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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..77d9fa8 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51553 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51553) diff --git a/old/51553-0.txt b/old/51553-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 09dd72e..0000000 --- a/old/51553-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9138 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Birds useful and birds harmful, by -Ottó Herman and J. A. Owen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Birds useful and birds harmful - -Author: Ottó Herman - J. A. Owen - -Illustrator: T. Csörgey - -Release Date: March 25, 2016 [EBook #51553] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRDS USEFUL AND BIRDS HARMFUL *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - - Birds Useful and Birds - Harmful - - - SHERRATT & HUGHES - Publishers to the Victoria University of Manchester - Manchester: 34 Cross Street - London: 33 Soho Square, W. - - [Illustration: - - _See page 203._ - - THE BEARDED TIT.] - - - - - BIRDS USEFUL - - and - - BIRDS HARMFUL - - BY - - OTTO HERMAN - - _Director of the Royal Hungarian Ornithological Bureau, Budapest_ - - AND - - J. A. OWEN - - _Author of the “Country Month by Month,” etc., - and Editor of all signed “A Son of the Marshes.”_ - - Illustrated by T. Csörgey. - - MANCHESTER - AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS - 1909 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -Preface 1 - -Chapter I. Useful or Harmful 7 - -Chapter II. The Structure of the Bird 15 - -Chapter III. Workers on the Ground 25 -Barn or White Owl, Tawny or Wood Owl, Long-eared -Owl, Short-eared Owl, Little Owl, the -Rook, Hooded Crow, Carrion Crow, Raven, -Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Quail, Black-headed Gull, -Starling, Rose Starling, Waxwing. - -Chapter IV. In the Air and on the Trees 105 -Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swift, -Nightjar or Fern Owl, Green Woodpecker, -Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted -Woodpecker, Tree-Creeper, Nuthatch, Crossbill. - -Chapter V. The Farmer’s Summer Friends 139 -Wryneck, Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Great Grey Shrike, -Lesser Grey Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser -Whitethroat, Blackcap, Nightingale, Redstart, -Tree-Pipit, Wagtails, Great Reed Warbler, -Willow Wren, Flycatchers, Wheatear, Stonechat, -Bearded Reedling or Titmouse, the Titmouse -Family. - -Chapter VI. Workers all the year round 225 -House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Hedge Sparrow, -Skylark, Kingfisher, Dipper, Song Thrush, -Blackbird, Oriole, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch, -Hawfinch, Bullfinch, Yellow Hammer, Turtle -Dove. - -Chapter VII. Some Wildfowl 283 -Lapwing, Common Curlew, Redshank, Green -Sandpipers, Herons, Bitterns, Moorhen, Tern, -Bean Goose, Wild Duck or Mallard, Pintail -Duck, Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe. - -Chapter VIII. Some of the Falconidæ 333 -Golden Eagle, Kite, Red-footed Falcon, Buzzard, -Sparrow Hawk, Goshawk, Hobby, Kestrel, Marsh -Harrier, Hen Harrier. - -Chapter IX. The Rational Protection of Birds 369 - - - - -Preface. - - -The systematic study of the economic value of birds in their relation to -agriculture has been carried out in Hungary of late years more -indefatigably than in most other parts of Europe. The natural resources -of the country are indeed so largely dependent on agriculture that this -is only what might have been expected. - -The Royal Hungarian Minister, M. Darányi, who has proved himself so -thorough and so capable a Director of his country’s interests in the -direction of Agriculture--amongst other handbooks issued under his -orders for popular use--commissioned the well-known naturalist, M. Otto -Herman, to prepare the present work, which is intended to give to -landowners, farmers, fruit-growers and gardeners such a knowledge of the -action, beneficial and otherwise, of birds as would prevent the mistakes -which have ended in some districts in our own country, in the wholesale -destruction of some very useful species. - -The book is enriched by the drawings of a talented artist, M. Titus -Csörgey, who, I need not say, is himself a skilled naturalist. These are -so executed as to render it easy to the most casual observer to identify -the various markings of the plumage as well as the mere form of the -bird. - -The work makes no pretence at being scientific in the ordinary sense of -the word. It has been written with the view of providing a ready -handbook for the farmer, the gardener, the student, and bird-lovers -generally; and it embodies the result of exact data kept by -correspondents of M. Herman’s department in all parts of the country; so -that the observations on which its statements are grounded are the -results of personal investigation and dissection. - -In our country this study of the food of birds and the part they play in -the economy of nature has not received the attention it demands. Yet it -is one that affects the entire community. It is true that in journals -here and there valuable papers on this subject have appeared, but it is -felt that among the innumerable books on bird life which have been -published of late years there has been a lack which this little volume -may supply. - -A few words as to myself and my present association with M. Herman. From -my earliest childhood I have had a passionate love for birds and -flowers. I remember looking with wondering delight on the velvety -upturned faces of the variously tinted pansies that bordered the paths -leading up to the door of a certain farmhouse where we stayed much in -the summer-time, when I was just four years old,--wonder because our -mother told us that God’s finger painted them and I used to think that -He did it whilst we slept. Our father gave us prizes for the one who -could collect the greatest number of wild flowers and knew most about -the trees. In the town I collected bird pictures, nursed an occasional -wounded sparrow, kept my eyes open generally, and read much of William -and Mary Howitt. Then came some years of school life--the last two of -these in Germany, where the study of natural history has always received -more attention than has hitherto been the case with us in England, and -these were followed by a few years at home on the moorlands of -Staffordshire. Later I had thirteen years of wandering in different -parts of the Pacific--New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, California, all of -which strengthened my love of out-door life; and although my scientific -knowledge was small, my acquaintance with nature and my love of nature -have been ever growing. - -As years advanced, and I was no longer able to go so far afield, it has -been a great pleasure to me to collaborate with other naturalists--more -than one of these--who, with greater opportunities for the practical -observation of birds have combined scientific research. I have been glad -to act as henchwoman to such--and to be, as it were, the little bird -that in its playful and circling way follows the flight of the greater -bird in the heavens. - -And as I edited--with much gain to my own knowledge--the records of -observations of the working naturalist styled “A Son of the Marshes,” so -I am glad also to be able to present to our English readers these -chapters on the Man and the Bird, and their relative significance in the -great field of agriculture. - -I visited M. and Madame Herman at their home in the beautiful Hungarian -valley of Lillafüred, where his summers are spent in the very heart of -nature; and I learned and saw much with him there. He had lived as a boy -among these mountains and valleys--his father having been the leading -physician in the district. There, he had scoured the woods over which -the Snake or Short-toed Eagle circled, climbed up to the Peregrine -Falcon’s nest, and boated on the lovely little lake, watching the -movements of the Osprey. But indeed his whole life has been devoted to -the study of nature, and the fauna of his Country, and his many -published writings have had a very large circulation there, as well as -in Germany. - -M. Herman laments the constantly decreasing number of birds in his -native valley. In a spot where he once counted many a Flycatcher’s nest, -only two pairs now breed. The Nightingales, formerly plentiful, have -entirely forsaken this valley--the Titmice are lessening in numbers, and -so on. Yet the masses show no inclination to destroy useful, -insect-eating birds--although modern forestry, and gardening, which does -not tolerate old trees, and the absence of sheltering hedges over the -great Hungarian plains, render many birds--especially the migratory -species--homeless. - -Numbers of interesting species nest in and visit this valley, however. -In winter that beautifully coloured, long-billed Rock-Creeper -(Tichodroma muraria)--with wings rose-red above, dashed with white -underneath, runs up the rock sides, as does the Tree Creeper on the tree -trunks--a blithe, busy creature. This species is found in the same -latitude, in rocky mountain ranges eastward, as far as Northern China. -The great slanting rocky spurs, that gleam with rosy light, or pale -blue, as the sun runs its daily course, this rock climber delights in. -The Rock Thrush breeds in the same ridges; the Long-tailed Tit has its -nest there; near the ground in the woods, are the breeding-places of the -familiar Coal-Tit; where fir-trees abound it is at home. The less -welcome Red-backed Shrike pursues his cruel little methods here, -lessening the numbers of more useful and more attractive birds. -Waterfalls abound, and among the brooks, from stone to stone, trips the -merry Dipper, showing his pretty breast and red underparts--building his -large house near the running water, in whose pools fine trout are in -plenty. - -We have rested together in a little cove on the lake at Hamar, which is -overhung by luxuriant foliage; across the water, over the dense woods, -floats a solitary Eagle--that seeks his quarry in the shades below. Otto -Herman knew his breeding-place as a boy. Tradition says the nest is at -least a hundred years old, yet each year the young are still fed there. - - * * * * * - -That Great Britain has still much to do in the direction of Bird -Protection is definitely shown in a leaflet just issued (December, 1908) -by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, of whose Council I -have the honour to be a member. Of the 370 or 380 species placed on the -list of “British birds,” scarcely 200 can now be justly termed British. -I may be allowed to give you here some idea of the principal agents in -this destruction of birds as set forth by our Society:-- - -“First, there are those who destroy for destruction’s sake; the boy who -ravages the hedgerows in spring and delights in catapults, air-guns, and -stones at all times; the lout with a gun; and the cockney sportsman. -They are responsible for a vast amount of cruelty, especially to -nesting birds and nestlings; for the killing of various home-birds and -migrants, and for the senseless shooting of sea-birds and occasionally -of rare visitants. - -“Secondly, the bird-catcher, responsible for the decrease of all those -birds sought for caging, such as Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Lark, etc. -This class, like the first-named, requires dealing with, chiefly because -of the intolerable amount of ill-treatment involved by the methods -employed in the catching, transit, and sale of wild birds. The -destruction of the useful Lapwing, and of the Skylark for the table, is -also a point in need of attention; and in the same category may be -placed the so-called sparrow-clubs, which encourage the indiscriminate -killing of many species of small birds. - -“Thirdly, the gamekeeper, responsible for the extinction, or extreme -rarity of most of our large birds, especially predatory species and -uncommon visitors. - -“Fourthly, the private collector with a craze for rare British-taken -birds and eggs, or, in the case of the humbler persecutor of beautiful -species, for something to put in a glass case. - -“Fifthly, the trader and the feathered woman, jointly responsible for -the devastation wrought among the loveliest birds of all lands.” - -We have included a few useful species here, which are only visitants to -our country, but which, with more protection, might remain for part of -the year with us regularly. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -USEFUL OR HARMFUL? - - -The Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology was instituted in 1804, in -accordance with a scheme submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture by Mr. -Otto Herman, then a member of the Hungarian Parliament. - -The rapid progress of economical affairs in the nineteenth century, -particularly in its second half, had a perceptible influence upon the -position occupied by the bird and insect fauna, a change which was felt -in agriculture, and led to the formation of a new branch of -science--ornithologia oeconomica. - -The Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology took the new branch in -hand, after its transfer from the sphere of the Ministry of Public -Instruction to that of the Ministry of Agriculture, where M. de Darányi -assigned an important place to practical experimental methods as a -complement to strict science. - -In the meantime Baron Hans von Berlepsch of Seebach developed his system -for the protection and propagation of the most useful birds, the main -points of which were the feeding and providing with nesting -opportunities of such birds. Thereby bird protection was diverted into a -rational direction, which met with hearty sympathy on the part of M. de -Darányi; consequently the Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology -included this branch of ornithology in the work it set itself to do. - -The course followed by rational bird-protection in Hungary is as -follows. It starts with the idea that nature itself knows neither -useful nor noxious birds, but only necessary ones, which have developed -according to the laws of nature, and on the basis of their development -are performing in the world of nature the work which is appropriate to -their organism. - -The manifold character of the work performed by birds is in harmony with -the variety of these organisms. - -The question of the usefulness and noxiousness of birds during the whole -of the nineteenth century was treated only approximately, upon the -assertions of authorities. When, later on, Congresses began to embrace -the cause of bird-protection, and the question of the usefulness or -noxiousness of each species assumed a rôle of the first importance, it -turned out that there was no firm basis upon which to rely, in passing -judgment. Eminent ornithologists were often at variance with regard to -the usefulness or noxiousness of a particular species. - -Where Nature is intact, the number of birds is automatically regulated -in accordance with the natural development of their surroundings. - -The conceptions of “useful” and “noxious” are merely human ones; and man -can, by cultivation or the contrary, alter the normal conditions; and -may, consequently, modify the character and habits of birds also. -Agriculture on a large scale, modern forestry, the draining of -territory--all these things alter the fundamental conditions of animal -life, and in consequence of bird-life also; and if these modifications -in respect of birds are injurious to man, it is in the interests of man -to adapt them artificially for the benefit of birds; and if by -cultivation man deprives useful birds of their natural nesting -facilities, he ought to provide them with artificial ones. This is the -principle on which Baron von Berlepsch founded his system, which was -accepted and applied in Hungary, together with the modifications -required by special circumstances, or such as were introduced as the -result of experience. - -These principles apply chiefly to those species which remain with us -during summer and winter alike, and which are useful to agriculture. But -the international protection of birds is important as regards those -useful species that are migratory, and, as they migrate, pass through -countries where--as is the case in Italy--the birds are caught _en -masse_, and where bird-catching is carried on as a trade. - -The third international Ornithological Congress, held in Paris in 1900, -decided that the Governments of the various European States should be -called upon to have the food of birds made the object of special -investigations, and to report the result, within a space of five years. -When the fourth International Congress met, however, only Hungary and -Belgium were able to report on the subject. - -The publications of the Hungarian Ornithological Centre are founded upon -the collection of data, divided into two main groups:--1. The Migration -data, so-called historical, up to 1891, and again from that to the -present day. 2. Foreign data, partly taken from literature, and Special -data relating to one species, from the whole area of its habitation--the -Cuckoo for instance. - -The investigation of the economic rôle played by the Rook (Corvus -frugilegus L.), which English landowners and farmers are beginning to -feel is a matter of great importance, was begun by the Central Bureau in -1893; it is still going on. According to the results hitherto attained, -this bird does more good by destroying insects, and in particular the -larvæ of insects living underground, than it does harm to the crops. - -It is our endeavour in this little volume which we now offer to English -readers, to give a faithful presentment of the good and the harm that -the birds are known to do, from the agriculturist’s standpoint. But in -this all depends on the attitude which the gardener and the farmer adopt -towards the birds. - -By throwing a single stone a lad can scare away a whole flock of rooks; -and when these birds alight on a field where they do harm to grain, a -man must not grudge a little labour in keeping them off; considering -that the same bird that works harm at one season, will be a valuable -ally at another, as well as a source of pleasure and interest. - -The rook, the crow, and even the mischievous magpie, follow the plough -as it turns up the brown furrows, with sharp eyes spying worms, larvæ -and cockchafer grubs. Nothing escapes the attention of the bird. He -picks here and there, and fills his crop with the worst enemies of the -tiller of the fields--the various forms of insect life that lie dormant -in the earth until the time arrives for each one to come forth and -fulfil its life’s mission--much of which means injury to the fruit of -man’s labour. - -Starlings rise in flocks--a perfect cloud of them--to disperse, and -again to assemble before settling on the pastures, where they will be -busy all the day, for that part of the year when man needs their -services most. - -Later, in the cherry trees and among our own vines the starlings would -do mischief enough. The rifled branches and stripped grape stems are a -sorry sight for the owner, who finds it hard to remember that God cares -even for the sparrows. He tries to drive the thieves away, but they care -little for the cries of the lads set to scare them. Little do they heed -the rattles, feathers, rows of sticks with lines of thread--all the -various flimsy inventions are useless; a gun will disperse them for the -moment, but the cloud of pilferers is soon back again, and as busy as -ever. At this juncture severe measures are justified. Even the most -ardent bird-lover will not be foolish enough to protect every bird at -all times and seasons. Yet it is only for a short season of the year -that starlings are harmful, and for the greater part they are useful, in -garden, field and meadow, from early morning until late evening, -protecting growing blades of grass and coming seed and roots for the -farmer, with unceasing labour. This is in the early spring; later they -betake themselves to the pasture lands, where, on bright sunny mornings, -they walk nimbly among the browsing cattle seeking their food in the -form of crane fly and daddy-long-legs, in the shadow of the patient -creatures. The gadflies, too, buzz about the bodies of the beasts, lay -their eggs under the hide, boring into the flesh, tormenting and -maddening the helpless cattle. The Hungarian herdsman is glad when he -sees the starlings settle on his wide pastures. - -When the eggs have developed into maggots the birds alight on the backs -of the beasts, to rid them of gadflies and batflies; and the cattle and -sheep suffer their services gladly, knowing well that these good -feathered friends will effectually extract their torturers without -further irritation to the infested parts. A horse has been known to die -from the exhaustion caused by the continuous action of parasitic -creatures. - -Then, as regards the owl--that bird of the night, who shuns the light of -the life-giving sun; for which reason man distrusts and persecutes him. -The other birds also regard him with disfavour, and mob him when he -ventures forth from his holes by day, big birds and little ones, in -common dislike of the uncanny creature. They know full well that this is -the nocturnal disturber of woods and fields, and they resent his ways -and his manners. - -When the twilight is over all and the birds of day have betaken -themselves to rest, then most of the owls go forth to hunt for quarry. -Noiselessly they flit over the quiet meadows and fields; with those eyes -which shun the light they can detect through the dimness of evening the -nest where small birds are, and this they rifle. And so in that respect -they are harmful. The Short-eared owl will take birds from the size of a -lark to that of a plover. - -On the other hand, when mice have got the upper hand in house and barn, -devouring and spoiling man’s provision, then every species of owl is -welcome, even he the superstitious countryman calls the Death-bird. And, -again, when the weather favours that pest the field-mouse, and the -voles, and they swarm in meadows, cornlands and everywhere, so that the -land is full of mouse-runs; from all sides comes that gentle singing -from tiny throats and the farmer is at his wits’ end to know how to be -rid of the plague. Then in Hungary the mouse buzzards circle by day over -the pastures and fields, making war on the gnawing little beasts; and -the whole night long the owls take up the same useful work. They fill -their crops, each of them, with from twenty to thirty mice, fly to their -several trees to digest the meal, and you will find the pellets formed -by the birds of the indigestible portions--bones and fur--in and about -their nesting-holes. Harmful moths and beetles they also kill. - -And so the Owls--barn, the tawny or wood-owl, the long and the -short-eared--which in England are the only common species, are -undoubtedly the agriculturalists’ good friends, and indeed friends of -the whole human race; and many landowners now prohibit the use of the -cruel pole-trap in their destruction. Richard Jefferies tells how 200 -owls were taken in one pole-trap in a plantation of young fir in his -time. Dr. Altum, a great mover in the cause of bird-protection, examined -210 of the wood-owl’s pellets and found in these the remains of 6 rats, -42 mice, 296 voles, 33 shrews, 48 moles, 18 birds and 48 beetles, -besides a countless number of cockchafers. - -And what can you find to say in favour of the Sparrow? I fancy I hear -many a reader ask,--that ubiquitous bird whose impudence is everywhere -proverbial. When sparrows in hosts settle down on the corn waiting to be -harvested, not only filling their crops but uselessly beating the grain -out of the ears, the case is bad, and it is hard then to recall all the -good the same birds had done in devouring the seeds of harmful weeds, -such as wild mustard, etc.--also to think of the cockchafers in the grub -as well as winged--daddy-longlegs, caterpillars, turnip-moth, grubs of -cabbage-moth and butterfly, and the moths of both currant and -gooseberry. In towns, too, the sparrow is invaluable as a street -scavenger. House-flies, those plagues indoors, maggots of fleas, eggs of -cockroaches, spiders, centipedes,--all, and many other “small deer” that -infest stables, poultry-yards and other precincts of our homesteads the -sparrow diligently seeks for. - -It is true that the common sparrows multiply too fast and their numbers -must be thinned down. This, many a bird-loving landowner and farmer does -in various ways. The late Lord Lilford declared the most humane way was -to pull down all the nests within man’s reach. There would still be -plenty left, in inaccessible places. A humane farmer, the present writer -knows in Hampshire, a great wheat-grower, gives the lads round -threepence a score for all the sparrows’ eggs they can bring to him. -Sparrow-clubs--save the mark!--are schools for cruelty. In one -Lancashire parish which I know the vicar encourages the Jackdaw, -allowing it to build even in his church steeple, because wherever that -bird is, sparrows become more scarce, their young suiting that bird’s -palate well. Man has foolishly upset the balance of nature by destroying -the natural enemies of the sparrow. Take two neighbouring estates we -know in Yorkshire; on the one sparrows, blackbirds, bullfinches and -other birds are remorselessly shot during the fruit season; on the other -the use of the gun is forbidden. In the garden and orchard of the latter -there is always a far greater allowance of fruit than in those of the -former. - -Only where their natural enemies have become scarce ought man to set his -wits to work to compass the destruction of a species. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -THE STRUCTURE OF THE BIRD. - - -Let us now consider the bird’s bodily structure. Every child knows that -the bird’s body is covered with feathers or down, and that what, in the -case of mammals are fore-feet, in birds are wings with which they fly. - -There are as many kinds of flight as there are kinds of birds. It -depends for the most part on the nature of the bird, in a smaller degree -on the structure of the wing. - -The wing of the Swallow (Plate VIII._a_) is pointed like that of the -Peregrine Falcon, and is adapted for rapid flight. Both these birds -secure their prey on the wing, and could not, therefore, live otherwise. - -The wing of the Partridge is, on the contrary, rounded; this bird does -not cut through the air, but can only raise itself in flight with rapid -fluttering of the wings, and with a sudden loud “whirr” which makes -considerable noise if the covey is a large one. The wing of the -Partridge, therefore, is not at all adapted for enabling the bird to -catch its prey flying, but only for moving from place to place, where it -picks up its food walking. - -From this we learn that the various kinds of wings correspond to various -ways of flight and that each bird works out its destiny in its own way. -It is suggestive of the organisation of an army, composed of cavalry, -infantry, artillery, and other divisions. These also have different -kinds of functions, which are necessary both - -[Illustration: (_a_) SWALLOW’S WING; (_b_) THAT OF THE PARTRIDGE.] - -individually and in combination, and the one cannot supply the place of -the other. - -So much for the wings. Now we will examine Plate IX., which shows heads -and--what is the most important part of them--bills. We will take the -illustrations in their proper order. - -1. The bill of the Woodcock is shaped like a turner’s auger, the end -greatly resembling the tip of a finger. With this the bird gropes for -its food, and draws it out of the loose earth. - -2. The bill of the Merganser has a hook at the point; it is toothed at -the side, and is so well adapted to its purpose that no fish, however -slippery, can escape. - -3. The bill of the Hawfinch is conical, thick and strong, capable of -cracking the hardest cherry stones. - -4. The pretty Water-Wagtail has an awl-shaped bill, formed by Nature for -the catching of gnats and other insects. - -5. The Grey Heron has a bill which cuts like a knife. Woe to the most -slippery tench if once caught within it! - -6. The Curlew penetrates into the mud with its sickle shaped, slightly -curved bill, and brings out of its depths the worms it feeds on. - -7. The bill of the Long-tailed Tit is but a little point compared with -those mentioned above, but all the same it is quite suitable for the -bird, for only with such a tool could it pick the tiny insects out of -the smallest cracks in the boughs. - -8. The bill of the Goatsucker or Night-hawk is small, but the opening of -the mouth is comparatively gigantic: it forms a yawning abyss, which, in -the twilight and darkness of night, engulfs unwary insects. - -[Illustration] - -9. The bill of the Woodpecker may be compared to the adze which the -Carpenter uses for chipping beams of wood. It is only by means of hard -blows that this bird can get at the worms which it finds in decaying -wood. - -10. The Duck’s bill, on the other hand, is flat toothed at the side, -exactly formed for straining the food which it gets out of the water. - -11. The bill of the Gull is so formed that it can easily take up food -from the surface of the water. Where Gulls arrive in large flocks, they -eagerly follow the plough in the fields, and are then of great benefit. - -12. The bill of the Crossbill is a valuable tool, with which he is able -to pick out the seeds from between the scales of the fir cones. - -13. The Ortolan splits hard seeds with the arch and the notch in its -beak, as it were with nut-crackers. - -14. The bill of the Avocet is in shape the opposite of the Curlew,--that -of the former curving upwards, of the latter downwards. - -Thus we see that as with the wing, so with the bill,--each bird is -furnished with the kind that is most suitable to its nature and habits. - -The general law of adaptability to its purpose is also strikingly -exemplified in the formation of the foot. Let us look at Plate X. - -1. The foot of the Fieldlark has a spur-like nail on the back toe which -is nearly straight, so that the bird can easily rest on the ground. - -2. The Pheasant’s foot is just like that of the Hen; which enables it to -walk and run. - -3. The powerful, sharp claw of the Eagle strikes deeply into the flesh -of its prey and holds it fast. - -[Illustration] - -4. The Sparrow Hawk strangles and crushes with its warty toes the birds -on which it preys. - -5. The foot of the Owl, as well as its bill, proves that it is a bird of -prey. - -6. The foot of the Swift is so constructed that it can cling to walls; -it cannot walk or stand. - -7. The toes of the Moor-or Water-hen are provided with skin-flaps, not -altogether perfect for swimming, but excellent for wading and diving. - -8. The Crested Grebe excels in diving, pushing sideways with its feet. - -9. The foot of the Bustard has three toes, and hard soles, which enable -it to run extremely well. - -10. The four toes of the Cormorant are joined together by a web; it is a -good diver, can swim under water, and can also roost on trees. - -11. The Wild Duck has only three toes webbed together; its foot is, -therefore, specially suited for propelling the bird on the surface of -the water. - -12. The toes of the Avocet are only partially joined together by webs; -its legs are suitable only for wading, but can be used for swimming in -case of need. - -The variety and suitability to their purpose of wings, bills, and legs, -show us that the feathered inhabitants of a neighbourhood form a -community. A society of men would not be perfect if there were only men -of one calling. A variety of workers is needed in human society, with a -variety of tools, with which to perform a variety of necessary work, -just as various birds with a varied construction of body perform their -work in the open field of Nature. - - * * * * * - -A few words as to the feathers of the bird. The perfectly developed -feather consists of a quill which grows in the flesh, the stem becoming -gradually thinner towards the top and having lesser feathers on either -side, those on the one side of the - -[Illustration] - -quill being narrower than those on the other half. The feathers overlap -each other exactly and densely especially those which protect the main -part of the body. At the end of the quill of the top feathers is a down -which takes the place of our under-clothing, and which in the case of -waterfowl prevents the water from penetrating to the body of the bird. -There is also a pure down which is composed of numerous stems; this is -close and thick and protects the binding together of the general -plumage. - -[Illustration] - -The down has its fine quill and a stem bearing the close down which in -water fowls keeps the warmth of the body at an even temperature whether -in or out of the water. It would be an error to suppose that the -feathers grow in the skin without any order, simply close together. They -are in point of fact divided into areas between which the flesh is -generally covered with down, and all is arranged in a system of -grouping which, the feathers being rightly placed over one and another, -does not in any way interfere with the movements of the body, each -movement being in perfect conformity with this feather covering. The -feathered areas can be moved independently with the aid of the muscles, -and this renders the cleansing of the individual feathers easy and the -removing of the fatty substance, which is a matter of great importance. -If we watch we see that the bird moves the feathers separately in this -cleansing process, drawing them through its beak, and so removing any -bits of fat and oily substances that may have collected about the fat -glands. - -[Illustration: View of the back of the bird, showing the feather tracts. - -The spaces between the tracts are covered with down.] - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE BARN OWL, CHIEF OF THE MOUSE-HUNTERS.] - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -WORKERS ON THE GROUND. - - -THE BARN OWL: WHITE OR CHURCH OWL. - -(_Strix Flammea._) - -The Barn Owl builds no regular nest, but lays its eggs in the walls of -ruined castles, on the inner sills of towers, or in the dust and -sweepings that collect in the corners of granaries. The clutch consists -of five, occasionally seven, longish white eggs. - -This bird likes always to be close to the abode of man; she likes to -make her nest among the rafters of some warm barn and in other farm -buildings, or in church tower or belfry; in hollow trees, a cleft in -wall or cliff; semi-obscure corners, those even in broad daylight. There -she sits, putting herself now and again in grotesque positions, and when -that facial disk is stirred she appears to be, as the children say, -“pulling faces” at you. One of the most industrious of hunters, she -catches far more mice than she can devour. It is true she takes the bat, -who has his own insect-destroying work to do; and when she has the -chance she will cause havoc in the nest of a small bird. But this is -only an occasional outbreak, and it must not weigh against the general -good record of this most useful species. She takes living prey, and will -only touch carrion under extreme stress of hunger. - -The Barn or White Owl is generally distributed throughout Great Britain. -It suffered at one time most undeservedly from the ignorant prejudices -of many gamekeepers, and of late years from the senseless fashion of -women wearing the wings and head in their headgear--a crowning folly -only perpetrated through that ignorant vanity which knows neither love -nor pity. - -Colonel Irby said that this Owl, which is most useful to man, can be -preserved and increased by fixing an 18-gallon cask in a tree. The -barrel should be placed on its side and have a hole cut in the upper -part of the head for the Owls to enter; care must, however, be taken -that Jackdaws do not take possession of the cask. - -Our gamekeepers are beginning now to be convinced of the usefulness of -the Owl, especially in view of the fact that so many young birds are -taken by the Brown Rat, a favourite quarry with the Owl--not to speak of -the Voles and Mice the bird devours. The late Lord Lilford told me that -he had watched a nest of young Owls being fed by their parents in an old -cedar tree in the rectory garden of a relative, and that on one occasion -the old birds came bringing food to these seventeen times in half an -hour by the clock, on that evening. There was a rickyard not far from -the nest which was the Owls’ favourite hunting-ground. Mice were not -plentiful there, but rats swarmed, and the pellets found under the nest -were here composed almost entirely of the remains of the latter. In the -South of France and in Spain this Owl is accused of drinking oil from -lamps in the peasants’ houses and in the churches and chapels. The name -given to it in the former country by the peasant of the _Midi is Béou -l’oli_--bird that drinks oil. Attracted by the light of the lamps, the -poor Owl perhaps has entered, once in a way, and in its fright has -upset a lamp. Superstition grows on very meagre fare. This ally of the -agriculturalist has been ill-repaid for his services. - -Butler writes:-- - - “An Owl that in a barn - Sees a mouse creeping in the corn, - Sits still and shuts his round blue eyes - As if he slept, until he spies - The little beast within his reach, - Then starts, and seizes on the wretch.” - - “Not a bird of the forest e’er mates with him, - All mock him outright by day, - But at night, when the woods grow still and dim, - The boldest will shrink away.” - -But why this is so who can tell? If the Barn Owl shows himself by day, -Rooks and Starlings, Blackbirds, both species of Thrush, Chaffinches, -Tits and Wrens will mob him; and he flies awkwardly from tree to tree, -with dazed eyes and apparently “mazed,” as the country folks says, -altogether, till he can find a hole in a tree where he can hide himself. -He may well like hollows in trees--for, as the poet says, “the Owl, with -all his feathers, is a-cold.” This is not hard to understand, for the -breast feathers are so light and fluffy that the wind easily parts them, -laying bare the shivering skin. - -His frequent choice of an old dovecote as a home was misunderstood. The -ignorant countryman thought it was in order to prey on the young pigeons -that he selected a corner there, whereas--and Waterton was the first to -record the bird’s reason, after watching the doings of a pair of Barn -Owls in his dovecote--the Owls were there to prey on the pigeons’ -enemies, and Owls and Pigeons lived amicably together in the same home. - -Lord Cathcart, in a paper contributed to the Royal Agricultural Society, -said: “Our ancestors, wiser than we, always made in their great barns -ingress for Owls--an owl-hole, with often a stone perch.” And the Rev. -F. O. Morris tells of a pair of this species which lived in a barn near -Norwich, and were so fearless that they would stay there whilst the men -were threshing; they waited on the flails as rooks do on the plough, and -if a mouse were dislodged by the removal of a sheaf they would pounce -upon it without minding the men’s presence. They hunt mice amongst the -stacks, too, in the farmyard, staying there all night often, if mice -abound. As E. Newman says, “The farmer pays the price of a sack of grain -for every Owl nailed to his barn door, because that Owl would have -destroyed mice every night, and these mice, being relieved of their -oppressive enemy, would, in a very short time, consume a sack of wheat, -peas, or beans.” - -Owing to its very deep plumage, the Barn Owl looks larger than it is. -Its eye is dark-coloured, almost black: its glance is directed forwards. -The facial disk is very prominent; at rest, it is heart-shaped, and it -is edged with white and rust-colour. The bill is yellowish in colour, -and is slightly hooked. The legs are scantily feathered, and the toes -almost bare: the claw of the middle toe is serrated along its inner -edge. The body-plumage is soft as silk, and yielding, and thickly -pearled with white and dark markings on the beautiful ash-grey back. The -flanks are pale with a reddish tinge, in places very bright, and -sprinkled with tiny pearl-like spots of light and dark colour. - - -THE TAWNY OR WOOD-OWL. - -(_Syrnium alúco._) - -The Wood Owl, known also as the Brown or Tawny Owl, has the admirable -trait of constancy, for it is said he mates for life and the pair return -year after year to the same tree to nest. In the month of September you -will hear him hooting in the woods more than at any other time of the -year. He is not so constant in his choice of locality, but like many -other birds he and his kind will disappear from a district without any -apparent reason, to return to it again after a time. No doubt they -follow their food supply; the small creatures they feed on--mice, rats, -shrews, and squirrels--all disappear in the same fashion to re-appear -elsewhere; the movements of these being no doubt ruled by the same -conditions of suitable food, its scarcity or its plenty. - - * * * * * - -In spite of persecution the Tawny Owl is still fairly common in our own -country wherever there are woods or crags suitable for its habitat. In -the South of Scotland it is common, as well as in England and Wales. It -is strange that it seems to be absent from Ireland. Here, in Ealing, -where the present writer lives, its whoo-hoo, or, as Shakespeare has it, -_tu-whit_ and _to-who_, are heard regularly in one little spinney at the -south-east corner of our suburb; and last summer--1908--a pair took up -their abode in a garden, right in amongst the shady roads not very far -from the Broadway. - -The Tawny Owl breeds early; strong-flying young ones may be seen in -April. A hollow oak tree or an elm is a favorite nesting site with it. -The young are - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WOOD OR TAWNY OWL.] - -very easy to rear and to tame. The late Lord Lilford, who was perhaps -our best authority on owls, stated that he had examined many pellets of -the Tawny Owl, and although he more than once found the remains of young -rabbits he could not accuse the bird of any serious poaching. - -Living more in the woods the Brown Owl is less often observed than is -the White Owl; also its plumage is darker, and this makes it often less -visible, especially in the shade of the trees. When flying, his legs are -stretched out behind, “as a balance to his heavy head,” White of -Selborne remarked. The young ones, funny little balls of grey down, -resemble, some one has said, “a pair of Shetland worsted stockings -rolled up, such as might have belonged to Tam o’ Shanter.” - -And this reminds us of Burns, who, when he bids the birds mourn for him, -“Wha lies in clay, Wham we deplore,” sings: - - “Ye howlets, frae your ivy bow’r, - In some old tree or eldritch tow’r, - What time the moon wi silent glow’r, - Sets up her horn. - Wail through the dreary midnight hour - Till waukrife morn.” - -But Shakespeare said of the Wood-Owl: - - “Tu-whit! tu-whoo, a merry note - hile greasy Joan doth keel the pot!” - -It was in 210 pellets of this species that Dr. Altum found the remains -of 6 rats, 42 mice, 296 voles, 33 shrews, 48 moles, 18 birds, and 48 -beetles, besides countless numbers of cockchafers. - -Brown Owls make very amusing pets and they are not hard to tame. They -are less suspicious than other owls and become very companionable. R. -Bosworth Smith, whose recent death was so much lamented by all -bird-lovers, and who said: “Birds have been to me the solace, the -recreation and the passion of a life-time,” told of one young brown owl -which he brought up from the nest, which was very fond of music. It -would make its way, through an open window on the ground floor, into the -room in which a piano was being played and would even press closely -against the case of the instrument. Dr. J. Cooper, Professor of Greek -Language and Literature at Rutger’s College, New Brunswick, also told -the same author that one morning in November of 1899 he found, on going -to his lecture room, that a brown owl had somehow made its way into it, -and had selected as a perch a huge framed photograph of Athens. It was, -he remarks, an unlooked for illustration to both teacher and taught, of -the proverbial expression “Owls to Athens.” And there she was, just over -the Areopagus, the High Court of Athens, and she sat perched there four -whole hours, that “bird of wisdom,” whilst the Professor gave as many -lectures to successive classes of his pupils, quite undisturbed by the -noise they made, coming and going. Before she disappeared, one of the -lecturer’s brother-Professors had time to take a photograph of “the Bird -of Pallas on her chosen throne.” - -Description: In the adult male the upper parts are of variable shades of -ash-grey, mottled with brown; there are large white spots on the outer -webs of the wing-coverts; the tail is barred with brown and tipped with -white; the under-parts are a buffish-white, mottled with pale and -streaked with dark brown. The disk about the face is greyish, having a -dark brown border; the legs are feathered to the claws. The length of -the bird is about 16 inches. The female is larger than the male and its -plumage is a more rufous brown; but there are two varieties in this -species, a red and a grey, the colour being independent of sex; the -rufous form is more common in Great Britain. After the first greyish -down of the nestlings they put on a more reddish brown than the adult -birds have. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE LONG-EARED OWL.] - - -THE LONG-EARED OWL. - -(_Asio ótus._) - -In the wooded districts of Great Britain this handsome Owl is always to -be found; the numbers bred here are augmented also by a considerable -number which come to us in autumn from the Continent. It is a larger -bird than the Short-eared species and it lives much in the same way as -the Brown Owl. These two are not so fastidious in their way of feeding -as the White Owl. It lives on small birds, rodents, bats, fish, reptiles -and large insects. Some have accused it of taking birds up to the size -of a Plover, but the late Lord Lilford stated that he had never heard -any complaint of its destruction of game in those districts where it was -comparatively common; the castings of this species which he examined -were mainly composed of the remains of greenfinches, sparrows and field -mice. It is often seen flying about by daylight and it _has_ been known -to pick up and carry off wounded birds. It is said to be much disliked -by other birds--possibly the last mentioned habit may be at the bottom -of this strong feeling on their part, also its appropriation of other -birds’ nests. The note of the hungry young birds of this species is a -loud mewing. - -The prophet Isaiah had not very pleasant associations with Owls, it -would seem. When speaking of desolated places, he says, “Owls shall -dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there ... the screech owl also shall -rest there ... the great owl make her nest....” - -Alluding to the death of Julius Cæsar--or rather to the omens that -preceded it--Shakespeare wrote: - - “And yesterday the bird of night did sit - Even at noonday, in the market-place, - Hooting and shrieking.” - -Of crook-backed Richard of Gloucester, too, he says: - - “The Owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign, - The night-crow cried.” - -Different parts of the White Owl’s body were supposed to possess -different magical powers, and they have been used by many a rural -imposter to breed awe in the credulous. - -Happily all this is changed now excepting amongst a small ignorant -minority. Of late years women who affected the fashion of wearing owls -heads and wings on toques seemed likely to become the poor Owls’ worst -enemy. Mr. Ward Fowler saw, not long ago, in a public house, this -advertisement: “Wanted at once by a London firm, 1,000 owls.” - -The late R. Bosworth Smith wrote: “The number of owls has been terribly -diminished. Let them be encouraged and protected in every possible way. -Let the gamekeeper be rewarded, as I have rewarded him myself, not for -the owls he destroys, but for the owls he preserves.... Let the owl be -regarded and protected in England as the stork is regarded and protected -in Holland!” - -The Long-eared Owl is 15 inches in length. The upper parts are a warm -buff, mottled and pearled with brown and grey and streaked with dark -brown, bill black, dark markings about the eyes, facial disk buff with -greyish black margin and outer rim. The long erectile tufts are streaked -with dark brown. The eyes are a rich yellow. Under parts warm buff and -grey with broad blackish streaks and small transverse bars. Legs covered -to the toes with fawn coloured feathers. The eggs, four to six in -number, are laid with us in an old squirrel’s drey or on the old nest of -a Ringdove, a Magpie, Rook, Crow, or Heron’s nest; in Hungary often in -that of a Buzzard or a Kite, with a few slight sticks and rabbits’ fur -added. They are white, the surface smooth but not glossy. As a rule this -species does not hoot like the Tawny Owl, but is rather silent. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SHORT-EARED OWL.] - - -THE SHORT-EARED OWL. (_Asio accipitrinus._) - -In Hungary Short-eared Owls appear in numbers with the Buzzards where -field mice get the upper hand, and work with these grander birds. A -peculiarity of the species is to crouch down to the earth like a hen -when in danger. So confiding in nature is it that it falls an easy prey -to the guns of those whom we call the “Sunday sportsmen,” to the great -loss of the agriculturist. Large numbers of the Short-eared Owl arrive -regularly in Great Britain from the Continent, to remain with us during -the winter. This species is often termed the Woodcock Owl here, partly -on account of its twisting flight it is supposed, and also because both -birds make their appearance about the same time--some years in larger, -some years in lesser numbers. A few pairs still breed in the eastern -counties, but it nests more often in the north, in widely scattered -parts of our moorland districts. In Scotland the species is common; but -in Ireland it has not yet been recorded as breeding, although it is very -common there in winter. I remember a relative telling me of a -Short-eared Owl hovering much over a terrier he had out walking with -him, one evening late, on Congleton Edge. Probably the bird had its -young on some tuft of heather near them and was anxious as to the safety -of these, and it would not have hesitated to attack the terrier had it -been alone. - -Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, in Lyddeker’s “R. Natural History,” says: “It is a -curious circumstance that, although the number of eggs laid by this -bird (the Short-eared Owl) is generally four, yet, when food is -unusually abundant, as during a lemming-migration, the number in a -clutch will rise to seven or eight, and during the recent vole plague in -Scotland larger numbers were recorded, reaching as many as thirteen.” - -As many as ten and twelve eggs were often found on some hill farms where -these Owls remained feeding all the winter and commenced nesting in -March, the birds in many cases nearing a second brood. - -Mr. Colles, of Higher Broughton, Manchester, speaking of the Short-eared -Owl, said in a letter to his friend (R. Bosworth Smith): “You will -remember that a few years ago certain parts of the country (Scotland) -were infested with voles to such an extent that the sheep would not eat -grass over thousands of acres of moorland. It was some two years after -they had been at their worst that my son and I were fishing in St. -Mary’s Loch; and one day, about noon, while I was crouching down between -the high banks of the Meggett, to keep out of sight of the fish, a -Short-eared Owl skimmed over the top of the bank directly to the place -where I was; and I can assure you that no exaggerated comic picture of -an Owl I had ever seen affected me as did this one. Its eyes looked to -me as large as saucers, and the bird seemed a perfect ogre. A few days -later we were fishing one of the tributaries of the Tweed near its -source, and had to walk a mile or so, on almost flat moorland, where -there was hardly a bush, much less a tree, to be seen. Wherever there -was rise enough in the ground to form a little bank the soil was -perfectly honeycombed with what appeared miniature colonnades or rather -cloisters, and we caught frequent glimpses of the voles within, as they -flitted along their galleries. When we were well into this dreary place -a couple of Short-eared Owls positively mobbed us, and as we walked -along, with our fishing-rods over our shoulders they followed us till we -reached a dry gully, where they became even more demonstrative, coming -well within point of our rods. On both occasions the hour was between -eleven and twelve o’clock and the sun was shining brilliantly.” - -The Short-eared Owl is fierce and bold in defence of her young. She will -attack larger animals than herself. In the Hawaiian Islands she has -always been much admired because of her fine qualities, and was indeed -one of the old tutelary deities of the natives. - -This Owl is from 14 to 15 inches in length. The ear-feathers are short, -the irides yellow, bill black, black about the eyes, and the facial disk -is browner than in the last-named species; the plumage of the upper -parts is more blotched than streaked; the buff tint is more decided. The -ear-tufts, though erectile, are short, and not seen except when the bird -is excited. Under-parts streaked lengthwise with blackish-brown, but -have no transverse bars. The young are browner and darker and more -boldly marked, and tawny on the under parts, iris paler than in the -adult. