. Nevertheless it is but fair to state that the following letters have been received : On 22 May, 1891, the Rev. Hugh Parry wrote from Tugby : ' Several (at least six) wood-warblers have lately settled here and I am hoping ere long to find a nest, and if I am suc- cessful will let you have it for the museum. There is no mistake about them, as I have been watching them carefully for the past three days, and I know their note well, as they are common enough in my county, Salop. I think I told you that I saw and heard a pair in Knighton Spinney in May, 1889." Later on, 19 June, 1891:'! think you can hear a wood-warbler any day at Stretton Hall, if you were to go over. Yesterday I came here and was almost at once greeted with its note,' and again on 2 May, 1892 : 'I heard a pair of wood-wrens on Saturday here (Tugby) and again yesterday. To-day they are quiet, I suppose on account of cold.' Again, on 1 8 May, 1893 : 'I was over at Belvoir Castle lately and heard and saw the wood-warbler.' Mr. H. S. Davenport, writing on 15 May, 1893, says : ' I have found a wood-warbler at last, although I have invariably said I have never before met with this bird in this county. I detected him at I o'clock on Saturday, and the best of it is that the chiffchaff and willow-wren were singing simultane- ously. I think it was a great season for warblers, and he is a straggler to these parts.' Mr. Stephen H. Pilgrim writes from Hinckley on 6 May, 1 898 : ' A genuine and undoubted wood-wren has put in an appearance at the garden of my father's house here, the Castle Hill.' Mr. W. J. Horn, writing from Market Harborough on 27 April, 1899, says: 'You may be interested to hear that I watched for some time and listened to the song of the wood-wren this morning in some trees at the top of the town. This is my first record for Leicestershire.' He again records its occurrence at Market Harborough on 2 May, 1903. 22. Reed- Warbler. Acncephalui streperus (Vieillot). Locally, Reed-Wren. A summer migrant, breeding, but unevenly dis- tributed. Harley mentioned it as occurring on the banks of the Soar and the reed-beds of Groby Pool, Dishley Reservoir, and Garendon, &c., but the late Dr. Macaulay, though living near Sad- dington Reservoir, where it undoubtedly breeds in small numbers every year, had no knowledge of its existence save on the authority of the Rev. A. Matthews, who said that it occurred in the northern division of the county, until I came to Leicester, when in September, 1880, I took a few short walks for purposes of observation, and during one of them came to a spot in which I should expect to find nesting the sedge, and possibly the reed-warbler. This spot was a reed-bed just under the castle, and was very difficult of approach to pedestrians ; accordingly the following May, I, with a young friend, launched my canoe and paddled through the reeds until we could find a landing-place. The season being very backward, the new growth of reeds was but just springing, and we had an almost uninterrupted view of any birds we might flush. Soon I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing both the birds we came in search of; and in about half an hour we had found eleven nests of four species of birds, three of which were those of Acrocephalus streperus. They were not, however, so forward in construction as the sedge-warblers' or the other birds', all of which latter had eggs. On 9 June, 1 88 1, a beauti- ful specimen of a reed-warbler's nest with five eggs was obtained from this place for the museum, and further nests, all containing eggs, were found there on 1 3 June, 1885, and 15 June, 1888. 120
