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BIRDS Tomlinson has occasionally seen one in March at Burton (Birds of Derbyshire, p. 66). 40. Tree-Pipit. Anthus trivia/is (Linn.) Locally, Titlark, Bank Lark. A common spring visitor, generally dis- tributed throughout the county, except on the moors, where it is replaced by the meadow pipit. It is very conspicuous in spring on account of its habit of ascending from its perch on the top of a tree and returning again to its post with outstretched wings, singing all the way. 41. Meadow-Pipit. Anthus pratensls (Linn.) Common on the uplands and moors, and partially migratory in its habits, moving south in severe weather. Many cuckoos are reared in nests of this species in north Staffordshire. 42. Richard's Pipit. Anthus richardi (Vieillot) Garner in his Appendix (p. 34) mentions one example, which was obtained near Stone and was in Mr. Ration's collection (Garner MS.) Mr. R. W. Chase has an adult male which was taken near Handsworth on 21 October 1887 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 59). 43. Golden Oriole. Oriolus galbula, Linn. A rare visitor which has occurred twice. One was shot near Barton-urider-Needwood about 1869 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 59), and another was killed by a boy near Burton-on- Trent on 19 April 1871 (Birds of Derbyshire, p. 69). 44. Great Grey Shrike. Lanius excubitor, Linn. Another rare visitor, usually occurring in the autumn and winter months. Garner (p. 274) says it has been obtained at Need- wood, Bramshall, etc., and in his MS. notes mentions a later occurrence at Stone, where it was shot by Mr. Hatton (Birds of Stafford- shire, p. 60). Sir O. Mosley (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, p. 37) mentions two : one shot at Burton Bridge on 2 December 1844, and the other killed by a stone on 4 April 1845 between Dunstall and Burton (Zoo/, p. 1209). In the North Staffs Field Club Report for 1886 two are recorded as having been killed near Alton in the spring of the previous year. Somewhere about this time one was shot at Mayfield and passed through the hands of Poole, the Ashbourne bird-stuffer. The latest occurrence is that of one at Grindon in 1898 (Report North Staffs Field Club, 1899). 45. Red-backed Shrike. Lanius collurio, Linn. A regular summer migrant to the south, but rare in the north of the county. Nests are mentioned in the Birds of Staffordshire (p. 60) at Clayton, King's Bromley (1891), near Stoke and Alton (1892). A pair gener- ally breed near the entrance to Dovedale. 46. Waxwing. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. A rare winter visitor. Garner includes it in his list on the authority of Dr. Hewgill and Mr. Brown. Sir O. Mosley (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, p. 43) says that it visits the banks of the Trent at irregular periods during the winter months, and that many were observed in the Burton district in 1827, l %35 ar >d 1850. Writing later in the Zoologist (1868) he states that on Sunday, 31 May, a young bird was caught by his brother near a Pinus douglasii in his grounds. When placed on an iron railing the two old birds immediately came to it and were distinctly identified, the red marks on the wing-tips being clearly seen. Although the whole family were noticed by several people for upwards of a week after- wards none were captured. A nest was sub- sequently found on a branch of the Douglas pine about 60 ft. from the ground, and ' con- sisted of wool intermixed with fibres of grass and bits of the same fir.' In January 1893 one was killed by a boy at Oulton near Stone while feeding on the fruit of the wild rose. 47. Pied Flycatcher. Linn. Muscicapa atricapilla, A rare summer visitor, recorded by Garner from Bagot's Park and Trentham (1843). Mr. E. Brown (Fauna of Burton, p. 94) says it has ' been killed at Bagot's Park and at Stretton, near Burton-on-Trent.' Mr. W. Wells Bladen found a nest at Sandon on 7 May 1880 which he took to be that of this bird, but the date is unusually early and the situation unlikely. In 1883 Mr. E. W. H. Blagg obtained a male near Cheadle, and Mr. H. Meynell observed one at Alton on 2 May 1889, while Dr. McAldowie saw one at Northwood near Trentham in June 1892. Mr. H. G. Tomlinson saw a cock bird in May 1898 near Tutbury, and Mr. Forshaw two at Uttoxeter the same year, and another was seen by the writer at Cheadle 28 April 1902 (Reports North Staffs Field Club}. 48. Spotted Flycatcher. Muscicapa grisola, Linn. An abundant and familiar summer migrant, arriving in May and frequenting garden rail- ings and bare branches in orchards, from which it takes short flights in search of prey, returning to the same spot after the capture of each fly or other insect. Very soon after its 145