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE LITTLE OWL.] - - -THE LITTLE OWL. - -(_Athéne noctua._) - -The Little Owl makes its nest where it has its ordinary dwelling-place; -that is to say, in hollows, behind beams, sometimes even under bridges. -The clutch of eggs is four to five, and they are almost perfectly round. -The young are covered with white down. - -This is a friendly little species; it likes to get under the house-roof, -into barns and towers; retires also into the hollow of a tree and clefts -in old masonry. A capital mouse-hunter, it feeds also largely on -insects, and haunts the lawns to get out the earthworms. In winter it -catches birds at roost, getting numbers of Thrushes, also mice and other -small mammals. When the chase is prolonged till daylight the small birds -mob the Little Owl, surrounding him in numbers. They dare not meddle -with him because of his sharp claws, but they scold and chatter at him -as a shameless thief. Bird-catchers profit by this, and they fasten him -to a bough to act as a lure. There is in Hungary a superstition that no -one dies where this Little Owl appears and utters his cry of _Kooweek, -kooweek!_ which comes down from the gables or the attic windows of the -house. - - * * * * * - -The numbers of the Little Owl have been increasing in England of late. -Mr. Meade-Waldo informed me that in the neighbourhood of Penshurst, near -his own home, in Kent, he had seen as many as sixteen Little Owls -perched on the telegraph wires on the line between two stations. This -gentleman has always been known to be a lover and a protector of this -species. - -In Leadenhall Market there are often cages full of them which have been -brought over from Holland. They make delightful house pets and good -mousers indoors. “I have one of my own,” says A Son of the Marshes, “and -I set him down as a bird of priceless value, for he has the power to -make me laugh when I should be least in the mood for it.... Jan Steen -and Teniers introduced him into their pictures. In that of ‘The Jealous -Wife,’ for instance, there is the Little Owl perched on the window -shutter contemplating an aged man holding sweet converse with a young -woman, presumably his niece. The old woman, his wife, has also her head -in the opening, taking in the scene wrathfully. My own bird is at -liberty. This he uses to the best of his ability, making the third -member of our small household.” - - * * * * * - -The Little Owl is about eight inches long, but seems bigger than it is -because of its large head and soft plumage: its body is compressed in -form. Bill and iris are yellow, legs clad with hair-like feathers, toes -almost bare. The short tail is hardly visible beneath the points of the -wings. The back is greyish-brown, spotted with white; the belly whitish, -with long brown markings. - - -THE ROOK. - -(_Corvus frúgilegus._) - -The Rook lives in flocks and breeds in great colonies. Its nest is -smaller and looser than that of the Hooded Crow. Five or six nests one -above another, are often found in one tree--sometimes as many as -eighteen. It pairs somewhat late, in Hungary, but already in April may -be found three to five eggs of a pale green colour spotted with grey and -blue. These are smaller than those of the Hooded Crow. - -The Rook spends the greater part of its life in its native home, often -in huge crowds, numbering many thousands, which divide up during the day -to seek food in different parts of the neighbourhood. During the -breeding time they are divided according to the breeding places. This -bird is the most zealous follower of the ploughman, and by its great -number destroys an enormous quantity of noxious creatures--the -cockchafer being its most coveted delicacy. It covers, with its flocks, -the freshly ploughed field, and if they are sown, picks up the grains -that are lying about. It bores into the soft earth of the meadows and -cornfields, for destructive grubs, and pulls up the withered plants in -order to secure the caterpillar or wireworm which has destroyed the -roots. This has caused the Rook to be suspected of plundering the -fields, but the question has not yet been settled, and the general -inclination is in the bird’s favour. The fact is that even in Hungary, -where the Rook exists in millions, the people generally are indifferent -about it. Early sowing, while there is - -[Illustration: CHIEFLY USEFUL. - -THE ROOK. AN OLD AND A YOUNG BIRD.] - -sufficient insect food for the birds, is the best protection from its -mischief, and this is good for the services it performs. - -A knowledge of the habits of the Rook is important, because the bird is -closely associated with husbandry, and with its well organised work -deeply affects the interests of the husbandman. While the Hooded Crow -roams about the district with the Jackdaw, thousands of Rooks cover the -corn-fields; they settle also on fallow ground, on the freshly ploughed -field, on the sprouting crops, and on the turnip-field. It is this -appearance in vast numbers which mainly distinguishes the Rook from the -Hooded Crow, which otherwise its habits closely resemble. - -In regard to this bird also, different views are held. Whilst the -scientific agriculturist considers it useful, the old-fashioned -husbandman is convinced that it is harmful. Here again, therefore, must -a just verdict be given, between two opposing parties--but this verdict -must be impartial. Various things are said of the Rook--but it is not -true that it picks the seed out of the earth, so that the spoiled seed -has to be ploughed in again. It only takes the seed which has been -imperfectly covered by the harrow,--and the reploughing is only an empty -complaint, for no one ever heard tell of a particular village, or farm, -where reploughing had to be performed on account of the Rooks. The -farmer who keeps his eyes open before he gives an opinion knows that the -Rook digs his beak into the ground because he hopes to find worms there. -Sometimes it is shot, in order to be set up as a scarecrow, but they say -nothing of what may be found in its crop, should it be opened; this, -however, is just what is necessary in order to ascertain the -truth--although the other conditions of its life must also be taken into -account. - -It is easy to observe the behaviour of Rooks, because they always move -and act in flocks. These flocks are dissolved only in cold snowy -winters, when the birds, tired of the cold and lack of food, come into -the villages. When the early spring ploughing begins, part of them -follow the plough; the flock spreads itself over the freshly ploughed -land and they snap up the grubs of the destructive insects which escape -from the newly-turned clods. This then is useful work. They also settle -on the sown land and pick up the seeds which the harrow has left on the -surface, but at the same time devour the insects which the harrow has -turned up. There is no harm in this. In a short time the full spring has -come and the immature insects have developed into other forms--then the -Rook begins to think of building its nest. Its young are not fed on -seeds, for at that time there are none to be had, but exclusively on -insects--which again is a great and useful work. Then the flock spreads -over the neighbourhood, leaving their sleeping-place in the morning in a -body, and betaking themselves to different parts of the district; and it -may be remembered that separate flocks repeatedly visit the same spot, -and work there; as, for instance, one point in a great stretch of -cornland, where in the track of the birds lie many uprooted plants, -which the farmer generally looks upon as due to the mischief of the -Rooks. When insect life has become stronger, they settle on the meadows, -where they eagerly hunt for crickets and grasshoppers; then they return -to the ploughed fields and destroy the insects that have been -disturbed--and this is useful work. It is true that later on they visit -any heaps of cut corn that may lie in their way, and in this way do -harm, but the greater number of the flock pick up the fallen grains in -the stubble field, and a few follow the carts which carry the corn, and -pick up any that is dropped. There is no harm in this, as these ears -would in any case be lost to the farmer. At the time of the hay harvest -they settle on the ridges of cut grass and hunt for crickets and -grasshoppers, for these creatures have then no cover, and easily fall a -prey to the birds. The Rook also attacks the young maize and fruit, but -it has not skill in this respect and cannot do much harm. The harm done -is outweighed a thousandfold by the good which it does in the -destruction of insects. The black army of birds lights also upon the -turnip crops just at the time when these valuable plants are covered -with masses of the “turnip caterpillar.” By the destruction of this pest -they do the farmer invaluable service. - -This sanitary work continues into the late autumn as long as the -caterpillars, the Rook’s favourite food, remain. The Rook may do serious -damage during the autumn sowing, especially if it is thin, and sown and -harrowed so late that the caterpillars have disappeared, not so much, -however, that the field must be ploughed up; at the worst there would -remain only one or two unproductive spots, and we know that corn grows -in tufts, and if it is not thinned by the Rooks it must be done by the -farmer, so that the corn is not choked by its own abundance. - -When the hard part of winter comes, the flocks of Rooks seek towns and -villages, where they spend the nights on the roofs of houses in order to -shelter themselves from the icy wind; during the day they steal from -the barns and granaries, or, if the opportunity offers, they get at the -bundles of straw which they pull about to try and find a stray ear of -corn. - -This much is certain that the principal food of the Rook consists of -insects and grubs, which it gets not only from the surface of the earth, -but also from beneath it, when the bird sees from the colour of the -fading plant that a grub is gnawing at its root. This is the meaning of -the uprooted plants; and why one flock after another so often visits the -same cornfields. It is a sure sign that the wireworm or some similar -pest is busy with its depredations. Here again the work of the Rook is a -blessing. - -There are neighbourhoods where the farmer makes a great fuss about a -grain or two of wheat or maize, as if he must be ruined by the damage. I -repeat that the bird has earned its few grains by its other work; -indeed, without its useful services these grains would probably never -have grown. - -The lesson we learn then is as follows:--The Rook lives principally and -preferably on insects, grubs and worms, and so long as these are -procurable, it does not look for grain--therefore, the spring sowing -should be performed as late as possible, when the insects have -developed, and the Rook can find its natural food; in autumn the sowing -should be done as early as possible while there are still some insects -to be found. The further actions of this bird are protective, for it -attacks the gnawing maggots that live in the ground. These facts can be -verified by dissection of the bird, when the stomach is often found to -be full of wire-worms. - -None the less researches into the habits of the rook require to be more -thoroughly worked out, and this must not be lost sight of. - - * * * * * - -I asked a tenant farmer in our own Midlands his views on the subject of -Rooks and the following, with some slight editing of my own, was what he -sent me. I give it in full as although there may be some repetition of -the foregoing statements, it has special interest as coming from one of -our English farmers. - -A recent writer from the sportsman’s point of view speaks of the Rook as -“this black robber,” and he says that there is no practical difference -of opinion as to the question whether his benefits outweigh his -depredations. Now, as a farmer, I confidently affirm that he does much -more good than harm. He will sometimes uproot vegetables in getting at -the worms round their roots. It is true also that he often robs the -nests of the pheasant and the partridge; but, as I could easily show, he -does far more good to the general community by furthering the labours of -agriculturists, on whom so much depends, than harm to the sport of our -leisured classes. - -A more social bird even than the gregarious starling, he flies in -flocks, feeds in flocks, and builds in flocks. His everyday life may -appear to be an uneventful one to the outside world, and most -commonplace; yet it is full of adventure and of joy tempered with -sorrows. Apparently a grave bird, he is brimful of humour and, at times, -as full of play as a titmouse. Like all other links in the seemingly -endless chain of nature, he is the victim of circumstances: without much -ado he could count up his sincere friends, but his enemies are beyond -his conception of numbers. - -From his winter homing quarters he comes with his company during -February to inspect the colony of breeding nests which he regards as his -peculiar domain, going back as night approaches to his sleeping-place -until all is ready for the family life to begin. Rookeries vary, of -course, greatly in size; one may be as a city or large town, again there -will be a village, and here and there a small hamlet. There are in my -own fields one of about a hundred and thirty nests, one of sixty, one of -eight, and another of four nests. Of these latter I have some views of -my own. I believe them to be those of odd and outlawed individuals who -follow the other companies hither, but are socially considered as -pariahs. My nearest neighbours are those of the sixty-two-nest village, -and my last census-taking records about sixty-two married couples and -thirty-six or more odd or unmated birds. These are all, of course, adult -birds, their numbers reckoned before the young were hatched out. - -The odd birds may some of them be outlaws, as I said before, but the -majority of them are not vagabonds by any means. They only happen to -belong to that numerous enough class amongst humans--those who have been -forced by some just cause or impediment into a life of celibacy. As the -rook does not mate until it is nearly two years old, a number of the -single birds are, therefore, simply lusty young bachelors. The few -individuals whom I sum up as ne’er-do-weels or unfortunates--I know -personally three of these at the present moment--are to be recognised by -the shabby, neglected, and generally unkempt appearance of their -plumage, and some other of the many outward signs of a past henpecked -existence. I am ignorant of the life history of these; perhaps if we -knew all about them we should look upon them as objects of pity rather -than of reproach. Now and again I notice that a few old birds in our -colony appear to be dissatisfied with everybody and everything; and -imaginary grievances, political and social, often lead to a segregation -scheme. This is how I have accounted for my hamlet of four nests. The -general run of our odd, or celibate, birds is, however, good in -character; they help in the building of the nests and even in feeding -the sitting birds. For the wedded pairs April is a most trying time: if -the season be a dry one, or frost sets in, food is scarce. Insects and -worms are deep in the earth; the farmer is engaged in sowing his spring -corn, oats, and barley. The rooks prefer a diet of insects, worms and -grubs, but these are hard to get at times; the spring beans are just -peeping through, and the sitting hen asks for food. The cock bird -ventures too long in the beanfield, and as he skims over the hedge with -a bean or two in his pouch a shot is heard; the faithful mate of the -sitting bird is brought down to mother earth, and the farmer feels that -he has one enemy the less. Personally I would not shoot a bird if you -gave me a sovereign for it. The old bird may, and does, grieve, but the -news of her loss is soon at the rookery, and her food is brought to her -by a new mate. Thus there is a place taken in the rookery by one of our -odd birds, and there is a bachelor less in the community. I have known -many a bird die about this time through over-zeal--a slave to love and -duty. If April prove seasonable and mild with showers, worms are -plentiful, and the farmer’s gun remains in its place over the kitchen -chimneypiece. - -Often during the building season the rookery is disturbed by discordant -notes, accompanied by a great fluttering of wings; there is a big row in -the township; not a duel over a “squaw”: the rook is a philosopher, and -the ritual of love-making and matrimony are of the simplest. The bother -will be over divergent interests or a disputed claim, for there is a -recognised right of property--not ground-rent to pay, but a specified -limit for nest-room has been accorded. The trouble occurs mostly with -young birds wishing to place their nests too near to an old nest. A -parish council is called, with the result that the disputants’ nests are -soon scattered to the winds, and the claimant and the defendant may both -have to begin a new foundation. Sometimes there is a disturbance on a -more limited scale: one between very near neighbours or -blood-relations--a family jar, in fact. One pair of birds do their very -best to pull the sticks from the nest of another pair: each of the -contending parties will do all they can to prevent the other from -building. - -As to the nests, we all know how busily the rooks set to work to repair -these after a gale of wind has wrought some havoc in their colonies; but -I do not think it is equally well known that they are curiously -weather-wise, and they scent the coming storm and set to work to repair -and strengthen before the imminent gale has been evident to the farmer. -I have noticed that fact; the Rook’s powers of sight and hearing are -remarkable. - -At the end of the breeding-season comes the farmers’ rook-shooting, -which I, for one, never take part in: I have too much regard for the -labours of both the adult and the young birds. About the roots of each -of the turnip-plants there may gather scores of wireworms, which eat the -turnips; in the crops of young birds which have been shot are found -myriads of these wireworms, or it may be that they are filled with grubs -of various sorts, the larvæ of cockchafers, etc. In fact, in my -opinion--that of a tenant farmer who is forced to make things pay--all -the Rook’s acts of depredation ought to be forgotten if we carefully -consider the great services he renders to the agriculturist. Beetles, -tipula (Daddy Longlegs grubs), warble grubs, oak-leaf roller -caterpillars, and the caterpillars of the diamond-backed moth he -devours. The game-preserver may grudge the birds their plundering of his -nests, but the farmer is in gratitude bound to spare them. A lot of -young birds at the rook-shooting time are still unable to take a flight -of any distance, but others are, happily for themselves, able to fly -well. I am persuaded that the old parent birds often--foreseeing a -shooting raid--get these out of the way, and so they secure life for a -number of their young who might have been sacrificed. They betake -themselves in parties to their rootings about the elms upon outlying -pastures. Daily they grow stronger on the wing, and learn the ways and -means of living. - -Like all long-lived creatures, the Rook is temperate in eating, and he -is capable of going a long time without food--a faculty which stands him -in good stead during hard winters. In a long frost or a prolonged -drought he is a most determined robber, and when he is on what he knows -to be forbidden ground, he posts a sentinel to give warning of the -approaching farmer or watcher. He is known to take the eggs of such -favourite birds as the thrush and the blackbird, whose nests are open, -and therefore soon discovered and plundered. But this is no doubt where -his proper food is scarce; and if man had not been so eager in the -destruction of some of our birds of prey, who are the natural enemies of -him and his, Rooks would be less plentiful in some districts. Still, I -for one have no desire to see their numbers decrease, so certain am I of -their value; and I believe this bird will become even more valuable as -time goes on. - -The Rook is somewhat smaller than the Hooded Crow; the beak more -slender, rather straighter; the base of it in mature age bare, and -covered with a kind of white scurf. The entire bird is black with a -steely-blue and purple gloss. The feet black and thick, the claws -strong, the sole rough; it walks better than the Hooded Crow. The beak -of the young bird is not bare, the nostrils being covered with bristly -feathers. The bareness first appears when the bird begins to dig in the -ground for its food. - -[Illustration: The open nest tempts the Rook.] - - -THE HOODED-CROW. - -(_Corvus cornix._) - -The Hooded Crow walks well, with head erect, moving its tail right and -left as it goes. Its flight is easy, using comparatively little movement -of the wings. This Crow usually makes its nest in the tops of high -trees, preferably in one standing alone in a field; but sometimes on -rocks. It does not build in colonies but usually settles alone, though -occasionally two or three pairs will build on the edge of a wood or in a -small plantation. The nest consists of twigs, roots, and grass; the -hollow of the nest being safely lined; in the spring it contains four to -six eggs of a light green colour speckled with grey and brown marks. - -In mild seasons this bird has been known to pair, as early as the end of -February, but the usual time is March. Then the construction and -arrangements of the nest begins. The female bird, only, sits on the -eggs; the male guards the nest and provides the food. When near the -nest, he is a courageous, even daring bird, able to keep off such -enemies as the Hawk or the Eagle. His cry is “_kár, kár_.” - -The Hooded Crow is a clever intelligent bird. It easily adapts itself to -circumstances; the wave-lashed rock, or the icy peak, are as acceptable -to it as green meadows, or the palms and sycamores of Egypt; the woods, -as welcome as the heart of the snug village, as the tiny garden round a -peasant’s hut. It is omnivorous; so long as it can find food in forest -or field, on the sea shore or river bank, it avoids the proximity of -man; but when winter comes, it settles near inhabited districts and - -[Illustration: CHIEFLY USEFUL. - -THE HOODED OR ROYSTON CROW.] - -highroads, in order to seize upon anything eatable, however bad its -condition. - -And now let us investigate its actions, which divide men into two camps, -one of which states that the Hooded Crow is harmful, the other that it -is serviceable. First, as to the harm. It is true that this bird -considers a young chicken a great delicacy, and so, takes one when it -has a chance. But this happens very rarely, for the good mother-hen -flies at the marauder, and raises a cry that brings out the people of -the house to see what is the matter, and the Crow has to beat a retreat, -without having secured its prey--or run the risk of having a wing broken -by a stone, a rolling-pin, or other missile. Should it succeed in -securing a chicken, then indeed it has done harm, but this happens so -rarely, that the housekeeper does not make much account of it. It is -also true that it attacks the timid little hares in the fields, and if -the mother is absent, the young ones are quickly destroyed, and torn to -pieces by two or three blows of the strong beak. In this case it is the -sportsman who is most annoyed, for the farmer is no friend of the hare, -which does great harm in the winter by gnawing the fruit trees. It is a -known fact also that the Crow robs the nests of birds which are built on -the ground in the fields, when it finds them. This also is harm, but the -little birds exhibit wonderful instinct in hiding their nests, so that -even the sharp-eyed Crow can rarely find one, especially when we -consider that its attention is constantly being diverted from the search -by a fat cricket or grasshopper, or a mouse slipping hurriedly by. -Neither can it be denied that when the ears of maize are young and soft -the Crows opens the husk with its beak and regales itself with the milky -juice. This is indeed mischievous, but the harm is only local. A few -farmers track it down, others do not, for about this time the bird -begins to mend his ways. It cannot be denied either that it pecks young -fruit of all kinds, and later pulls it off the trees, and if not driven -away, considerable damage is done, especially if the orchard lies within -a district where Crows abound. It is evident then that the gamekeeper -must be allowed a little license, for where game is bred and preserved, -especially in such places as Pheasant runs, the Crow may do much damage -among the young birds; but why is the gamekeeper there, if not to scare -away the feathered thieves with his gun? Once having experienced such a -fright the Crow does not often return to the same place. - -And now let us consider the bird’s good deeds. - -The ploughman would be indeed unwise were he to scare away the Crow, -that, following in the furrow of the plough, picks out from the freshly -turned clods, the worms, grubs, and maggots, which are the farmer’s -worst enemies; nor do the evicted tenants of overturned mouse-nests -escape the strong beak of the bird;--and how busy it is when a plague of -mice occurs, as it does in some seasons! Then occurs a wholesale -massacre, and if this visitation happens in winter, the snow bears -evident traces of the Crow’s sanguinary work. - -It is also useful among the sheep and cattle, settling on their backs, -and destroying the parasites that attack them. The beasts leave it -undisturbed knowing that it is doing them good service. Neither must we -forget that in villages, near human habitations it does excellent -scavengering work. It knows the precise time at which the remnants of -food are usually thrown out from the cottage on the rubbish heap, and -waits on the roof, till the moment arrives when it can pounce on the -promising morsels, which it carries away; thus removing what would -otherwise soon have become putrid. In winter when pigs are killed, the -Crows wait, among the neighbouring trees, for their share. - -The only remaining question, then, is, in which part of the year this -bird is harmful, and in which serviceable, and how long does each of -these periods last. The destructive period is really of short duration, -for the chickens soon grow into hens, the leverets become hares, the -young birds leave the nests, the maize hardens, and ripe fruit lasts but -a little while. That is to say, the destructive period lasts but a few -weeks. And what does the Hooded Crow do for the rest of the year? It -destroys insect pests, cleanses and purifies, and by its continuous -activity, does a service to man, which no other creature could do. - -Wherever and whenever this bird does harm it must be driven off, but not -destroyed. The hens must be kept from roving, and the orchard must be -watched. If it will not be scared away then it must be shot. But when -busy in the furrow, the field, or the dunghill, let it be left in peace, -for it is doing a beneficent work. Neither nature nor man can do without -the Hooded Crow, and for this reason it must be treated indulgently. - - * * * * * - -The head, wings, tail, feet and throat of this bird are black, but not -glossy; the lower breast, under-parts, and back ashen grey; the grey -colour of the back forms a kind of mantle,--hence the name Mantle--or -Hooded Crow. The strong curved beak is black, the nostrils covered by -bristly feathers; the eyes dark brown; the feet strong and armed with -thick scales, the soles rough. - -To England and Wales the Hooded, often called the Grey or Royston Crow, -is a regular and in many districts far too numerous a visitor, from -October on during the winter. A few birds have remained to breed, and -some cases of hybridism with the Carrion Crow occur in the North. In -Ireland it has become a perfect scourge. In the Isle of Man it is said -to nest each year. On the Scottish Mainland again they are far too many -of this species. So greedy is he that Howard Saunders tells of having -seen him eagerly devouring the carcase of a recently shot member of the -same brood as himself. To some extent hybrids with the Carrion Crow are -said to be fertile. - -A Son of the Marshes says that the Cob--the Great Black-backed Gull, -which is called the Carrion Gull, is a noble and open minded bird -compared with the Dun Crow--the Hooded Crow of the foreshores. “His -general conduct would lead you to think he was only looking about for -amusement, up and down and over the water, just far enough to see if any -prey, such as a dead fish or fowl, is washing in. He does not mean the -gulls to share the spoil if he can help it. He flaps to the beach and -out again just to make sure that it is coming all right, and gorbles to -himself a little. This wave must beach it, he thinks; but no, with the -receding of the wave the fish--a large dead skate--goes also. The next -long roller may have more force in it, so he hopes, with half open wings -and throat feathers puffed out, down to the very edge of the watery -beach. Perching next on a large stone, with keen eye and outstretched -neck, the bird sees it gather, a mile out. On it comes, gathering in -force as it begins to crest up, until with a crash it breaks, and -Hoody’s dead fish is flung high and dry almost at his feet. Hardly, -however, has he had time to give one or two vicious digs at the now -tender skin in order to get at his highly flavoured meat, when from all -points of the compass other crows come shooting along like so many hawks -to join in the banquet. We could have knocked them over well”, concludes -our Marshman, “but on no account would we have done so for they were -doing their appointed work, that of clearing up the refuse brought in by -the tide, honestly and well. “Hoody” is one of the scavengers of the -foreshores.” - -[Illustration: THE CARRION CROW.] - - -THE CARRION CROW (_Corvus coróne_.) - -The principal colour is black, shining, with a steely blue lustre on the -neck and back. The beak strong, distinctly curved, and black, as are -also the feet; the eyes are dark brown. The Carrion Crow makes its nest -in woods and is for the most part solitary; when with others, each one -nests alone on a separate tree. The nest consists of twigs, roots, -leaves, etc. The hollow of the nest is softly lined, and in the spring, -four to six eggs may be found in it, of a pale green colour, speckled -with brown and grey. - -The Carrion Crow is sly and cunning; courageous, but at the same time, -cautious, and extraordinarily clever; it discriminates exactly between -the farmer and the hunter, and allows the former to come quite close to -him. Its sense of smell is very delicate; it scents carrion a mile away, -under snow and earth. This bird is to the West what the Hooded Crow is -to the East--from Austria onward through the whole of Germany and in -Great Britain. It croaks hoarsely “_Caw, caw, caw_.” - -The Carrion Crow follows the plough, and devours grubs and mice; it eats -the insects in large quantities, and lies in wait for the mice about -their holes. On the sea shore, it will seize a large muscle with its -beak, fly up to a considerable height in the air, then drop the muscle -on to a rock, so that the shell is broken to pieces, and the contents -emptied out. The Carrion Crow steals and plunders the nests of the -useful birds, spoils fruit and crops; but the great naturalist Naumann -advises that these birds should not be too hastily destroyed, for they -do mischief only for a short time, while during the rest of the year -they make war on the numerous pests, and are of great service to the -husbandman. - - * * * * * - -Since so much bird protection has been inculcated, these Crows are -enjoying much more immunity from harm than heretofore. The result is -that in some of our London suburbs the bold but handsome creature comes -to feed with the small birds at our very doors in cold weather. I have -often watched the ungainly yet cautious manœuvres of a Crow which has -frequented my little lawn at Ealing. The letting of his heavy body down -from over the ends of the outstretching bough of a great elm, which has -its trunk on the other side of my fence, so as to quietly drop on to the -grass on the feeding side of the fence--is very comical. He evidently -wishes to do it as slyly and as quietly as possible. Caution and cunning -are inherited traits with the once persecuted crow. I confess to a -liking for him, but then I am not interested in the preservation of -game. He pairs for life too, and is therefore a respectable character so -far. And he too is useful as a scavenger, and takes also plenty of rats -as well as insects and grubs. When the pair are on the hunt together, -one watches whilst the other feeds. He greatly resembles his greater -relative the Raven, in shape and plumage, and gamekeepers hate him even -more than they do the latter bird, which country folks generally regard -as the more ill-omened of the two. - -Speaking of my own pet Crow, a new maid I had came to my bedside early -the morning after her arrival, to inform me that she could not possibly -stay in my house as a Crow had croaked about her bedroom window -“something dreadful.” - -In Thibet, we read, there is an evil city of Crows, and Hiawatha is said -to have known of a land of dead crowmen. The Crow, according to the old -Vedas, fell from Paradise, and in Norway there is “the Hill of Bad -Spirits,” where the souls of the wicked fly about in the guise of crows. -Happy the present generation who are taught more toleration for “all -things both great and small.” - -The Carrion Crow has always done good work as a scavenger, for which he -has had small thanks. The poets have all combined in holding him up to -execration. - - “My roost is the creaking gibbet’s beam - Where the murderer’s bones swing bleaching; - Where the clattering chain rings back again - To the night-wind’s desolate screeching.” - -It is good to believe that “sweetness and light” are gradually getting -the upper hand; and the gibbet with its ghastly burden, and most of the -cruel superstitions concerning some of the most useful of God’s -feathered creatures are alike a thing of the past. - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE RAVEN.] - - -THE RAVEN. - -(_Corvus córax._) - -The Raven is fully one third larger than the crow. Its plumage is black, -with a blue or green lustre. Tail wedge-shaped; beak large and slightly -curved; the breast feathers pointed. It builds its nest in woods, on the -tops of high trees; selecting most cunningly such trees as cannot be -climbed. The clutch consists of four to six light green eggs with dark -speckles. - -It flies well, and can hover in circles, and is a cunning, shy bird, -always ready for plunder--but a splendid creature. It is really sad that -it should allow itself to be led away to the paths of dishonesty by the -sight of shining objects. It attacks everything from earth-worms to -hares, plunders and steals nests, takes eggs and fledgelings, and also -feeds on carrion. According to popular superstition, it first pecks out -the eyes of its prey. The proverb says:--One crow does not peck out the -eyes of another. - -Another proverb allegorically expresses the fact that the young brood -are black:--It may be freely translated as follows:-- - - “That ravens bear not doves ’tis known, - And grapes on thorn-trees ne’er have grown.” - -The Raven lives to a great age; it becomes tame in confinement, and can -be easily taught. It even learns to speak, and can pronounce words -clearly. It is the jester among the animals in the farm-yard. It -sometimes happens that the black colouring matter is wanting in the -plumage of the raven, and the bird is then white. This, however, occurs -very rarely--so that when people wish to explain that a certain thing is -quite exceptional, they speak of it as a white raven. - -The coat-of-arms of the renowned Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus, bears -a raven with a golden ring in its beak. There were more Ravens in those -old troublous days, of long, wild trains of warriors and robbers, when -slaughtered men and fallen cattle remained unburied by the wayside, and -when the gallows stood in the open field, as a sign and a warning to -men,--than there are now, in our days of milder methods. - -The Raven is not altogether common with us. - - * * * * * - -Don Quixote says that King Arthur did not die but was changed by -witchcraft into a raven, and that some day he will put on his own shape -again and claim his old rights. And so no Englishman--he says--has ever -been known to kill a raven, for fear he should kill King Arthur. The -Raven, it seems, has continued to build every year since 1856 either at -Badbury Rings--Mount Badon, where King Arthur defeated the West Saxons, -or else, so the late Mr. Bosworth Smith told us, “in the adjoining park -of Kingston Lacy, where they are safe under the protection of Mr. Ralph -Bankes.” - -The necromancers of old are said to detect sixty-five intonations of the -Raven’s voice; he certainly croaks and barks and chuckles, but it has -some pleasanter, more musical notes early in the year in the courting -season, and the great solemn looking bird becomes quite playful and even -graceful in his movements when his mate and he are about to make their -nest. He performs evolutions in the air and turns somersaults most -gleefully. The pair play together and tumble down as if shot, and turn -over on their backs. Then whilst his mate is sitting he keeps careful -watch over her and utters savage croaks if any footstep approaches. He -will fight any large bird of prey that dares to approach his nesting -place. A faithful creature, he pairs for life and, says one of his -lovers “you will hear him utter a low gurgling note of conjugal -endearment which will sometimes lure his mate from her charge; and then -after a little coze and talk together, you will see him, unlike many -husbands, relieve her for the time of her responsibilities, and take his -own turn on the nest.” - -The Raven is in danger of extinction in our country unless better -protection can be procured for him. Sheep farmers have a special grudge -against him. Its numbers are kept down in the South of England by the -prices paid for the young birds. Still they continue to breed all along -the south coast and from North Devon to Wales, wherever there is a -suitable headland. The so-called Raven-trees are much fewer than they -used to be. The Raven is rare in the eastern counties and in the -Midlands. In Scotland it is not uncommon wherever it finds suitable -cliffs to build in. In Ireland its numbers are fast decreasing. Its -fondness for weakly ewes, lambs and game make him an object of hatred in -many districts. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE JACKDAW.] - - -THE JACKDAW. - -(_Corvus monedula._) - -The Jackdaw is considerably smaller than the Crow. The crown of its head -is black, the nape and throat grey at the sides; the back and the tail -also black; the underpart slatey-grey and black. The plumage and eyes of -the Jackdaw become whitish in old age. It builds its nest in hollow -trees, in the clefts of banks and of old masonry, and in towns between -the ornamental parts of buildings. The eggs, which usually are five in -number, are of a light bluish-green speckled with dark grey and olive -brown. - -The movements of this bird are quick and active, it is light on the -wing, busy in flight and call. Its cry sounds like “_Cáee, Caee_.” Heard -from a height it attracts attention to the approaching birds. Jackdaws -usually fly in small flocks; they mix with other Crows and roam about -the fields and meadows with them. It is a confiding bird, that not only -visits large towns, but actually dwells in them. It is true that it does -not despise a brood of young birds, if fortunate enough to secure one; -but its principal food consists of the numerous insects, maggots, worms, -caterpillars, and other creatures which the plough discovers with the -upturned clod in field and meadow. It is pleasant to observe the bird -following the ploughman at a distance of five or six paces, watching -with its sharp, bright eyes for what the ploughshare may turn up--and -descrying, instantly, even the very tiniest grub or maggot. The slight -harm which it may do among the young birds or the fruit, or -occasionally in the young maize ears, is outweighed a thousand times by -the services performed for men by this lively, busy bird, as a destroyer -of insect pests. - -The Jackdaw becomes very tame if caught young; it accustoms itself to -life indoors, and becomes attached to members of the household--and can -be taught many funny tricks and games. It is a great thief, taking away -and hiding any shiny object it can carry. It loves a bath, and -immediately paddles about in any little piece of water it can find. - -The Jackdaw is found throughout the greater part of Europe; South of -Germany it is somewhat rare. Nowhere is it so numerous as in Russia. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Herman’s mention of the Jackdaw’s nesting place being in towns among -the ornamental parts of buildings reminds me of an act of great apparent -cruelty on that bird’s part which a friend witnessed and reported to me. -He was passing by Apsley House at Hyde Park corner one Spring morning -when he noticed a Jackdaw pounce on a Pigeon which was about one of the -ornamental parts of that mansion. The Jackdaw literally tore the poor -bird to pieces. Whether the Pigeon was invading ground the Jackdaw -looked upon as its own domain he could not say; but the sight was cruel -enough. That this species is intolerant in nature is shown by the fact -that he would hardly ever nest in the same neighbourhood as the Chough -when this bird was more plentiful than it is now. The Chough has ousted -it--or at any rate taken its place in Kerry and Donegal, and other wild -parts of the Irish coast, though it is numerous in other districts. -Large numbers of Jackdaws come to our eastern coast in autumn. - -I have referred more than once to the late Rev. R. Bosworth Smith, but I -feel that I must give one other fact here which came to me through a -friend of his own who attended his funeral. It has not, I believe, been -recorded before. He had a special affection for the bird now under -notice. After a very serious operation in London this gentleman--and how -truly gentle he was, many a one knows--declared that he wished “to be -back amongst his dear birds again” at Bingham’s Melcombe old Manor -House. In his delightful book “Bird Life and Bird Lore” he has told us -of the falling of the big tree in which eleven pairs of Jackdaws had -their ancestral home. It fell, crushing an unlucky cow that happened to -be taking an afternoon nap beneath it. After its fall, the whole colony -of daws sat on the stump and held a conference. Other Jackdaws who had -lately been shut out by wirework from the Manor House chimneys, and more -whom the churchwardens had banished from the church belfry were also -hard put to, at the same time, to find proper lodgings. Their numbers -did not, however, diminish, in the grounds, and when their friend came -home to die in the midst of his feathered friends, strangely enough a -Jackdaw circled round about the church whilst the last service was held -for him, followed the coffin to the grave, and hovered about this, and -near the friends who were there, until the last sad rites were over. If -space allowed one could tell other stories of the strange sympathy -between birds and their human friends. - -Many a sheep farmer can speak to the services Jackey renders to his -sheep in ridding them of their tormentors in the shape of ticks, not to -speak of the friend he is to the grazier in ridding his beasts of the -flies that harass and nearly madden them at times. This goes far beyond -making up for the eggs of small birds, pheasants and partridges. It is -on record that 400 maggots, each an inch in length, have been taken from -one wretched beast, and of the Ox Bot-fly we read that the eggs having -been laid in the hair on the skin of cattle and the maggots being -hatched out, these eat their way through the skin, and, taking a lodging -beneath it, they form large tumours known as warbles. The grub can -enlarge this at will through a breathing hole left in the skin. After -staying in these horrible quarters for ten or eleven months, feeding on -the nastiness there, it creeps out, drops to the ground, and buries -itself to pass through the pupa stage, whence it emerges a winged fly. -Then there is the Sheep Bot-fly which is worse still, laying its eggs in -the nostrils of sheep. The maggots force their way upwards as far as the -bones of the forehead where they abide for about nine months, causing -vertigo and staggers, and sometimes death. Finally they descend by the -nostrils and are got rid of by the poor sheep’s sneezing. They get so to -ground and bury themselves. From the pupa they pass to the winged stage -so as to lay eggs in summer. - -Who that has seen our bird on the back of one of these tormented -creatures could ever complain of “that wicked Jackdaw.” - -The gardener also may welcome it with justice. Earwigs and spiders, with -their white bags of eggs or young, Jackey makes short work of, also -snails. It is true he takes ripe fruit, peas, etc., but we may not -grudge one of the very best of our bird lovers a tithe of the produce -which his own good services have increased immeasurably to our benefit. -That ancient poet who wrote of the cave where - - “Birds obscene, - Of ominous note, resorted, choughs and daws.” - -was not so good an agriculturist as one might have expected him to be. - -Cowper appreciated the character of the Jackdaw to the full. He says - - “There is a bird who, by his coat - And by the hoarseness of his note, - Might be supposed a crow. - A great frequenter of the church, - Where, bishop-like, he finds a perch, - And dormitory too. - - * * * * * - - Thrice happy bird, I too have seen - Much of the vanities of men, - And, sick of having seen ’em, - Would cheerfully these limbs resign - For such a pair of wings as thine, - And such a head between ’em.” - -[Illustration: DOUBTFUL. - -THE MAGPIE.] - - -THE MAGPIE. - -(_Píca rústica._) - -This is an extraordinarily clever, sly, and calculating bird, which, -although living mostly in the neighbourhood of man, never becomes -confiding, though bold enough to steal a young bird off the nest, and -make away with it. When a pig is killed, it lurks around for hours with -other birds of the crow species, near the spot where the pig is singed -and cut open; and at an opportune moment darts down, siezes something, -and is instantly back on the roof or the hay rick. - -In a hard winter it will come into the farmyard or the village, and -filch whenever and whatever it can. It builds its nest, preferably, on a -road where rows of acacia trees border the cornfields; a spot which -offers a wide field for its activity: doing mischief by decimating the -young birds; but on the other hand it destroys grubs and beetles, and in -this way is useful. It does, however, considerable harm, and therefore -its numbers should be lessened in my opinion. - -It is well known that the Magpie steals any shining object it can find. -Its call sounds like “Shakerack.” There is a saying in Hungary, where it -is very numerous, that when the Magpie cries on the roof there are -visitors coming. - - * * * * * - -Game-preservers have managed to destroy more Magpies than Jays in Great -Britain, but the Magpie is still fairly numerous and the species is -distributed widely throughout our country. In Ireland it is even -increasing in numbers. The Magpie confers immense benefits by devouring -slugs, snails, worms, rats and mice, and these ought surely to weigh -against its depredations in the poultry yard, and where eggs and game -are concerned. - -A number of Magpies together have, under stress of hunger, been known to -attack weakly animals, and the late Lord Lilford recorded an instance of -fourteen or fifteen of these birds fastening on to a sore-backed donkey -in very severe snowy weather, and after the death of this animal, from -natural causes, several of the birds were shot as they fed on its body. -But what will starving creatures not do if they can fill their empty -stomachs? Their keen eyes also see when a fox is growing exhausted, and -they will hover and swoop over it in a most suggestive manner. - -In point of fact the Magpie robs poultry yards, taking eggs, chicks and -young ducks, during the months of May and June especially; but these -might be protected. Some fruit too he will steal; but let us consider -that all the year round he feeds on the very worst enemies to -agriculture, and that it feeds its young, generally six of these in each -nest, on insects chiefly and later on rats, mice, etc. The short-tailed -Vole or field mouse of which from time to time our country has a perfect -plague “overwhelming the whole earth, in the marshes,” said one old -chronicler, is especially sought for by the Magpie and these Field Voles -have three or four litters in the year, litters of from four to eight -young. One writer states his belief that the destruction of Kestrels and -Magpies is the cause of the increase of Field Voles. The Rev. J. G. Wood -considered that it more than compensated for the harm it did to game and -poultry by its good offices in ridding the gardens and cultivated -grounds of their varied foes, and Macgillivray gave the bird a good -character on the whole. Our cattle are grateful for its services; like -the Jackdaw it frees them often of the vermin which annoy them so -persistently. The large White--or cabbage butterflies, it devours -largely, and these feed on other crops beside cabbage, both the leaves -and seed-pods of turnips for instance, horse-radish too and watercress. -Enormous flights of these insects come to us from abroad from time to -time. - -It is of course a noisy chattering creature, and, as a child, I remember -I had a perfect terror of a tame Magpie that ran after me, pecking at my -heels. Its “tricks and manners” leave much to be desired, it must be -owned, yet it is an ornament to the country side, and to meet more than -one Magpie is considered to be a very lucky omen, that is, I believe, up -to six. In Scandinavia it is the bird of good luck, par excellence, and -its presence is much desired about the homestead. - - * * * * * - -Montgomery wrote: - - “Magpie, thou too hast learned by rote to speak - Words without meaning through thy uncouth beak.” - -but the Magpie retorts: - - “Words have I learned, and without meaning too, - Mark well, my masters taught me all they knew.” - -Head, neck, throat, mantle, rump, and thighs black; breast, underparts, -shoulder and the inside of the wing feathers pure white. This gives the -bird a very pied appearance. The tail is long, arrow-shaped, and like -the wings have a beautiful metallic lustre. Its nest, which is a work -of art, is built in trees. Dry twigs and thorns form the foundation, and -on this lies the cup made of earth or clay and lined with fine roots, -leaves and hair. Over this is a domed roof of thorns and twigs: the -opening of the nest is at the side. The clutch consists of four to seven -eggs of greenish grey speckled with brown. - -[Illustration: Out in the Cold.] - - -THE JAY. - -(_Gárrulus glandárius._) - -Wherever this bird is found woods and gardens ring with the sound of its -voice. Its usual cry sounds like “Matyash” (Hungarian for the name -Matthias) by which name it is consequently often called in that country. -It is an active, restless visitor to the bushes and gardens, when they -are near a wood. It is not dainty and its voracity is great. Nuts, -filberts, acorns, beechnuts, fruits, berries, but also insects from -grubs upwards, grasshoppers, beetles,--everything finds its way into its -crop. Such things as nuts and filberts, which have a hard shell, it -collects in crevices and holes. All this is not so bad, but another of -its habits is evil--it is a nest plunderer. Eggs, naked fledglings, -half-fledged young, sitting on the edge of the nest awaiting the -mother’s return--all become its prey. In order to reach them it squeezes -through the thick growth of the whitethorn. In fact it is a shameful -bird that deserves no consideration. - -If caught young and kept in a cage or running about the house, he is -often found to be an amusing fellow, even if not quite tame,--and proves -himself a perfect master in imitating the notes of other birds. In the -first place he learns the noises of the domestic fowls and animals. He -chirps like the little chickens, crows and cackles; then he howls like -the dog, cries like the cat, squeaks like the unoiled hinges of a door, -or a cart-wheel. He answers the Cock, like a cock, the goose, like a -goose. His usual cry is a screeching “Retch” or “Rey”--or when in fear -“Kay” or “Kray.” - -[Illustration: DOUBTFUL. - -THE JAY.] - -It is fairly numerous with us, and is on account of its brilliant -plumage, an ornament of the woods. - - * * * * * - -In Great Britain the Jay finds little consideration, save from the -makers of artificial flies, after he has been shot or trapped. The -lovely blue wing-feathers are used by these men. Gamekeepers also show -him scant mercy. Still he manages to hold his own in the woodlands and -is fairly common in England and Wales. In Ireland its numbers are fast -decreasing. On the east coasts large flocks sometimes arrive from the -Continent to stay for a time; but the Jay is of course resident with us -as a species. - -The Jay is perhaps now receiving a little more toleration than formerly. -It devours worms and insects, certainly, and to a considerable extent. A -Son of the Marshes puts it in a light which is worthy of consideration. -To quote from “Nature’s Raiders”--“The Jays have scant mercy shown them -as a rule. On some estates extreme measures are carried out against them -but this is not always the case. Taking their numbers into -consideration, they cannot be half so hurtful as they are represented to -be from the gamekeepers’ point of view, or they would be thinned off -more. Jays are excellent covert guards in the daytime in the same way in -which the peewits, at night, guard the fields which they frequent. Both -birds give tongue as it is termed. To the small allotment holders who -have their cultivated patches in sheltered hollows close to the woods, -this bird must be considered as a feathered benefactor, for he will, if -allowed to do so, keep within due bounds the small raiders that play -havoc with their garden produce. Recently I saw at least a dozen -watching for--and capturing also--some of the wood mice that had -ventured out on the sunny slopes of the allotment grounds. As the crops -were vegetable ones the less attention these have paid to them by the -mice, when in a young state, the better.” - -The voice of the Jay is against him, however. It does not evoke -sympathy. Montgomery wrote: - - “Thou hast a crested poll and ’scutcheoned wing - Fit for the herald of an eagle king, - But such a voice! I would that thou could’st sing.” - -And the Jay retorts: - - “My bill has rougher work, to scream with fright, - And then, when screaming will not do, to fight.” - -The Jay is smaller than the Jackdaw. Its plumage is reddish grey, the -bridle wide and black; crown nearly white with dark longitudinal flecks; -rump and undertail-cover white; on the wings a white spot; tail -black,--with pale blue cross bars. Its great beauty is due to the upper -wing feathers which are striped with white, black and a beautiful blue. -It has bright shining eyes of light blue. The nest is built in trees, -sometimes high, sometimes low, and five to nine eggs are laid, which on -a pale, usually greenish, ground are thickly speckled with dark but -delicate spots. - -[Illustration: The Jay as raider.] - - -THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. - -(_Larus ridibundus._) - -This Gull is a migrant in Hungary. Many, however, pass the winter with -us, leaving the frozen inland waters for the open streams of the rivers, -where they pass their time until spring returns. It has quite adapted -itself to life on land, and there is no bird which more assiduously -follows the plough in those districts where it has its nesting place on -the inland waters, or more zealously clears the cornfields, meadows, and -rush-beds of all kinds of noxious worms and grubs, than this gull. It -also feeds its young on these insects, and many of the landowners, have -to thank the Blackheaded Gull that they are free from the annoyance of -these pests. It frequents the ponds and lakes, however, in autumn, and -makes havoc among the little fishes. Its screeching call can be heard at -a great distance, “_Kreā, Kreā_,” or “_Krackackark_.” - -It is an exceedingly useful bird, and ought to be protected. - - * * * * * - -This species is generally distributed on our shores all through the year -in Great Britain, but in spring it betakes itself to marshy places near -the coast and to inland lakes and meres. Near Poole in Dorset is a -colony of these Gulls, they ought rather to be called Brown than -Black-headed; on the coast of Essex, several in Norfolk, small ones in -Yorkshire--one large one near Brigg in Lincolnshire; and those of -Aqualate Mere in Staffordshire and Norbury have existed for some -centuries. In many other districts to the North they are even - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE BACK-HEADED GULL.] - -more plentiful--right up as far as the Shetlands. In Ireland it is the -commonest species of its family. - -To the farmer the services of this Gull are invaluable. Like the Rook it -follows the plough, devouring vast quantities of worms and grubs. It can -capture moths and cockchafers on the wing, and will eat indeed almost -anything, acting also like others of its congeners as a scavenger of the -foreshores. Farming in districts near the coast benefits greatly from -the services of these birds. They are partial to snails also, and as no -Gull feeds on plants, seeds or fruits, a Gull in a garden, wing-clipped, -is often kept as a useful pet. - -This Gull is sixteen inches in length, that is almost as big as a crow. -The beak is not strong, the point is curved downwards; the head a -beautiful dark-brown. This colour extends to the throat. There is a -white ring round the eyes. Neck and mantle a beautiful ashen-grey, -throat, breast and underparts white, with pinkish tinge; outer primaries -dark with white stripes. The upper parts of the wings are light grey; -beak and legs carmine, also the irides and their borders; the toes are -joined together by a web. The head becomes white in winter, the beak and -feet lose their brilliant red colour and become flesh colour, and then -brownish. It nests with others in settlements consisting sometimes of -3000 to 4000 nests. The nest is placed on broken reeds, turf clods, -tufts of rushes; the bird, without much skill, makes a little heap, -scratches a hollow in it, smoothes the inside, prepares a litter of dry -rush and sedge leaves, and the nest is finished. The nests are placed -close together. The clutch consists of two or three eggs, very rarely -four, usually of a yellowish clay colour, marked, or regularly speckled -with a dark shade. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE QUAIL.] - - -THE QUAIL. - -(_Cotúrnix commúnis._) - -The Quail is about the size of a large clenched fist, and is almost as -round as a skittle ball. Its entire plumage is clay-coloured speckled -with a darker shade, and marked with light lines, like the head of oats. -The whole marking of it, especially of its back, is designed to avert -man’s attention from this crouching bird. The throat of the cock is -black, the beak and legs like those of the barn-door fowl. The bright -eye light nut-brown. The nest is placed on the ground, and is simply a -scratched-out hole, which is rather littered than lined with blades of -grass. In this the female bird lays her eggs of olive yellow, -beautifully speckled with brown, sometimes to the number of sixteen, but -usually ten. The chicks run after their mother as soon as they are -hatched and dried--which is a very pretty sight. They can make -themselves invisible by crouching on the ground, so that the colour of -their down assimilates with that of the earth. - -The habits of this bird are those of the domestic fowl. From early -morning till evening twilight, the Quail is on its feet, searching the -ground for grains of seed or little beetles. It scratches like a hen, -and when it finds a sunny, dusty or sandy place, it bathes in the sand, -flinging the dust all about. The Quail is a useful bird--for it picks up -only the seed which lies on the ground, and feeds its young with the -same. It therefore deserves shelter and care. Its voice and habits are -pleasant and agreeable to man. Its familiar and homelike cry, sounds -from out of the cornfields, and the little hen answers. The mating call -of both is, “_Bue bee wee_.” - - “Ah! what sweet accents fall softly around, - Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Fürchte Gott!) - Murmurs the quaint little quail from the ground.”[1] - -The bird’s cry of “_Bit by bit_,” and his mate’s reply, “_Wet my weet, -Wet my weet_,” as we render it, is not often heard now in our own -country. This is attributed by some to the fact that most of the Quail’s -favourite feeding-grounds have been “improved” away. Fine pasture-lands -are now where the ground was once coarse and covered with tussock, bent, -thistles, burdock, hawkweed, and such plants as flourish in uncared-for -lands, and in such surroundings the Quail delighted to remain. Now, only -very few winter with us; the majority leave in October for the South. - -The Quail is an accomplished ventriloquist, and the late Lord Lilford, -in his “Notes on the Birds of Northamptonshire,” says that he often -heard a caged Quail calling when within a few feet of him, which yet -gave the impression of being many yards distant. On the western side of -Corfu he found numbers of these birds in the currant-vines on very steep -hill-sides, and vast numbers are bred in the cultivated plains around -and below Seville, where their numbers are thinned in the pairing season -by a clever method of calling the birds into a net by imitating the -call-note of the female. On the island of Capri, in the Bay of Naples, -it is on record that as many as 160,000 have been netted in a single -season. - -Many of us have eaten them in the South of France during the grape -season. The birds can be caught by the hand when they have, as the -French say, intoxicated themselves by feeding on the ripe grapes. -During the winter and the early spring they feed on the seeds of the -plantain, dock, vetch, and chickweed. Slugs also and insects help to -form the bird’s diet. The Italian’s notion that it is unwholesome to eat -Quails at a given season arises, no doubt, from the fact that it is -pleasanter eating and the flesh is plumper at certain times of the year -than at others, owing largely to the varying nature of the bird’s food. - -The Quail is a favourite pet in Spain; the birds are kept much in cages -there, and are valued because of their song; and that the Quails have -been taken on the Continent in vast numbers when netting them, at the -time of the vernal migration, is not to be denied. “We remember,” says -Lord Lilford, “seeing a steamer at Bressina, in the month of May, 1874, -one of whose officers assured us that he had six thousand pairs of -Quails alive on board, all destined for the London market. The unhappy -birds are carried in low flat cages on boxes, wired only in front, and -it is surprising what a very small percentage of them die on the voyage, -unless “a sea” happens to break over them. They thrive well on millet, -and soon become fat; but, in our opinion, this traffic should be -prohibited, as the unfortunate birds are caught on their way to their -breeding quarters, and some of them at all events would afford sport at -a legitimate season when naturally fit for the table.” “Chaud comme -caille,” says the French proverb, because Quails are exceedingly amorous -and pugnacious at the time of pairing. They thrive well in confinement, -and are easily “fatted up” for the table. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE STARLING.] - - -THE STARLING. - -(_Sturnus vulgaris._) - -The Starling is a very lively, jovial bird, very active, hunting about, -and chattering over what it snaps up. It is also very sociable. These -birds often collect in such numbers, in places, where a wood is bounded -by pastures or reed-beds that when the flock rises together, it throws a -shadow like a dark cloud. It specially seeks out flocks--cattle, horses, -sheep or pigs, and stalks about in their shadow, under the very noses of -the wallowing swine, in order to drag out of the earth the desired -worms, in company with the Blue headed Wagtail. It also perches on the -bodies of the beasts, and operates on them where there are maggots or -worms. The animal knows the bird is doing him a good turn, and remains -perfectly still. - -It is true that this bird also attacks cherries, blackberries, -raspberries and grapes; and, if present in numbers, it does, indeed, -considerable harm.--Then it must be frightened off with rattles, -blank-shot, and whatever else is of use. Still, the year through, it -does a thousand times more good than harm and therefore deserves to be -protected and cherished. - -It becomes very tame and trusting in captivity and can be easily taught. -It can learn to sing tunes and speak words--and becomes attached to its -owner. - - * * * * * - -Mrs. Edward Phillips of Croydon rescued forty starlings once from the -pockets of a working man who said he was selling them to serve as -pigeon dummies, in shooting matches amongst his friends. Needless to say -she paid for and set them at liberty. I was struck with the scarcity of -Starlings in the centre of France, and country folks there told me they -were getting scarce. Perhaps they were not much protected, for I saw in -Anjou a family of the young birds in the hands of a boy who told me he -was carrying them home to train for sale as singing and talking pets. -They are not good to eat and yet they will feed on them in that -part--birds these that, if spared, eat up tons of those grubs and larvæ -which ruin the crops in the field. Sometimes even they have been shut up -and fed on vegetable diet to make them taste better. This has only made -the bird thinner, proof positive that the enemies of “green stuff” and -not itself form their natural diet. Feeding as they do at all seasons on -our pasture lands the services they render are incalculable. - -In November, or somewhat earlier, they arrive on our east coasts in -great numbers; whilst others migrate westward, deserting some localities -entirely for a time. Great numbers also visit the South of Ireland then. -They settle on the salt marshes for a while sometimes; but often they -pass on further inland in perfect silence, with a swift direct flight, -and a way altogether unlike their usual chattering fussy ways. They -begin to pair in January in some of our districts. Naturalists call them -Ambulatores, or walking birds; they are quaint creatures in all their -ways and habits. Of late years they have been accused of pecking into -apples more than is desirable. As the season advanced, and fruit was not -so varied and plentiful, I used to find that when all the leaves were -off my pear trees--in a former home--they ate the few pears that were -left hanging high up until nothing but stalk was left, but they touched -neither apples nor pears whilst the leaves were on the trees. - -The best way of keeping Starlings away from _high_ cherry trees, that I -have seen, is fixing a long narrow flag to a strong top branch. Large -flocks of them resort to cowfolds, where the stock are all night, and -before these are let out the birds are there seeking for larvæ and worms -in the dried dung, perching now and anon on the backs of the cattle, -chattering low all the time. They rid trees of caterpillars, and the -turnip fields, where they have been known to clear these of “fly”; also -to visit field peas that were infected with aphides and do good work -there; and they devour great numbers of Daddy-longlegs. Waterton,--that -past-master in the art of observing and chronicling the doings of birds, -wrote: “There is not a bird in all Great Britain more harmless than the -Starling: still, it has to suffer persecution, and is often doomed to -see its numbers thinned by the hand of wantonness or error. The author -of ‘Journal of a Naturalist’ observed a pair of Starlings having young -ones for several days, and he wrote, ‘It appears probable that this -pair, in conjunction, do not travel less than 50 miles a day, visiting -and feeding their young about 140 times, which, consisting of five in -number, and admitting only one to be fed each time, every bird must -receive in this period twenty portions of food.” - -In 1891 twelve farmers, replying to Miss Ormerod’s question as to which -kinds of birds were specially useful in destroying caterpillars, all -replied in favour of the Starling. Now what, after all, matters a little -fruit taken from private gardens in view of all this good work done. And -as to the professional fruit grower, it will pay him to employ a boy or -two during a short season of the year, to keep birds off his trees. - - * * * * * - -Sir Herbert Maxwell, who writes on the whole in favour of Starlings, and -remarks truly that all naturalists are agreed that the good they do -outweighs the evil, says that “from many a dovecote the legitimate -occupants have been expelled by the intrusion of these irrepressible -creatures.” And Waterton wrote, “The farmer complains that it sucks his -pigeons’ eggs, and when the gunner and his assembly wish, the keeper is -ordered to close the holes of entrance to the dovecot overnight, and the -next morning three or four dozen of Starlings are captured to be -shot.... Alas! these poor Starlings had merely resorted to it for -shelter and protection, and were in no way responsible for the fragments -of egg-shells which were strewed on the floor.... The rat and the weasel -were the real destroyers,” etc. - - * * * * * - -The Starling is as big as a thrush; it has bluish iridescent plumage, -the feathers tipped with white. Beak relatively small, brow flat; eyes -near the base of the beak, which gives it a cunning expression. The -feathers are small and tapering at the point; beak yellowish. The hen is -paler, the young ones still more so. The legs are strong, with sharp -claws. It selects for its nest holes in oak trees in the woods near -which is pasture land or water stocked with reeds and rushes. In warmer -regions it breeds twice in the summer. The first clutch consists of five -to seven eggs, the second of four or five of a pale light blue colour. - - -THE ROSE STARLING. - -(_Pastor roseus._) - -In Hungary this bird is only a summer guest, and single pairs may be met -with in various parts of the country. Its appearance in large numbers -always coincides with the time of the grasshopper plague;--a fact which -was first observed in 1814. The distinguished Hungarian ornithologist, -Petényi, described his observations in 1837. He states that, so long as -the grasshoppers are not fully developed, the bird feeds on all sorts of -insects; but as soon as the grasshopper is sufficiently matured, this -insect forms its sole food, and is pursued with great eagerness. Thus, -in the year 1907 great numbers of Rose Starlings appeared on the -well-known Puerta of Hortshágy where just at that time the grasshopper -plague was raging. There we may enjoy the spectacle which Petényi -described as follows: “To the eye of the beholder a flock of these birds -in flight has the appearance of a roseate cloud, always -moving,--backwards, forwards, sideways, in ever changing forms of -beauty--or, alighting, they give an exquisite impression of whole -bunches of wandering roses moving on the green turf.” - -Although the Rose Starling also loves fruit-berries and causes such -damage to them by its great numbers, that in some parts it is called the -“devil’s bird”--the fact remains that its chief food is the grasshopper. -In Tartary, its native land, it destroys the locusts which in former -times visited Hungary. A Turkish proverb says that the Rose Starling -kills ninety-nine grasshoppers before it eats one. When a flight of -these birds descends upon a grasshopper infested district, it consumes -an enormous number of these insects, and that, in places where human -defences can do nothing; in this consists the value of its actions. - -Among the grasshoppers found in Hungary at the present time are the -_Stauronatus maroccanus_ and in smaller numbers the _Colopterus -italicus_, the latter of which belongs naturally to the Hungarian fauna. - -The note of the Rose Starling is a harsh and continuous babble. This -bird is protected in the Caucasus and elsewhere because locusts are the -favourite food of both the old and the young birds. In the East it is -said to be, however, very injurious to grain during the colder season; -also I believe, in Africa. This beautiful bird has occurred of late -years in most parts of Great Britain, but only, alas, to be shot and -“stuffed.” As a rule it visits us in summer and autumn, single birds, -perhaps separated somehow from flocks of their own species. In such a -case they generally join our own Starlings. - -This beautiful species is the same size as its congener, the Common -Starling, and it resembles the latter in form although so much smarter -in appearance. Rump, back, shoulders, breast and underparts are a bright -rosy pink, head, neck and throat are a glossy black, wings and tail are -a metallic greenish-black. The bill is a yellowish-pink, black at the -base; legs yellowish-brown. The long crest of the adult male is composed -of fine violet-black feathers. The female is not so brightly tinted and -has a smaller crest. The nest of the Rose Starling is built in its own -native home in south-eastern Europe in some crevice in a ruin in -quarries, cliffs, or among stones in a ravine or a railway cutting. The -clutch consists of five to six eggs of a pale bluish-white colour, or -pale bluish-green. - - -THE WAXWING. - -(_Ampelis garrulus._) - -This beautiful little bird has its nesting place in the far north. It -often visits Mid-Europe in winter in great numbers, principally -frequenting juniper plantations, where it is easily snared. Its flesh -being a great delicacy, it is much sought for. Moving along the -headlands it passes also into the valleys, and even visits the gardens -and parks of great towns, especially where mistletoe is found on the old -trees. When in need it eats seeds; it also feeds on the berries of -whitethorn, mountain ash, hawthorn, and other bushes. It has a good -appetite and digests its food very quickly, but is somewhat inactive in -its movements. It lives in colonies sometimes smaller sometimes larger. -Its breeding range extends across Behring Straits to Alaska and the -Rocky Mountains. - -The Waxwing visits Great Britain at irregular intervals, often in large -numbers, during the winter. Being an inhabitant of the Arctic regions, -its visits are more frequently paid to the Northern and Eastern sides of -the country, but it has been seen often in the Southern counties. In -Norfolk, on the spring migration, it is sometimes seen up to the first -week in May. It is a silent, gentle-mannered bird and its only note is a -low _cir-ir-ir-ir-re_. It is essentially a wandering species and is very -erratic as to its nesting places, belonging to the class the poet refers -to in those lines - - “The birds of passage transmigrating come, - Unnumbered colonies of foreign wing, - At Nature’s summons.” - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WAXWING. - -An erratic winter visitant.] - -The Waxwing has a very silky plumage. On its head is a crest, inclining -backwards, which can, however, be erected at pleasure. Throat smooth -black; back cinnamon-brown, underparts a lighter shade of the same -colour. Tail black with a golden-yellow border at the end. Wings black -with white bars. The outer half of the secondary wing feathers yellow, -with white border at the end. The shafts of these feathers are tipped -with red horny appendages like sealing-wax, which also appear on the -tail feathers of the adult male. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SWALLOW.] - - - - -[Illustration] - -CHAPTER IV. - -IN THE AIR AND ON THE TREES. - - -THE SWALLOW. - -(_Hirundo rustica._) - -The nest of the Swallow is in the shape of half a saucer, quite open, -and formed of clay, into which straw and grass are cleverly kneaded. It -is built in old huts, in chimneys, also under the eaves of houses, often -so low, that it can easily be reached by an outstretched arm. This bird -is truly a household companion with us in Hungary. The first clutch of -the year consists of five to six eggs, the second which comes at -Midsummer, of three or four; they are white, speckled with reddish-brown -and grey. - -It is a pleasure for man, to observe the daily life of the Swallow. In -spring it returns to its old nest, tidies it up, and then its domestic -felicity begins. In the early morning light, it may be seen sitting on -the roof, on the window-sill, or on a post, cleaning and arranging its -plumage; then it wakes the household, with its twittering morning song. -Next husband and wife begin their flight. Swift as an arrow, off they -go, seizing flying insects and caressing each other on the way. The -Chimney Swallow, when on the wing, utters a hasty “_Beeweest, -beeweest_,” especially if it is alarmed. Its cry is a tender “_Weet_” or -“_Weeda weet_.” - -Soon comes the brooding time; then, the young ones slip out of the eggs, -and the work of feeding and educating begins. The parents take it in -turns to perform these duties, which they do with the greatest industry, -and even when the young ones are as big as themselves, and fully -fledged, they still place them in a row on some bough, and bring them -food. It is beautiful to see with what fidelity this is done. It is a -sight to move heart and mind with tenderness, and this is the pet bird -of our people, who care for it, and gladly give it shelter and -protection; not however, that of the Southerners, who catch and cook -Swallows by hundreds of thousands. - - * * * * * - -We hear from all parts of the country of the scarcity of Swallows, and -various theories have been offered as to the reason of this. In France -their numbers have been for years systematically reduced by the snaring -and destruction of them, in various ways, for table use. An instance of -this I can personally vouch for. A doctor in Nismes, the brother of a -friend of my own, who is keen on bird protection, being in the market -one day, was pressed by a poulterer to buy Larks. When he refused, the -man, thinking the price was too high for him, took him aside and showed -him two hampers apparently full of these birds, which are allowed to be -sold there, whereas the massacre of Swallows is illegal. On the top was -a layer of Larks, underneath were Swallows only. “These I can do -cheaper,” he said. - -The Midland farmer I alluded to before, Mr. E. Hancock, who writes to me -at times, and who has commented on the few Swallows about, sends me a -story of a pair nesting in his bedroom. They built over a picture frame, -brought out their young successfully, and the youngsters having gone out -into the wide world, the two parent birds remained in the home. One -roosted regularly on a clock in the bedroom, the other upon the picture -frame. It is possible that this pair, or one of them, was hatched out on -the picture at Great Bealings House, Suffolk, of which I have written -elsewhere. Who can tell? A few days ago they began cleaning, relining -and repairing the nest, making all ready for the coming of their second -brood. - -Lady Farren had little silver rings put on the young of the second brood -hatched over the portrait in the bedroom at Great Bealings. A bird, with -the ring still on came to breed in that same place two years later. - -The poor Swallows often suffer terribly from storms and unseasonable -weather coming after they have left their warm winter quarters. Mr. -Poole, of Ealing, told me that being at his angling quarters on the -river Kennet, Ham Bridge, near Newbury, on April 25, 1908, at 8.15 a.m., -he saw Martins and Swallows hawking flies, most probably the _grannow_, -as there had been some previous hatches of this fly noticed. The season -earlier had been a warm one and these birds had arrived early. - -It was snowing hard at the time, and had been doing so for some few -hours, and three or four inches of snow lay on the ground. All that day -it snowed continuously, ceasing only at about 7 p.m., with a fall nearly -two feet deep. The frost was occasionally severe during the day. On the -morrow, April 26, it was intensely bright, and even hot in the sun, the -snow disappearing very quickly; but, said Mr. Poole, “I saw not a sign -of either Swallow or Martin and indeed they were scarce on the Kennet -for the rest of the season. I also noted a great scarcity upon the riven -Itchen, in Hampshire.” - -A lady also tells me that near Lynn in Norfolk, during the great cold, -the hungry Swallows came down on her garden lawn and picked up the -scattered crumbs of bread. - -Probably numbers perished of cold and hunger. As Swallows live entirely -on insects, the diminution in their numbers is a serious matter. - -It is sometimes necessary, in order to preserve the proper order of -things, to describe what every one knows. The most striking -characteristics of the Swallow, which distinguish it from its congeners -are as follows: Brow and throat a beautiful chestnut brown; breast, -back, wings, and tail a fine black with a bluish metallic lustre. With -regard to the tail however, only the two middle feathers are pure black, -on the others small whitish specks are discernible. The outer -tail-feathers form a long pronged fork. The underparts are sometimes -white, sometimes brownish. The beak is very small, the gape wide. The -open jaw forms a kind of little pocket. The legs are small with sharp -claws suitable for grasping. - - -THE HOUSE MARTIN. - -(_Chelidon urbica._) - -While the Chimney Swallow builds inside houses, under some circumstances -even in the fire-place--thus becoming a beloved member of the -family,--the House Martin constructs its strong and comparatively large -nest on the outside of the building. In mountainous districts it is -found also in an overhanging position on the steep rocks, where it is -sheltered from the rain. In many villages, where windows and doors of -the upper floor are kept shut, so that the Chimney Swallow cannot come -in, the latter is not found, and the House Martin then takes its place. - -This Swallow also lives entirely upon flying insects. It spends most of -its time on the wing otherwise it could not live. It has, consequently, -small, weak legs, which are only useful for clinging. It is as useful as -its relative but has less confidence in man; it is less familiar. -Neither does it please our ears with such a pretty twittering, and its -enclosed, remote nest, affords us no insight to its family life. It -arrives later in the spring than the Swallow, and assembles in the -autumn in flocks, on towers, trees, roofs of houses and churches. One -fine day we find they are all up and away--for the distant South. - -This bird deserves every care and protection. - - * * * * * - -I had been watching with interest the building of some nests of the -House Martin one season, and enjoying the sight of the pretty creatures -as they circled about a house I was staying in for a time, and the way -they - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE HOUSE MARTIN.] - -dived in under the eaves. But those bold marauders the House Sparrows, -whom over-feeding and indulgence have corrupted and made indolent, -forcibly took possession of these homes which were ready for immediate -habitation. My neighbour literally fought the intruders, brandishing a -clothes-prop from her open bedroom window for several mornings and -evenings. The Martins forsook the nests at last in dudgeon, worn out -with anxiety as to their homes which are now empty, for my friend -declares no Sparrows shall have them. This is one of the worst -indictments against the Sparrow, as we all prefer the graceful and -useful House Martins about our homes; and through this evil habit of the -former their numbers are greatly lessening. - -There has been a general complaint of late years that the numbers of the -Swallow family are decreasing. This is an international question. If the -Southern European States net and kill Swallows and other small useful -birds which are passing through on their migratory flight, the more -Northern States naturally suffer loss. That is why many of us regret -greatly that England has not as yet seen her way towards joining that -International convention for the protection of wild birds which had its -first beginning in Germany in a little band of foresters and to which -nearly all the European States excepting England now subscribe. - -The whole study of the migration of birds is full of interest and, -indeed, of mystery, much as we have learned of their life history during -the last fifty years. As a humble student of bird-life, glad to learn -all I can from other students, I have found that those who know most -about this wonderful migration are the most modest in making definite -assertions in the matter. So little, they will tell one, is as yet -absolutely established fact, “the way of the bird in the air” is still -shrouded in mystery. - -The House Martin is smaller than the Chimney Swallow and is easily -distinguished from it. At the first glance we are struck by the two -colours of its plumage, black and white. Throat, breast, underparts, and -also the rump are white; beak, neck, mantle, wings, and tail, black. The -little legs are covered in front with white down, like little trousers. -The throat is less white than that of the Swallow. Its nest is -half-globular, built of clay, and has only a very narrow opening. It -builds under eaves, or cornices, in sheltered places on houses and -churches, in whole colonies, sometimes in groups, also one over another -like a bunch of grapes. It lays five, sometimes seven white eggs. - -[Illustration: The Swallow’s Flight.] - - -THE SAND MARTIN. - -(_Cotile riparia._) - -The Sand Martin flies quickly, but not with the arrow-like speed of the -Chimney Swallow. It dwells on the waterside, where it nests in colonies -of hundreds, even thousands. The nest is composed almost exclusively of -earth, and is placed in the steep high bank or in the walls of a -landslip, and it is remarkable as to its architecture. The little bird -excavates a long horizontal tunnel in the side of the bank, at the end -of which is an oven-like cave, in which it builds its nest of vegetable -fibre, roots, feathers and hair. The neighbours build so close together -that the bank in many places appears to be completely honeycombed. These -nests are built at least 12 inches from the surface of the bank. This -bird visits the neighbouring streams and ponds in flocks, circling and -darting here and there as is necessary in the pursuit of the winged -water-insects. On its return in the spring it seeks and enlarges its old -nest hole. It is widely distributed and occurs in great numbers. - - * * * * * - -The Sand Martin arrives in Great Britain often as early as the last week -in March; it is also one of the first species to leave us. The Sparrows -often oust whole little colonies of these birds from their dwellings, -but when the colony is a large one they get the better of the hectoring -intruders. As soon as the young are able to leave the nest they go to -spots where there is water, as they find their food all day long in -localities where there is an abundance of insects--gnats especially. -Most useful they are in marshy localities, where the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SAND MARTIN.] - -atmosphere would be intolerable for human beings but for the work of -these little creatures. A little dry grass and a quantity of feathers -supplies material for the nest which, being in a little chamber up a -tunnel, out of the disinfecting wind, gets flea-infested and very -unpleasant. Railway cuttings are much frequented both by Martins and -Wagtails because the passing of a train stirs up insect life in it. - -The gnat is frightfully prolific; it would soon poison our water as well -as render it hard for men to breathe. A mother gnat is said to lay from -200 to 300 eggs at one time, and in two weeks the young from these are -able to lay eggs themselves. Gnats must themselves be needed in the -economy of nature, but if not kept in check they would render our life -absolutely unbearable; they form the food for fishes, however, as well -as for birds. - -A porter at a railway station close to a cutting told Mr. C. Simeon, who -wrote on angling and natural history, that they did not allow boys -about, robbing the eggs in the colonies nesting there. “They”--the -birds--“are such good friends to us that we won’t let anyone meddle with -them.” He explained further that the flies about the station would be -unbearable but for the Martins that were always hawking about it. Before -the Martins arrived a few warm spring days often brought out a -troublesome number of flies. “Now,” he concluded, “we may see a fly now -and then, but that is all.” - -The Sand Martin is smaller than the others of the Swallow family and has -dull simple coloured plumage. Back greyish brown, throat and underparts -white, the short forked tail is of a uniform ashen-grey. Feet small but -strong. It lays five small, pure white eggs. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SWIFT.] - - -THE SWIFT. - -(_Cypselus ápus._) - -The Swift comes to Hungary early in May and leaves again the first days -of August. In England it comes and leaves about the end of these months, -that is as soon as the young are ready to fly. The materials for the -nest are obtained on the wing, therefore often with difficulty, as the -wind brings it. These are glued together by the viscous secretions of -the bird. Sometimes, however, it robs Martins, House-Sparrows and -Starlings of their homes. The wild note of _see-see_ has gained for the -Swifts the name of “Screechers,” and “Devilings” in Great Britain. They -always hunt in companies and one might say that they compass the wide -world in their rapid and powerful flight. The feet which are so helpless -on the ground are well adapted to clinging on to the rocks and heights -where they breed. The work Swifts do in clearing the air of insects must -be enormous, these forming all their food. - -This is one of the most interesting of our British birds, and one that -is still an unknown quantity, in some respects, to the most learned of -our ornithologists. “It soars on higher wing” even than the Skylark. A -larger bird, it rises until it is lost to the keenest sight, remaining -in the air longer, also, than perhaps any other bird. Whether it is -capable of rising from the ground, when once there, is, curiously -enough, still a matter of dispute among certain naturalists. “Can Swifts -take wing from the ground?” was a question raised not long ago in -“Nature Notes,” the organ of the Selborne Society. - -Over two centuries ago Dr. Plot wrote of the Swift, “ ... it having so -very long wings, and so short legs and small feet, that it cannot easily -rise from the ground unless it be very plain and free from grass; -wherefore it either always flies or sits on the tops of churches, -towers, or else hangs on other ancient buildings by its sharp claws, -from which it falls and so takes its flight.” It would appear from old -records to be very much commoner now in our country than it was; and -several recent accounts attest to its trick of exploring the old -nesting-hole of a Starling. Mr. Yates, of Staffordshire, and Mr. -Carr-Ellison, of Alnwick, both give interesting facts in corroboration -of this proclivity. In an Eccleshall street Mr. Yates saw a Swift enter -a hole where it had been in the habit of nesting, but it quickly emerged -with a Starling fast to its tail. So weighted, the unlucky Swift soon -came to the ground and to grief, but it was rescued and was started on -its flight again. The Alnwick naturalist, again, saw a Starling pecking -at a grounded Swift, and drove the former away. The Starling then flew -on to an apple espalier close by, and watched the Swift, which tried to -fly along the slightly sloping walk, but it could not get its wings -clear of the ground. Its friend lifted and threw it up in the air. Three -times this gentleman has witnessed the same scene at long intervals. The -reason of it is that he had had a hole made near his study window for -nesting purposes. Starlings always build in this in April or early in -May, and after they have left Swifts build in the same hole. Sometimes -they attempt this too soon; one comes to explore the hole, and gets -caught by a returning Starling who at once pulls it to the ground below, -where it is pecked whenever it tries to move. The Swift never alights -on the ground of its own free will; about eighty of these birds, which -were picked up dead on a peninsula where I once sojourned, had dropped, -exhausted by violent storms encountered on the migratory flight, and -there for want of food and help they had perished. - -It is a delight to watch the evolutions of a Swift on a clear evening; -with a grand, falcon-like stooping, the cock-bird begins to drive its -mate back to her nest; at least, such is supposed to be its intention. -The males first rise high in the air, and then make the swoop, and there -is much evading by the females, and renewed pursuit, after which the -males come back alone to enjoy themselves whilst their mates sit quietly -on their nests. - -The Swift, which used to be classed with Swallows, is now placed in the -same order as the Fern Owl or Goatsucker, being, it is decided by -scientific authorities, more allied to the latter in its structural -affinity than to the Swallow. Its general colour is a bronzed -blackish-brown; the throat is a greyish-white; the bill, claws and toes -are black. The young birds have more white about the throat than the -adults. The tail is forked, the wings are long and narrow, formed like a -sickle. The eggs are generally only two in number, oval in shape and -dead white, whereas the Swallows and the Martins lay four to six eggs -each. Also the Swift has only one brood in the season, instead of two. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE FERN OWL, NIGHT SWALLOW, OR NIGHTJAR.] - - -THE NIGHTJAR. - -(_Caprimulgus Europæus._) - -The Nightjar is the bird of twilight and late evening. When the sun has -set and twilight is spreading over the land the bird leaves its day -hiding place, on the bough of an old tree, where it has clung the whole -time, undistinguishable from the bough on account of the colour of its -plumage. It rises on the wing, and with its peculiar, irresolute flight, -makes for the plain, or the bare places, and clearings in the woods. - -Like the Swallow it catches its prey on the wing--the flying insects of -the dusk, among them the largest night moths. Its cry is a pleasant -faint “_Häit, häit_.” - -There is a wide-spread, foolish superstition that the Nightjar sucks the -milk of cows and goats; it is, indeed, known to many people under the -name of “Goat Sucker.” This has arisen from the fact that it is often -seen flying about, here and there, in the pasture fields. It darts down, -then flies up again and seems to glance stealthily around. This -behaviour, and its great mouth, have given it a bad name. Every -herdsman, and indeed every one else who uses his eyes, knows that the -droppings of cows simply swarm with insects towards evening. The -Nightjar knows this also, and it is for that reason that the innocent -bird frequents such places. - -It is very useful and deserves help and protection, and the more so -because it is somewhat rare in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -In the middle of May the Fern Owl or Nightjar arrives in Great Britain, -and utters his jarring or churring spinning-wheel song over the sloping -ground of many a common, where the golden gorse blossoms give out their -delicious, apricot-like scent, hanging over rifts in the sandstone; and -the ground below is studded with patches of ling, below which again -luxuriant green ferns, having their roots in the cool moist bottoms, -raise their tall fronds. It is warm on the bare patches of stony, sandy -soil, on which the sun has been shining all the afternoon, and moths -with other winged insects are here in numbers. The Fern Owls know that, -and they are churring and squeaking over the slopes and tumbling and -darting about after their winged prey, flying quite near to you as you -rest on a bit of their hunting ground. - -On a bare spot on the sunny slope, where a few gorse needles and bits of -dead bracken lie, two oblong creamy white eggs will be laid later, -marbled and veined in such tones as match their surroundings of stones, -dead leaves and bits of brown fern-stalk, so closely that it is by a -rare chance that the eye distinguishes them. And when the little -creatures are hatched out, they will look, at first, just like a bit of -lichen covered stone and a dead leaf. The mother will, it is said, pick -her eggs up and place them elsewhere if an intruder has approached them -too closely. When the young birds begin to flutter with their wings, the -parent bird shifts them up by easy stages, through the low growth of -heather and ferns, hustling them on, and bearing them up, until they -reach the lowest branches of some dipping oak bough, where they sit in a -line with the branch they rest on, invisible to the ordinary observer; -and there they are fed with scarcely a pause in the flight of the -industrious parent. In Devonshire they feed much on “fern-web”--namely, -small chafers. - -It is a curious thing that the unjust appellation of “goat sucker,” -given from time immemorial to this bird, has its equivalent in almost -every country of Europe. It is like the case of the barn-owl, which is -called “oil drinker” in the south of France. Night-feeding birds have -always been the objects of ignorant persecution. The Nightjar is called -tette chèvre in France and Geissmelker in Germany. Crapaud-volant is -another of its names, after the toad, which is also said to suck goat’s -milk. - -The Nightjar is about 10 inches in length. It is a peculiar bird. The -plumage is fine and soft; in this, as well as in its colour, reminding -us of the Owl, with this difference, that the yellow in the colouring of -the Owl is not so pronounced and the ashen-grey and washed-out looking -brown is therefore more decided. The two middle tail feathers are a -beautiful grey with dark dots and intermittent cross-stripes. The head -is large, the eyes dark-brown and large, and they have power to see -clearly in the twilight. The beak is small, the gape, on the other hand, -relatively enormous, forming a yawning abyss when open; the edge of the -upper mandible beset with moveable bristles. Legs short and weak. It -does not build a nest. It lays two eggs on the bare ground and there -hatches them. The eggs are nearly white with dark marble-like veining. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE GREEN WOODPECKER.] - - -THE GREEN WOODPECKER. - -(_Gecinus viridis._) - -This Woodpecker is indefatigible in its work of hacking trees and -dragging out worms; it flies in a curve from tree to tree, always -beginning its climb from the bottom; finds out the weak places in the -tree, in which it pecks holes so that it can reach the insects in them -with its long tongue, and so furnish itself with a meal. It is equally -busy on the ground, with the ant-heaps, which it bores into. Then when -the ants collect together it flings out its long sticky tongue; the ants -are caught on it, as on a lime twig, and so they find their way in to -the stomach of the bird. The Woodpecker carries on this business also in -winter, when he breaks through the hard frozen side of the ant-hill, and -surprises and decimates the inhabitants while in their winter sleep. - -It is a noisy bird whose “_klu-klu-klu-klu_” echoes through the wood, -breaking in on many a lonely hour for the woodman; a real blessing in -the orchard, and a skilful surgeon for invalid trees; on that account it -deserves protection and care. - -In this country it is fairly common. - - * * * * * - -This is the largest and best known of our English Woodpeckers, and it -occurs in most of our wooded districts south of Derbyshire and -Yorkshire. In the northern counties it only breeds occasionally. In -Scotland it is little known and from Ireland it is also practically -absent. In England, too, it is very local in its occurrences. The song -which roused my imagination most in childhood’s days was that one with -the refrain about “The woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree.” And -the fact that as I listened to it I could only gaze out of the -old-fashioned bow windows of a town house, which looked out over a -sloping expanse of smoky chimneys, made the idea of the Woodpecker -tapping mysteriously suggestive and attractive. Since then I have heard -it in many a country--the green species and its relatives, and the song -takes me always back to the old home and the mother’s side by the piano. - -Windy March found me one morning in a pleasant wooded district in -Suffolk. Above the tossing of the branches of the great elms, as the -gale rushed over, sounded the notes of the Mistle-Thrush, fitly named -the storm-cock, singing out his defiance to the weather, as he swayed on -the topmost bough of an old cedar across the lawn. He is one of the -earliest heralds of spring, and is never daunted by the weather, though -it revert to wintry wildness. On the same lawn, well kept though it be, -if we look out early enough, we may see a pair of Green Woodpeckers. -Last evening, when for a time all was hushed and still, the well-known -yiking laugh of the Yaffil, as Chaucer called him, came over from the -avenue, whence, too, had sounded his busy drumming. Then he and his mate -were busy getting the grubs that had bored deep down in the timber, but -now come up near the bark of the trees in order to get the warmth -necessary for their development. In the early morning hours, when the -watchful gardener has not yet appeared, the pair tear holes in his -well-tended lawns with their feet, and hack at the turf with strong -bills to get at the grubs below. They feed indeed largely on ground -grubs throughout the year, as well as on ants in summer, and -timber-haunting grubs and beetles. - -The Lesser Spotted species, although not so widely distributed, is even -more common in the south of England, and near London. One was shot -lately in Scotland, as “a very rare bird.” It is probably chiefly owing -to the cutting down of old forests that they are not found in Scotland. -Now and again they may even be seen in Kensington Gardens. - -We have no picture of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (_Dendrocopus -minor_). It is perhaps oftener present with us than is supposed, being -smaller than its relatives. Also it frequents taller trees. I have seen -numbers of these bright busy creatures in Hungary, in the poplars, along -the river Waag, in the foothills of the Carpathians. Its colouring is -much the same as the Greater Spotted species, only the markings are -different and it is only just over five inches in length, whereas its -near congener is just over nine inches. The male bird makes the same -loud vibrating noise in the trees as the latter. - -The Green Woodpecker is 12 inches in length. The mantle is bright -olive-green. The crown of the male bird, as far down as the nape, is -fiery red, also the moustaches. The lores and cheeks black, is less -crimson on the head of the female, and the moustaches are black. The -outer feathers of the wing are nearly black with white flecks. It has -two front and two back toes; the claws, strong, curved and adapted for -clinging. The tail feathers strong and suitable for pressing. Beak -leaden-grey, strong, with an edge like an adze; worm shaped tongue which -can be greatly extended. Having selected a suitable tree, it makes its -nest hole at a medium height, with a narrow entrance and lays in it -six--sometimes, but rarely--eight dazzling snow white eggs. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.] - - -THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. - -(_Dendrocopus major._) - -This also is a busy hammering bird, which flies energetically about the -woods and gardens, climbing up the trees from the bottom, closely -examining the bark and wood for grubs and bark-beetles, and extracting -them with its long pointed tongue. When opportunity offers, it also -attacks oily seeds, such as those of the sunflower and berries; but this -must not be counted as harmful. By its whole nature, and its peculiar -work it belongs decidedly to the most useful of birds. There is a widely -spread belief and suspicion among the country people that this -Woodpecker spoils the healthy trees, but its beak cannot avail beyond a -certain degree of hardness; it can only pierce holes where the wood is -softened by rot, and therefore harbours timber grubs. The fine wood-dust -under the trees where the Woodpecker has been at work calls the -attention of the good gardener to the bad state of the tree, and he can -then take steps to arrest the mischief if not too late. The Spotted -Woodpecker can conceal itself very quickly. When it sees a human being -it clambers up the opposite side of the tree trunk. In autumn it roams -about with swarms of other tree-cleansing birds. In spring it makes a -loud drumming noise among the dry branches. - -It is fairly common in Hungary, but is less so in Great Britain, -although pretty well distributed in the wooded portions of England. In -Scotland generally it is rare, but southwards from the Shetlands, down -to the east coast, it occurs at times on migratory flight. - - * * * * * - -THISis a black, white, and fiery-red speckled bird, length over nine -inches. The black lores extend like a bridle to the neck. Back and rump -black. In the male the back part of the head is red, in the female -black; in both the lower part a burning red. The sides of the underparts -dingy white; on the shoulder a white spot; on the flight feathers white, -cross flecks. Tail strong, the middle feathers pointed and stiff, -suitable for climbing. Beak relatively short, but strong at the base, -pointed like a chisel. It bores its nesting hole in trees about half way -up, the entrance being round and only just large enough for the bird to -go in and out. It lays four eggs, occasionally six, of a dazzling snow -white, with delicate shells. - - -THE TREE CREEPER. - -(_Certhia familiaris._) - -The winsome little Tree-Creeper is distributed all over Great Britain, -but you need a sharp eye to detect it in its quiet colouring on the -trunk of a tree with which its quiet colours are in perfect harmony. -Within the crevices of the bark it finds its diet of destructive -creatures’ eggs which are glued to the bark and little spiders which -hide there. During the winter it associates with the Titmice and -Fire-crested Wrens. Upwards and downwards and round about the old tree -trunk it moves. It might be taken for a mouse or some such creature; it -moves about so deftly and so close to the hole of its tree, a useful -unobtrusive little bird. In the United States they consider this species -so useful that they fix a box for it, to entice it to nest in gardens. - -The Tree-Creeper climbs as nimbly as the best Woodpecker. It cannot -extend its tongue as that bird does, but can use it very cleverly. With -its fine little bill it can pierce into the smallest crevices and -extract from them the tiniest grubs. It is of great use in wood and -garden. Its usual note is a low “_seet_” or “_seet, seet, seet_.” The -simple song of the male bird is recognisable by the syllabes _teet, -teet, teet, titi-woi-teet_. - -It is not uncommon in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -THE Tree Creeper is smaller even than the Wren, but is longer than that -bird; it is a tiny creature with a stiff tail which is very useful in -climbing. There are three front toes and one back toe on the little -legs; the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -TREE CREEPER AND NUTHATCH.] - -bill is delicate and slightly curved; the upperside of the body is the -same grey of the tree trunks, spotted with white. It lays -five--sometimes as many as nine--milk-white eggs, delicately speckled -with rust-red and blood-red spots. The nest is made in crevices, small -holes, sometimes between the loosened bark and the tree, and is composed -of fine soft material. - - -THE NUTHATCH. - -(_Sitta cæsia._) - -Wherever in wood or garden the Nuthatch dwells its voice is heard. It -calls sometimes a flute-like “_tüüi, tüüi tüüi_”--sometimes a quick -“_kwee, kwee, kwee_”--and it is always very busy. It is the only bird we -have that can climb head downwards and that as quickly as it is safe. -The beak is strong and pointed. It picks out of crevices and from under -the bark of trees everything that is there in the way of grubs and -beetles and insect eggs. In the autumn it gets at oily seeds, conceals -nuts and filberts in suitable crevices and knocks them till they crack. -It does the same with the gall-nuts in order to get at the maggots or -chrysalis of the gall-wasp. It is an absolutely useful bird and one not -uncommon with us in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -This bird is common in most districts in the centre and south-east of -England where there is old timber. In the westward it is less common. In -some old parks in Yorkshire it appears again, but is rare elsewhere in -the northern counties. In Scotland it is not very often seen and in -Ireland it is so far unknown. Beech-mast it is fond of in our own woods, -but it feeds on insects on the ground as well as in the trees. This -species, like the last-mentioned, is very mouse-like in its movements -and many ornithologists assert that it sleeps with the head and back -downwards. - -The Nuthatch is as big as a Sparrow, but more solid; above bluish-grey; -underneath white or rust-red; over the eye a black stripe. The tail is -not adapted for climbing. Legs short and strong, claws strong and -sickle-shaped, three toes turn to the front, one to the back. The clutch -consists of six or eight white eggs, speckled with rust-red. The nest is -formed of a wide hole, which so walled in by the bird with earth and -clay that there is only just room for it to go in and out. - - -THE CROSSBILL. - -(_Loxia curvirostra._) - -The Crossbill is a stationary bird as to habitat, but it does ramble -about. Staying at home, or wandering, depends upon the supply of sap or -seeds of the fir tree, which forms its sole food; although it visits -also beeches, maples, and alders, sometimes even falls back on -thistle-seeds, and does not even despise caterpillars. Its beak is an -excellent tool for removing husks and crushing seed. It wastes a great -many seeds, for it lets fall all those which it cannot shell with one -bite. It reminds us of the Parrot, not only by the form of its beak, but -also by the clever way in which the beak is used in addition to the legs -in climbing from bough to bough, just as the Parrot does. It is besides -a cheerful, indeed, a restless bird. It sings whole songs, and the old -bird fancier Bechstein has put words to one of these, beginning:-- - - Zeri-zeri doeng-doeng-doeng--hist-hist. - -Its call is _sok, sok_. - -The firwoods of our Hungarian mountains contain plenty of these birds. - - * * * * * - -These interesting birds, the Crossbills, nest in many parts north of the -Solway, and southwards may be seen in September in flocks or parties, -wandering about in suitable districts in search of food. In the young -birds, the bill, or rather the mandibles, are not crossed, and the -beautiful crimson colour in the male is not seen the first year. A -greenish-orange replaces this in the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE CROSSBILL.] - -females. I saw a very fine Crossbill lately that had been obtained in -the valley between Newbury and Theale, where these birds are to be found -most years among the fir-clumps on the higher lying commons. It is said -to breed in many of the Southern Counties, but there is no reliable -evidence of its doing so in the Midlands. In Scotland it nests in -districts where are old pine forests, building a cup-shaped structure of -dry grass, moss, and wool, which is placed on twigs, and these on the -branch of a fir, close to the stem. From fir-cones their food is -extracted, but in the autumn, berries and apple pips are taken, an old -name for the Crossbill being Shell-apple. Many years ago great damage -was done to some apple orchards by the boring of fruit to extract the -pips. - -Although usually a winter visitant, the late Lord Lilford reported -having seen large numbers of these birds during the month of June in a -district of North Devon. The forest-folk of Thuringia are fond of them -as caged pets, considering that they bring luck to the house, and also -cure the diseases of the family--if the mandibles cross left to right, -those of the females, if from right to left, those of the males. I would -not now keep any bird in a cage, but I once kept many; and the most -amusing of all these was a Crossbill, who had a large wired-off -compartment to himself, between one containing a number of avadavats, -and another inhabited by Redpoles, Siskins and other birds. He loved to -tear open the shells of almonds to get at the nuts. When the little -avadavats had gone to sleep, nestling together for warmth, the old -Crossbill would sidle up, looking very wicked, and quickly lift the end -of their perch. Down fell the small things, master Crossbill watching -them with unmistakable delight. At last he made so much commotion -amongst the lesser birds that we made a present of him to Mr. Denham -Jordan, who wrote an amusing memoir of him which was headed “Crossbill -Turk.” - -The Crossbill is 6·5 inches in length. The back and underparts of the -old male bird are red, the rump fiery red; wings and tail dark -olive-brown; the back of the female is grey, rump greenish-yellow. The -upper beak is curved downwards, the under one upwards, inclined to one -side, with sharp points. The tips of the beaks cross, sometimes to the -right, sometimes to the left. This crossing of the two halves of the -beak is the exclusive characteristic of this bird. It lays three to five -greyish-white eggs spotted with shades of reddish-brown. The nest is -found in fir trees, and sometimes in the birch. It is made of fine -materials, is built very high up, and is well concealed. It nests in -February. The nest therefore is very stout and well-lined, and the -mother-bird sits continuously in order to preserve the warmth. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -SUMMER WORKERS. - - -THE WRYNECK. - -(_Iynx torquilla._) - -The Wryneck is a migrant, which makes itself heard as soon as it appears -with its _Kyen-kyen-kyen_ or _pay, pay, pay_, which is as peculiar as it -is pleasing. It cannot be denied, that after the long silence of winter -the sound is a very agreeable one. The Wryneck does not tap and climb -like the Woodpecker, but it uses its tongue in the same way. Ants cling -to its sticky tongue. It drags out and destroys the insects from the -crevices in the bark of the trees. On this account it is useful. - -It is not shy and can be observed quite close by. it owes its name to -its peculiar position when it stretches out its neck and twists it -round, raising its crest and spreading out its tail. It likes trees with -dense foliage, and orchards. - - * * * * * - -In England we call this bird the Cuckoo’s mate or leader, because it -always precedes the coming of that bird by a few days. This name has its -equivalent in several European languages. It is more common in the -south-east than in the west, and is rare in Wales. Some northern -counties it never visits, yet from time to time it strays up as far as -the Orkneys and the Shetlands. Towards the end of September it leaves us -for the south. In autumn it is said to eat the berries of the elder, -otherwise its food consists entirely of insects, ants and their - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WRYNECK.] - -pupæ especially. It is very courageous in defence of its young and will -hiss like a snake if an enemy or intruder approaches its nest. - -Country children in our Home Counties listen eagerly for the call of the -Cuckoo’s mate, whom Eliza Cook calls “the merry pee bird.” They know -then that Spring is with us, and out-door pleasures are on the way. It -is only the size of a lark, and it is difficult to observe the bird well -either on its nest or during its short undulating flight. - - * * * * * - -The Wryneck is seven inches in length. It has fine, loose plumage, which -recalls that of the Owl or the Night-jar. The throat is clay-colour with -fine dark wavy cross lines; tail a beautiful grey with delicate black -speckles, and six broad pointed stripes across it; the under side is -covered with brownish-white and black spots, and delicately speckled: -from the nape, down the back, about the shoulders, are large black -spots. The flight-feathers have rust-red cross stripes; it has two toes -towards the front and two towards the back; the legs are short. It makes -its nest in any cavity it can find, and in it lays, on soft chaff, its -seven to twelve white eggs. The Wryneck, like the Woodpecker, has a long -wormlike tongue which can be extended. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE CUCKOO.] - - -THE CUCKOO. - -(_Cuculus canorus._) - -The Cuckoo is a most useful bird, as regards his food, which consists -for the most part of very mischievous insects and caterpillars of all -kinds; it is the more so as this bird is insatiable. - -An individual Cuckoo probably always lays its eggs in the same -neighbourhood, and always in the nest of the same kind of bird, and -usually the same kind in which it was itself brought up. The young -Cuckoo soon obtains the upper hand in the nest, on account of its rapid -growth, and throws out its weaker foster-brothers and sisters. It always -calls its own name--though it sounds more like “_ha-hu_”; sometimes it -utters sounds which are like laughter. There is a popular superstition -that the Cuckoo foretells to those who ask it, how many years they will -live--and to young maidens, how many years they must wait for a husband. - -Like the Swallow it brings the announcement of spring, and our Hungarian -children have a song:-- - - “Cuckoo! Cuckoo! sounds from the wood - Now let us dance and sing; - For Spring is coming; Spring is here;” - -The Cuckoo detracts from its usefulness, however, by its other actions. -It greatly damages the nests of the small useful birds, in which it -places its eggs, and consequently its young ones. The female Cuckoo -selects a district, finds out all the nests of Wren, Robin, -White-throat, Wagtail, or some other, and thereupon begins to place her -egg in this. When she finds that she cannot get into a nest of a bird -which builds in a hole, she lays her egg on the ground, then takes it up -in her bill and drops it into the nest. - - * * * * * - -In spring and summer the Cuckoo’s note sounds all through Great Britain. -Its ways will always have a fascination both for the old and the young. -Many will be surprised to hear that scientists have now verified the -placing of its eggs in the nests of as many as 145 species; in different -countries, that is, including the nests of the Isabelline and other -Chats in Africa and China, and the Red-headed Bunting on the steppes of -Turkestan. In Lapland the Grey-headed Wagtail and the Red-spotted -Bluethroat are the foster-parents; in Andalusia the Great-spotted Cuckoo -lays oftenest in the nest of the Spanish Magpie.[2] The old poet, -Quarles, must have seen the bird with an egg in its beak when he wrote -“The idle Cuckoo having made a feast of Sparrow’s eggs, Lays down her -own i’ the nest.” - -A German authority, Dr. Rey, made a collection of over seven hundred -Cuckoo’s eggs; and he states that the proportion of those which resemble -in colouring those of the foster-parents is only about thirty per cent. -Yet out of sixty-seven which he took from a Redstart’s nest fifty-seven -were blue. Another collector again states that only one blue Cuckoo’s -egg had passed through his hands. Lately a man told me of having found -two Cuckoo’s eggs in one small nest, an unusual occurrence. - -The Cuckoo is a very slender, long-tailed bird, 12 inches in length. In -the male bird the mantle is ashen-grey, the tail has cross stripes, the -under-parts are whitish with cross-running wavy lines. The female and -young ones, with their reddish-brown dark cross bands, remind us of the -Hawk. From this arises the popular superstition that the Cuckoo changes -into a hawk in late autumn. The legs are yellow; eyes fiery red edged -with yellow, beak dark, reddish at the corners. It never builds a nest. -In its system of transplanting it shows itself an arrant knave, for it -places its eggs in the nests of other birds, whose eggs, as a rule are -totally different in size, colour and form. The eggs of one Cuckoo so -placed may reach the number of 20 to 22, but as a rule are about 11 to -12. - -With regard to the Cuckoo’s usual habit of leaving us in the autumn, a -belated young bird may now and again spend the winter here. One -frequented my sister’s tennis ground till the end of November, when the -cat caught and killed it; and a gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr. -Robinson of Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, saw one on his farm early in -February of 1908. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE HOOPOE.] - - -THE HOOPOE. - -(_Upupa epops._) - -The Hoopoe is from base of bill 10 inches long. It is a fair bird with -beautiful variegated plumage. Head, upper back, and breast pale -rust-red; mantle, shining black, with white ornamentation; tail also -black, with a crescent-shaped white band curving inwards towards the -rump. The head is adorned with a bunch of feathers which the bird can -erect or depress at pleasure. The feathers of this are light coloured, -with black tips, but the tips of the longest feathers are black and -white. Beak, long and slightly curved, thin, and adapted for picking. It -lays four to seven eggs, greenish olive, or clay colour, but always of -uniform colour, which it places on the mould in the holes of trees. The -Hoopoe is the only bird that fouls its nest, and brings up its young in -dirt and filth. On this account both mother and young have an evil -odour, as some of the bird’s names indicate. - -This national Hungarian bird is a migrant, and dwells chiefly on the -borders of woods in the low bushes, and in the neighbourhood of -pastures, where it is never weary of examining the droppings of the -cows, from which it obtains beetles and maggots. It also catches gnats -on the wing, and the leaping grasshoppers. It is a noisy bird, and its -cry “_Hup up_”--from which its name is derived--is heard sounding -vigorously from the branches. It is one of our most useful, and most -brilliantly coloured birds, and should be protected. - - * * * * * - -For over two hundred years the Hoopoe has been recorded as a visitor to -Great Britain, a more or less frequent one. Some years ago the late Mr. -Howard Saunders told us that the head-keeper at Ashburnham Park, in -Sussex, destroyed seven in one week, and that many a one has been slain -in Kent, at the point where they alight after crossing the Channel. A -few have, in spite of persecution contrived to breed in our country--in -southern counties chiefly. Sometimes numbers come to England in the -autumn, and it is generally an annual visitor in small numbers to -Ireland. As it is a useful bird all should try to procure protection for -it. - - -THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE. - -(_Lanius excubitor._) - -In spite of its comparatively small size this is a bold bird, and a true -“Watchman”; he keeps a sharp lookout from the top branches of a dead -tree, or a post, and will not suffer any other bird, even if ten times -his size, to perch anywhere in his vicinity. Buzzards, Ravens, Crows, -Magpies, he pounces on, something in the manner of a Falcon, and tries -to push them off. He generally succeeds in routing the intruder, for he -is indefatigable in attack. His food includes any living creature that -he can slaughter. - -He picks up a fat grasshopper, hovers over and darts on a mouse, just as -a hawk does. These acts are beneficial; but they are not to be compared -with the amount of harm he does, as a cut-throat and robber among the -useful small birds. He disturbs the nests of the little singing birds -which build on the ground, ransacks bushes and treetops, and slays -mercilessly. His methods are those of the highwayman. He will sit on a -stake on the top of a hayrick and watch, keeping perfectly still, only -his eyes sweeping around. When his victim comes within range of his -vision on earth, or tree, he instantly falls upon it. His close relation -to the birds of prey, is indicated by his cry “_Tett, tett_.” His call -is a strong, rough sound, like, “_Sheck, sheck_,” or a fainter -“_Truii_.” This bird remains in Hungary through the winter, but is not -very common. Where he does take up his abode, he does great harm by -slaughtering the useful birds. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE.] - -This Shrike is one of the regular visitors from the Continent, coming to -Great Britain in autumn and winter. In England it has even been seen -during the summer, but it has not bred with us. Lizards, mice, shrews, -frogs, and insects, especially beetles and grasshoppers, it feeds on, as -well as small birds. - -The Great Grey Shrike is 9·5 inches in length. The back is light -ashen-grey; underparts dingey white, brow whitish; from the base of the -bill a broad black band passes over the eye to near the ear. Bill, legs, -wings and tail black: the wings, however, have a white patch, and also -the feathers on both sides of the tail show a white border. On the -underparts of the female bird, faint stripes of a darker shade are -discernible. The bill is indented at the point and has a hook. The bird -builds its nest in trees and lays five or six eggs, occasionally seven, -greenish-white speckled with grey. - -[Illustration: A Watchful Mother.] - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE LESSER GREY SHRIKE.] - - -THE LESSER GREY SHRIKE. - -(_Lanius minor._) - -The habits of this Shrike are, on the whole, those of the larger -species, with this difference, that the Lesser Shrike, does not rob -nests, but destroys insects, and therefore does good. It also, is a -“Watchman.” It sits on a high point and flings its glances round about. -Suddenly it darts down, looks about, finds its prey, and flies back to -its former perch. When it is keeping watch over a place where the ground -is covered with thick growth, it hovers at about half the height of a -man, sometimes until it can see something that will serve as prey. If it -finds nothing, it will cease to hover, and flies back to its post. Near -the highroad it will flit onward from tree to tree, generally slightly -in advance of a vehicle, till at last, at some point or other, it turns -away over the fields and with a peculiar undulating flight returns to -the spot where it started. - -The Lesser Shrike is a migrant, and departs for warmer places at the -beginning of autumn, returning to its nesting place in this country in -the spring. Its cry sounds like “_Keejay_.” It is by nature quarrelsome, -but it embellishes and enlivens the neighbourhood. Inthe warmer parts of -Europe, it is the most common of all the Shrikes. - - * * * * * - -This species only wanders occasionally to England, a mere straggler, on -migratory flight. If it be seen it must be protected, as a useful -species, from “the man the gun” who shoots to sell or to enrich his own -private collection. - -The Lesser Shrike is smaller than the Great Shrike, but it is quite as -beautiful and has the same deportment. Besides its smaller size, it is -distinguished from its congener, by its black brow, the colour of which -merges into that of the broad black stripe. The breast is a beautiful -white, flushed with rose-colour. The white patch on the black wings is -quite small. Otherwise the colouring is the same as that of the Great -Shrike. Its nest is built in poplar trees bordering the -highroad--sometimes in other trees. It employs sweet-scented plants in -building the nest. It lays five or six pale green eggs, which have a -speckled ring round the thicker end. - - -THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE. - -(_Lanius collurio._) - -This Shrike specially likes bushes at the side of a road, or the edge of -a wood, and more particularly affects the whitethorn, or sloe bushes; -but it sometimes ventures into gardens. It kills more than it can eat, -so it impales the superfluous provender on thorns, so as to be ready -when the bird feels hungry again, or when the weather is not favourable -for hunting. So crickets, grasshoppers, cock-chafers, and, alas! also -young birds, are sometimes found sticking on thorns. As this bird keeps -to its own district, it robs the nests of the small birds in a -scandalous way, including that of the White-throat. - -Care, therefore, should be taken to keep this ogre at a respectful -distance from the gardens; he does less harm in the open fields, as he -there employs his energies on the mice. - -It is a migrant, and departs at the beginning of autumn, returning not -earlier than near the end of April. Wherever it is, its “_Geck, geck, -geck_,” is frequently heard. Sometimes also “_Treng, treng_,” reminding -us of the Sparrow. It imitates the song of other birds in a remarkable -way, even that of the Nightingale, often in this way misleading both man -and birds. - - * * * * * - -The Red-backed Shrike comes to Great Britain in May. It is the commonest -of our own three species; but is becoming rarer each year in Lancashire -and Yorkshire, being more often met with in the wooded parts of the -Southern counties and in Wales. A handsome fellow, with his grey head, -mantle of - -[Illustration: PARTLY USEFUL. - -THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE.] - -chestnut-brown, and underparts a pale rosy buff colour, he has not the -look of the cruel bird he really is; his song is fairly sweet, and I -have heard of one which was so good a mimic that it could even bark like -a dog. This particular one had been brought up in an aviary, I believe. -All this species are, however, very imitative in their notes. In some -parts of Germany, they are looked on as a great scourge of small birds, -yet one or two of our English naturalists have tried to do justice to -the pretty fellow. _They_ have seen only beetles, wasps and other -not-to-be-regretted small deer impaled on the thorns of his larder. In -point of fact, small birds, especially our pleasant little Tits, -disappear under his notice; White-throats also occasionally, as well as -bigger fledglings. - -The German naturalist Lenz writes that he made some experiments in -regard to Shrikes. In one garden he destroyed every Butcher-bird’s nest -that he could find, and shot the birds; and there he had plenty of -fruit, because the small birds stayed and destroyed the grubs and -insects. In another, a larger garden, he allowed just one Shrike to -breed. Wasps and other creatures destroyed all the fruit near the part -where this Shrike’s nest was. In a third garden Lenz allowed Shrikes to -nest freely, with the result that all the insect-eating birds forsook -the place, or else were destroyed by the Butcher-birds, and there was no -fruit. Writing of the Red-backed Shrike, one of our leading authorities -in bird matters notes that in its larder he has seen the bodies of large -moths, dragon-flies, mice, and sometimes a small bird from which the -head has been wrenched, and many a cockchafer; and Canon Tristam -considers that the food of the various species of Shrikes is almost -entirely cockchafers, where they are to be had. The Rev. T. Wood again -ranks them with the Owls for usefulness. A French naturalist also says -they have every right to be placed on the list of useful insectivorous -birds. It would seem to depend much on the nature of the district -whether this bird is to be welcomed or otherwise. - -The Red-backed Shrike is 7 inches long. Its whole shape and -colouring--still more its habits--are those of a true Shrike. Crown and -neck a beautiful grey; mantle reddish-brown; the folded wings show no -white patch. Underparts pale rose colour, throat white; across the eyes -and towards the ears, is the broad black band. The middle feathers of -the tail reddish-brown, the outside feathers white near the root. The -breast of the female bird is pale, crossed by brown wavy lines. The -upper mandible is serrated and has a slight hook. The nest is usually -placed in bushes; it contains five to seven eggs nearly white, with a -ring of small darker speckles, sometimes at the larger and sometimes at -the smaller end. - - -THE LESSER WHITETHROAT. - -(_Sylvia curruca._) - -This simple, modest, agreeable bird is valued and loved by us, because -it comes in such a friendly way near our houses and ourselves. It nests -in orchards, and more especially in gardens where there are bushes, and -charms us in the early spring with its sweet trilling song, -“_Lee-lee-lee-lee-lee_.” The little song is quite simple, being just the -repetition from six to eight times of the syllable “Leeleelee.” Its -call-note is “_tack-tack-tack_.” It keeps the feathers of its head -erected whilst singing. Its food consists of all kinds of harmful -insects for which it hunts without rest, and is therefore no less useful -than the Titmouse. It feeds also on various berries, but without doing -any harm. The hen shows great self-sacrifice in rearing her brood, -amongst which is often found a stranger--the Cuckoo. - -Its nest should be protected from the house Cat. Whoever protects it -secures its services for himself. The Whitethroat is migratory, and so -exposed to many dangers. - -[Illustration] - -Mr. Herman gives us only the Lesser Whitethroat. With us what we call -the Whitethroat proper is much - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE LESSER WHITETHROAT.] - -more common (_Sylvia cinérea_). Both species arrive in Great Britain at -the same time, that is about the second week in April, to stay until the -beginning of September. With us they nest in brambles and low hedgerows, -and because of the fondness of nettle beds, schoolboys know it mostly as -the “Nettle-creeper.” The male is a courageous little bird; he will -often follow one along the side of his favourite hedgerow, flitting from -branch to branch with the feathers on head and throat bluffed out and -agitating his tail. We hear his song by night as well as by day. - -The Lesser Whitethroat is 5·25 inches long. The crown is ashen-grey; -cheeks darker, mantle grey-brown; back and breast white, merging into -yellowish-red at the sides. The side feathers of the tail are -wedge-shaped, the feathers near it having small indistinct spots. Beak -small, awl-shaped; legs strong and bluish. The nest is generally found -in whitethorn hedges and sloe-bushes, at about two and a half feet from -the ground; in gardens the nest is placed higher. It is composed of fine -grass and root fibre, interwoven and compacted with spider’s web, and -lined with pig’s bristles and horse-hair. The bird lays five or six -beautifully formed eggs, which are white or bluish with delicate -speckles, which are thicker at the larger end of the egg, round which -they form a ring. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE BLACKCAP.] - - -THE BLACKCAP. - -(_Sylvia atricapilla._) - -The Blackcap prefers the underwood, particularly where higher trees -stand solitary; it also nests in gardens, even in the public gardens of -large towns, where it feeds on all kinds of insects, and so it serves -wood and garden equally well. It leads a happy family life, and during -its courting days the little wooer is full of joyous song. The song is -simple, and does not approach that of the Nightingale in our opinion, -although others say it does; it certainly cannot express so many phases -of feeling, but it is as lovely and joyous as that of a merry child. It -is heard first from one side of the bush, and then from the other, and -it carries delight into the heart of the listener. Hoffman represents -the song of the Blackcap by the syllables “_Rutia, ruetidi-rutia, -tuedili, tuedia_.” Its mating call is “_Take, take, take_,” the warning -cry “_Rarr_.” Towards autumn this bird eats all kinds of berries from -the bushes--elderberries, blackberries, and others; in the garden it -picks currants, without, however, doing any serious mischief, or being -able to do so, for its principal food is composed of insects. - -The bird-catchers ensnare it on account of its charming song. They cover -its cage with greenery, so that it may imagine itself in the underwood, -and thus the poor thing lives and learns the songs of other captive -birds. - - * * * * * - -The Blackcap loves our old English hedgerows, about which it can find -all its necessary insect food and also good cover. It is not a very -commonly distributed bird with us; like the Nightingale, it is local in -its habitat. The young fuss about after their parents for food supplies, -after they have left the nest, more than most young birds do. Often the -Blackcap builds in a privet hedge, or some bush near to garden or -orchard, for the sake of the fruit of which it certainly avails itself a -little. Do not grudge it, the song will make up for a slight loss of -fruit, which is the more plentiful for the little bird’s making away -with insect pests that infest the same precincts. - -The Blackcap’s mantle is olive-grey, underparts nearly white; the -colouring of the head forms a black cap, which extends over the eyes: -hence its distinguished name. The cap is brown on the female bird and -its young. Tail and wings dark-brown; beak thin, awl-shaped; legs -strong; very bright dark-brown eyes. The nest is always found in thick -bushes, near the ground, and it is furnished with grass and rootlets, -and also the webs of insects, sometimes hair, but very little feather. -It contains five or six eggs, which vary in colour, being sometimes -brownish, sometimes nearly white or olive-grey, speckled or otherwise -marked with a reddish tint. - - -THE NIGHTINGALE. - -(_Daulias luscinia._) - -The Nightingale leads a quiet domestic life among the thickets. It has -much occupation on the ground, whence it derives its livelihood, its -food consisting entirely of grubs and insects. In the pairing season, -and at the time when the hen is sitting, the male bird perches on a twig -near the nest and sings his song--now mournful, now stirring, now -tender; the finest song produced from any bird’s throat! Enthusiastic -bird-fanciers have put words to the Nightingale’s song and turned it -into verse. It begins thus:-- - - _Fid, fid, fid! kr-kr-zi-zi, doredo, reredezit._ - -We have a native congener, the Meadow Nightingale, which is larger than -the bird described above, and has a darker and fuller breast. The -Hungarian Nightingale of the bird dealers begins its song thus:-- - - _Philipp--Philipp--Philipp,_ - _Tarak--Tarak--Tarak,_ - _Diderot--Diderot--Diderot._ - -Bird-catchers have been very destructive to this noble, useful bird on -the Continent. - - * * * * * - -The Nightingale comes to Great Britain in the middle of April. In August -the young birds take their departure, but the old birds stay until -September in order to finish moulting before taking flight. It has been -supposed that the migration is made singly, not in flocks like that of -other small birds; but a naturalist has recorded having once seen great -numbers of Nightingales resting - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE NIGHTINGALE.] - -under the bathing machines along the _whole length_ of the shore at -Brighton. - -This fine singer is very local in its appearance. In the West of England -it is rarer than elsewhere, and beyond Devonshire it is said to be quite -unknown. In the Midlands it is scarce, and in the Northern counties it -is entirely absent excepting in Yorkshire, where it is getting more -common. They seem to be capricious in their comings and goings from -given localities; no doubt their presence depends on the season’s -scarcity or abundance of the food they prefer. The nestlings live on -spiders, ants and small green caterpillars in June, and they afterwards -frequent fields planted with peas and beans. The adult birds feed on -worms, insects and wild fruits, especially the berries of the elder. - -The Nightingale is as plain in plumage as it is marvellous in song. The -mantle is russet-brown, shading off into reddish-chestnut near the tail, -which is rust-colour, underparts whitish. It is scarcely as large as a -Sparrow, and is much more delicately formed. Beak thin and pointed, legs -slender. The shining, dark-brown eye has a brilliant glow. Its nest is -placed among the bushes of a thicket, always near the ground. The outer -covering is of dry leaves, then come blades of grass and fine rootlets, -sometimes having hair interwoven with them. It does not stand out from -the surrounding objects, and requires a sharp eye to discover it. The -clutch consists of five or six olive-green eggs, with darker -reddish-brown veining and speckles. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE REDSTART.] - - -THE REDSTART. - -(_Ruticilla phoenicúrus._) - -This pretty and very useful bird quickly attracts notice in our gardens -by its lively disposition. When it flies the tail spreads out, and then, -when the bird settles again on any post or ledge the tail moves in a -quick, tremulous way that is most amusing. - -It usually perceives the creeping and flying beetles on the grass -borders from a higher point above them; the former it picks up, the -latter it swallows on the wing, twisting and turning about as -circumstances require. It lives on all kinds of grubs and insects, and -hence its great use in wood and garden. In autumn it takes the berries -from the bushes, but without doing any mischief. Its mating call sounds -like “_Fid-fid-fid-tik-tik-tik_,” and also “_Weet, weet, tak-tak_,” and -ends with a smacking sound. In some places in Hungary the bee-keepers -are great enemies of this charming little bird, believing that it steals -their honey. This is not true, however, for it only catches the drones, -which have no sting, takes the rejected, spoiled larvæ, and the -destructive wax-mite. From its usefulness it is worthy of all -protection, and it is a joy for heart and mind. - -To us also in Great Britain where this species is generally distributed -it is a joy, and in orchards its presence is most welcome. The red about -the tail shows brightly as the bird darts from branch to branch. I have -watched it myself where a nesting box has been put up for its use in an -apple tree, until the little pair became quite used to my presence and -to watch their pretty, affectionate ways was delightful. In speaking of -nesting boxes, one must give a warning in connection with those smaller -birds who like to nest in holes in walls and trees. I have seen them -with lids at the top for the proprietor to open, which, through stress -of weather and weak rusty hinges, soon came to grief. I regret to say -this happened in the case of the pair I knew best. The lid was -defective, and one night or morning early soon after the nestlings were -hatched out, a Shrike or a Crow routed them out, to my great sorrow. - -The Redstart is an elegant gay-coloured bird of slender shape, in other -respects like the Robin. Throat, lores, brow and bill-base are a fine -black. The upper part of the brow is pure white, passing into the -bluish-grey of the crown. Back of the head and mantle also of the same -beautiful bluish-grey; breast, rump, and tail a brilliant chestnut-red, -but the middle feathers of the tail grey. Beak and legs delicate, but -strong. The female bird and the young are less brightly coloured. The -nest is found in cracks, holes, convenient corners, such as are under -the roof of summer houses. It is rather carelessly put together, but -well-formed, and is lined with hair and feathers. The bird lays five or -six eggs, of a fine rare blue-green colour. - -[Illustration] - - -THE BLACK REDSTART. - -(_Ruticilla titys._) - -The Black Redstart which was formerly rare with us, is now a well-known -visitor to many parts of our coasts in the autumn and winter, especially -to Cornwall and Devon. It does not as yet breed with us, however. It -visits Ireland also, particularly on the east and south coasts. It is -called the House Redstart, and its congener the Garden Redstart on the -Continent; the one under notice frequents the roofs of buildings, and it -places its nest in châlets, holes in walls, sheds, etc. It is a useful -little bird. - -[Illustration: The pretty Siskin.] - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE BLACK REDSTART.] - - -THE TREE PIPIT. - -(_Anthus triviális._) - -Frequenting the woods, the Tree Pipit seeks only the clearings, -especially the wild parts, where these and copsewood alternate, and the -ground is mossy. At the time of migratory flight it likes to rest on -vegetable fields and cornfields. It will rest willingly on trees, but -prefers the ground. Very small seeds it will eat, but all kinds of grubs -and caterpillars and insects it prefers. The Tree Pipit has a pleasant -note, “_Zeä, zeä, zeä_”--the mating call is more like “_Seele, seele, -seele_.” It is absolutely useful in its mode of living. - -It nests in Hungary more numerously than any other of the Pipits, for it -has relatives which only visit our neighbourhood. At the time of -migration, they arrive, rest themselves, and go off again. - -In addition to the Pipit here described there is the Water Pipit, which -breeds here. It seeks the mountain districts in summer, but takes refuge -in the valley in winter; Richard’s Pipit, rather larger than these -others, and with longer legs and a very long hind claw. The Meadow Pipit -only passes through our land, like the Tawny Pipit; both of the latter -nest in the far North, and they go far South in the winter. - - * * * * * - -The Tree Pipit comes to the South of Great Britain early in April, and -it is spread pretty considerably throughout the country, excepting in -Cornwall and Wales. As yet it is not, I believe, in Ireland. The song of -this bird is rather like that of a Canary. It begins on the highest -branch of a tree generally, after - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -TREE PIPIT.] - -which the bird hovers a little, then descends, singing still, to the -perch he started from. - -The Meadow Pipit is the best known member of his family with us. -Ground-lark, Titlark, Ling-bird, Moss-cheeper are some of its local -names. It seems able to make itself at home anywhere in summer, but in -winter it seeks the fields in sheltered places, near the coast by -preference. Its food consists of insects, worms, molluscs and small -snails, with seeds in winter. The little bird works its creeping way up -the grass or heather, taking now and again quick little runs. The flight -is wavering and jerky. The Titlark has a very strong smell about it, -dogs “point” it frequently. - -In size the Tree Pipit most resembles the Wagtail, but it has a shorter -tail. Its general colour is more like the Lark, but it is less speckled. -The mantle is olive-green, the breast yellowish. The points of the -folded tail are formed by the three first flight feathers; the fourth is -much shorter. The nail of the back toe is long like a spur, but not so -long as the toe. The beak is delicate and slightly awl-shaped. It is a -nice modest little bird; its flight dips and rises again continually. It -builds its nest cleverly with soft materials in the shape of a saucer, -and places it on the ground on a clod of earth, under the shelter of a -heap of stones, or on a grass ridge. Five eggs are laid which are very -varied, a dull blue, sometimes brownish, sometimes white, with dark -spots. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -WHITE WAGTAIL.] - - -THE WHITE WAGTAIL. - -(_Motacilla alba._) - -Wagtails are all migrants and arrive in Hungary in great numbers. - -This is a lively, elegant little bird, that walks and runs well, is very -active, and always wagging its tail as it goes. It hops daintily from -stone to stone in the shallow water, picking up insects busily, and -snapping at the flies and gnats; and over the tall grasses and banks of -the water, it dashes into the air, turning and twisting in the pursuit -of insects. When there is pasture land near the water, it shows itself -to be a good friend to the cattle, by destroying the flies and gnats and -the tiny midges of the dragonfly kind, which would otherwise torment -them. Its congeners in Hungary are the Yellow Wagtail, whose underpart -is bright yellow, and mantle olive-green, which wags its tail less, and -confines itself to cattle pastures; the Mountain Wagtail, the upper part -of which is ashen-grey, and the under side brimstone yellow. Its call is -a clear “_Zeewit-zuyit-beuees_, or _zeueess_,” sometimes it sounds like -“_Kwee-kwee, kweereeree-kweeree_.” - - * * * * * - -The Wagtail is 7·5 inches in length, and has a long tail. It is a very -charming bird. Its plumage is of three colours--black, white, and -ashen-grey. Crown, neck, and throat black; brow, cheeks, and underparts -white; mantle grey; tail and wings black, the feathers of the latter -being edged with white; the two outer feathers on both sides of the tail -are mostly white. Rump dark-grey, underneath the tail white; bill -awl-shaped, and black, as are also the slender legs. It builds its nest -on the edge of the water in all sorts of places: in holes, between -stones, in cracks in the earth, among roots or in wood-stacks. It lays -sometimes as many as eight, but usually five white eggs, finely speckled -with dark colour, the speckling thicker at the larger end, in a ring -round the egg. - - -THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. - -(_Motacilla flava._) - -This very handsome little bird, which is smaller than the White Wagtail, -and does not wag its tail so much, inhabits the low Hungarian plain, and -the pastureland generally of the open country, especially moist -moorlands, and the banks of marshes, where it keeps close to the grazing -animals, which are mostly swine and buffaloes. When swine trample down -the bank of the ponds the bird approaches, and picks up the water -insects and larvæ which have been exposed in the disturbed ground, or if -the buffaloes trample the earth on the edge of the marsh the Wagtail is -sure to be close on their heels to secure its share of food. It builds -its nest in the grasses of the meadow or at the roots of the bushes in -the hedge. It usually lays five eggs, which have light flecks on a dingy -white ground. - - * * * * * - -A bird I always looked for eagerly in the days of my youth, on our -Staffordshire moorlands was the Yellow Wagtail with its lovely tints. -It would come tripping blithely along a certain road on its way from one -rough fallow field to another, a most dainty, and I fancied then, even -foreign-looking little creature. It has a prettier song than its -relatives, the Grey and the Pied Wagtails, and is altogether a daintier -looking bird. Nor is it so common, being very local in its distribution. -Leaving us in September, little parties of the Yellow Wagtails are -formed then, and some districts only make their acquaintance with these -birds when on their migratory flight. Lately I heard of a company of -about seventy Wagtails resting for the night in Kew Gardens grounds, -where they had not been noted before. They frequent the meadows beside -the Brent by Perivale, Ealing, where small, thin-shelled molluscs by the -stream, and insects stirred into activity by the heavy feet of the -grazing cattle, furnish them with food. I watched one day a pretty -sight,--a nimble Wagtail in close attendance on an old sheep. The way it -darted nimbly about this animal’s face, picking off the tiny flies as -the creature fed was wonderful. Sometimes you may chance to see one -picking the torturing little insects out of an old horse’s ears as it -lies resting on the sward. - -The yellow species is called _Motacilla raii_, but the Abbé Vincelot, -who wrote half a century ago, on the birds of Maine-et-Loire, treating -specially of their names as descriptive of their manners, call it -_Motacilla boarula_, and he said he thought the latter designation came -from Boaria, an old name for Bavaria, used after the Boïens, driven by -the Marcomans from Bohemia, settled there. This name Boïens seems to -have been given to the tribes who reared and tended cattle. There were -Boïens of Gaul, of Italy, and of Germany. In Poitou an ox is still -called boe and the grazier boier. By the ancient Romans the beef market -was called the forum boarium. And so the name of boarule given to the -Yellow Wagtail may be supposed to indicate this habit of following up -the cattle in quest of his insect food. Bergeronette, the common French -name of this charming and useful species, is equally descriptive of the -bird as an ally of the shepherd. - - * * * * * - -The Pied Wagtail, _Motacilla lugubris_, is our common and well -distributed species. The Grey Wagtail, _M. Melanópe_, a beautiful bird -with its longer tail and yellow tints, frequents our hilly districts and -mountain streams; but, the Blue-headed species is only an irregular -visitor to our Islands, on migration. The food and habits of this family -are alike, and they are all most useful to the grazier and farmers -generally. - -[Illustration: A Morning Bath] - - -THE GREAT REED WARBLER. - -(_Acrocephalus turdoides._) - -This Reed Warbler lives exclusively in reed beds, and, as it is fairly -common, inhabits a large number of such places, so that in the pairing -season the whole neighbourhood resounds with its love song, which even -overpowers the croaking of the frogs. There are usually large numbers of -the birds near together, and all join with one voice in the concert. It -goes on from morning till night. Indeed during the most eager time of -its wooing it goes on all night. - -The song is sometimes expressed thus:-- - - Karrey-karrey-karrey - Ker-ker-ker - Hedder-hedder - Duee-duee-duee, etc. - -Where the reeds are thickest it shoots between them, as a weaver’s -shuttle shoots between the threads. What is still more clever is the way -in which it climbs about the straight tall stalks of the reeds. It -clasps the reed with its toes and claws, and immediately it seems to be -up on the top, then in a moment it slides down again and vanishes among -the reeds. And of what use is all this? This bird is of use in its own -way, in places inaccessible to others. It destroys innumerable grubs and -insects, which frequent water and boggy land, and does its best to make -such places habitable. The food of this Reed Warbler consists -principally of insects and their larvæ, although in the autumn, like -most creatures, instinct teaches it to eat some fruit for health’s sake, -in the shape of berries, particularly those of the elder. - -The nest of this Reed Warbler is one of the marvels - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE GREAT REED WARBLER.] - -of bird architecture. It is a real work of art, because, in its perfect -suitability for its purpose, it shows an amount of calculation that few -men would think a bird capable of. - -[Illustration] - -Whoever is acquainted with the nature of marshland, and the reed beds -that border it, knows that on the smooth surface of the water, the -breeze, the wind, the storm have free course, and can at times bluster -and rage. Everyone also knows that the lightest breezes moves the -leaves of the reeds, bends their stems and sets the whole wilderness of -them in motion, like the water itself. The wisdom of Nature has placed -this bird of the reed beds here, and so formed it that it could live -nowhere else. Therefore it must build its nest in this unstable-looking -spot and can do so in perfect safety; so that it can lay its eggs, hatch -them, tend the young birds which are at first blind, feed them and bring -them up until they are fledged and like their parents. - -It is no small undertaking to build among the bending stems a nest which -will afford security in calm weather and also in storm! If the bird -fastened it to one stem, and the wind were to come, the fastenings would -soon be torn away, and all destroyed. - -What then does the bird do? It chooses three or four stems at about -equal distances standing near to each other. On these it darns and knits -its nest in the shape of a high, eastern, fur hat reversed: attaching it -also with tough grass to the reed in such a manner that it can give way -on the stalk when it waves in the wind, so that the stalk cannot tear -the nest. The cup of the nest is deep, narrowing a little at the upper -edge to prevent anything falling out when moved by the wind. In this -nest the Reed Warbler lays five or six eggs of pale green with darker -speckles, which are hatched in fourteen days. It is a perfect work of -art. - -The Great Reed Warbler is 8 inches in length, that is, an inch less than -a Thrush; and its form is not unlike that of the Thrush. The upper side -is brown, shading into rust colour; over the eye is a lighter stripe, -and round the ears the plumage is also a lighter colour. The underparts -are whitish, tinged on the sides with yellowish clay colour. Beak like -that of the Thrush, rather strong, slightly curved, pointed. Legs -strong, suited for clinging. The nest is treated of separately. - -[Illustration: The Reed Bunting.] - -We have a smaller relative of this bird in England, although it is not -known in Scotland, and is only said to have been taken once in Ireland. -Our Reed Warbler (_Acrocephalus streperus_) arrives regularly in the -latter end of April, to stay until September. It is common in those -places that suit its way of living, in the Midlands and the Southern and -Eastern counties. In form it resembles its larger relative. This species -does not confine itself to reeds or to watery quarters; it has even been -known to build in a garden at Hampstead. The slender branches of willows -or alder beside a running stream suit it well. Still it prefers reeds, -and its nest also is supported by being woven about and through three or -four, or even two reeds. The building is begun whilst the reeds are -short, but by the time the young are hatched the nest is three feet -above the water. That wandering creature the Cuckoo will even drop her -egg into this hanging nest; indeed she is fond of it. The song of this -species is at its loudest and pleasant during the long summer twilight. -It is a useful little bird. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WILLOW WREN.] - - -THE WILLOW WREN. - -(_Phylloscopus tróchilus._) - -This bird is called the Willow Wren because it loves the willow trees, -the leaves of which, both in form and colour, are adapted to hide and -protect it. - -Its nest is well hidden, being often placed near the ground, under -overhanging grasses and bushes, and built of materials found immediately -around the chosen site; it can only be discovered by the eyes of an -experienced bird-nester. It is covered over. The clutch consists of five -or six little white eggs, speckled with reddish-brown. - -It is a lively, active bird, that likes to frequent the tops of trees in -thick woods, where it hops briskly from twig to twig, and is never -still. But neither its colour nor its movements betray its presence and -nature as does its voice, which is really extraordinarily strong and -far-reaching, considering how tiny is the singer, and still more tiny -its vocal organ. Its song is heard in spring, and sounds like -_Zilp-Zalp, Zilp-Zalp_, and so on. Its busy call-note is _Whit, whit!_ -It feeds on the insects which it finds on the trees. In autumn, when -starving, it eats elder-berries and such things, but does no harm -whatever. As a loud harbinger of spring, and a bringer of glad-tidings -we welcome and protect it. - - * * * * * - -About the first week in April the Willow Wren comes to us in England, -where it is the commonest of the three small greenish-yellow Warblers -that come to us--the Chiff-chaff and the Wood Wren are its congeners. -Owing to the shape of its domed nest it has been given the name of -Oven-bird; indeed all three are known by that name, and the Willow Wren -also by that of Hay-bird, because of the dry materials it uses for its -nest. This species is very useful to the gardener, as its food consists -almost entirely of insects, flies and aphides. - -The Willow Wren is a little longer than the Chiff-chaff and an inch -longer than the Wren. The upper parts, except the crown, is -greenish-brown, passing into a yellow tinge; the underparts white, -breast and throat pale yellow; the cheeks golden-brown, the inside of -the wings yellow, legs brownish; the under side of the toes yellow. All -is subdued, nothing glaring on this delicately coloured bird; indeed, -all is delicate, including the bill, which is pointed and adapted for -investigating the tiniest cracks and bud axels. - - -THE SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. - -(_Múscicapa grísola._) - -The habits of the Spotted Flycatcher are quite different from those of -its feathered companions in garden and forest, such as the Tits; for -while the latter are always moving, darting here, hunting there, the -Flycatcher sits quietly on the extreme end of a bough, on some point, or -on a post, and watches for flying insects exclusively; flies, beetles; -or near the bee-house it lies in wait for drones, but it never snaps at -a stinging bee or wasp. It is quiet, only occasionally moving first one -wing and then the other, as if to ascertain that they are in working -order; then, as soon as it sees a flying insect, it darts forward, sure -of aim as the Swallow, seizes its prey, and flies back in a fine curve -to its post of observation. - -The Flycatcher then, belongs to the useful birds, especially in gardens, -where it destroys the harmful insects which fly among the trees. If it -should happen to make away with the gall-insect, among others in the -woods, that will not outweigh its good deeds. In gardens, at all events, -it ought to be cherished and protected. Place a nest-box, such as it -loves, with a wide opening, and let it nest there. There is not much to -be said for its song; its call note is “_Tschee, tschee_.” - - * * * * * - -The Spotted Flycatcher is one of our latest British spring migrants, its -usual time for coming is about the first week in May. Although it feeds -almost exclusively on insects, it has been known to eat the berries of -the mountain ash; I have noticed indeed that these disappear - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SPOTTED FLYCATCHER.] - -before the birds more quickly than other wild berries. It is local with -us in its breeding habits. It is one of the few species which still -breed in some of our London parks and the larger gardens in town. The -nest may be found among old creepers, but in the country it is often -built on the beam of an outbuilding, and so it has been called the -Beam-bird. It is a charming little creature to note as it sweeps round -in quest of insect life. I was once watching a nest in a creeper on the -porch of an old farmhouse. The young birds, tightly packed within, -gasped greedily for the food brought by their parents. One had a fly too -big for its swallow; it was stuck in its throat, and the fledgling -graciously allowed me to push it down with a pin. - -It is a charming sight to see the parent bird catch its prey when on the -wing, and carrying it promptly to the nest within the creeper. “Not only -tiny insects and moths go there, but also the bodies, denuded of their -wings, of many a white cabbage butterfly, which would otherwise have -deposited her small white eggs on the leaves of the cauliflowers in the -kitchen garden close at hand. These eggs would become green grubs, which -would injure the plants and make them unfit for food. The quick eyes of -the bird and his clever flight put an end to the mischief so far as many -a cauliflower is concerned. Flies, beetles, and aphides in hosts are -devoured--the last especially during August, when they come in myriads -from hop fields, or fruit trees--damsons; and the Flycatchers will clear -the gooseberry bushes of the hurtful sawfly. Macgillivray has recorded -that he noted a parent bird bring food to the nest five hundred and -thirty-seven times during one day! Flycatchers come back to the same -nesting place year after year. They may take a little fruit from you in -the shape of red currants, but this is open to doubt. Like other -creatures, a change of diet is, perhaps, valuable to them; but their -labours during the early summer surely entitle them to a share of the -fruit.”[3] - - * * * * * - -The Spotted Flycatcher is a little grey bird, smaller than the sparrow. -The upper side of its body is mouse-colour, the underside whitish: on -the breast and about the eyes are dark specks. The beak is black, -flattened out wider at the base; the upper half of it furnished with -stiff bristles on each side of the base to prevent its prey escaping. -Legs black and weak; eyes dark and bright. The nest is usually built in -trees, stumps of boughs, near the trunk, also in holes, but never very -deep ones. It is beautifully woven, of fine moss, lichens, fine rootlets -and grass, and is lined with wool, feathers and horse-hair. It contains -five eggs of light grey-green, with dark marble-like veining and specks -of rust-colour; the speckling is sometimes thicker in a ring round the -larger end. - - -THE PIED FLYCATCHER. - -(_Muscicapa atricapilla._) - -The male Pied Flycatcher is so strikingly marked a bird that he is -almost dazzling to the eye. Yet he is only in black and white, but his -markings are very decided. The female is more quietly feathered, the -frontlet, wing-patches and under parts are a buffish-white, whilst her -upper parts are olive-green. The bill is just like that of its congener -already described. The nest is made in a hole in some tree, of dry -grass, moss and rootlets with a lining of hair. - -This species prefers warmer districts, where it remains chiefly in leafy -woods. The bird is a charming little object as it disports itself -amongst the young green of oak and beech woods. When on the lookout for -its prey it prefers to perch on some old withered tree branch. And so -gentle and small it looks one would not dream of its injuring a fly. -Yet, for the great benefit of the woods, it is keen in pursuit of flies, -gnats and other “small deer.” It will agitate its little wings in front -of the larger hollows in old trees, so as to create a slight wind which -will rouse and bring out lurking insects to become the prey of this -disturber of their peace. In the high beech woods this Flycatcher -pounces on the little insects that play in the rays of sunlight that -filter through the openings between the branches. A beautiful bird this -and well deserving protection. - -In Great Britain this species is far less numerous than its congener. It -is, however, a regular visitor to some of our counties. Its song is like -that of the Redstart. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE PIED FLYCATCHER.] - - -THE WHEATEAR. - -(_Saxicola œnánthé._) - -This is a lively and vigilant bird. It selects a district, to which it -afterwards remains faithful. It likes fallow ground, stony hollows, -marsh-land, sandy depressions where there are undulations, also meadows -where there are grass-grown mole-hills or grass plots. From one of these -small eminences it surveys the surrounding land, and on seeing prey -instantly makes for it, and having caught it flies on to another stone -or hillock. It also perches on low posts, but only takes to a tree in -case of need. As it prefers to be in the open, it is often visible, for -when it begins to fly it spreads out its tail and the white feathers at -once attract attention. It is a very useful bird, for it lives entirely -upon grubs and insects. In autumn it destroys the caterpillars of the -white cabbage butterfly. The modest little song is not heard only from -the hillocks and stones on which it perches, but also high up in the air -when wooing his bride with sweet sounds. It is fairly common in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -About the middle of March the Wheatear, with its graceful motions, -begins to arrive in numbers on our own Southern and Eastern coasts. It -flits over downs and fallow lands, some pairs remaining to make nests in -old rabbit holes, and in sandy warrens near the coast, others passing on -after a brief rest, seeking higher latitudes--the rocky moorlands of the -Peak, the fallows of - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WHEATEAR.] - -agricultural districts in the Midlands, the mountains of Scotland. The -old hole of a Sand-martin in a railway cutting, a crevice in a stone -wall, the lee side of a boulder stone, or merely the shelter of a clod -of earth in a fallow field serves his purpose. As regards a nesting -site, the Wheatear is exceedingly adaptable, suiting himself to the -locality. And so the popular names given to this bird seem often -misleading to a student of its life-history. In the Southern counties as -the “Fallow Chat” it is best known, in Lancashire and Derbyshire it is -“Walltack,” “Stonecheek,” “Stone-smack,” or “Smutch”: and this in -Staffordshire is “Stone Smasher.” But tack and cheek and smutch all come -from the bird’s sharp note “Chack, chack!” uttered as it flits from -stone to stone on high land or along the wind-swept downs and warrens. - - * * * * * - -Steinschmätzer is the German name for the Wheatear; so the Lancashire -name of Stonesmatch is decidedly Saxon. Schmatzen is to kiss -heartily--to give a good smack in fact. The French name for this bird, -Traquet, was given because of the continual movement of the wings and -tail, which is compared to the traquet, or clapper of mills, which is -kept in motion by the wind or by the water. - - * * * * * - -All works on natural history describe the beautiful Wheatear as always -wary and shy to a degree, and chiefly, as we have already said, to be -found on warrens and poor lands near the coast, but as being especially -plentiful about our South Downs. In other districts, too, it frequents -the open ground and rough hillocky pastures. But who would look for the -Wheatear amongst the old slag-heaps, in the very heart of the North -Staffordshire Potteries? where, too, the bird seems to lay aside its shy -and wary little manœuvres. - -Mr. Wells Bladen, the well-known Staffordshire ornithologist, reports on -the Wheatear, which arrived earlier than usual, telling us that he saw -one on a slag-heap at Etruria on March 3rd. In April again he witnessed -the curious sight of five Wheatears, mobbing a Kestrel on their -slag-heap and driving off the intruder quickly. In June there were at -least a dozen of these birds frequenting the heap, and one pair had -nested within twenty feet of a very busy railway siding. The nest, with -its lovely pale blue eggs, was in a hole in a bank of fused clinkers, -two feet from the ground. The eggs were hatched safely, but the young -birds were unfortunately killed by some mischievous person before they -were old enough to leave the nest. It was a pity the bird made its nest -so near the ground, for, as a rule the great heaps which railway -passengers between Stoke and Crewe have seen and wondered at, by night -as well as by day, are little interfered with, or trespassed on. The -dreary slag-heaps in the neighbourhood of blast-furnaces would appear to -be spots equally unattractive to man and beast, and especially so to -that brightly marked migrant the Wheatear, as it is known on the sunny, -wind-swept downs and sandhills near the sea. In August again, one was -seen on a railway waggon. - -Wheatears leave us by the beginning of October, but now and again a few -stray birds are said to winter here in mild districts. - -The Wheatear has the crown, back of the head and back a beautiful -ashen-grey; throat a faint buffish-white. There is a black stripe from -the bill to the eye, which broadens out towards the ear. Underparts -nearly white, breast yellowish. The side feathers of the wings are -white towards the base--at the end black; the middle feathers entirely -black. Bill awl-shaped, and, like the legs, black. The female bird and -the young are less varied in colour. The Wheatear hides its nest away in -heaps of stones, and crevices of the earth, and is most discreet as a -rule in ensuring its safety. It lays five eggs, occasionally seven, -which are usually of a uniform pale-blue colour, sometimes faintly -dotted. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE STONECHAT.] - - -THE STONECHAT. - -(_Pratíncola rubícola._) - -This lively little bird--that is the male bird--has the following -characteristics: head, throat, nape, and back black. A conspicuous white -patch on the wing-coverts. Under wing-coverts and axillaries black and -white. Bill small and awl-shaped, legs and feet black. - - * * * * * - -It hides its nest so well, that it is difficult to find. It is usually -built on the ground in a slight dip, so that the heads of the fledglings -are level with the surface of the ground, and thus it merges into its -surroundings. Five bluish grey eggs, speckled with brown, are usually -found in the nest. - - * * * * * - -The Stonechat is a very pleasant bird, that seems, wherever it may be, -to live by itself. It always sits on the topmost part of a bush, and -thence looks attentively on to the ground, yet is quite conscious of all -the insects and chafers flying about, for it is an alert captor. -Sometimes it looks as if it were turning a summersault in the air, which -is always a sign that it has disturbed a beetle in its flight and -snapped him up. - - * * * * * - -This little Black-throat is more a bird of the foothills, where it loves -the rocky dips where a few bushes render these not quite bare. It will -suddenly appear on the top of a bush, the point of a moth-mullein or a -nettle--always on a high perch--gives one look round, swallows an -insect, and disappears as if by magic. Soon after it will appear in -another spot, and go through the same performance. Meanwhile it wags its -little tail, spreading it out. Late in the autumn, before its -migration, it comes nearer to human dwellings, and carries on its -pursuit of insects, among the hedges. It even ventures into the kitchen -garden, where the cabbage stumps, and vegetable stalks are a favourable -position, from which it can easily secure its prey. Its song is clear, -pleasing, but not loud. Its call is “_Weet, weet, weet--tek, tek, tek_.” - -The birds arrive in Hungary singly. - - * * * * * - -In Great Britain the Stonechat is a resident in most parts, although -such as have bred in the colder districts migrate to more sheltered -places in winter. At that season we have a number of arrivals from such -parts of the Continent as are too cold for these birds to remain in. -Grubs, worms, insects, and beetles are its chief diet, to which it adds -a few small seeds. A very destructive insect which they take is known as -the Bean Weevil. It is about a quarter of an inch in length; and it -finds lodging among the whins, which the Chat family frequent. This -beetle also haunts the rhubarb flowers in our gardens and visits the -peas, selecting, it is said, always the finest of these in which to lay -her eggs. Daddy-longlegs, cattle-flies, wire-worms, small snails, and -slugs are also eaten by the Chats--especially the Whinchat, _Pratincola -rubétra_, which comes to the South in middle of April, reaching the -North early in May. It has a long white streak over the eye, which is a -distinguishing feature of this species, also its underparts are buff, -turning to bright fawn colour on the breast and throat. The crown and -upper parts are mottled equally with sandy-buff and dark brown. Its bill -is less delicate than that of the Stonechat. - - -THE BEARDED TIT OR REEDLING. - -(_Panurus biármicus._) - -The Bearded Tit is the ornament of the Reed-lands. Its feathers being -unusually fine and light, the brilliant black moustache gives it all the -more charming and attractive an appearance. It usually slips round in -the high reeds about which it clambers very cleverly. The nest is placed -between the stalks of the reeds, and is composed chiefly of their -leaves, the colour of which harmonises with that of the bird’s long -tail, so that the latter, which stands out of the nest, cannot be -distinguished from its surroundings. The clutch consists of five to -seven eggs, which have light brown specks and stripes on a white ground. - -With the disappearance of the reeds, the number of the birds diminishes. - -That is why we have not in England so many of this lovely species as we -used to have. Our fens and meres in Lincoln, Huntingdon, and Cambridge -Shires, as well as in Kent, Sussex, and Essex, also in Suffolk having -been drained, the birds that lived in these have naturally left them. We -are glad, however, to know that Bearded Tits are increasing again in the -Norfolk Broads, owing to protection from the greed of private -collectors. The great naturalist, Buffon, declared that the male bird -has the charming habit of covering his mate with his wings to protect -her alike from unkind winds and the burning heat of the sun, as she sits -on her nest. _Trinkin_, the peasants of Anjon call it because of the -metallic tone of its cry. In the Norfolk Broads it has been known as the -Reed Pheasant. Scientists have found that this species differs in its -digestive organs and other points from the Titmouse family, and that it -is, as the late Professor Newton remarks, a perfectly distinct form, -representing the family Panuridæ, instead of forming one species of the -Paridæ. - -It feeds on the seeds of the reeds in winter and in summer on small -molluscs. - -This bird, which is a beautiful and delightful bird in every respect, is -the size of a Yellow-Hammer. Its feathers are of a silky fineness. The -head is bluish-grey; from the corner of the mouth on each side, hangs a -pointed, silky black moustache, which can be raised erect on occasion. -The nape and back are cinnamon brown, which is lighter over the root of -the tail; the tail is deep black underneath, and is wedge-shaped with -feathers of graduated length. The wings are striped with buffish-white, -black and rufous; the quills are brown with white outer borders. The -throat and chest are snow white, the under parts white with a flush of -rose colour at the sides. The pupil of the eye is golden yellow.[4] - - -THE GREAT TITMOUSE. - -(_Parus major._) - -In respect to usefulness and activity, this bird takes the foremost -place among the Tits: restless, noisy, and always cheerful from morning -to night. It clings to the end of the twigs, head downwards, to look for -insects underneath the buds; it even climbs up walls if they are rough -and uneven. It slips into holes and crevices which seem impossible of -entry. It pursues insects everywhere, and swallows them wholesale, as -though it could never be satisfied. It has no fear of men, but comes -confidently under the roof and perches on the gate, or looks in at the -window from the window sill. It is courageous, even bold, and -boundlessly inquisitive, a trait which often places its life and liberty -in peril. For the sake of a little fat it will allow itself to be snared -in a gourd or other trap. But it is just these qualities that make it so -popular. - -Its voice sounds like “_tzit_” or “_sitzida, sitzida_.” This beautiful, -kindly bird deserves every protection. - - * * * * * - -Our sympathies are quite with this bright active creature, although some -of our English naturalists accuse it of using its strong beak in order -to split the skull of small weakly birds so as to feast on their brains. -It has even been known to treat a Bat in this manner. We recognise it -readily in the early spring by its note which is like the noise caused -by the sharpening of a saw with a file. - -Two years ago I saw the largest company of Tits--Great Tits, Blue Tits, -Coal Tits, Marsh Tits and Crested - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE GREAT TITMOUSE.] - -Tits--together with a great number of tiny and beautiful gold-crested -Wrens, that I have ever seen, or indeed can ever hope to see again. It -was in a pine forest about twenty miles north of Gotha, the property of -Hans Freiherr von Berlepsch, Germany’s most ardent bird protector. He -was with us at the time and he said even he had never seen the like -before, nor had his chief gamekeeper, who is himself an ornithologist. -It was the more wonderful because we had walked for nearly three hours -through the woods that morning and had seen, with this great exception, -little wild life beyond an occasional black Squirrel and, through an -avenue of pines from afar, a grand Buck feeding in a clearing. It was in -the late autumn. - -Nearly three thousand nesting-boxes have been fixed in the trees there, -and it was about one of these, a deep one, that a number of Tits had -appropriated as a warm and secure sleeping place for the autumn and -winter, that the birds--three hundred of them at least the gamekeeper -declared--had gathered; now pouncing down on it, a dozen of them at a -time, now settling in noisy zi-zi-zi-ing parties on the high branches of -pine round this centre. Perhaps, like Rooks that quarrel over a -desirable nesting site, they were all eager to secure specially -desirable sleeping quarters. Tits and Wrens do, of course, always go -about the woods in parties, when family cares are over, but on such a -scale as this rarely; and so many dainty Golden-Crested Wrens together -might not be seen again in a life-time. All the species of the Tit -family, excepting the Bearded and the Long-tailed Tit were there. - -The amount of good these birds do among forest trees is incalculable, -not to mention their greatly misunderstood labours in ridding the -blossoms of our fruit trees of their infesting insect pests. Tits are, -in fact, most energetic and active insect destroyers. - - * * * * * - -The Great Tit is a lively bird about the size of a Sparrow. The crown, -neck, and throat black; cheeks white. A black stripe runs from the -throat over the breast and under parts. The mantle is bright green; -rump, tail, and wings plum colour, with oblique whitish stripes on the -wings. The under side of the body is a beautiful bright yellow on either -side of the black stripe. The short, strong beak is shaped like a grain -of wheat and brown in colour; the strong legs are bluish. It builds its -nest delicately, and usually in such hollow places as have a narrow -opening, sometimes even in empty beehives. It lays six to -nine--sometimes, though rarely, as many as fifteen--eggs, which are -finely formed, of a pure white, with speckles of a beautiful rust -colour. - -[Illustration: A Tit’s Nestling.] - - -THE BLUE TITMOUSE. - -(_Parus cærúleus._) - -Crown bright blue, forehead and cheeks white. A dark stripe is drawn -from above the eyes towards the nape. The white cheeks are edged at the -back and underneath, with black. The under part and rump are -sulphur-yellow, or rather lemon colour. Tail and wings blue, like the -bloom on a ripe plum. There is an oblique white stripe on the wings. The -beak is like a little grain of wheat. Legs bluish. The nest is placed in -holes of trees with small opening and is composed of soft stuff and is -very lightly built. The clutch consists of seven to ten eggs, which are -like those of the Great-tit, only much smaller. As many as eighteen eggs -have been recorded as being found in one nest. - -It is one of the prettiest and most useful birds, and in its actions -resembles the other Tits. The number of insects destroyed by these rises -into millions, and it has been observed that one pair, in the course of -seventeen hours brought food to their young 475 times. Its cry is clear -and piercing: “_Tgi, tgi, tgi_”--or “_Ze, ze, zirr_,” or “_Ze, ze, -he-he-he-he-he_.” - -It is a real treasure, and not rare in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -The Blue-tit is one of our best known and best liked British birds. In -the autumn great numbers arrive on our east coasts. The Blue-tit, -especially, devours a powerful tiny beetle with the ominous name of -Scolytus destructor, which works its way from the chrysalis stage at the -end of a tunnel bored by the mother beetle in the tree, until it comes -out, after biting a round hole in the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -BLUE TITMOUSE. GOLD-CRESTED WREN.] - -bark, as a perfect beetle. By this small creature’s labours the bark is -separated to such an extent from the tree that it cannot live long. A -plague of other small wood-boring beetles of like habits destroyed -1,500,000 trees in the Harz Forest one season, when the priests even -prayed in their churches for relief from this awful pest. And yet there -are still numbers of country gardeners who look upon the Blue-tit, -especially, as one of their worst enemies. - - * * * * * - -A house with large grounds in our populous London suburb is a large -boys’ school--a private one. One day I saw a pretty sight, one that did -credit to the character of the boys there. Between the playground and -the cricket field is an iron fence, having a wide gate. For some time -this has not been properly closed, and just within the hole in the -tubular iron post, into which the fastening bolt ought to run, a pair of -Blue-Tits have their nest. As I approached it, a number of gaping mouths -were thrust up for food. As the nestlings are fed with aphides and -gooseberry moths and the old birds have a large family to feed, and they -prey also on grubs and maggots, it is well for the vegetable garden -close by. - -About sixty boys pass noisily to and fro through this gateway during -play-hours, but the wise parents think they know better than to feed -them in the sight of these. All is done during school time and early in -the morning. - -A friend tells me that he knows of a Blue-Tit’s nest in an exactly -similar position. When the bird was sitting he kicked the bottom of the -iron post, and put his finger in the hole. Up flew the bold little -creature, hissing like a snake, and bit vigorously at it, fully -justifying her rural nickname of Billy-biter. - -I am glad to think that some of my schoolboy neighbours will read this, -and will know that their forbearance towards these little birds is -appreciated: a forbearance towards the defenceless which is always a -distinguishing characteristic of the true gentleman. - -The Blue-Tit is of great service to all flower and fruit growers, and it -comes much to our suburban, and even London gardens. And yet gardeners -at one time persecuted the little labourer, one of the prettiest and -most winsome of our common birds. - -Sitting in the garden of a house I formerly lived in, I noted there, in -my apple trees laden with fruit, that the Tits--the Great, the Marsh, -the Coal, and the Blue-Tit--that had not been much in evidence since -April, when they were busy amongst the blossom buds, have come back, and -they were busy now again amid the branches. Having read lately that they -destroy the fruit, notably apples, in the autumn, I have watched them -closely. It is as I expected: a number of the apples have been attacked -by insects, and it is on these that the birds are busy, on fruit which -if they did remain on the trees--they are now falling in numbers--would -be quite worthless. The Tits enlarge the holes so as to get at the true -destroyers, and they are doing more good than harm. As the Rev. F. O. -Morris said, long ago, “the destruction of the Blue-tit by the farmer or -gardener is an act of economical suicide.” - -Tits will also sometimes have recourse to the orchard in times of -drought, in order to quench their thirst by bites at the fruit. But we -should be churlish indeed if we grudged our little unpaid labourers a -small tithe of our harvest, which is the larger for their spring -services. - - -THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. - -(_Regulus cristatus._) - -This is the very smallest of our British birds, and indeed of all -European species. It is found generally throughout Great Britain, and it -has increased in the north greatly of late years owing to the greater -cultivation of larch and fir-trees. The numbers of these Wrens are -augmented often in autumn by great flocks that come to our eastern coast -from the Continent. A migration wave of this sort, Mr. Howard Saunders -told of, which lasted 92 days, and reached from the Channel to the Faroe -Islands. Another migration in 1883 lasted 82 days, and one, the -following year, 87 days. On such occasions bushes in gardens on the -coast are covered with birds as with a swarm of bees; crowds flutter -round the lighthouse lanterns, and often come to grief there, and weary -little travellers climb about the rigging of fishing-smacks in the North -Sea. - - * * * * * - -The Golden-Crested Wren is even smaller than the Common Wren, but its -feathers are more flossy. It has on its crown a tongue-shaped patch of -warm saffron yellow edged with black. The whole of the rest of its coat -is of a plain greenish gray, which is lighter on the under parts of his -body. The colour of the wings is also sober, the feathers having a -lighter edge; the little beak is thin and pointed, the legs nearly -black. The cunningly built nest is placed in the fir-trees where it can -with difficulty be discovered. The eggs, which number six, occasionally -eleven--of the size of peas--are reddish speckled with a darker shade -of the same colour. This useful little bird, always active, hopping -unweariedly about seeking food, lives exclusively on insects and grubs. -Its dwelling is among pines and fir-trees; it often associates with the -Tits, its call is “_Sit, sit, sit_.” - -It is not rare, and is worth its weight in gold. - -[Illustration] - - -THE CRESTED TITMOUSE. - -(_Parus cristátus._) - -In order to learn habits of the Crested Tit it is necessary to climb -high into the region of the firwoods. Here the Crested Tit is the good -genius of the neighbourhood, for with untiring zeal it hops about among -the thick branches of the fir labyrinth and destroys the most -mischievous insects. Its call is “_ziárrrr_” or “_zick güirr_.” It is -not rare in the pine forests of Hungary. - - * * * * * - -The Crested Tit breeds in a few of the oldest forests in Scotland where -firs and oaks remain. In Perthshire it is seen, but to England it is a -stranger, a few cases only, being on record. In Ireland also it is -practically unknown. - - * * * * * - -The Crested Titmouse is much smaller than the Great Tit or Oxeye. It is -easily recognised by its pointed head, which resembles that of the -Crested Lark. The feathers of this are black, edged with white; the -cheeks white; throat and round the ears black; so that the head has the -appearance of being framed. Wings and tail greyish-brown, the feathers -with whitish edges. Underneath it is a dingy white, rust colour at the -sides. Its nest is carefully built, in holes and in trees. It lays from -five to eight, sometimes ten, white eggs speckled with light rust -colour. Two broods are generally brought out in the season. - -These birds are seen in Germany, and elsewhere on the Continent, -frequently in company with Golden-crested Wrens, other Tits and also -Tree-creepers. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -CRESTED TITMOUSE. COAL-TITMOUSE.] - - -THE COAL-TIT. - -(_Parus ater._) - -This lively, pretty, amiable bird, also lives in the thickest parts of -the fir woods, where it carries on its work of destroying the injurious -insects, the number of which is enormous. It used to be thought that the -Coal-Tit did harm to the young buds; but this has never been -authenticated, and even if it does break one off here and there, the -mischief is small indeed, in comparison with the service it performs -from one year’s end to the other. Its call is shrill and clear “_ziwih, -ziwih, ziwih,_” or “_sitt, sitt_”--or a long-drawn “_seeb, seeb_.” - -This bird occurs in considerable numbers in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -The Coal-Titmouse is one of our common birds in the United Kingdom and -it is said to increase yearly, although it is not yet so common as the -Great and the Blue Tits. It is a very useful little bird as it feeds its -young largely on green caterpillars; but it eats nuts as well as -seeds--the seeds of the Scotch fir it is specially fond of. - -The Marsh-Titmouse--_Parus palústris_--is another resident species in -Great Britain, but it is, with the exception of the Crested Titmouse, -the least common of our Tits. I have seen it much about our Middlesex -gardens, a superficial observer can note the difference between this -bird and the Coal-Tit easily because the Marsh-Tit has not the white -patch on the back of the head which the Coal-Tit has. It is often seen -in orchards where it does good service, but is fond of the -neighbourhood of rivers and delights itself among the alder trees and -pollarded willows of swampy ground. - -The Coal Tit is the same size as the Crested Tit. Cheeks white--at the -back of the head a white patch, the rest of the head black, so that this -colour forms a broad bridle, which recalls that of the great tit. -Underneath it is of a dingy white, the mantle a bluish ash-colour with a -tinge of green. Wings and tail dark grey, the former having two oblique -whitish stripes. The nest is built on the ground, in holes in fir trees -under decaying bark, sometimes in holes in the ground--and is formed for -the most part of green moss, the interior being warmly lined with hair. -The clutch consists of six--sometimes even ten--eggs of a brilliant -white finely speckled with rust-colour. - - -THE LONG-TAILED TIT. - -(_Acredula caudáta._) - -This is a true Tit, and never rests, but is hunting here and there, -slipping in and out, in constant movement, from morning till night, now -and then indulging in such gymnastic exercises on the frailest twigs, as -would by comparison make the limb-dislocating mountebank look a clumsy -lout. Nothing can be more charming than the society of which the -Long-tailed Tit is the grand master. It comprehends the Great-Tit, the -Blue-Tit, and the Coal-Tit, one or two tree runners, Spotted Woodpeckers -and a Nuthatch. The whole form a brigade of workers, who rove through -the woods and gardens, each one working according to the measure of its -strength. They search a tree, from the bark to the point of the thin -topmost twig, where the Long-Tailed one is quite at home, so light a -featherweight is his body--the twig bends, but does not break, and the -tail acts as its balancing pole. This society gathers at the same hour -at the same place, in the late autumn, in order to seek fresh places. -The note of the Long-Tailed Tit sounds like “_je, je, je,_” and “_gey, -gey, gey, gey_.” It lives on injurious insects, and wherever it builds -its nest in wood or garden it is a priceless treasure. - -It is not rare in Hungary, and deserves to be protected. - - * * * * * - -There are various forms of the Long-tailed Titmouse in Europe; our own -form is fairly common in localities which suit its mode of living. It is -resident and common in Ireland, but very local in its occurrence in -Scotland. These Tits often rear two broods in a season, and afterwards -the whole family may be seen flitting about - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -LONG-TAILED TIT.] - -together, in single file from hedgerow to hedgerow. There is a dipping -motion in their flight which is pretty to watch. All these feed on -insects and their larvæ. - -[Illustration: A bright winter friend.] - -The Long-tailed Tit is the size of the Wren; a round-headed little bird -with a tiny beak, and a very long tail. The head is white, and suggests -that of a grey-headed old grandfather. The fore-part of the back is -black with white patches on the shoulders, the tail black, the three -outer feathers being for the most part white, and graduated in length, -the two middle feathers being shorter. The under part is rose colour; -the tiny beak black. - - -THE NEST OF THE LONG-TAILED TIT. - -[Illustration: LONG-TAILED TITS AND FAMILY.] - -It is not only in our latitudes that the nest of the Long-tailed Tit is -considered a masterpiece, but even far away south where nature works -such marvels, where the little humming birds, scarcely bigger than the -joint of a child’s finger, shine in the sunlight like diamonds and -rubies, and build nests no bigger than half a small hen’s egg,--even -there, this nest is looked upon one of the finest specimens of bird -architecture. It is the most charming, most beautiful, and warmest bird -abode. Most often it is round, the twigs supporting it like the fingers -of the hand, and often it stands free like a little beehive. It is -beautifully roofed in with a domed top, and has at the side an opening -large enough for a big bumble bee. It is constructed of the finest moss, -and the softest fluff from the meadows and poplars; it is soft, and yet -so strongly put together that no human workman can imitate it. - -In this soft, warm nest the tiny bird lays its nine, sometimes eleven, -eggs. These are white with rose-coloured spots at the thicker end. The -male and female birds sit alternately on the eggs for fourteen days; and -then the hard work begins--twelve babes to nourish, and with the finest -food! - -The industry of the Swallow is truly great, but that of the Long-tailed -Tit is still greater. The Swallow seizes its booty while on the wing, -and has only to open its beak; but the Tit has to go from branch to -branch, working sometimes head downwards, sometimes swinging, in order -to secure the tiny morsels. - -Truly he who does not delight in the sight of this tiny family united by -love, who is not moved when the twelve baby birds are seen sitting close -pressed together on a slender bough, and the little parents come and go, -with their continuous cry, bringing food and giving it in turn to the -young ones--he whom such a sight does not fill with pleasure, must have -a stone in his breast instead of a heart. - - -[Illustration: MUST BE KEPT IN CHECK. - -THE TREE SPARROW. - -THE HOUSE SPARROW.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -WORKERS ALL THE YEAR ROUND. - - -THE HOUSE SPARROW. - -(_Passer domesticus._) - -This is among birds what the street-boy is in the towns--merry, -audacious, obtrusive and quarrelsome, always moving and picking up what -it can. A human habitation without Sparrows is inconceivable. In the -street it rummages in the tracks of the horses; in the markets, it sees -when the stall-keeper is dozing, and helps itself out of her basket to -anything that takes its fancy. - -When the wheat ears are soft it betakes itself to the fields and fills -its stomach and also feeds its young with their milky juice; when the -corn is ripe he attacks it and knocks more grains out of the ears than -it can possibly eat. It does the same with cherries, mulberries, and all -kinds of seeds. It also breaks off young buds and the points of young -shoots. - -It drags the Titmice out of their nest-holes and establishes itself -there. It presence is easy to recognise by the straws sticking out of -the hole. The only method of preventing this is to make the -entrance-hole narrower and to hang the nest-hole lower down. - -It is true that when there is a great abundance of cockchafers it -consumes a great quantity of these creatures; but as soon as it finds -something it likes better, and is easily obtained, he leaves the -destructive chafers to others. The most useful service it does is in -severe snowy winters, when, in company with a large number of other -Sparrows, it scours the fields and picks up the seeds of noxious weeds; -besides this it feeds its young with insects. It should not be suffered -to increase too much, for it does on the whole considerable mischief. -The humane way of lessening its numbers, as we have before pointed out, -is to pull down the nest wherever we can. - - * * * * * - -A word for our English Sparrows. E. Newman, F.Z.S., says: “A -Sparrow-hawk left to himself, even by scaring the Sparrow from ripe -grain, will save the wages of at least ten boys.” And the head gardener -of a large garden which was protected with a network of black cotton -only, said: “Nobody knows what good a Sparrow does in a garden. In -fields it eats charlock, chickweed, plaintain, buttercup, knot-grass,” -etc. When the hay lies in swathes in the fields it haunts them in quest -of what are called “haychaffers”; craneflies, earwigs, blight, etc., are -part of its prey. “They have been known,” writes Curtis of Sparrows in -“Farm Insects,” “to gorge themselves with the larvæ of the May-bug till -they were unable to fly.” A French writer says: “Under one Sparrow’s -nest the rejected wing-cases of cockchafers were picked up; they -numbered over 1,400. Thus one pair had destroyed more than 700 insects -to feed one brood.” Much of the harm attributed to Sparrows is the work -of a small Weevil, which is very destructive to many kitchen-garden -plants. Mr. Joseph Nunn of Royston, a farmer, writing of the Sparrow -during 1897, says that Sparrows do not eat more corn from the stacks -than other Finches or the Buntings, and that a farmer must learn how to -protect his property the same as any other tradesman. - -As to its colour, we may say that its crown is grey with chestnut -stripes, throat black--that is, the male bird. The throat of the female -is whitish, and there are whitish lines on the head and over the eyes. -Beak strong, wedge-shaped, pointed. The whole bird suggests strength. It -lays five or six eggs, which are white, thickly speckled with dark -marks. The nest is composed of straw, wood, tow, hair and feathers -carelessly put together, still it is soft and warm. This bird breeds -twice a year, sometimes three times. - - -THE TREE SPARROW. - -(_Passer Montanus._) - -The habits of this Sparrow vary from those of the house species in that -it dwells among fields and foothills where wood and thicket alternate. -It also frequents gardens, and behaves very audaciously. In hollow -places in old trees it is sure to be met with. It is a bold builder, and -will place its nest with us in Hungary under the Eagle’s eyrie, or the -Stork’s nest. It may generally be said to be a hole-nester, and a much -greater insect eater than its congener the House Sparrow. - -Its manner of nesting makes it all the more dangerous to the artificial -nest-holes, and we cannot guard them against this species, either by -decreasing the size of the entrance or by placing the nest-holes lower; -it drags the Tits out and takes possession of the hole; the only thing -that can be done is to drive it away with small shot; otherwise we -should harbour Tree Sparrows instead of Tits, and, although they are not -as numerous as the House Sparrow the supply of them is more than enough. - - * * * * * - -The Tree Sparrow is also rarer with us in Great Britain than its -ubiquitous relative. It is quite local as to habitat. Until quite -recently it was unknown in Ireland. Large numbers arrive, however, in -autumn along the east coast, and its settlements in Scotland are chiefly -on the eastern side, up as far as Sutherland. Its nest with us will be -found at times at some distance from human dwellings; in the soft rotten -wood of trees often, but it builds also about farm-buildings, beneath -roof-tilings and in cliffs by the sea. The eggs are more glossy than -the House Sparrow’s; two and even three broods will be reared in a -season. The young are fed on caterpillars and other insects, soft -vegetable matter, etc., but in winter both young and old frequent -farmyards, and visit the ricks; also they seek grain among -horse-droppings in the streets. The illustration shows the difference in -the markings of the two species of Sparrow. - -This bird is smaller than the House Sparrow, and more slender. The -colouring is, on the whole, the same in the male and female birds. From -crown to tail it is chestnut brown, passing into ash-grey, with dark -markings round the ears and on the throat. Both in colour and demeanour -it is a true Sparrow. It lays five or six, occasionally seven, -light-coloured speckled eggs. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE HEDGE SPARROW.] - - -THE HEDGE SPARROW. - -(_Accentor modularis._) - -This is no vulgar little city arab, picking about in untidy stables, in -the refuse on the streets, and among the droppings of horses. Does not -its Latin name rather proclaim it one of the aristocrats of bird life. -Its dress may be dull-coloured, but its form and its motions are not -inelegant, despite its familiar name of “Shufflewings” and “Smokie,” in -deference to its characteristic motion and its colouring. Head and nape -are a bluish-grey, streaked with brown, back and wings are a -reddish-brown, streaked blackish; the lower wing-coverts are tipped with -clayish colour, in bar-fashion, underparts a dull white; the sides are -marked with dark streaks on a pale reddish-brown ground; the bill brown, -the base being of a lighter shade; the legs and feet are yellow brown. -Length 5.5 inches. The slate-grey on the head and throat is not seen on -the young birds, which are browner and more spotted than the adults. -This is a friendly bird and very easily tamed, so that it will often -bring its mate to the kitchen door for food in winter, and its song is -more melodious than many of our singers. The nest is built of moss, bits -of stick, roots, and dry grass, in all kinds of hedges, or roadside -thickets. The eggs, four to six, greenish-blue without spots and rough -in texture. Many bird-lovers refuse to call this bird by the plebian -name of Sparrow, with them it is always the Hedge Accentor. - -The food of this bird mainly consists of caterpillars, eggs of insects, -wood-lice, earwigs, chrysalids, small seeds of weeds, house-refuse, -etc. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE SKYLARK.] - - -THE SKYLARK. - -(_Alauda arvensis._) - -It can raise a tuft on its head at will. A long, slightly hooked claw is -on the back toe. The nest is placed on the ground, more rarely among -corn or meadow grass, but rather on fallow ground or clover field, among -low thick growth; it assimilates so closely with its surroundings that -it is difficult to discover. It usually contains five eggs, which, being -of a dingy, grey-green speckled with a darker colour, also somewhat -resemble the colour of the earth. - -This Lark occurs most numerously in the northern regions, and as regards -its habits is one of the best known and most popular of birds. It -arrives in Hungary early in the spring, settles down, and does not allow -any other bird to approach it, pecking them away if possible. Its little -territory often occupies only a hundred paces. The different territories -are contiguous, and disputes between the neighbours are perpetually -going on. The combatants may constantly be seen, darting here and there -with lightning speed, flying near the ground, in pursuit of one another. -During the pairing and brooding-time the male bird sings unweariedly, -flinging his song into the air. He rises towards the sky, with vibrating -wings, higher and higher, dropping his ever-changing trilling -notes,--often rising to such a height that he disappears from sight and -the song dies away. Then suddenly he reappears, becomes silent, and -drops like a stone to earth. - -In his poem “In Winter,” Johann Arány says of the Lark:-- - - “Like the poor poet, - Who in the sun’s bright rays spreads out his wing - And bears towards heaven his song: he turns and falls, - And he is silent.” - -The Lark lives partly on seeds, but its chief food is gathered from the -insect world. It is almost universally considered by epicures a great -delicacy, and is snared by thousands. Fortunately it exists in great -numbers, but its snaring is to be deprecated. - - * * * * * - -In England larks have been very largely eaten, but happily the practice -is now most strongly opposed by thoughtful people. If the consumption of -Larks in our country went on as it was doing a few years ago the species -would soon be extinct. Yet this singer--whom poets have delighted to -honour and one--possibly because of its alert ways and its sentinel-like -attitude--which Julius Cæsar chose as an emblem for one of his famous -legions,--devours wireworms, grubs and various larvæ when these lie -hidden in the short winter pastures, and just at the stage when the -latter are most greedy of nourishment, so that the grass would suffer -incredibly but for the bird’s work. A recent authority stated that it -was to be deplored that not a tenth part of the Skylarks that formerly -frequented the Midland pastures were there now. Unfortunately this bird -is a favourite among those who are given to the caging of singing birds. - -This bird is bigger and more slender than the Sparrow, and the colouring -generally of the upper parts is a warm yellowish-brown. It is -distinguished from its congener, the Woodlark, by its tail feathers. The -two outermost feathers are white, growing darker only about the shaft. -The outer web of the second feather is white. The tail feathers have -dark-brown centres and tawny edges. - - -THE KINGFISHER. - -(_Alcedo ispida._) - -The Kingfisher is the arch-enemy of the fish, and it is hardly credible -that this relatively small bird, should gulp down, as it does, fish as -long as your finger, in order to fill his stomach. It digests very -quickly, and spits out the bones, scales, and fins. It watches, from a -bough, for the little fish. Where a bush bending over the water -undisturbed by the eddy forms a calm mirror,--there does this -resplendent fish-poacher settle itself on an overhanging bough, to -watch--motionless and with incredible tenacity--the water and the living -things beneath it. If a trout or other small fish, feeling quite safe, -comes to the surface, the Kingfisher drops on it like a piece of lead; -it grasps its prey with its sharp beak, and, shaking the water from its -plumage, flies back to its perch, gulps down its delicate morsel, and -sets itself again to watch. Its colour protects the bird when diving. -The underparts are much the same colour as a fallen leaf, and this -arouses no suspicion in the fish--the back, on the other hand, shines -like the blue shimmer of the running stream, and that often protects the -bird from the circling Sparrow-hawk. If it comes to a flat shore on the -side of a small stream, which offers no overhanging perching place, it -settles on a stake or a clod of earth, and now and then hovers over the -water, and flutters like a hawk. It is an inconstant bird. It appears, -and disappears from a district, and then, perhaps after some years, -presents itself again. Its flight is rapid, and it raises its cry, as it -goes, “_teet_.” - -It does harm, but is scarce in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE KINGFISHER.] - -In Great Britain it was also becoming scarce, but of late years Bird -Protection and the ever increasing number of bird-lovers has been in -favour of this beautiful ornament of streams and meadows. It is, -however, often shot because its feathers are of value for dressing -artificial flies. Personally I could not call a bird hurtful because it -seeks the food which its Creator _intended_ it to eat, which is no more -the property of man when it is taken in its natural conditions than it -is that of the bird, and I confess I would rather see the brilliant blue -of the Kingfisher flash up a meadow stream than the angler’s figure -there with his rod. - -The Kingfisher is seven and a half inches long, a short thick set bird, -with short tail and straight pointed beak, which sticks out like a lath -nail. The colouring of its plumage, which, in its flight, sparkles like -precious gems, makes it one of the marvels of nature. Crown, neck, -mantle, and rump are of an exquisite brilliant blue; a cinnamon brown -stripe passes over the eye, growing lighter as it extends over the side -of the neck. Eyes brown, throat white, underparts a brilliant rust-red, -legs red, rather short, the toes slightly joined at the root. It nests -on the banks of rivers and streams, boring in the bank, on a level just -above the surface of the water a tunnel a yard long, which it enlarges -at the end into a cauldron-shaped cavity. It does not build a nest here, -but lays its round white eggs on rejected fish-bones. The eggs number -six or seven. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE DIPPER.] - - -THE DIPPER. - -(_Cinclus aquaticus._) - -The Dipper’s habits are most interesting. The bird frequents the most -picturesque streams, perching on the dry boulders, with the water -gurgling and splashing about him. From this he dives and walks under the -water, turns over the small pebbles and returns to his stone. This led -to his being suspected of being an enemy to the fisherman. It has, -however, be proved by the inspection of the contents of the stomachs of -several Dippers that only insect remains and small shell-fish were -eaten. The fact that he will attach himself to brooks which contain no -fish at all, proves that he does not feed on these. The bird’s plumage -is simply watertight, and therefore admirably adapted to a bird which -can swim as well as dive. - -The song of the Dipper is strong and cheery; and the lively ways of this -Water-ouzel, as it often called, lend a charm to our mountain streams. -With us in Hungary a thorough investigation of the life-habits of this -bird, which spread over a considerable period, and involved much -correspondence, has resulted in the complete vindication of this bird’s -character. - - * * * * * - -Mr. Herman’s verdict on the Dipper and the Kingfisher, are the more -valuable because he is the great authority, in his own country, in all -that relates to pisciculture. The Dipper remains with us all the year -round, especially in the Peak District in Derbyshire, and the -hill-streams of North Staffordshire. It is, however, found in the -British Islands, wherever there are rapid rivers or stony brooks and -streams. All the Highland burns and rivers have a few pairs. In Ireland, -too, it is resident in the mountainous districts, but it forsakes these -often, at the approach of winter, for the mouths of tidal rivers and the -salt flats of the seashore. In the valley of the Dove it remains about -the stream all through the winter. The birds are clever in contriving to -make so heavy a nest cling to the wall of rock or stone, where it is -placed. It cocks up its short tail very much as a Wren does, and dips -its head in a way, which has gained for it the quaint local name of -“Betty Dowker.” As it feeds much on the larvae of the May-fly and -bank-fly, and others which are destructive to the salmon spawning beds, -it must be of good service to the fisher. The young birds are able to -swim as soon as they leave the nest, and to chase the water insects, -using both legs and wings in pursuit. The wings serve as oars. The song -of the bird is begun in autumn, and it will often be heard all through -the winter, but always in early spring, and fully fledged young have -been found by the twenty-first of March. - -This is a thick-set but charming bird a little over six inches in -length. Head and nape are umber-brown, tail and wing-feathers dark -brown; chin, throat, and upper breast white, passing off into -chestnut-brown, dark-grey and black on the belly; bill brownish-black, -legs and feet brown; upper parts mottled with dark grey and brown. The -beak is awl-shaped, and the sharp toes on the strong feet are long and -well divided. The nest is generally placed close to a running stream, -preferably near to, and even behind some little waterfall. It is a large -oval ball of leaves, grass, and moss, lined with dry grass and dead -leaves. The entrance is low down in the side. From four to six eggs are -laid, which are glossy white at first, but become dull as the bird sits. -Two broods are reared in a season. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE THRUSH.] - - -THE THRUSH. - -(_Turdus musicus._) - -This bird is the same size as a Blackbird. The upper side is -olive-brown; throat and under parts whitish; breast rusty-yellow with -dark heart-shaped spots and flecks. A light eye-brow stripe runs over -the eye. The under side of the wing is rusty-yellow; beak and legs -brownish-yellow. Its nest is very remarkable. It builds by preference in -trees with dense foliage, at a medium height, and employs stalks, grass, -and small twigs well woven together, the crevices being filled with -moss. There is nothing remarkable in this, for there are many better -woven nests; but the cup of the nest is a work of art. It is wide, and -deep, having inside a strong layer finely cemented and smoothed, about -the thickness of the back of a table knife. This is composed of -pulverised atoms of decayed wood, which the Thrush mixes with its sticky -saliva, and kneads into a paste, with its beak. It lays five or six eggs -of a vitriol-green colour, with very fine spots. - -The Thrush is a fine strong bird, and moves firmly and skilfully among -the branches. When on the ground it holds its head and beak well up; -always alert. When it sees its prey it springs on it at once with -lowered head, seizes it and tears it to pieces with its beak. On mossy -grounds it is very skilful in turning over tufts of moss, in order to -reach the insects which crawl about underneath. It also catches -grasshoppers, and in the late summer and autumn attacks the wild -berries. - -It has many enemies. The Jay is the worst plunderer of its nest; but it -has recently been ascertained that the Squirrel also sucks the eggs. - -Its song is beautiful, flooding the woods far and near, with its rich -fluty tones. It sings from the highest branches of trees, sitting -quietly meanwhile, as if itself steeped in the dreamy rapture of its own -performance. - - * * * * * - -The Song Thrush in Scotland is called the Mavis. This is strange as it -is the Redwing which is known in France under the name of _Mauvis_. The -song of the Blackbird is often confused with that of the Thrush; yet -that of the latter is a very distinctive one, because in the middle of a -strain of song there is the repetition of its three chief notes. You -will seem to hear it saying “Pretty dear, pretty dear,” or “Wait a bit, -wait a bit.” - -We must own that the Thrush is a very active thief, although it does -feed much on insects, worms, and snails. It is absolutely necessary to -protect one’s fruit against this depredator. - -Shakespeare speaks of the “throstle with his note so true,” and Clare -wrote - - “And thrushes too ’gan clear their throats, - And get by heart some two ’r three notes - Of their intended summer song.” - -But Browning still more finely enters into the spirit of this bird’s -song:-- - - “That’s the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over, - Lest you should think he never can recapture - The first, fine, careless rapture!” - - -THE BLACKBIRD. - -(_Turdus merula._) - -This is a lively, cheery bird, an ornament to the thickets and clearings -of the woods. Just before the evening twilight, in company with others -of the Thrush family, it seeks the clearings and openings of the woods, -and delights the eye of the beholder, by its hopping here and there, its -darting and hunting--busily dragging worms out of the ground and -attacking all the mischievous Chafer family. Then it flies on to the -summit of a bush or an over-spreading bough, and its powerful, pure -flute-like song resounds through the wood, and makes the listener forget -all else. In autumn it eats the berries, sometimes fruit; but being very -timid it is easily driven off. It is a useful bird and a pleasure to eye -and ear. - -This is the bird which is so often taken from the nest and reared. The -male bird fetches a good price in Hungary, for it learns to whistle -tunes--even from street-organs. Because it learns so easily, it -sometimes happens, that in the middle of a beautiful tune which it has -been taught, some most excruciating sound is heard, reminiscent of an -ungreased cart-wheel. In Germany the Blackbird has become a town-bird; -and people spread dried ant-eggs, chopped meat, and maggots, and make a -nest for it near their vine-covered windows. It stays there also during -the winter. - -And what about the East? Why are children ever brought up in such a way -that they seize a stone directly they see a Blackbird? - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE BLACKBIRD.] - -In February our English Blackbird will be thinking of mating. We are all -familiar with the usual nesting-site which is chosen--evergreen, thick -bushes, and hedgerows--but it has been known to build successfully and -to lay its eggs, in the heart of what is known as the thousand-headed -cabbage. The young of the early broods sometimes help the parents to -feed the young of the second brood of the season. - -The Blackbird is commoner in the South than the Thrush, and is as a rule -more popular with the country people than the latter bird. Gardeners -look upon it as a terrible thief, but the good it does in feeding on -moths, beetles, other insects and larvæ, caterpillars, cockchafer grubs, -quite counterbalances the harm it does in taking fruit. A well-known -Zoologist says, “Short-sighted agriculturists kill the Blackbirds that, -at the rate of sixty an hour, destroy their worst foes, or working as -they do from early dawn to dusk six hundred in the course of a single -day, which, given ten Blackbirds, raises the total of vermin put out of -the way to six thousand per diem, against which a few dozens of -strawberries should count as the dust in the balance. But the -horticulturist sees the Blackbirds pick a raspberry now and again, and -he does not see the same bird kill a dozen or two of grubs or snails for -each morsel of fruit he may help himself to.” Another, a Fruit-grower, -says that during one hard winter when some of his fruit trees were -killed, and in some places the Thrush tribe were all but annihilated, -snails were a scourge in the following summer, and gooseberry bushes -were stripped by caterpillars innumerable. This is the testimony of the -late Joseph Witherspoon, a well-known fruit grower. He goes on to say, -“When gardens are surrounded by woods, it is only by a liberal use of -nets that any reasonable portion of fruit can be saved, as swarms of -Blackbirds and Thrushes will eat every fruit as it ripens. I provide -nesting-places, and thus have my birds so near my caterpillars, and so -far from house morsels that they eat the pest greedily; but fruit crops -being thereby secured, we must next draw on our ingenuity to prevent the -birds taking more than their fair tithe.” - -In winter Blackbirds feed principally on snails, the shells of which -they break by raising them in the bill and dashing them against a hard -stone, just as Thrushes do. But for these birds, we should be quite -unable to save our gardens from the wholesale ravages of those enemies -to plant life. - -The Blackbird, of course, belongs to the Thrush family, and its -relatives the Fieldfare, the Redwing, and the Mistle Thrush all have the -same habits of feeding. They all devour snails, slugs, worms, and -insects, and in the autumn take wild berries. The Fieldfares are only -with us in winter, and they seek their food over the fields and pasture -lands in mild weather, and eat the berries when frost comes, and snow -covers the ground. The Redwing is a delicate bird, and often comes to -grief in our country during a hard winter. The Mistle Thrush is with us -all the year, and its food consists, not of mistletoe as used to be -supposed, but of the berries of the yew, holly, mountain ash, hawthorn, -etc., worms, snails, and insects, and, it must be confessed, of a little -fruit occasionally. - -The male bird is pure black, the eyes bordered with a fine golden -yellow. The beak is also of this colour. Legs blackish. The female is -dark-brown, chin whitish, breast a shabby brown with dark spots, beak -and legs brown. The male does not attain his brilliant blackness until -his third year. It builds its nest in bushes and thick foliage, where it -is well hidden. It is composed chiefly of moss, fine twigs, and tufts of -hair; and is strong and durable. The clutch consists of four to six eggs -of pale green, speckled with pale rust-red and violet. - -[Illustration: An evening lyric.] - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE GOLDEN ORIOLE.] - - -THE ORIOLE. - -(_Oriolus galbula._) - -This bird is noisy in the spring and the early summer, its voice, which -is full and deep like the note of the reed-pipe, fills the edge of the -woods and the great gardens. “Next to the call of the Cuckoo, the -flute-like note of the Oriole most enlivens the early summer woods and -so contributes to the perfect harmony of a sunny spring-tide day; -‘_deelee-adid-leen_,’ or ‘_ditleo, deega, ditleeo_’ it sounds, always -clear and joyous out of the bushy treetops.” In Hungary, it endeavours -to lure away boys from too close proximity to the nest, by the cry, -“_kell-cy dió, fiu?_” which means “Boys do you want some nuts?” - -Except at the fruit season, the Oriole is a very useful bird, and there -is no kind of caterpillar that it will not pick up. In seasons when -there are a great many cockchafers, it carries on a perfect war of -extermination on these unhappy creatures. It is unfortunately true, -however, that when the summer fruit is ripe--it departs for warmer -regions before autumn--it troubles itself little about chafers, but -turns its attention to cherries, apricots, morellas, and early pears. -Still the good it does in destroying insects, is much greater than the -harm it does otherwise, and therefore we will be indulgent to it. -Besides, its lovely colour is a delight to the eye. - - * * * * * - -This Oriole comes annually to Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, but can -only be called a visitor to our country, although nests have been found -occasionally in some counties, especially in Kent. It is not -unfrequently noticed in the Southern and Eastern counties of England. - -Unfortunately collectors cannot resist adding this beautifully plumaged -bird to their lists. I have watched it myself in Southern Germany and -Hungary. It is not at all shy, and one of the most beautiful things in -bird-life I have ever seen was a number of Orioles flitting from tree to -tree in an orchard situated amongst vineyards on the hilly banks of the -Danube in Baranya. The black on the wing-coverts and tail-feathers is in -striking contrast with the golden-yellow of the greater part of the -plumage. The male has a very flute-like call, hence its French name of -Loriot. The female is a devoted mother. Where these birds have been -protected on private estates in our country they have reared broods -successfully; it would surely add to the beauty of our rural landscapes, -if they were encouraged and protected. - -The Oriole is rather larger than the Thrush. The male is a beautiful -golden-yellow; wings and tail black except the end of the tail which is -yellow. A black stripe passes across the eyes from the base of the beak; -the beak is a reddish flesh colour, the eye blood-red. In the female and -the young, all the parts which in the male are golden-yellow are -greenish, the underparts a greyish-white with darker stripes. The nest -is quite a work of art. It is always placed in the base of a fork of a -branch, and is fastened to the bough with fine root fibre and bast; it -is lined with any fine soft material, even cob-webs are sometimes found -in it. The clutch usually consists of five eggs, which are white with a -few very prominent dark specks. It also nests in gardens. - - -THE ROBIN. - -(_Eríthacus rubécula._) - -The Robin is one of the cleverest courtiers. It alights on the ground, -alternately appears and vanishes for a few moments, then suddenly stands -still, makes a low bow, droops its wings, raises its tail, then looks up -at one with shining eyes, full of confidence, as if to say: “I trust -you.” It hunts beetles with great energy, and does not even recoil -before the slug, still less before a small earthworm, which the lordly -hedge-sparrow would not touch for all the world. - -Sometimes it flies on to a high branch, keeping quite still, except that -now and then it makes a bow and raises its tail; then all at once it -flies to the ground, pounces on the awaited booty, returns to its bough -and devours its prey. Its song is beautiful, exquisite, rivalling, but -not excelling, that of the Lark. The bird sits quietly and sings, and is -in no hurry to cease. Its cry is a light piercing “_see_.” - -It is a bird which may be said to become tame almost immediately when -caught. It likes to move at liberty about a room. Poor people with us -like to keep it, for it catches the flies in the room, the spiders in -the corners or even on the bed; or any other moving thing. This bonny -bird deserves every protection. - - * * * * * - -The ways of the “cheery little Ruddock,” as Shakespeare calls him, are -so well known that it is not necessary - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE ROBIN.] - -to add much more to Mr. Herman’s graphic description. Perhaps it is not -known to all our readers, however, that a great number of Robins migrate -to our country every autumn from the Continent, whilst some of our -home-bred birds leave our shores. As a rule the red on the breast of the -former is brighter than with those bred here. There are, however, as we -know, individual birds which will attach themselves to a home where they -have been treated kindly, for a number of successive winters, entering -the open window and feeding with the children. - -The Robin has three different styles of song, one the gay, joyous -outpouring which delights us on sunny days, then the autumnal dirge, -which proclaims the approach of cold stormy days, and is often uttered -just before it leaves us for warmer quarters; and again, the long -drawn-out cries, notes of distress, when some prowling cat or other -enemy approaches its nest. - -Robins, as we all know, devour great quantities of worms and insects. It -is a most valuable species to the gardener and fruit grower, for, except -under the stress of thirst, it lives only on animal food. - -The Robin needs little description. The whole of the upper side, -including the back of the head and crown, is olive brown, the -under-parts dingy white; throat, breast, and brow a beautiful rose-red -with us,--in some districts more chestnut-red,--whence the bird is -called the Redbreast. There are plainly discernable oblique stripes of a -lighter shade on the wings. Eyes dark brown and large; legs dark and -strong; beak finely pointed; plumage fine, soft, and loose. The nest is -always placed low down, in the thickest bushes, in hollow trees, holes, -and crevices. It is well and delicately built; the outer covering -consists of dry leaves, the inner of thickly woven moss, rootlets, hair, -and feathers. It is difficult to find. The eggs usually number five, -occasionally seven; they are of a yellowish olive-brown speckled with -rust colour, the speckling being closer in a ring round the thicker end. -Two or even three broods are produced in the year. - - “The Robin and the Wren - Are God Almighty’s cock and hen. - Him that harries their nest, - Never shall his soul have rest.” - -Grahame sang-- - - “Dearer the redbreast’s note, - That mourns the fading year in Scotia’s vales, - Than Philomel’s where spring is ever new; - More dear the redbreast’s sober suit, - So like the withered leaflet, than the glare - Of gaudy wings that make the Iris dim.” - - -THE WREN. - -(_Troglodytes párvulus._) - -The Wren is certainly the most lively of little birds. With its -confiding nature, especially in winter, it approaches close to men, and -with lightning speed dashes into the openings and gaps in the wood -stack. It is visible only for a moment at a time, and, with its little -upright tail, its nodding and see-sawing, its appearing and -disappearing, its popping in and out, it disposes even the most morose -persons to cheerfulness. It slips through the prickliest bunch of -blackthorn like the nimblest mouse, and has scarcely vanished on one -side, before it appears on the other, shoots about like an arrow and is -quickly lost in the neighbouring hedge. It does not fly far. If it finds -itself in difficulties in the open, it slips into a mouse-hole. It feeds -on the tiniest, and most hidden insects. It finds the smallest spiders, -caterpillars, chrysalises, and grubs, which it wants, with skill and -inexhaustible energy. It is found both in summer and winter with us. - -This little bird has also its song, which is louder than might be -expected, suggesting somewhat that of the Canary. A listener to whom it -is not known, is astonished if he happens to discover the tiny vocalist. -It sings always in an open place. Its cry is “_Zrr’s Zezerr_.” - -A Lancashire naturalist writes of “the irrepressible vitality of the -Wrens which prompts them to fling a song in the face of winter whenever -they get a chance.” A chiding, chattering song it is; flung out also in -advance of the intruding footsteps that disturb the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WREN.] - -privacy of the hedge-row at the foot of which the bold, pert little -creatures are seeking their food. In old nests in the thatch and holes -in the walls, they find warmth and shelter during the winter, a little -batch of them together. They are supposed to build special nests, -“cocks’ nests,” they are called. A Staffordshire acquaintance tells how, -being curious as to the number sleeping in one of these which he had -previously noted in a grotto in his grounds, he and gardener surprised -them one night by the light of a lanthorn, and no fewer than six Wrens -fluttered out of the nest. - -Another friend who was fishing near Brambridge, in Hampshire, tells me -that he knows one such nest under the thatch of an under-keeper’s -cottage, and he has seen five or six enter this in the early twilight of -a winter evening. On two different occasions, when a dogcart sent to the -keeper’s cottage at which he puts up, was waiting for him to drive to -his day’s fishing, a Wren settled on the back of the standing horse, -near the cottage door, and remained there for a few minutes, as though -enjoying the warmth coming through the creature’s coat. - -In Ireland every Wren that can be seen is hunted down and killed on St. -Stephen’s Day; and a Surrey man tells me that up to twenty-five years -ago he has witnessed the same persecution in the home counties. -Tradition says that it is due in Ireland to the fact of a party of Wrens -hopping over a drum’s head, and thereby disturbing a sentinel, when a -party of Irish were on the point of surprising their enemies. - -Shakespeare writes of “the Wren with little quill,” in Bottom’s song of -birds; and again, in “Cymbeline,” Imogen says, “if there be yet left in -Heaven as small a drop of pity as a Wren’s eye.” The comparisons drawn -by old-fashioned country folk are often very quaint. I remember an old -lady who, if she were asked to take more of some dish at table, often -said, “Just a bit the size of a bee’s knee,” to the great edification of -us youngsters. The song of the Wren is always the same: a few separate -notes, a trill, a rattle and a trill, while its call-note has been -likened to the clicking of a watch while it is being wound up. There is -no more winsome picture of bird-life than this tiny creature dotting -about, with little tail erect and fan-like, in quest of its insect food -among the dry bramble leaves, so vivacious in its movements that no -camera could ever do it justice. - -The Wren is almost the smallest of European birds. There is not much to -be said about the colouring of its feathers, which are the brown of the -tree trunks, with beautiful thick oblique stripes of a darker shade. The -colour is lighter over the eyes, on throat and breast. The tail feathers -are especially fine, and thickly striped. The beak is slightly -depressed, fine and sharp as a needle; the brown legs relatively strong. -The nest is placed under the cover of felled boughs, between roots, in -secluded corners of abandoned huts, which it can slip into. The nest is -comparatively large, with a spacious entrance, and consists of a -foundation of leaves and fine twigs, within which is a layer of moss, -and again within that a mass of smooth, finely broken feathers. The -clutch is six, sometimes, but rarely, eight small white eggs, with fine -blood-red speckles. - -[Illustration: - -1. Wren’s Egg. 2. Great Bustard’s Egg. - -Comparative sizes.] - -[Illustration: DOUBTFUL. - -THE HAWFINCH.] - - -THE HAWFINCH. - -(_Coccothraustes vulgaris._) - -This is not a true migrant, for it is only in severe winters that it -seeks a warmer climate. In autumn it comes from the hills, down into the -plain, to the neighbourhood of human habitations, where it leads a -restless life. It is timid, and easily startled; while flying it utters -its shrill cry “_seu, seu, seu_.” The striking bulk of its beak -indicates the strength it has to use in obtaining its food; and it is -so, for the kernels of the hardest cherry stones are its favourite -dainty. - -It flies in small flocks, and when these light on a cherry tree, they -are quite quiet, not a sound is heard, except the cracking of the hard -shells by the strong bills, which are specially formed for the work. The -cherry stone lies in the lower mandible, the upper one being ribbed and -so perfectly adapted for cracking the stone. This bird breaks with ease -a fruit stone, which a full-grown man can only crush with the heavy -pressure of his boot heel. Towards spring, when there are no more fruit -stones to be found, it attacks and destroys the young leaf buds. - -This bird is not very commonly found in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -The number of Hawfinches has been steadily increasing in England of late -years. This is probably due to Bird Protection, which is so much more -enforced than it used to be. The young are fed chiefly on caterpillars, -but unfortunately they soon take to eating peas, which brings them into -bad repute with gardeners, and numbers of young birds are shot and -buried in gardens where peas are grown. It is pleasant, on the other -hand, to watch them amongst the wild plums and sloes and crab-trees in -one of our old hedgerows, but is not an easy matter as they are so -suspicious. In districts where many peas are grown for the market, these -birds are a perfect plague. In Germany this bird is called Kernbeisser -(kernel biter) because of the ease with which it cracks cherry stones -with its powerful bill. With us it eats the seeds of the horn-beam and -other trees, beechmast, haws, etc. - -Only one brood is raised in a season, but if the first nest is meddled -with, another one is made. - -In “Within an Hour of London Town” the writer interviews a gardener on -the subject of Hawfinches. We give it here as it stands. - -“What do I want with the gun? Hawfinches; they hawfinches in my peas!” -he grunts. - -As he leaves the tool-house I quietly follow, and place myself with him -behind a low faggot-stack which stands in a line with the peas. - -“Jest hear ’em! ain’t it cruel!” he whispers. “I hope the whole roost of -’em may git in a lump so that I ken blow ’em to rags an’ tatters. If you -didn’t know what it was you’d think some old cow was grindin’ up them -peas. Ain’t they scrunchin’ of ’em! All right now, I ken see you, you -grindin’ varmints! Now for it!” Bang! - -Three birds fall--young ones in their first plumage, which has a strong -likeness to that of a greenfinch. - -After picking the birds up, we examine the pea-rows. There is no doubt -as to the mischief the birds have done. The old fellow’s own expression, -“grinding up,” is the best to convey any idea of the destruction that -has taken place. Where the birds have been, nothing remains but the -stringy portion of the pods of his precious “Marrer fats.” - -There is enormous power in the bill of the Hawfinch, when the size of -the bird is considered. The pea-pod is simply run through the bill, and -the contents are squeezed out in a state of green pulp and swallowed. - -“Varmints I call ’em, an’ nothin’ else,” is the remark my old friend -makes, as he goes towards the tool-house and takes from a shelf a hen -Hawfinch and two young ones, the former probably the mother of some of -the birds that are about, if not, indeed, of the whole brood, her -plumage showing that she has been sitting. - -“People wants me to git ’em full-feathered old birds for stuffin’, but -bless ye, ye might as well try to ketch weasels asleep. A cock Hawfinch -is about one o’ the most artful customers as I knows on. The only time -to get a clip at ’em is in winter, under the plum and damson trees. They -gits there after the stones, any amount o’ stones lays jest under the -ground, an’ they picks ’em out an’ cracks them easy. I gits plenty o’ -young ones when peas are about--the old ones lets ’em come, but they -take precious good care they don’t come off the tops o’ the trees -themselves afore they knows there ain’t nobody about. Some says they’re -scarce birds. I knows they ain’t--leastways not when my peas are ready -to gather.” - -The Hawfinch is seven inches in length and has a thick head, short tail, -and very strong bill. Crown and cheeks cinnamon brown, neck greyish, -mantle chestnut. There is a black patch on the throat, the base of the -bill, and the eye, and a white patch on the wing. The tail is white in -the middle and darker at the sides, the underparts are greyish with a -tinge of violet. The middle wing feathers are serrated in wavy curves, -and look as if clipt with scissors, the bill is exceptionally strong, -very thick at the base, and sharp at the point. It lays four to six eggs -of a pale green colour slightly speckled. The nest is well-built and is -placed in fruit trees, and in open spaces in the woods, at a height of -from six feet upwards. - -The moral of the story of the gardener and the Hawfinch is that the -gardener must protect his peas. - - -THE CHAFFINCH. - -(_Fringilla coelebs._) - -The Chaffinch is a useful bird, and is also an ornament to the woods and -gardens, not only by its lovely plumage, its friendliness, and its -movements, but especially by its clear voice which rings like a silver -bell. Its call-note is “_fink-fink_,” and it has a short, cheery little -song. Through the whole laying and brooding season it is busy with the -destructive grubs and insects, especially the little caterpillars and -tiny beetles which destroy the buds on the trees. When the seeds are -ripe it lives entirely on them, but almost exclusively on those which it -is able to pick up from the ground. It is true that when a considerable -number of these birds visit a vegetable garden they do a great deal of -harm, but this is outweighed by the good they do. - -In very severe winters, it comes either in flocks or small parties with -other starving companions--Yellow-Hammers, Siskins, Crested Larks, and -Sparrows--into the villages, and even towns, and picks over the heaps of -street refuse and gutter sweepings. - -It is still common with us in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -This Chaffinch is one of our common British species in winter, although -in some seasons their numbers are unaccountably smaller than in others. -It was called cœlebs, or bachelor, because of a partial separation of -the sexes which takes place during the winter. Large flocks arrive from -the Continent at that season on our East coast, whilst others come from -the North of our islands to spread themselves inland. Unfortunately the - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE CHAFFINCH.] - -Chaffinch is the favourite bird in the shops of the Seven Dials in -London, and before the Bird Protection Acts came into force, many a -country lane has been cleared of Chaffinches to the great disgust of -many of the residents in the neighbourhood. - -In Germany this is called the Buchfink--Beechfinch--because of its -fondness for beech woods. In the Thurigen Forest they have come to our -table like Sparrows for crumbs. It frequents our suburban gardens. - -The Chaffinch is a delightful bird in garden and wood. The full-grown -male has a broad white stripe and a smaller yellow stripe on the wings; -the two outer feathers of the tail are large, with white wedge-shaped -spots, which give the bird in flight a very variegated appearance. Crown -and neck are bluish-grey; brow black; cheeks and under parts -brownish-red; wings and tail black, except the white spots. The female -and young are more plainly coloured; otherwise, like the male. Its nest -is built among the high tree-tops, sometimes quite in the open, and is -made of tufts of hair, moss, root-fibres, wool, and hair, very skilfully -constructed. It lays five or six eggs with dark dots and fine markings, -but occasionally of a uniform colour. - -[Illustration: Chaffinches at the stream.] - -[Illustration: MAINLY USEFUL. - -THE BULLFINCH.] - - -THE BULLFINCH. - -(_Pyrrhula europœa._) - -The Bullfinch lives in summer in the mountains, and descends in late -autumn to the plains, where it meets its far bigger relatives who come -to us for the winter from the Far North, and joins company with them in -wood and grove and garden, even in the immediate neighbourhood of -dwellings. When the sunshine glistens on frost and snow, and these -splendidly coloured birds settle on a dry bough, the scene presents a -lovely winter landscape the impression of which is heightened by its -melancholy subdued cry, “_deeu_,” or “_beut, beut_.” In captivity it -learns to sing tunes. It is easily caught, for it is incautious. - -In winter it visits plants, choosing the young wild vines, buds, seeds -of all kinds, berries including those of the alder, and the wayfaring -tree; it does not attack weeds. In very severe winters, when starving, -it will also do mischief among the buds of the fruit-trees. - -It is frequently seen in winter. - - * * * * * - -The Bullfinch has been causing much dissension in and near an East -Anglian district where I have lately been staying. A net had been placed -over the gooseberry bushes to protect the blossom, and much indignation -was caused early one morning by the sight of three lusty Bullfinches -within the meshes, and a quantity of promising blossom on the ground. -“There would be no gooseberries whatever, this season; it was positively -unbearable; sentiment was utterly misplaced.” The three birds were -caught by the hand within the net, two were put in a cage in the -stable, and one was exposed in a small cage on the top of the garden -wall to attract others to the like fate. The gardeners were inexorable. -Madame was irritated by the sight of the rifled twigs. “And all last -Sunday was spent, by the wife and me,” said the gardener, “shying stones -at the rascals among the trees in our own garden.” The next day a -market-gardener shot no less than six Bullfinches on his grounds. - -As a rule, my friends on this estate, are extremely good to birds, and -they attract them by placing breeding boxes, and supplying food in -winter; but these sturdy rascals find no quarter. I pleaded hard for -them, but, I fear, without result. The gooseberry blossom was certainly -nearly all destroyed, but it was in a quest for the destructive larvæ of -the winter moths, which make their appearance in the early spring and -eat the not yet expanded buds. A fruit grower has stated that he allowed -the Bullfinches to eat as much as they pleased; the crop of fruit has -usually been as good as if the birds had not done any disbudding, and -when, by a rare chance, the trees had borne no fruit at all, he knew it -was because the trees required clearing, and the next year the crop -would be all the finer. In some cases the tree appears to be entirely -disbudded, and still fruit has appeared. - -It is only for a short period that the Bullfinches visit the fruit -trees. During the rest of the year they eat the seeds of harmful -weeds--dock, thistle, groundsel, plantain; and one authority states that -a single Bullfinch has been known to devour 238 seeds of the common -spear-thistle in twenty minutes! A writer in the Journal of the Royal -Agricultural Society say that he has seen “a small party of these birds -eagerly devouring the seeds of the large sow-thistle.” A little fruit -more or less in a season, in one’s own domain, is a small matter in -comparison with the vast amount of noxious weeds destroyed on our -fields. - - * * * * * - -The Bullfinch is an ornament in a garden. Crown, wings, and tail are -shining black, and the same colour surrounds the bill; mantle a -beautiful ashen-grey, rump and under tail cover snow white, breast and -under-parts a fine red. In the female the under-part is ashen-grey. Bill -short but very thick, at the end curved and hooked. The clutch is -composed of five green eggs with purple and grey speckles. It nests in -the fir woods of the mountains, at a height of about six yards; the nest -is made of thin twigs and is lined with hair. - - * * * * * - -The Goldfinch (_Carduélis élegans_) is so well known in Great Britain -that it requires little description. Unhappily for the “Proud Tailor,” -as he is called in the Midlands, he has always been a favourite -cage-bird, and on the South Downs Goldfinches have been captured in -thousands at the times of migration, to be miserably caged in dozens for -the bird dealers. - -They are birds which found their food on the waste lands where large -thistles used to grow, and with the improvement of these waste lands the -thistles have gone, and the Goldfinches with them. Increased Bird -Protection is, however, causing more Goldfinches to breed amongst us, -which is a good thing for agriculture, this bird’s food consisting, as -it does, of the seeds of the thistle, knap-weed, groundsel, dock, and -other plants. The Goldfinch is considered to be one of the most useful -of all our birds, feeding, as it does, on the seeds of noxious plants of -which there is a succession all the year round. It ought to be -encouraged in orchards, where it feeds its young on small caterpillars, -and destroys great numbers of other insects for them. - -Its relative, the Greenfinch (_Ligurinus chlóris_), a common and -well-known species everywhere, is not quite so valuable a bird to the -agriculturist as the above species. It is well known that it steals much -swede and turnip seed, still it devours quantities of the seeds of such -weeds as dandelion, corn marigold, charlock, wild vetch, etc., and the -parents capture immense quantities of moths, flies, caterpillars, and -other pests for their young. - -[Illustration: A Feast of Thistle Seed.] - - -THE YELLOW HAMMER. - -(_Emberiza citrinella._) - -This is a pretty, cheerful, friendly bird, that lives in gardens, -thickets, or the outer part of the woods. Its chief distinguishing -characteristic is that it loves to associate with other kinds of birds, -especially the Fieldfares, with which it is most intimate. During the -brooding time and before the seeds are ripe it lives chiefly on grubs -and insects, being particularly fond of the smooth caterpillars, which -the other birds do not much relish. It also likes seeds, and rather the -floury than the oily ones. In winter it flies about the fields with -other birds, and destroys the seed of the runners, and the weeds that -shoot up through the snow--and is thus doubly of use to the farmer. - -In a severe winter it comes with other feathered visitors into the -inhabited districts. At the weekly market it appears with Finches, -Crested Larks, and Sparrows, and picks up the oats and other grain which -are lying about, showing little timidity in doing so. It has a dipping -flight. It enlivens the country-side in spring and summer with its song. - -It is very numerous with us in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -This bird is resident and common in most parts of Great Britain. From -morning till evening it sings the same song all through the spring and -summer; it has been transcribed as “Little bit of bread and no -che-eese.” The form and hardness of its bill, proclaims the bird to be a -grain eater, and of course it will pick up a great deal of corn, where -it is to be found, yet both - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -YELLOW HAMMER OR BUNTING.] - -old and young birds live upon insects largely, as well as the seeds of -baneful weeds, and it has been estimated with us that the good it does -far outweighs any harm which the farmer suffers through it. - -The Yellow Bunting, well known under its universal name of Yellow -Hammer, says “A Son of the Marshes,” “is a very handsome bird and a very -common one. The plumage is splashed with rich yellows, warm red-browns -and darker streaks; this is his nesting suit. In winter the colouring is -not quite so gay. Where farms or farm-buildings show, you will be sure -to find Yellow Hammers round about them. Stand just inside the stable, -after the horses have left it in the morning for their work in the -fields, and look at the birds gathered round the open door, all busily -picking up the grains of oats that have fallen from the nose-bags. A -fine mid-April morning suits the bird to perfection, for he droops his -wings, spreads his tail out, and glides here and there pecking up as he -goes, in the most dainty manner. Then, for a time, he visits the trees. - -The lowering of the wings, until they almost touch the ground, and the -spreading out of the tail, is a peculiar trait seen more or less in the -whole of the Bunting family. - -Trees and fields are necessary to the well-being of the Yellow-Hammer, -which may be considered one of the farmer’s friends; for at certain -seasons he, as well as others of his family, live in the fields, only -leaving them to rest, or roost in the trees that surround them. Innocent -as the creature is in all its ways and means of living, superstition has -linked its name with evil. I have been assured, in the most solemn -manner, that the badger, the toad, and the Yellow Hammer are all in -league with the Prince of Darkness.” - -The Cirl Bunting, often called the French Yellow Hammer, which is -distinguished from the commoner bird by the dark throat gorget, is more -numerous at times than it is supposed to be. In fact it is becoming -fairly common as a resident species. - -The Yellow Hammer is the size of a Sparrow but longer and more elegant. -Throat, underparts, and crown of the full-grown male, golden-yellow; -mantle rust-red merging into green. The bill is peculiar, the lower half -is compressed, and the upper half is so formed that it is adapted for -shelling seeds. Its well built nest is placed low down among the bushes. -It lays five eggs which have dark markings on a light ground. - -[Illustration] - - -THE TURTLE DOVE. - -(_Turtur communis._) - -The Turtle Dove has a pretty, dainty walk, an uncommonly rapid flight, -and is altogether a beautiful pleasant cleanly bird. The pairs are -devoted to each other. Their cooing, “_turr, turr_,” is pleasing, -gentle, and rich. It is a harmonious sound which makes a soothing -impression on the mind. It is no wonder that, from its whole nature, the -Turtle Dove has been chosen as the symbol of faithful love. Popular -sentiment is shown in the widespread belief, that if his mate is taken -from him, the male bird dies of grief--or that in sorrow for his loss he -never again sits on a green bough. The Turtle Dove loves the border of a -wood, or the trees, and rows of poplars that skirt a corn-field. It -likes to be near clear water to which the birds come in flocks to drink. -Its food consists almost entirely of seeds, chiefly those of weeds. That -is why this bird is so useful to the farmer. It does, indeed, sometimes -take toll of the grains, in the corn-field, when they have not been -properly covered by the harrow. Then, indeed, the Doves so fill their -crops, that bare places do not fail to appear on the ground. But this -bad behaviour lasts only for a short time; besides it is not very bad, -for they eat chiefly the superfluous grains. It is quite different with -regard to the seeds of weeds, which they destroy the whole summer -through in great quantities. A student of bird-lore once opened the crop -of a Dove in midsummer, and found in it 1942 seeds, of which all but one -were the seeds of the poisonous willow-leaved wolfs-milk--the one -exception being also the seed of a noxious - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE TURTLE DOVE.] - -weed. There can be no doubt that this bird does more good than harm--and -we will, therefore, encourage and protect it. - -It is still common in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -It is common in some parts of England, but is very local in its -visitations and is only a summer visitor. A “Son of the Marshes,” says, -“It is common enough in some parts of Surrey. I have seen from ten to -thirty of them rise from the standing oats, or from the long grass in -the hayfield, at one flight. One of my friends shot a couple as they -were rising from the oats, and opened their crops. Not a single grain of -oat did he find in them. They were full of a little vetch that grew -abundantly at the roots of the oats, or, to express it in true rustic -agricultural phrase, ‘at the stam o’ the whuts.’ I was with the man at -the time; after that examination of the birds’ crops he declared he -would never shoot another pigeon.” - -Another member of this family, the beautiful Ring Dove or Wood Pigeon -(_Colúmba palumbus_), called Queest in Ireland, and Cushat in the North, -because of its soft notes, is a bird that we could ill-spare from our -woods and coppices. It is, however, an undeniable fact that the members -of this voracious species have increased of late years in a manner which -is alarming to the hard-working farmer. Many writers have taken up the -cudgels in defence of these birds on account mainly of the amount of -noxious weeds, wild mustard seed, and leaves they devour, but, as that -great naturalist, the late Lord Lilford, wrote, in sending me a little -box of the contents of the crops of three birds extracted by himself: -“In a highly-farmed country these weeds hardly exist; and,” he added, -“in my opinion his good deeds are in no way comparable to the damage -done. I have frequently, when shooting Wood Pigeons in the winter -months, seen their crops burst on coming down dead from a height, from -distension with hearts, acorns, barley, and turnip-tops.” The contents -of the three birds’ crops sent to me were 129 peas, 85 beans, and some -broken vegetable matter. - -The amount of good or of harm done by this species varies, as in the -case of other birds, according to the weather and the scarcity or plenty -of their natural food about the woods and the lands skirting these. -Considering the numbers that breed in our midst the farmers might well -thin these, and send a better supply of birds to the market. - - * * * * * - -The Turtle Dove is smaller than the Pigeon, slenderer, and it has a more -stately form. Crown and brow are a beautiful grey, cheeks and ear parts -flushed with rust colour. On each side of the neck it has an ornament of -black and white dots arranged in rows. The mantle is ashen-grey with -dark specks which have a reddish border. The rump is ashen-grey with a -shade of rust colour. Throat and breast reddish, melting into violet; -the under-parts are white. The wings are black, shaded with slate -colour; tail slate colour; four, at least, of the tail feathers have -white tips. Beak black, the irides fiery red; legs blood-red. The young -birds are of soberer colour. The nest is placed in thickets and is well -hidden. It is composed of little branches and twigs, very lightly put -together--indeed so loose and open is it, that the eggs and the sitting -hen can be seen through it. It lays two white eggs. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -SOME WILDFOWL. - - -THE LAPWING. - -(_Vanéllus vulgáris._) - -The reedlands and meadow-lands, moist fields, marsh and lake districts, -would be desolate and lifeless without the beautiful Lapwings. They -wheel and flap, and twist, and wheel again, on the large open uplands, -so that their varied plumage almost dazzles the eye, and when several -pairs frequent the same field they embellish air and sky. When the -nesting time arrives the whole neighbourhood resounds with the call -which the bird utters while in flight. The call-note sounds like -“Keevit,” from which, of course, its name is taken. The pairing note -sounds like “Ka kerkhoit, kewit, kewit, kewit, kewit.” It can run well -and quickly on the ground. If a dog or a crow approaches the nest it -flies at it with a loud, despairing cry, “Chrait,” and strikes at the -enemy with its beak; if a man shows himself it practices all kinds of -cunning tricks. It flies along near the ground, repeatedly stopping, and -so lures him away from the nest. The eggs of the Lapwing are much sought -after. Its usual food consists of worms, the various kinds of snails, -chafers, grasshoppers. In autumn it covers the fields and meadows in -great flocks like a cloud, and destroys the pests of agriculture. It -departs in winter. It is recommended for protection both on account of -its beauty and its usefulness. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE LAPWING.] - -Sir Herbert Maxwell, writing last autumn, 1908, in the _Pall Mall -Gazette_, after referring to another species, says: “There is another -bird equally industrious in ridding the farm of insect pests and with no -fruit or grain eating propensities whatever, which we allow each year to -be slain in increasing numbers. Already in poulterers’ shops, not of the -first class, may be seen strings of Lapwings exposed for sale, and this -will continue till far on in next spring. May I make my annual protest -against this mischievous traffic? Great Britain has held aloof from the -Convention of Continental States formed for the protection of birds -useful to agriculture. Her Government decided upon this attitude on the -ground that Parliament had already effected by legislation most of the -objects which the Convention has in view. But the continued slaughter of -Lapwings is altogether at variance with--nay, is in direct opposition -to--the main provisions of the Convention. It is true that powers have -been conferred upon County Councils enabling them to prohibit the -killing, capture or exposure for sale, of Lapwings or any other kind of -bird at any or every season; but so long as these powers are not -exercised this senseless slaughter will go on. For, unhappily, there is -a ready market for the carcases of these useful birds. People whose -palates are so gross as to be gratified by the flesh of carnivorous -birds eat Lapwings greedily enough. Why not compel them to be content -with their eggs? seeing that every Lapwing destroyed means the -preservation of hundreds of noxious insects, such as leather grubs, -wireworms, click-beetles, caterpillars, and such like.” - -In England drainage and the improvement of waste lands have caused its -numbers to diminish, still it holds its own on most of our high-lying -moorlands. In Scotland it is plentiful, and is even on the increase in -many of the northern districts. Unfortunately, its eggs are in great -demand. In Ireland this is not the case; the eggs are not sought after -as they are in England, but the birds are netted in numbers for eating. - -The Lapwing is twelve inches in length. It can be immediately recognised -by the long pointed crest which begins on the crown, extending backwards -and being slightly curved upwards at the end, resembling a good deal a -waxed military moustache. This is black, as are also the brow, throat -and breast; the under parts are quite white, the rump a brilliant -rust-colour; the base of the tail white; the end of the tail is adorned -with a broad black border. Mantle shining, iridescent black. Legs red, -eyes brown and bright; beak shaped like a thick awl. Such is the -appearance of the males; the female bird and its young are much plainer -in colour, and have a smaller crest. The nest is placed in the reed-beds -and in shallow parts of the marshes; it is simply a scratched out hollow -bedded with dry chaff. The clutch usually consists of four pear-shaped -eggs, which have olive-brown spots and flecks on an olive-green ground. -The young leave the nest as soon as they are hatched, sometimes even -carrying part of the shell on their feathers. - - -THE COMMON CURLEW. - -(_Numenius arquata._) - -This bird takes up its residence with us in Hungary as a visitor only on -its way during the long migratory journey, which extends from the -northernmost parts of our hemisphere to the Nile. - -Its habits are most varied, for it stays sometimes on the flat sea -shore, sometimes on the border of the desert, sometimes on a rocky -river-bank; with us it settles on pasture land, fallow fields, marshy -flats, and lowlands. It destroys everywhere immense numbers of -grasshoppers and beetles. Crickets are the food it likes best, but it -also eats snails, and sometimes even frogs. It is, therefore, of great -service to the farmer, more especially as it frequents and cleanses the -fields in large numbers. It does not require much protection for it is -an extremely shy bird, and he must be a clever marksman who can bring it -down with a shot. But the sportsmen of the lowlands are even more -cunning than the Curlew. At certain places they lure the birds with a -decoy--a bird dried in the oven which is placed on the lake edge--and a -pair of Curlews are almost certain to fall victims to the ruse. - -Its call-note is audible at a considerable distance, floating -pleasantly, something like a modulated human whistle: “_Klowit!_” or -“_Taue taue_,” and “_Tlouid tlouid!_” Shepherds believe that when this -cry is heard it foretells wind. - - * * * * * - -The Common Curlew is to be found in Great Britain, wherever there are -sand and mud-flats, and rocks covered - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE COMMON CURLEW.] - -with sea-weed left high and dry at ebb-tide. It is with us during the -entire year, for when the old birds go inland in spring, the young birds -take their place and remain for the summer. As long as the young birds -remain on the moors and pastures, their food consists of berries, -insects, spiders, worms, and snails, and they then become excellent for -the table; but after feeding near the sea, they become unpalatable. - -Its plumage, mottled, speckled, and cut up with broken tones of brown -grey white and light red, makes it look like a Plover when squatted, -unless its long scythe-shaped bill can be detected,--a most difficult -matter when in that position. It is wary in the extreme; morning, noon, -and night on the alert. That it is brought to bay at times is certainly -no fault of its own, but is mainly due to its surroundings. - -The Curlew is a most interesting bird, see it when you may, on some -upland with the sheep, in the grass meadows, or on the shore, when huge -dark storm-clouds roll in from open water, a gale blowing, and the white -parts of its plumage showing like large snowflakes as the bird and its -companions are driven shrieking and wailing in all directions, or in the -calm, still days of early autumn. - -“From a fishing smack,” says “A Son of the Marshes,” I have watched it -probing for lug-worms, running nimbly or walking sedately on the mingled -sand and ooze. - -Curlews allow themselves to be blown, or drifted only, when waiting over -some favourite feeding-ground, before the tide has sufficiently left for -them to feed. I have repeatedly watched mobs of them, waiting for the -tide, when a heavy gale has been blowing. The birds know that their -food is just below them so they merely flap to and fro and put up with -the inconvenience of being blown about. At any other time they would -shoot clean through in the teeth of the gale. Only those who have seen a -frightened Curlew go up or down a creek lined with shore-shooters, -shrieking as it flies, can form any idea of the bird’s swiftness. I have -known a bird of this kind “fly the gauntlet” for three miles, and there -has been bang! bang! bang! from every shooter that it passed, good shots -too. It escaped the lot without being touched. Swift flyers at all -times, their ordinary speed is as nothing compared with what it is when -they are frightened.” - -The Curlew is 24 inches in length. It has a long scythe-shaped bill, a -long neck, and long, waders’ legs. The plumage is marked with hemp-seed -speckling, the specks somewhat elongated, here and there arrow-shaped. -Tail white, slightly tinged with brown; every feather has brown bars. -Eye brown. It does not usually nest with us, but is more a spring and -autumn visitor; yet it sometimes happens that a pair of these birds -build and rear their young. In its northern home it builds on the -ground, on the moorlands. It lays four pear-shaped eggs, as large as -those of the farmyard duck, of an olive green colour, with dark -speckling. - - -THE COMMON REDSHANK. - -(_Totanus cálidris._) - -The Redshank enlivens whatever place in the reed-land or marsh it -happens to nest in by its voice and its varied plumage. It is a -beautiful sight when it spreads out its wings, rises into the air and -stretches out its long legs. Its resounding whistle is pleasant to the -ear. It runs well, wades in water, and in case of need can swim. When -the young ones are hatched, anyone approaching the nest should be moved -by the wailing cry which it utters in anxiety for its young, though it -has a thousand ways of luring people away from the nest and of -misleading them, when it takes the trouble to do so. With a plaintive -cry it settles on the ground, makes all kinds of bows and curtseys, -utters its flute-like note, then begins to run, as if to say, “Follow -me, man!” When it has come out of the immediate neighbourhood of the -nest it settles on a branch or a stake, or even attempts to perch on a -telegraph wire. Then its voice becomes more plaintive even than that of -the Lapwing. Even a shot does not scare it away. It moves away, -disappears, but in a very short time it is back in the same place to -continue its bitter lamentations; its note sounds like “_Dlue, dlue, -dlue, dlue-dee-dee-deedle-dee_.” - -Like all the waders of the marshlands, the Redshank is very voracious, -and has an excellent stomach. It devours beetles, grasshoppers and -snails with great - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE REDSHANK.] - -avidity. All for the good of plants, and of men who derive benefits out -of the sedge and reed beds. - -This bird is a migrant. - - * * * * * - -The Redshank is still to be found breeding in most of the marshy -districts in England and here and there in Wales; it appears inland from -the middle of March, and early in autumn it begins to resort to the -coast, being joined there by numbers of migrants from the Continent. -When the winter is mild, birds are to be found throughout the year, more -especially in the south and west. It is abundant as far as the Shetlands -in Scotland; in Ireland it is fairly plentiful during the summer, and on -the bays of the west it is numerous at other times of the year, wherever -there is a sufficient supply of _zostera marina_ left behind by the tide -for it to feed amongst. - -“Redshank, pool-snipe, teuke or toak, sandcock, red-leg, -redlegged-horseman,--all these names are given to him, as well as -another, which exactly expresses the main characteristic of the -bird--the yelper; and he certainly does yelp. When the tide is up all is -level on the flats, even the blite is covered until the tide goes down. -To all appearance the blite is left dry; but this is not the case, for -thousands of small pools are left at the roots of the blite shrubs. -These cannot be seen, because the thick grey-green leaves cover them. -Most of the fowl feed in the numerous gullies that run through this salt -vegetation. Some of the smaller kinds feed in the pools under it. If any -web-footed fowl are about they are sure to pitch in one or other of the -gripes and gullies.” - -The Common Redshank is eleven inches in length. Its plumage also has -the hemp-seed speckling, but is more thickly speckled and barred. Beak -long; legs long, of a bright orange-red. It is perceptibly webbed -between the toes. Tail white, with dark bars. The dark wings are adorned -with a white patch, the sides with pointed spots like drops. Its nest is -found in wet marsh, or moorland, between the weeds and creeping stems, -in little dips, and consists simply of straw litter. It lays four -pear-shaped eggs, which are arranged in the nest with the points towards -one another. The ground colour is clay-yellow, and they are speckled -with greyish and dark-brown spots and flecks. - - -THE GREEN SANDPIPER. - -(_Totanus óchropùs._) - -The flight of the Green Sandpiper is very rapid; the note is a shrill -_tui-tui-tui_. The food of the bird consists of insects chiefly, with -small red worms and fresh water snails. It is not good to eat, having a -disagreeable musty odour. - -The Green Sandpiper is not uncommon in many parts of England and Wales, -on the spring as well as on the autumnal migration. On the east side of -Scotland it is fairly frequent, but in the north it is very rare. To -Ireland it pays unfrequent visits, even in autumn. “The Green Sandpiper -is a restless bird, for ever moving on,” says “A Son of the Marshes.” -“Something impels him to constant haste.... The first time I met him, -unexpectedly, was on a breezy upland common, with just enough wind -blowing to carry the white clouds along without blowing them to pieces, -a few sheep were wandering about, their bells tinkling. On one side of -the common are a number of old blackthorns, with wisps of wool sticking -on their rough stems, then comes the long high-road, and close to the -road is a small pond, gravel-edged, where the cattle that graze on the -common come to drink. A shrill whistle, and in front of us is a -beautiful bird. He runs a short distance, his feet just in the water, -picks at something, whistles, and is off, over some old beech-trees. I -have examined him dead, and have seen him and his mate exquisitely set -up by a naturalist and bird-stuffer, but you must see him alive to form -any idea of the dashing vitality of the bird itself.” - -[Illustration: USEFUL CHIEFLY. - -THE GREEN SANDPIPER.] - -The eggs of the Sandpiper are rarely found with us, being laid in -deserted nests of Crows, Woodpigeons, Blackbirds, Jays or Thrushes, or -even old squirrel dreys; although its haunts are about the peaty swamps, -hill streams and ponds. Its nesting habits differ from the others of its -congeners. Its cousin, the Common Sandpiper (_Totanus hypoleucus_), is -also a lively creature, that goes by the name of Fidler Willy-wicket, -Dicky-dy-dee, and Water-junket. Fish is sure to be in the stream about -which trips the Fiddler. Its note on rising to take flight is “_Wheet! -wheet!_” and its alarm cry a shary “_Giff! giff!_” At Madely, in -Staffordshire, a pair of these Sandpipers hatched out their young in a -vicarage garden a few summers ago, the fact being recorded by the vicar, -the Rev. T. W. Daltry. - -In June you may come on a hen Sandpiper, with her young, beside some -moorland stream. The little ones are precocious in their ways, and run -about nimbly as soon as hatched out. The young of the Green Sandpiper -are not so easy to observe. - -The Green Sandpiper is a little over nine inches in length. Upper parts -olive brown tinged with metallic green, speckled and mottled, the lower -parts white, so that when flying it looks like a black and white bird; -the middle tail feathers having broad black bars, towards the end, the -two outside feathers almost white. Feet greenish. The bird lays its eggs -in old Squirrels’ dreys, or the nests of Mistle-and Song-Thrushes, -Blackbirds, Jays, and Woodpigeons; sometimes even on the ground, or on -mossy stumps, and spines heaped upon fir branches, as high up as -thirty-five feet but always near to pools. The eggs are light -greenish-grey, with small purplish brown spots, generally four in -number. - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE NIGHT HERON.] - - -THE NIGHT HERON. - -(_Nycticorax gríseus._) - -The Night Heron nests with large numbers of its congeners in -inaccessible spots in the marshes where marshy tracts and broom bush are -close together. In such places will be found on each tree as many nests -as there is room for. The nest itself is carelessly built of a few -branches laid one on another, with a final layer of dry rush and sedge -leaves. It contains four or five pale green-blue eggs. - -It is not so secluded in its habits as the Bittern, and is not so fond -of the broad open ponds and reed beds, but prefers the marshes, -especially where there are slimy puddles, alternating with broken -rushes, bushes, and trees. In such places it breeds, in great colonies, -and watches for its prey, which it obtains from ooze--mud fish and other -small fishes, water-rats, lizards, and all kinds of large insects. When -flying, it draws in its legs and head, and so scarcely looks like a -Heron, but when it settles on a tree, as it often does, draws in its -neck and hunches itself up, it greatly resembles a Raven, whence it is -sometimes called the “Nightraven.” Also from its voice, which is like -the croak of the Raven, and sounds like “_Koā_,” “_Koari_,” or -“_Koay_.” Wherever the Night Heron settles it does much harm among the -fish. It is not numerous in Germany; in Hungary it is still fairly -common, but with the draining of the marshes the number of these birds -is likely to decrease. - - * * * * * - -The Night Heron has been increasing in numbers in the British Islands -during the last hundred years, so that it may now be ranked as an -annual visitor to this country. - -It is about 23 inches in length; wing 12 inches. The crown and nape are -black with a green metallic lustre. Brow white, about the base of the -beak. Two or three, occasionally four, snow-white feathers, pointing -backwards, adorn its crown. The eye is large with a carmine-red iris; -the long, pointed beak is black; the back is black with a greenish -lustre; neck, wings and tail are ashen-grey. Underparts white, legs -reddish-yellow. The female bird is more uniform in colour. The young are -speckled, while still in the nest. - -The Common Heron (_Ardea cinerea_) is well distributed throughout Great -Britain. There are, as before, when this bird was used in the old -Falconry days, very many colonies, although these are not so crowded -with nests as they used to be. The long-legged grey fisher is one of the -most interesting sights beside our streams and meres. “Judy o’ the Bog” -is the name given to the Heron by the peasants in the south of Ireland. -Young Herons were much in favour as table birds in the olden times. They -are still eaten in some districts, but they are only good at certain -seasons, if then; the flesh has mostly a very oily, fishy taste. The -good this bird does in devouring water-rats, field-mice, worms and -insects is counterbalanced by its depredations amongst the fish where -the latter are a consideration. - -Let me give here again a presentment of our Common Heron in the -Marshlands of Kent. “An empty stomach has caused the Heron to leave his -sanctuary in the Scotch firs that close in one end of the now frozen -mere, and to come floating down to the river side. He has left bitter -weather behind him, at any rate, for out in the west it is a cold -steel-grey above, with a glow like that of the northern lights resting -on the crests of the distant hills. For once he places caution on one -side; one ring round directly over our head, and then he drops and folds -his wings by the edge of a bit of water that is not frozen because it -runs sharply over some shallows. The grey and white fisher has come here -for his supper, knowing well that when waters are icebound, the fish -will work up to any open piece of water, or even to a small hole broken -through the ice, for air. They must have air; even eels, which are -supposed to be able to live anyhow or anywhere. - -To prevent him rising I take a wide range out in the water meadows, -frozen down nearly two feet in depth; but I might just as well have been -saved the trouble for a lot of rooks that have been trying to stock out -a last scanty meal before roosting, from some manure heaps--that have -been placed there to dress the meadow for the hay crop--come for him as -one bird, and the lonely fisher is up and away again to his sanctuary in -the fir trees.”[5] - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE BITTERN.] - - -THE BITTERN. - -(_Botaurus stellaris._) - -The bittern is a strange-looking bird which as it moves stealthily among -the reed-beds, has given rise to many superstitions and weird beliefs. -Yet it is nothing but a greedy, insatiable cousin of the Heron, living -on small fishes, but not despising young birds, water-rats, -water-beetles, frogs, and even horse-leeches as food. Its eyes at once -announce that it is a night bird. On a still night its booming can be -heard more than a mile and a half away; and from this the bird has -received some of its local names, such as “Bumble” and “Mire-drum.” -The sounds which it utters are deep, hollow roars, as though -they came from some large animal; many people will not believe -that these sounds proceed from a slender bird. They sound like -“_Cu-prumb-cu-prumm-cu-um_.” Sometimes, though not often, a “_boo_” is -added to the “_prumb_.” Learned scientific books have been written on -the nature of these sounds. The truth is that they occur when the bird -draws air into its feed-pipe until it is full and then expels it -forcibly. In this way it produces its mating-call, the love-song of the -male bird. It is not given to every bird to sing like the nightingale. - - * * * * * - -This deep-toned cry is rarely heard now in our British marshlands, where -the bird now comes only to be shot and sent to the shop of the bird -preserver. It has, of course, been getting scarcer every year. In -Selby’s time it was very scarce in some seasons, yet he records the -fact that in the winter of 1830 to 1831 ten bitterns were exposed for -sale on one morning in Bath, and sixty were taken the same season in -Yorkshire. “Butter-bumps” was the popular name for the noisy bird, -which, as some said, bellowed like a bull. The late Lord Lilford wrote -that he knew a lady who said that when she was first married, about the -year 1845, and went to live in East Norfolk, she was constantly kept -awake by the Bittern’s booming in the neighbouring marshes. Tennyson’s -farmer called it the bogle. - -Some of us were not sorry to hear that one of these rare visitors had -been able to have its revenge on one of its persecutors lately. Being -wounded only, it turned on the dog of “the man with the gun,” who could -not resist shooting a stranger, and used its strong bill and claws to -good purpose. Its haunts are reed-beds, and the nest is composed of -dried flags and reeds. Its flesh is said to taste and look like that of -the leveret, with a slight flavour of wild-fowl, and to be more bitter -eating than that of the young Heron. In the North Kent marshes Bitterns -were called “Yaller French Herns,” and the fen dwellers could get half a -guinea for each bird. In France, of a coarse and stupid man, they often -say, “C’est un vrai butor (Bittern);” Molière says, “Peste soit du gras -butor;” and Georges Sand wrote, “If your provincial bourgeois heard -that, they would take our daughters for ‘des butordes,’[6] such as their -own are.” Voltaire speaks again of “les butorderies de cet univers.” In -Saxony again the peasants say of a noisy brawler, “He booms like a -Bittern.” - -That a pair of Bitterns which had been observed for some little time on -an estate near Hertford should have been shot lately, 1908, and that -just before breeding season, is a fact to be deplored. I saw a beautiful -specimen in Berkshire that had also fallen to the gun of a collector. -With the advance of civilisation and the drainage of the fens we cannot, -of course, expect to have Bitterns nesting in our country again; but our -children will we trust, be educated, in these days of Nature-Study, to -welcome rare visitors, whilst respecting their right to live. Molluscs, -frogs, lizards, small snakes and insects form their diet, and these we -can all spare; and we should protect a vanishing species. A nest was -taken in England in 1868, but we have not had a later one recorded. A -friend of the late Lord Lilford, writing to him, said: “My brother and -myself, about the year 1825, shot seven Bitterns in a field.” This was -at Holme Fen, near the New River. “The Son of the Marshes” says: “The -Bittern is the bird of desolation, and it is in desolate places you will -find him if he is about at all. All his habits are secretive ones. As a -rule he comes out with the marsh owls. His plumage mimics the -marsh-tangle perfectly, and the Bittern draws himself up by the side of -that tangle, his dangerous bill pointing upwards in a line with the -great rush stems, so that you might be within a yard of him and yet not -see him. Frequently it has been the case that shooters have had these -birds clutter up close to their feet.” - - * * * * * - -The Bittern is 28 to 30 inches in length, but its loose feathers, long -neck and thin legs make it look much bigger. The arrangement and -colouring of the plumage are not unlike those of the Owl; it is -yellowish with brown speckles. Bill yellowish-green, but the back of it -brown. The legs are also yellowish-green, and have long toes. Eyes -yellow, as in many owls. The bird can draw in its neck and cover it with -feathers in such a way that only its long legs betray its species as -being that of the Heron. The nest stands always alone in thick reed-beds -near standing water. The eggs are usually three to five in number, and -are pale bluish-green in colour. - - -THE WATERHEN OR MOORHEN. - -(_Gallinula chloropus._) - -The Waterhen likes ponds surrounded by thick bushy growth and builds its -nest on the edge. It clambers nimbly about the reeds, and also swims -very well although not web-footed; it dives, and is able to remain some -time under the water. It does this when pursued, only occasionally -sticking its bill out of the water to breathe. It takes long strides -when walking, and can run fast, can stand on the broad round leaves of -water plants, on the water grasses, and floating rubbish, its long toes -preventing it breaking through and sinking in. It is a very pleasant -bird, and if left alone becomes very confident, and it is then an -ornament to its surroundings. Its food consists of insects and -water-wort; it also rips off the points of sprouting rushes, and the -fleshy sedges. In fact it is an innocent and indeed a useful bird. - -The little tail is always turned upward, both in running and swimming, -and with each movement it nods its pretty head. It is a truly charming -sight when the Waterhen first takes her eight or ten black, silky, -roguish-eyed nestlings to the water--each one being about the size of a -walnut, they bob about like so many black corks. - -This bird is worthy of every protection. - - * * * * * - -The Moor or Waterhen is well distributed throughout the British Islands -and it is, as a rule, settled in its habitat although in severe winters -many migrate from the northern to the southern parts of the country. - -When the sooty chicks are out, the Moorhen parents - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE WATERHEN OR MOORHEN.] - -have a very anxious time of it, for the Heron is on the look-out for -them, and he does a lot of wading in the reeds and the swamps all the -time the young Moorhens are about. They would be far more numerous were -they not hunted for, so persistently, by furred, finned, and feathered -prowlers. - -The Pike is one of their worst enemies, and the youngsters are kept -often in about three inches of water to escape his murderous bite. - -“The Moorhen can both swim and dive, and he flies well when fairly on -the wing; but as his real flights take place, as a rule, at night, very -little is known about them. I once saw a flight at daybreak that very -much astonished me. The bird shifts considerably about at night at -times. When alarmed it is occasionally very clever in concealing itself, -and it will sham death to perfection, even when caught alive by a good -dog, without a feather being injured.” - -The Waterhen is rather larger than the Partridge; it has longer legs, of -a green colour, and much longer toes. It has a small growth on the wings -like a spur. On the brow is a bare crescent-shaped red patch, the pupil -of the eye is carmine; neck and the whole of the mantle dark, -greenish-olive brown; the other parts of the body slate colour, the -inside of the lower tail-cover being of a darker shade, with a broad -yellowish white border. The feathers on the edge of the wings are tipped -with white, forming a beautiful white line, to the front of the wings. -The bill is green, red at the base. The nest is nearly always placed in -dry sedge-bushes on the edge of the water; the dry grass serves for -litter. The clutch consists of ten eggs, which have a pale yellowish red -ground speckled with violet and reddish-brown. - -[Illustration: THE COMMON TERN.] - - -THE COMMON TERN. - -(_Sterna fluviatilis._) - -This birds nests in companies, in grassy places near a river bank, where -a nest, without any foundation, is made, being a flat hollow in the -ground. In this it lays two or three eggs of a clay-or brownish-yellow -colour, speckled with violet-grey and brown. The Tern is a real ornament -to our large rivers and lakes, with its guileless nature and its fine -swinging flight. If it were to disappear we should lose one of the joys -and beauties of life. All day long it flies over the water, with only -short intervals of rest which it takes on a gravel heap or a hurdle, -with neck drawn in and pointed upwards, only turning its head now and -then to look at the water. It constantly flies at the same height, and -as soon as its prey comes to the surface of the water it spreads its -tail stiffly downwards, and hovers, beating with its wings, and gazing -fixedly on the spot where the victim showed itself. Then, suddenly, it -drops like a stone, with a loud splash, into the water. It has then -secured its booty, usually a small fish. Its usual voice sounds like -“_Kriey_”; sometimes, when in trouble, it utters a light “_Kek_” or -“_Krek_.” It is not common enough in Hungary to do much mischief. - - * * * * * - -In Great Britain we find the Common Tern along the shores of the Channel -and up the West coast as far as the Isle of Skye, and again from the -Moray Firth down to Kent. In Ireland it is plentiful in the South. -“Three species at least of the beautiful terns, well within my own time, -bred freely in this country; but their colonies on the flats and the -foreshores have been harried for eggs and birds so persistently, season -after season, that they have ceased to exist as breeding places. A few -hatch out in lonely shingle runs here and there on the coast lines; -others have changed their breeding grounds for good. The ring-dotterels -have suffered in the same way, but, from their different nesting habits -nothing like so much as the terns have done. When dogs are trained for -egg hunting, and the capture of young birds alive, without hurting them, -is it to be wondered at if the poor birds shift elsewhere? The size of a -place has nothing to do with its nesting capacities; if the conditions -are favourable, there the birds will come in their seasons to settle -down. If they are not interfered with they will come again, until at -last you may count on their arrival almost to a day. One place I -frequently visit, where the birds, water-fowl and waders have been -protected for forty years, not by keepers or lookers, but by the people -that pass that way, because the owner of a fine sheet of water desired -that they might not be frightened. This is as it should be, yet for all -that they are wild birds pure and simple, free to come and go just as -they please, according as their inclinations move them.”[7] - -The Common Tern is 14·25 inches in length but its long wings and tail -make it appear larger. The legs are red, the feet webbed. Beak red with -a sharp point; crown and nape quite black; mantle a fine bluish grey. -Throat and breast beautifully white; wing feathers darkish. Tail forked -like that of the House Swallow. The longest, outer side feathers, which -form the fork, are dark grey, the other tail feathers, and the rump -white. The eye reddish-brown. - - -THE BEAN GOOSE. - -(_Anser ségetum._) - -The Bean Goose visits us only in winter, for it breeds in the most -northern portion of our hemisphere, whence it is driven to our milder -regions by the extreme cold of winter. Here it waits for spring, then it -hurries back to its breeding place on the coasts of the Northern Ocean. -It lays seven to ten white eggs in its simply-formed nest in the -inhospitable desolate land of its birth. When obliged to leave the nest -it carefully covers up the eggs in order to preserve their warmth. - -These birds move southwards in great flocks towards autumn. Some of them -come to us, and in many places cover the fields in swarms, and in the -case of their settling constantly in the same places, they may do -considerable harm by nibbling, tearing up and trampling over everywhere -generally. - -When the winter is very severe here, and the seeds are covered with a -thick layer of snow, Geese go still further south, some of them even -crossing the Mediterranean; but they return directly the weather becomes -milder. From this comes the shepherd’s prophecy: “When the geese go -south we may expect great cold; when they go north warmer weather is -coming.” The birds assemble in great flocks,--usually at the beginning -of March, if wind and weather are favourable--and return to their home, -where, separating into strings, they scatter themselves over the Polar -regions. - - * * * * * - -This is the “Wild-goose” as known to shore shooters. It does not breed -in our islands at all, but comes to us in - -[Illustration: THE BEAN GOOSE.] - -the autumn, and is to be seen in numbers on some of our coasts all -through the winter. In cold weather it is fairly common on the mainland -of Scotland. From autumn to spring it is found in all parts of Ireland, -and is the commonest of the inland feeding Geese. - -“Very awkward mistakes, and sad ones too some of them, have been made -sometimes when these birds have been feeding on the saltings and marshes -close to the tide, for at certain seasons the Geese will feed at night -and then is the time to go after them. On one occasion a fowler shot his -horse by mistake, and at another time a man shot his own son. Such -incidents were once only too common. Fowl, feeding at night, bunch -themselves up, taking strange shapes, and when alarmed they run before -flighting, but they are not very wary, nor have they the keen sight of -other wild fowl.” - -“Gabble-retchet” is the term applied to the cry of the Geese on flight. -An old proverb says: “Its aye fine when the Goose honks (or cries) -high.” This in the Eastern States of America has been corrupted into: -“It’s aye fine when the goose _hangs_ high,” and is often taken as -meaning when there’s plenty in the larder. - -This Goose is 34 inches in length. The beak is black, the knob of it -being orange-coloured, as is also a broad oblique stripe on the -nostrils. The points of the wings when folded extend over the tail. The -prevailing colour is brownish-grey; the edges of the feathers and the -breast lighter. The flight feathers are dark brown, so are the eyes, -legs reddish-brown. - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE WILD DUCK OR MALLARD.] - - -THE WILD DUCK OR MALLARD. - -(_Anas bóscas._) - -The nest of the Mallard is placed in the sedges of the marsh, in -cornfields, and--strangely enough--on willow stumps and in large holes -in trees. It is carelessly put together, but is lined with soft downy -feathers. It lays ten or twelve strong yellowish-white eggs. - -The way in which a mother Duck, who has nested in a tree hole rather -high up, brings her young family to the water is remarkable. As soon as -they are dry after hatching, she carries them one by one in her bill -down to the water’s edge. Each duckling as it is set down remains -motionless as a stone on the ground, until the mother has brought the -last baby to join the others, then the whole family begins to cackle and -pipe, the young ones follow their mother into the water, swimming at -once, and their duck life begins its ordinary course. - -Their usual diet consists of water plants, duckweed, sundew, the green -parts of the water-nut and the seeds of water grasses. They let the -water flow, filtering through their beaks as beseems a well brought up -duck, and in this way allow many little water creatures, fish spawn and -such like, to enter their crops. But they can also do mischief. At -harvest time the duck visits the cut corn lying on the ground and the -sheaves, picks out the corn and treads down the ears. Therefore--and -also because it is so good for the table--it is worthy of a well-aimed -shot. - -It is still very common in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -“Mallards manifest bird chivalry and courtesy to perfection--the drakes -industriously finding mussels for their sober-coloured mates, not -because these are not able to find for themselves but because the males -consider it their place to do so. Stretching out their necks and -ruffling all their feathers they softly call when they have a lucky -find; up rushes the duck, nips fast hold of the gaper and swings it from -side to side as a terrier shakes a rat: after wrenching it from the -shell she washes it in the water of the runnel and swallows it. - -It is a matter of serious regret to many a sportsman and one entailing -loss to the longshore shooter that the numbers of our common Wild Ducks -or Mallards are each year becoming less. But for those bred in the -Arctic regions--those the North Kent marshman calls “foreign flighters,” -we should be in a bad way as to the Wild Duck. - -The latter arrive in great numbers from the Continent during the colder -months. Drainage of the fens, and improvements in agriculture have, of -course, lessened the numbers of those that breed with us; but -flapper-shooting on the flats and the want of protection are decimating -them largely on the Essex and North Kent marsh-lands. All good -authorities on the subject agree that there ought to be a close time for -our Wild Duck up to the 1st of September, whereas in Essex protection -extends only to August 16th, and in Kent only till the 13th of that -month. In shooting the Flappers, or young birds, many an old Drake gets -killed; having lost his quills he is incapable of flight. He does not -put on his full new dress until the middle of October. Flappers are -easily killed as they reach full growth before their wings are fledged; -so that it is not really fair sport, which should give a free field. As -old Peter Hawker, the father of Wild Duck Shooting said, -flapper-shooting is often more like hunting water-rats than shooting -birds. They haunt deep and retired parts of a brook, or stream, in -families. Flappers are only called Wild Ducks when they take wing. - -In the Fens formerly, until put a stop to by Act of Parliament, not only -were Flappers shot as they are now, but an annual driving of the young -birds before they could fly took place. A vast tract was beaten, and the -birds were forced into a net placed where the sport was to terminate. A -hundred and fifty dozens have been taken at once in this fashion. If our -handsome British Wild Duck is to be preserved to us, further steps must -now be taken to enforce and extend the close time for our home-bred -birds of this species. - -Both duck and drake are the size of the domestic duck, which is a near -relation of its wild congener. It is the loudest cackler of the ponds. -The drake has splendid plumage. The whole of the head has a fine green -metallic lustre, this being separated from the rest of the colouring by -a white band round the neck. A small bunch of feathers, curled upwards, -stands on the rump, which is smooth black, as is also the under tail -cover. It has a beautiful, lustrous violet patch bordered on each side -with white, on its wings. Neck and breast are chestnut-brown; the mantle -finely and beautifully spotted. The underparts light grey, each feather -having fine dark stripes. Bill greenish; legs orange. The female bird is -yellowish-brown speckled with dark brown. - -[Illustration: CHIEFLY USEFUL. - -THE PINTAILED DUCK.] - - -THE PINTAILED DUCK. - -(_Dafila acuta._) - -The nest of the Pintail is placed among the sedges, rushes, and reeds of -open ponds. The clutch consists of eight to ten greenish eggs, which are -smaller and somewhat thicker than those of the common Wild Duck. It is a -shy bird, difficult to surprise, which arrives here in large flocks, on -its way elsewhere, only a few settling on large inaccessible ponds, or -on the hidden pools hemmed in by huge reed beds, on the Platten See in -Hungary, especially in shallow places where the white water-lilies and -other water plants almost cover the surface with their leaves. In such -places it pecks about the ground in the same way as the farmyard duck. -Its food is tender duck-weed, and the young juicy shoots and points of -water plants. But its most eager search is for water beetles, and the -larvæ of dragon-flies and other such insects. As the marshes are drained -and brought into cultivation the number of these beautiful birds -decreases. It is still, however, not uncommon in Hungary. - - * * * * * - -This is a slender and finely shaped duck which is locally called the -“Sea Pheasant.” It comes regularly to our British Islands in October, -staying in some districts longer than in others. In the North it seldom -tarries long. Its favourite resorts are about our Southern shores and -estuaries. When it is feeding the tail is raised high above the water, -its head being below the surface. A hybrid between the Mallard and the -Pintail, a half-bred drake, is a very handsome bird. Pintails have also -been known to pair with Wigeons. - -The Pintailed Duck is smaller and more slender, but longer than the -Common Wild Duck. The middle tail-feathers are long-shaped like a spit -or awl, and from these the bird derives its name. The neck is long and -thin like that of the Heron. The drake has fine summer plumage. The -wings have a shining metallic green beauty-spot bordered with red in -front and white behind. Head a dusky-brown, cheeks copper colour. Throat -white on either side, and black in the middle from the back of the head -downwards. The whole of the underparts white, also the mantle, which is -adorned with fine, close, dark wavy lines. The long pointed shoulder -feathers are black with a white border. Tail nearly black, the middle -pointed feathers quite black, and also the under tail cover. Legs -bluish-grey; beak bluish, eyes brown. The female bird is like the female -wild duck in colour but has the long tail feathers. - - -THE SHOVELER. - -(_Spatula clypeata._) - -The Shoveler has a stately, direct, and rapid flight. It can be -recognised by its great beak even when flying high. It is less timid -than the other ducks, and does not go about in flocks, but if it does -join flocks of other ducks, it flies somewhat apart from them. As its -beak indicates, its food consists less of plants than of small living -creatures of the pond and lake, fish, insects, shell-fish, and other -things which it finds in the water while it paddles around and lets the -water run through the filtering edge of its beak. But the worst of it is -this: The fish spawn in the shallow, tepid water near the bank, and -there the young fishes are hatched. When the Shoveler comes to a -spawning bed, in its voracity it destroys the young fish in thousands, -before they are fully hatched. Thus it is a great pest to fishermen, and -it is therefore fortunate that this bird belongs to the rarer species. - - * * * * * - -“Compared with the size of the Shoveler’s paddles, its webs are small. -Splashes and reed-beds are what it delights in. Many days have I passed -where these birds could be seen. All sorts of flying and creeping things -lived there; in fact the amount of insect life to be found in the haunts -of the Shoveler would have to be seen, nay more than that, it would have -to be felt, before it could be thoroughly believed in. Some sorts of -insects have a very short play-time. Coming forth in clouds as perfect -flying creatures, they fulfil the purpose they were created for, and -then they drop down in the reeds, - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE SHOVELER.] - -or in the water either dead or dying. So thickly at times do these -short-lived insects cover the water that, in places, the masses look -like large patches of grey film. - -This is the time for the Shoveler. He and his mate, will, so to speak, -lay their heads and necks on the water, the lower mandible being just -under water; and they will paddle along feeding as they go. These -insects are part of their food in the season. Then too, they can probe -and spatter on the edge of the reeds, where they find plenty of food, -for the soft mud at their roots is full of the seeds of water plants -growing below. As to the undeveloped forms of insect life, the light -vegetable mud is full of these. So this handsome bird goes on his way -very happily if not disturbed.”[8] - -Shovelers are plump ducks, and when their food is right are excellent -for the table. - -The Shoveler visits Great Britain during cold weather, and a fair number -of the birds stay and breed with us. - -The Shoveler is smaller than the Wild Duck and is more thick-set in -build. Its chief characteristic is its powerful spoon-shaped, or rather -shovel-shaped bill, which broadens out in front, and is furnished with a -thickly toothed, comb-like arrangement on the inner edge which is -specially adapted for filtering the water. The drake has beautiful -plumage. The beauty spot on the wings is of a lustrous green, and has a -white upper border, the wing itself is light blue. The sides of the head -are bluish-green, with a fine lustre, the crop white. The forepart of -the mantle is greenish-black, each feather having a white border; rump -bluish--black as is also the under tail cover. Shoulder feathers -pointed, black and white, legs orange, bill dark. The female bird -resembles the female wild duck in colour, but the broad shovel-shaped -bill, immediately marks the difference between the two birds. The nest -is placed in the boggy parts of the marshes and is formed simply of -litter. The clutch consists of seven to fourteen rusty yellow eggs. - - -THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE. - -(_Podicipes cristatus._) - -The nest of the Great Crested Grebe is built of various decaying plants, -and floats on the water. It is not found in the thick reed-beds; but on -their borders, where the reeds are already beginning to shoot. There it -so fixed to a single stalk that it remains in one place, and cannot be -washed away. It usually contains four longish white eggs, which, -however, become brown and dirty during the long sitting and rotten -surroundings. The young birds are grey with dark stripes. In times of -danger the mother gathers them closely under her wings and then dives -until the peril is past. - -This Grebe is a remarkable diver; it dives with such lightning speed, -that a shot aimed at it only strikes the surface of the water. It is a -terror in the fishpond. When the fish feel secure, several of these -birds join together and make a raid on them. They dive, and while under -water drive the fish towards the shallow shore, and having thus placed -them in a difficulty, the birds seize their prey from among the -bewildered victims. - -The Grebe endeavours to avoid danger to itself by diving, as long as it -can--and it is able to remain under water for a long time and swim a -considerable distance. If the rushes for which it is making, are still -at some distance, it raises its head out of water for a moment, breathes -once, and dives again. It is only in direst - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE.] - -need that it takes to flight, and beats the water for some time before -it begins to rise. Having once risen it flies rapidly and steadily. - -Its powerful, piercing voice has various sounds. The call-note sounds -like “_Kekekeke_”; during the brooding time its cry “_Kroar_” or -“_Kruor_” is heard at a long distance. - - * * * * * - -The Great Crested Grebe is resident in Great Britain on many sheets of -water where reeds grow in plenty, such as the Broads of Norfolk, the -meres of Cheshire and Lancashire, lakes in Wales, and very occasionally -only in Scotland. In the County of Stafford the Great-crested Grebe and -Little Grebe, or Dabchick, are protected all the year round; and the -meres in the West of Staffordshire, together with those of Shropshire, -form one of the chief breeding areas of the former species of Great -Britain and Ireland. On Trentham Lake, Dr. McAldowie has observed the -Great-crested Grebe in mid-winter. They have also bred there of late -years. On the rivers Dove and Trent, however, it has only been seen -during the periods of migration. That it nests on the Lake Aqualate and -on that in Trentham Park proves what the protection of landowners will -do. - -The Great Crested Grebe is the size of a Wild Duck but more slender. The -general appearance of the bird, with its long outstretched thin neck is -that of a long-necked bottle. It has on its black crown a double crest, -forked and inclining backwards something in the manner of ears; on its -neck, beginning at the back of the head and reaching to the throat, it -has a red collar of split feathers with dark borders closely set -together, which surrounds the sides of the head and the throat. The -legs are constructed for propelling by a sideways stroke; instead of a -true web, it has divided, cross-ribbed broad flaps on the toes, the pads -of which are flat and broad. Beak sharp and pointed as a dagger; tail -consists of a few little ragged feathers. The spot on the wings is -white. The female has a smaller collar, and is more uniform in colour. - - -AN ELEGY. - -Our children will perhaps know less than we do of the delightful poems -of Robert Burns, composed as so many of them were whilst he followed the -plough, with ever a keen eye for bird and blossom wherever his work -might lead him. I cannot resist quoting here that wonderful elegy of -his:-- - - “Mourn, ye wee songsters of the wood; - Ye Grouse that crap the heather bud; - Ye Curlews, calling thro’ a clud; - Ye whistling Plover, - And mourn, ye whirring Paitrick broo’, - He’s gane for ever! - - Mourn, sooty Coots and speckled Teals; - Ye fisher Herons, watching eels; - Ye Duck and Drake, wi’ airy wheels, - Circling the lake. - Ye Bitterns, till the quagmire reels, - Rair for his sake! - - Mourn, clam’ring Crakes at close of day - ’Mang fields o’ flow’ring clover gay, - And when ye wing your annual way - Frae our cauld shore, - Tell the far warlds, wha lies in clay - Wham we deplore. - - Ye Howlets frae your ivy bow’r - In some old tree or eldritch tow’r, - What time the moon wi’ silent glow’r, - Sets up her horn: - Wail through the dreary midnight hour - Till waukrife morn!” - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE GOLDEN EAGLE.] - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -SOME OF THE FALCONIDÆ. - - -THE GOLDEN EAGLE. - -(_Aquila chrysáëtus._) - -In Scotland the living prey of the Golden Eagle, called there the Black -Eagle, consists largely of mountain hares, but it takes lambs, grouse -and other birds, sometimes even fawns and the young of the red-deer. In -Hungary he sweeps down towards autumn from the higher regions to the -vast plains, where he works havoc among the smaller wild animals, -especially the hares. Only when driven by extreme hunger will he feed on -carrion. On sunny days he soars circling above, with shrill squeal, -until quite lost to sight, looking as it were into the very face of the -sun. - -The breeding places of the Eagle are confined in Great Britain to the -Highlands of Scotland and the islands of the Western side, and they are -now protected by the owners of deer forests from the grouse preservers -and sheep farmers who greatly thinned their numbers in former years. In -Ireland very few pairs now remain; they were nearly all destroyed there -by poison. They rarely visit England. So far from attacking any one who -visits the eyrie or tries to take an egg or young, those who know them -best say that they can be photographed without the least difficulty, in -fact the old birds will soar high above, seemingly ignoring the presence -of the intruders. A visitor to one eyrie, in which was a baby Eaglet, -found there four grouse, part of a hare, and a monk stoat! the latter, -as the gamekeeper said, being an unheard of thing. Sometimes an enraged -Hoodie Crow has been seen in full chase of a Golden Eagle which had been -too near the nest and young of the former. - -Mr. Seton Gordon says that when this Eagle is pursued by a small bird, -the Mistle Thrush for instance, it never turns on its pursuer, although -it could kill it with the greatest ease; but as he adds “in nature it -seems to be the invariable rule that the pursued flies from the pursuer -no matter what the relative sizes may be.” - -The Golden Eagle is now slightly on the increase in Scotland. It is a -most interesting bird, the type of nobility and of valour. The -naturalist with whom I collaborated over the signature, “A Son of the -Marshes,” has told of two live Golden Eagles which were chained to -stands just inside the courtyard of the old coaching inn at -Sittingbourne, in Kent, when he was a boy, objects of wondering delight -to himself and of much daily curiosity to the passengers on the coaches. -They snatched up more than one cat that came too close to their stands -after the meat that was given to them. - -Many poets have sung of the Golden Eagle: - - “On sounding pinion borne, he soars, and shrouds, - His proud aspiring head among the clouds.” - - * * * * * - - “Soaring - With upward pinions through the flood of day, - And, giving full bosom to the blaze, gain on the sun.” - - * * * * * - - “Trying his young against its rays, - To prove if they’re of generous breed, or base.” - - * * * * * - - -Somerville, in “Field Sports,” gives some fine lines, descriptive of -this bird, untamed though we call it, as one of sport: - - “In earlier times, monarchs of Eastern race - In their full blaze of pride--a story tells-- - Trained up th’ imperial eagle, sacred bird. - Hooded, with jingling bells, she, perched on high, - Not, as when erst on golden wings she led - The Roman legions o’er the conquered globe, - Mankind her quarry, but a docile slave, - Tamed to the lure and careful to attend - Her master’s voice.” - -This noble bird measures from 32 to 36 inches and the female is larger -than the male. In reality he is about the size of a goose but his mighty -wings and the breadth of tail make him seem far larger. The general -colour is dark brown, tawny about the head and nape, hence his name -golden. The tail has a greyish bar below, is mottled with dark grey in -the adults, but the basal half is white in the young. The legs are -feathered in front to the toes, thighs dark brown, toes yellow, claws -hooked and sharp. The beak is curved from the cere. The brown eye is -keen and strong as befits a bird who sights his quarry from afar. The -nest, or eyrie, which is placed on a crag in a mountainous district, but -often in a tree, is a large platform of sticks lined with softer -materials. The Eagle never uses dead branches but always breaks them -fresh off the tree. There are two and sometimes three dull greyish-white -eggs streaked and blotched with every shade of reddish-brown and lilac. -One of the eggs is generally addled. The young are covered with white -down. During incubation the Eagle keeps near to his eyrie. - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE RED KITE.] - - -THE RED KITE. - -(_Milvus ictínus._) - -The flight of this bird is very beautiful; it mounts in circles to a -great height, but swoops down quite near to the ground when pursuing its -prey. Its food consists of mice, lizards, adders, and unfledged birds; -but most of all it likes poultry, hens, ducks, geese. In this way it is -very hurtful. Fortunately, it is a cowardly bird, and a good clucking -hen can soon put it to flight. - -In the spring when the flocks of geese with their young ones are grazing -in the tender grass, the Red Kite will suddenly appear and cause great -consternation among young and old. The poor bare-footed guardians of the -geese, strive to drive the intruder away with shouts, or by waving rags, -and throwing stones; and though they generally succeed, the bird -occasionally gains the day. This bird is nowhere very common, and is in -any case only a summer visitor. Its cry is a shrill _whéw, heh-heh-heh_. - - * * * * * - -This Kite was formerly known in Great Britain by its old Anglo-Saxon -name of Gled or Glead, which comes from its gliding flight, and is -styled Red Kite in order to distinguish it from its relatives. That it -was once common enough in the South of England, a proverb, still used in -the New Forest shows, “Yallow as a Kite’s claw” the folk say there in -describing one who has a jaundiced appearance. So common was it in the -streets of London up to 200 years ago, acting the part of a scavenger in -those days, that visitors from the Continent wrote of it. Some are now -living who knew it as fairly common in the wooded parts of Great -Britain--Ireland excepted--but the last nest in Lincolnshire, where it -once was abundant, was known in 1870. In Wales, where a few still breed, -the landowners are trying to protect what they consider an interesting -species. The use of its tail feathers for salmon-flies brings about the -bird’s destruction in Scotland, and the gamekeeper is its pronounced -enemy. In Ireland it has been seldom observed. Considering the adders, -rats, and enormous numbers of mice the Kite devours, the term hurtful, -as applied to it, ought perhaps to be modified. - -A naturalist, writing in 1839, tells how he once took away a young Kite -from a nest containing two; it became very tame and would sit on his -hand, never attempting to hurt him with its sharp talons. Sometimes he -let it stray away and it always came home, though it might be out for a -day or two; until it intruded on an old crone in her cottage. She -quickly killed it as an ill-favoured fowl. I have seen a tame Kite swoop -down during a circling flight and take a mouse from the hand of the late -Lord Lilford as he sat, as was his wont, in his wheeled chair among his -favourite birds. - -Macaulay, alluding to the Kite’s love for carrion writes: - - “The kites know well the long stern swell - That bids the Romans close.” - -Wordsworth was familiar with it in his walks: - - “Near the midway cliff the silvered kite - In many a whistling circle wheels her flight.” - -Robert Burns was not a friend of the bird, Quarles’ “brood-devouring -kite,” for he likened the “father of all evil” to it: - - “Here is Satan’s picture, - Pouncing poor Redcastle - Like a blizzard gled, - Sprawlin’ like a taed.” - -But Hurdis was more kind and just: - - “Mark but the soaring kite and she will read - Brave rules for diet; teach thee how to feede; - She flies aloft; she spreads her ayrie plumes - Above the earth; above the nauseous fumes - Of dang’rous earth; she makes herself a stranger - T’ inferior things, and checks at every danger.” - -We may perhaps be allowed, by the chariest of agriculturists, to say -that a species may be most undesirable in certain districts, but a -welcome and even useful bird in others; and this is specially true of -birds who devour carrion. - -The Kite is about 24 inches in length. The back is rusty-red, the -feathers there having dark shaft lines and edges. The tail is strongly -forked. The female is less brightly coloured than the male and the young -still less so. The thighs are clad with feathers, the legs bare, claws -moderately strong and sharp. The bill is sickle-shaped and has a yellow -cere at its base. The irides are yellowish-white. The Kite is a -keen-sighted bird of prey, and builds its nest for the most part on the -highest trees in the woods. It lays two or three eggs, more rarely four, -with dirty blotches, smears, and spots on a greenish-white ground. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE RED-FOOTED FALCON. - -MALE AND FEMALE.] - - -THE RED-FOOTED FALCON OR ORANGE-LEGGED HOBBY. - -(_Falco vespertinus._) - -Unlike all the rest of his congeners this beautiful Falcon lives -exclusively on insects. It is considered by the Mohammedan races as a -sacred bird, on account of the way in which it destroys grasshoppers. -Its flight is easy and bold, and the way in which he circles and floats -in the air is beautiful. The young ones are also fed on insects, and as -soon as they are fledged the little flock betake themselves to the -meadows or the seashore and there begin with zeal their work of insect -hunting. They settle on the meadows, on the freshly mown rows, and -destroy the grasshoppers, and when there is a plague of these insects -the Falcons are untiring in their work of extermination. It is one of -the most gentle of birds, and the young ones when caught become tame in -the course of a day. It can easily be seen from the expression of the -eyes that there is no savagery at all in its nature. How different from -the glance of the Sparrow-Hawk! It is a remarkable characteristic of -this bird that not only does it differ from others of its species in its -food, but also in regard to its nest. As a rule, it does not build a -nest, but occupies one, generally at the cost of a battle, belonging to -one of a colony of rooks. The fight for the nest is a fine spectacle, -for in it the bird exhibits to the full its fine art of flight. In -Hungary it is a regular migrant, and arrives in fairly large numbers. - - * * * * * - -The Red-footed Falcon is only a rare wanderer to the British Islands on -its migratory flight, and chiefly to England. One was recorded as shot -in Scotland in 1866--another, which is in the Dublin Museum, was taken -in County Wicklow in 1832. It is a pity that this useful species, living -as it chiefly does on insects and field mice, should only appear in our -country to be shot. - -On the steppes of Orenburg in Russia it has decreased during the last -fifty years, owing apparently to the immigration of great numbers of the -Lesser Kestrel, which used to be rare there. The flight of the -Red-footed Falcon is not nearly so dashing as that of the Kestrel; you -can note a difference in the expression of the eye and the shape of -forehead of the two birds. - -The clutch of eggs numbers five to six. They are of a yellowish-white -ground-colour, with spots and marblings, some darker, some lighter. The -nest structure is scanty, and is seldom built by the bird itself; it -appropriates the old nest of a Crow, Magpie or Rook. The male of this -species is for the most part slate-grey in colour, the thighs and under -side of the tail are bright chestnut-red. The iris and the feet are red. -The colouring of the female is more diversified. The mantle is -bluish-grey, with blackish stripes, like those on the tail; the sides of -the belly are light rusty-brown, throat and nape white. The forehead is -whitish; top of the head rust-coloured, legs and feet reddish. The claws -are nearly white. - - -THE COMMON BUZZARD. - -(_Búteo vulgáris._) - - -This bird is equally at home in the plains and in the highlands. It goes -South in the winter, except in mild seasons. Like the Kite it soars to a -great height with a fine sweeping movement, crying “_keo-keo_.” It -descends and with an easy stroke hovers near the ground, from which it -seizes frogs, lizards, and even poisonous snakes; but besides marmots, -moles, rats, and leverets, its chief diet is mice, of which it requires -20 to 30 for one good meal. It usually perches on a hayrick, a post, or -a dry tree to watch for its prey, sitting motionless save for a movement -of its head from side to side, until a mouse emerges from its hole. Then -it raises its wings, darts downwards, and secures the booty. In years -when a superabundance of mice appear, the Buzzards also are numerous, -and fare plenteously. At such times, hundreds of tufts of mouse-hair are -found beneath the trees where the Buzzards spend the night. - -It would be a good thing if the farmer were to set up perching posts in -the places which are infested by mice, so that the Buzzards might settle -on them to watch the ground. Posts about the height of a man, and the -thickness of an arm, with a cross piece at the top, would perfectly -serve the purpose. - -The Buzzard, then, is useful; but it cannot be denied that it sometimes -does harm when it gets into a pheasant run, or places where partridges -and hares are preserved. - -The bird is still common in Hungary. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE COMMON BUZZARD.] - -The Buzzard may still be seen circling high in the air in some of our -own wilder wooded districts, uttering its mewing cry, especially in -Wales, but it is fast decreasing. A correspondent from South Devon wrote -me that it was not infrequently shot there. As Mr. Howard Saunders -wrote, “It used to breed in Norfolk and other counties abounding with -Partridges and ground game, without being considered incompatible with -their well-being; but now that Pheasant worship has increased, the doom -of that great devourer of field mice, moles, and other pests of the -farmer which has never been proved to be destructive to Partridges and -Pheasants is sealed. Still it might yet increase if fairly encouraged, -and it is an interesting sight, either soaring over head or resting in -its characteristic sluggish way on the branch of a tree. In the New -Forest this used to be a common enough sight, but the bark strippers -being at work just at the time of incubation, and knowing that they can -easily obtain five shillings for a good well-marked specimen--the -Buzzard has little chance now. - -I find in my note book, “My glass shows a great brown and grey bird -resting on a stumpy willow--what they call here a Mouse-Buzzard--that -species so useful to the grazier, which we drive away by persecution. -Presently it rises high to soar in fine circles over its hunting ground. -The farmers encourage it because of its wonderful stowage capacity for -voles, rats, and other small deer,--the game-preservers persecute it, -because when pressed by hunger it takes old hen pheasants and even -larger creatures. On our friend’s estate here it is encouraged; the -stomach of a dead Buzzard has been found to contain thirty mice. Also it -is a deadly foe to the viper, although a bite from the latter has been -death to the Buzzard occasionally. A Buzzard was once found dead on its -nest with a viper lying under his body. The bird had carried it there to -devour. This is a gentle looking creature, yet when hard pressed by -hunger--madly ravenous, it has been known to attack an ox. Humans are -apt to become desperate under similar circumstances. - -Said Butler in “Hudibras”: - - “He’d prove a buzzard is no fowl, - And that a lord may be an owl.” - -There is a good deal of variation observable in the colouring of the -Buzzard, inclining sometimes to whitish, sometimes to brown or even to -blackish. With its thick-set body, this bird of prey exceeds the Raven -in size. Its constant distinguishing marks are these: The cere at the -base of the bill, and the legs, which are bare of feathers, are yellow; -the nostrils are oval; the iris grey or brown. The shafts of the -primaries and secondaries are white. The tail is crossed by seventeen -dark bands, and appears fore-shortened. The bill is curved and hooked. -The nest is built in the loftiest beeches and oaks. Three to four eggs -form the clutch. They are rarely white, more often clouded with -dirty-yellow on a lighter ground. - - -THE SPARROW-HAWK. - -(_Accipiter nisus._) - -Though the Sparrow-hawk, taken altogether, is a small bird, yet he is a -great thief, as may be gathered from his piercing eye. He is the terror -of all birds of the Starling size, which he seizes while on the wing. -Like a true robber, he watches for his booty in a secret kind of way; -having selected one from among a company of flying birds, he flies -below, among the furrows in the cornfield, along the hedges, and the -border of the woods, and on to a haystack. When he has seen his destined -prey he flutters sideways, rises into the air in circles, and when the -little birds fly up he sinks somewhat lower; when at the proper height -he claps his wings close to his body, and drops like a piece of lead on -to the chosen, fluttering victim, seizes it by the neck in its flight, -and strangles it with his sharp claws. He then flies slowly with it to a -bush or a grassy-mound and devours it. - -It winters in Hungary; it is not rare, but at the same time not very -common. Its cry sounds like “_Kirk, kirk, kirk_,” or a rapid “_ki, ki, -ki_,” or a long drawn-out “_kāk, kāk_.” - -This bird was the sporting Hawk of our forefathers, and the people of -the interior of Asia, and the Kurds, employ it for hunting at the -present day. Wherever it goes it carries devastation in its train, -especially among the domestic fowls. Its cry is loud and protracted. -“_Iwiā!_” it repeats quickly on seizing its prey. When - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE SPARROW-HAWK.] - -pairing the note is _Gāck, gāck, gāck_,” and then more rapidly -“_Giā, giack, giack_.” - -The Sparrow-hawk is well known all over Great Britain and also in -Ireland, in all those districts which are well timbered. Its food -consists for the most part of small birds, from the Thrush to the Wren. -These are snapped up as the bird glides stealthily along the hedgerows -or on the outskirts of some wood. In our own country it has been trained -to take Partridges, Quails, etc. In India and Japan also it is used by -the native falconers. It is a bold daring raider of our woods and -fields. This bird has a history which reaches back into the far past. It -received its latin name, _Accipiter nisus_, because of a myth relating -to King Nisus of Megara, who, it is said, had one hair of red-gold -colour, on the preservation of which depended the conservation of his -kingdom. Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, being in love with Minos, King -of Crete, son of Jupiter and Europa, treacherously cut the golden hair -of her father Nisus, and therefore he and his country were easily -vanquished. The gods, angry with the unnatural daughter, changed her -into a Lark, and Nisus into a Sparrow-hawk, under which form the unhappy -father pursues his daughter unceasingly, in order to satisfy a thirst -for vengeance. The ancients had all sorts of mysterious ideas, in -connection with the Sparrow-hawk; they believed, for one thing, that he -was the primogenitor of the Cuckoo. There is always something -interesting in such old myths, in spite of their apparent absurdity. - -Somerville, in “Field Sports,” takes only the falconer’s view of the -Sparrow-hawk, when he says: - - “Enough for me - To boast the gentle spar-hawk on my fist, - Or fly the partridge o’er the bristly field, - Retrieve the covey with my busy train, - Or with my soaring hobby, dare the lark.” - -The male Sparrow-hawk is about 12 inches long, the female often 15 -inches. It has a long tail; its legs are slender, long and bare of -feathers. The claws are sharp as needles. The toes are strong and the -middle one is very long and slender. The bill is abruptly curved from -the base, with a greenish-yellow cere. The plumage is bluish-grey above; -while beneath, on the belly, it is crossed with wavy lines on a light -ground. The tail has five dark ribbon-like bands across it. The -Sparrow-hawk nests by preference in spruce plantations at a height of -from 12 to 15 feet; it also makes use of deserted crows’ nests. The -clutch consists of four or five, occasionally six, and still more rarely -seven eggs, chalky-white or greenish in colour, with drab-coloured -spots. - -[Illustration: Too often a victim.] - - -THE GOSHAWK. - -(_Astur palumbárius._) - -The Goshawk is bold in attack, and powerful in thrust. It is -comparatively easy to tame, or at all events shows a certain -tractability. Its aspect is cunning and cruel, and its claws must be -carefully avoided. It is the terror of the poultry-yard and the -dove-cote. When pursuing its prey nothing can divert its attention. It -will even penetrate into the interior of a house. It will steal any -warm-blooded animal that it can overcome, even an old hare. It seizes -little Siskins, Goldfinches, Weasels, squirrels, and even mice. It lives -in a constant state of warfare with the Crows. The latter birds fall -upon it in flocks, pull and touzle it, when they catch it, but the Hawk -usually carries the day. With a mighty thrust he seizes his prey from -among the black mass, and gets away from his pursuers. It likes best -districts where wood and field alternate, but it also settles in the -neighbourhood of villages where it causes great damage among the -poultry. - -Next to the Lanner--_falco lanarius_--the Goshawk was the favourite -among sportsmen in the olden days as indeed it still is among the -nomadic tribes of Asia. - -The Goshawk--Goosehawk--comes to Great Britain as an occasional visitor -only, in autumn, winter, and now and again in the spring. There used to -be some eyries in old fir-woods in the valley of the Spey a century ago, -but in Scotland the Peregrine Falcon is called the Goshawk. In some old -Scottish works on Falconry it is stated that the best Goshawks came from -Ireland. - -[Illustration: CHIEFLY HURTFUL. - -THE GOSHAWK.] - -I know a place in Southern Germany, a sandy, raised piece of ground, in -the middle of a wood, near the point of a peninsula, where only high -fir-trees are; and there the bold Goshawk has his bulky nest which he -uses year after year. On a clearing close to the Goshawk’s nest there -lie innumerable remains of Starlings and young hares. The Starlings fear -him greatly; when he comes gliding low in pursuit of his quarry over the -marshy ground beyond his wood, they keep close to the Crows, which are -numerous on this peninsula. They feed with these birds whenever the -Goshawk is in their neighbourhood, knowing that the Crows will attack -him sturdily. During the skirmish with the Crows, the knowing Starlings -make away from the scene. - -The Goshawk punishes that bad but beautiful bird, the Jay, who does more -harm here than the Sparrow-Hawk and all the three species of -Butcher-birds put together. The Sparrow-Hawk attacks the Jay also; but -he only gets the better of him after a long struggle, whereas the -Goshawk punishes quickly. - -As I stood under the high fir-tree from which a pair of Goshawks took -flight on my approach, one of the sudden thunderstorms common to the -neighbourhood at this time of year broke overhead, and I had to shelter -long, so that I had time to marvel at the great quantity of creatures -these birds had taken to their family larder--hares, starlings, pigeons, -ducks, and poultry of all sizes. The farmer here dreads it more than he -does any other bird of prey, and we have no cause to regret its ceasing -to build in our midst. A male and a female bird were caught in a trap in -the forest of Bowland, Lancashire, about the year 1835; now only an -occasional bird is to be seen. - -A French writer says that the Goshawk is still used in Persia in hunting -the gazelle, and that it is trained to feed on that creature’s beautiful -eyes by placing its food in the empty eye-sockets of a stuffed gazelle, -so that when used in the hunt the Goshawk stops its victim by attacking -and tearing out its eyes--a horribly cruel form of sport. - -Keats writes: - - “O Sorrow! why dost burrow - The lustrous passion from a falcon-eye?” - -and Young: - - “Pride, like hooded hawks in darkness soars - From blindness bold, and towering to the skies.” - - “Mark the gay squadron through the copse descending - The greyhound with his silken leash contending - Wreathed the lithe neck; and on the falconer’s hand - With restless perch and pinions broad depending, - Each hooded goshawk kept her eager stand.” - -Burns says: - - “Swift as a gos drives on a wheeling hare.” - -In the young bird the underpart is clay colour with narrow cross stripes -and large longitudinal flecks. The iris golden-yellow; feet sulphur -yellow. Claws strong and sharp. The adult has a narrow white line about -the ear coverts and the eye; upper parts ash-brown; four broad dark bars -on the tail; underparts white, thickly barred with ash-brown; cere, -iris, and legs yellow. Length of the male 20 inches; of the female 23 -inches. - -The large nest of the Goshawk is composed of hard twigs. The eggs, -usually four, are pale bluish-grey, but later they become dirty -greenish-yellow, and sometimes have a few rusty or olive markings. - - -THE HOBBY. - -(_Falco subbuteo._) - -Called in Germany the Tree Falcon. - -Of all the Hungarian falcons the Hobby has the swiftest flight; he even -pursues the Swallow with success. All the small birds scream with terror -when this bird appears. The Swallow dart in an agony of fear under their -eaves; the Larks and other small birds press themselves down on the -earth; the Quails and Partridges do the same. If a little bird happens -to be in flight it tries with all its strength to soar higher and -higher, so that the Falcon may remain beneath it, otherwise it is a lost -bird. If the Falcon gets above, it shoots like an arrow, with closed -wings, down on to the bird. The Hobby does not despise a grasshopper as -food, in the twilight a moth does not come amiss; indeed it has lately -been observed that it sometimes snaps at bees. But it does not eat -carrion. - -In the olden days the Hobby has also been used to hunt small birds. - -At the present day it is a great friend to the railway, where it circles -about the trains and drives away the small birds. It is by no means rare -in Hungary. - -In England the Hobby arrives about the latter part of May, and it may at -intervals be found breeding in most of the Southern counties, notably in -Hampshire. Once it nested in Essex pretty regularly, also to a certain -extent in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, rarely -in Yorkshire, sometimes in the Midlands, but in the West and in Wales it -is scarce. It has never been known to nest in Scotland, and very few -Hobbies have been seen in Ireland. - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE HOBBY.] - -It will follow the sportsman and seize a Quail in front of him, -according to the late Howard Saunders, but Lord Lilford demurred to -this, and said a Hobby will wait on over ranging dogs, on the chance of -a young or moulting Skylark, but never attack game birds, as it could -not hold them. It is a terror to Larks as well as Swallows, but it does -some good in reducing the numbers of cockchafers and dragonflies, which -are favourite articles of its diet, with other small insects. - -In our country it never makes a nest for itself, but it takes possession -of one that has been built by a Crow, Magpie or other bird, in a tree. -The female has a curious habit of brooding on an empty nest or upon eggs -of the Kestrel before she lays her own. In autumn it leaves the -woodlands to take to the open country. - -Cowley wrote: - - “Like larks when they the tyrant hobby spy, - Some wonderstrook, stand fix’d, some fly.” - -And Dryden: - - “Larks lie dar’d to shun the hobbies’ flight.” - -The Hobby is as big as a small pigeon, but has a slenderer body. The tip -of the wing reaches to the end of the tail or even beyond it. Legs and -cere are yellow. The eyes are dark brown, with a keen expression. The -serrated bill is yellowish at its base, but black at the tip, which is -strongly curved. The back is slate-coloured, while breast and belly are -marked with black longitudinal stripes on a light ground. The Hobby -builds its nest in the tops of high trees in small woods. The eggs -number three or four, and are marked with thick rusty-brown spots and -streaks on a ground-colour of pale buff. - -[Illustration: USEFUL. - -THE KESTREL.] - - -THE KESTREL. - -(_Falco tinnúnculus._) - -The Kestrel also has a beautiful flight; but it is not able to catch -small birds when on the wing. It is a master in the art of remaining in -one spot in the air, with a very slight apparent motion of the wings. It -stops suddenly in its flight at about the height of an ordinary church -tower, bends its spread tail stiffly downwards and beats rapidly with -its wings. It often poises itself in this way over meadows, cornfields -and moorlands, and marks with its brown, sharp eyes any mouse or marmot -that slips out of its hole. Sometimes it finds a brood of young birds, -and these it does not spare. Crickets, grasshoppers and lizards also -fall a prey to this hunter, but mice form its chief diet, and for this -reason the bird is useful. When it has caught sight of its prey from a -height in the air it suddenly closes its wings and drops, but when quite -near the ground it spreads them again, and thus picks up its victim. It -eats the smaller insects out of its claws while flying; but larger prey -it carries to a quiet spot. Its twittering cry is often heard; it sounds -like “_Klee, klee, klee_.” It leaves Hungary in severe winters. The -Kestrel is the most numerous of the birds of prey in that country, where -it is quite at home, even in the rush and noise of towns. - - * * * * * - -The Kestrel is commonly known as the Wind-hover, on account of its habit -of hanging motionless in the air against the wind. It has a very -graceful flight. This Falcon is quite the commonest of the British birds -of prey, and we should have still more of these useful Falcons in our -country were it not for the prejudice and ignorant ideas of so many of -our gamekeepers and farmers. In Scotland the former are becoming much -more aware of the harmlessness and the usefulness of the Kestrel. -Considering the fact that the creatures forming its principal food are -mice, it is strange that our agriculturalists have not valued its -services sooner. The gracefulness of its flight makes it an interesting -point in a landscape. It is as well known to country children in our -Southern counties as is the Cuckoo. If their nest is robbed before the -full number of eggs is laid the pair will remove such eggs as are left -to the next suitable empty nest they can find and proceed with their -family duties there. The Kestrel is a pleasanter bird to keep as a pet -than others of his family; it is easily tamed, and afterwards can be -kept at liberty, as it will come to call or whistle if it is fed -regularly at the same time and place. The late Lord Lilford, who knew -more practically about Falcons than most ornithologists said: “I cannot -altogether acquit the Kestrel of an occasional bit of poaching; a small -Partridge or Pheasant astray in the grass is no doubt too tempting a -morsel to be resisted, but any petty larceny of this sort may well be -condoned on account of the great number of field-mice and voles -destroyed by these birds.” In Spain its food consists chiefly of -beetles. - -A great many of our Kestrels leave us at the approach of winter when the -food they like best is too hard to find. - - * * * * * - -The Kestrel is about the same size as the Hobby, but is a slenderer -bird, and its tail is longer. The tail is of a beautiful grey colour and -extends far beyond the tips of the wings. Near its extremity it is -adorned with a broad, dark, transverse bar; the tip itself, however, is -white. The back is reddish with dark, triangular markings; the flanks -light-coloured with black longitudinal marks. The bill is curved from -the base, and is short and strongly hooked. Cere and feet are yellow. -The tail of the female has several narrow transverse bars, with tip as -in the male. For nesting places the Kestrel chooses by preference ruins, -towers, and lofty crags, very seldom selecting a site in a tree. It lays -four or five eggs, rarely more than six. They are thickly spotted and -splashed with brownish-red on a light ground. - - * * * * * - -The Merlin or Stone-hawk (_Falco æsalon_) is the smallest bird of our -British Falcons. It breeds regularly on our moorlands, not in such -numbers in the South as beyond Derbyshire. In many parts of Wales too it -nests. It is fairly common too in the mountainous parts of Ireland. In -the autumn the dashing little fellow comes down to the coast and bays -where he can prey on Dunlins, Snipe and other waders. He has high -courage and will kill birds you would not think him capable of -mastering. The Merlin will kill the Skylark if pinched by hunger, but -both he and the Hobby prefer birds of the Finch family. - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE MARSH-HARRIER.] - - -THE MARSH-HARRIER. - -(_Circus œruginosus._) - -(Formerly known as the Moor-Buzzard.) - -The Marsh-Harrier is one of the shyest and most cunning of our birds of -prey. It immediately attracts attention by its size and its constant -activity; but it requires a good sportsman to get a shot at it. It is -most easily got at when feasting among the high grass at the edge of the -reedy marsh; it then forgets to be prudent and sometimes takes flight -only too late. Early and late it hovers over the borders of the marshes -and reed-beds, sweeping, circling without rest, now and then making a -swift descent into the rushes and the sedges and securing its prey. -There is no small creature of the marsh, the bog, the heath, or the moor -that this bird will not take; it works special destruction among the -singing birds which nest among the reeds and sedges. It does not wait -for the young birds to be hatched, but is very clever in breaking open -the eggs and devouring the contents, always bringing them on to dry land -for the purpose. - -The birds of the reed-land know this raider well, and as soon as the -first flap of his wing is heard the terrified Lapwings, Gulls, Terns, -and others, arise with loud cries and attack him tooth and nail. When -brooding it lives almost exclusively by egg stealing; later on the moor -hens afford provender for this insatiable thief. It leaves Hungary for -the winter, but returns in early spring. Its cry varies. In spring it is -“_kei, kei_,” in autumn it is like that of the Jay. The female utters a -loud “_pitz! pitz_.” - -This bird is common in the Hungarian marshes. - -The drainage of our Eastern fens and the reclaiming of marshland in -Yorkshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Dorset, Somerset, and some other -counties once frequented by this bird has caused it to become scarce -where formerly it used to breed freely. Sometimes a pair having wandered -over from Holland will try to rear a brood in our Norfolk Broads -district, but the sportsman--sic--and the collector will not allow them -to succeed. In Ireland the bird was formerly common enough about Lough -Erne, along the Shannon valley, in Co. Cork, and other districts, but -during the last fifty years the gamekeepers have nearly exterminated it -by poison. It is known to be a great destroyer of the eggs and young of -Waterfowl, but during most of the year it feeds on small mammals, frogs, -and reptiles as well as birds. - -This is the Duck-Hawk of the marshmen. When the sun is glinting through -the mist he may be seen gliding hither and thither, low down over the -grey-green flats. At noon he is high up in the clear blue sky. The -tender young ducks--called “flappers” are his favourite diet. - -Jean Ingelow, in “The Four Bridges,” says: - - “The bold Marsh-Harrier wets her tawny breast-- - We scared her oft in childhood from her prey.” - -The Marsh-Harrier is smaller and noticeably slimmer in build than the -Buzzard. The tail is long, the legs are long, thin, and bare of -feathers, and the claws sharp. The Head has something about it that -suggests an Owl, for the facial disk is conspicuous and the eyes glance -forwards as well as to the side. The bird’s plumage is brown, very dark -in places: but the head is light-coloured, being whitish in males and -yellowish in females. Inhabiting reed-beds, the bird builds its nest -among reed-stems or bulrushes. The eggs, five or less frequently six in -number, are greenish-white in colour. - - -THE HEN-HARRIER. - -(_Circus cyaneus._) - -The nest of the Hen-Harrier is built of roots and plant stems, is soft -within and is often placed on the ground; if in heather, or dried up -marsh, it is often a foot high. From four to six bluish-white eggs, -sometimes yellowish-brown or rufous markings, are laid. - -This bird of prey has a light, sweeping flight. It leaves Hungary in -winter. It hunts alone and takes its food exclusively from the ground. -This consists of small mammals, especially mice, the bird is also -particularly fond of robbing the nests of such birds as build on the -ground; it sucks the eggs and devours the small downy creatures within -them. It also takes the little hares--in short, it is one of the most -destructive birds in the fields which it frequents and hunts over -untiringly. On the other hand, there comes a time when the number of -field mice has increased beyond measure. Then the Hen-Harrier joins the -other birds of prey and destroys enormous numbers of those enemies of -the farmer. For this reason the species should not be altogether -exterminated. - - * * * * * - -Of late years the numbers of the Hen-Harrier have been greatly thinned -by game-preservers, and it only nests now on a few of our largest and -wildest moorlands and wastes. Even in Scotland it is fast decreasing so -far as nesting goes, whereas it was once plentiful there. Still there -are a fairly large number of young birds in the autumn, and then, too, -the adult birds come down from the higher-lying districts to the -lowlands. It used - -[Illustration: HARMFUL. - -THE HEN-HARRIER.] - -to breed in the Fen-lands of East Anglia until the reclaiming of marsh -lands drove it away. As to this I may be allowed to quote again here -from an old ballad written before the fens were drained, it gives the -feeling of the fen-dwellers of that day. - - “Come brethren of the water, and let us all assemble, - To treat upon this matter which makes us quake and tremble; - For we shall rue it, if it be true that fens be undertaken, - And where we feed on fen and reed, they’ll feed both beef and bacon. - - * * * * * - - The feathered fowl have wings, to fly to other nations, - But we have no such things to help our transportation; - We must give place--oh, grievous case--to hornéd beast and cattle, - Except that we can all agree to drive them out to battle.” - -“As a gamekeeper once said to me,” says ‘A Son of the Marshes,’ “The -sooner them big ’uns is gone or done for the better; there’s nothin’ but -a chow-row from morning to night. Our head ’un says they must be knocked -over, and the guv’nor he’s got the same tale. They can’t git at ’em no -more than we. It ain’t so much what they ketches, tho’ they tries hard -at it, as what they frightens off the fields; it spiles the shootin’. -Them ’ere damned great things hovers an’ swishes after the birds till at -last the coveys makes for the hedgerows an’ you has to git ’em out as if -you was beatin’ for cocks. We ain’t had none o’ them ’ere blue an’ -ring-tailed hawks--harriers--’bout here lately. They’re reg’lar -wussers; they kills ’em dead at one clip, an’ takes ’em out in the -middle o’ them big fields to eat ’em. They ain’t goin’ to let you get -near ’em, not they, an’ they wun’t fly over a place where you kin hide. -I’ve tried to git at ’em, but it all cum to nothin’. Them ’ere blue -hawks an’ ring-tails would circumvent the devil.” - -The adult male has the upper parts a slatey-grey tone of colour, the -rump white, throat and breast bluish-grey--under parts white. The female -is brown above, the neck rufous-brown streaked with white--there is a -distinct facial ruff, giving the head an owl-like appearance, suggesting -that this species might be the link between Owls and Hawks--tail brown, -having five darker bars, hence the old name of Ring-tail given to the -female of this bird; under parts buff-brown with darker stripes. Length -21 inches. The young resemble the female. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -RATIONAL BIRD PROTECTION. - - -Only a savage, or an ignorant man, can harm or wish to get rid of a bird -before he has convinced himself that it is harmful. I have said already -that in the abstract there are no useful and harmful birds, as such. The -bird exists as a product of Nature, to fulfil, like everything else, the -tasks allotted to it by Nature and in Nature, which no other creature -can perform. - -It is man who makes the bird useful or hurtful to himself, when he tears -up the turf, and sows such seed as brings rich crops which serve the -bird for food; or when he plants an orchard or vineyard, where there was -none before. Therefore, for the good of the birds--and also of man--we -must carefully reflect what it is our duty to do and how we can best do -it. - -The Tits, Hedge Sparrows, Flycatchers and others whose industry know no -rest, do invaluable service to a sensible man; for while the most -observant and diligent gardener can only destroy those caterpillars’ -nests which meet his eye wholesale, these useful birds, hopping about, -darting and leaping, hanging and pecking, devour all the mischievous -pests, even when they are quite out of reach of man, and certainly out -of his sight. - -These services can even be estimated to a certain extent. - -The tiny Wren consumes in one year more than three million insects in -different forms, either as eggs, chrysalis or perfect insects, which, -if they were allowed to propagate would result in countless numbers. - -The Blue Tit, not much larger, destroys six and a half million insects -in one year. If it bring up a family of 12 to 16 young ones, it means -that one family of Tits puts about twenty-four million destructive -insects out of the power of doing harm. Whoever, therefore, either from -cruelty or ignorance, catches or kills these useful little birds does a -great injury to the common weal. - -[Illustration: THE RAIDING HAWK.] - -The insect world has great power everywhere, and where birds and other -insect-eating creatures are destroyed through ignorance there follows -the destruction resulting from the ascendancy of these pests which -appear, not in tens of thousands, but in millions. Twenty-one years ago -any person who had ventured on such an assertion would have been laughed -at, but it is now a well-known fact that some of the most renowned -vineyards have been entirely ruined by the Phylloxera, an insect which -can scarcely be seen by the naked eye. - -In former times, when a great deal of uncultivated land covered the -plain, in its natural state, the air rang with the song of birds. Woods, -meadows, thickets and pools were thronged with the feathered songsters. -In the course of time, however, things have greatly changed; in many -districts the woods are thinned or grubbed up, the plough has torn up -the meadows; every little scrap of thicket has been hewn down; whole -forests are being cut down by degrees to supply the paper mills; and so -the birds are losing their nesting places, and death and destruction -lurk in waiting for them on their migrations. Devastating storms which -overtake the immigrant flocks often destroy the feathered wanderers in -great numbers. This, however, is the course of Nature, against which we -are impotent. - -After all the birds’ worst enemy is man, with his ignorance, or, still -worse, his cupidity. He has plundered the nest and destroyed the brood; -he grudges every grain of corn which the bird has richly deserved by its -work throughout the year. - -Steamers and railroads make it possible for birds, which are caught by -millions, to be sent alive into the great cities as delicacies of the -table. So, from year to year, they are becoming rarer. - -So much the more are we bound,--for the good of heart and soul, as well -as for the blessing of the land and its workers--to protect the useful -birds as much as we conscientiously can so that they may increase in -numbers. - -Once, while on a journey to the Northern Ocean, I travelled the whole -length of Denmark. Moor, bog and sandhills cover great stretches of -land. Coarse heath grows over the sandhills. Poverty-stricken huts are -scattered here and there in these districts, the tenants of which live -by turf cutting. There is neither wood nor coal, so that the dried bog -furnishes the sole fuel. A small spotted cow is usually seen tethered -with a long rope near the cottage. This animal provides milk for the -household. In front of the dwelling, at a distance of about fifteen -paces, a pole, from 13 to 20 feet in height, is set up, at the top of -which is fastened a nest-box for birds, and this is usually inhabited by -Starlings. - -[Illustration] - -It was a pleasant sight, towards evening, that of the weary turf-cutter, -sitting on the little bench before his cottage, smoking his pipe, -bending down to talk to his child, and then, with heartfelt pleasure, -setting himself to watch the pair of Starlings chattering on the -nest-box, and enjoying life generally. In many districts nest-boxes are -fixed on fruit trees in gardens and in every other suitable place, and -in these dwell all the best and most industrious workers--Tits, -Flycatchers, Redstarts and others. - -There is a proverb which may be translated as follows: “Take nest and -eggs from brooding bird--no fruit is found, no song is heard.” Also in -the Bible we read: “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the -way, in any tree or on the ground, whether they be young ones or eggs, -and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take -the dam with the young.” - -We must guard the nests from evilly disposed men and from roving -predatory animals as much as lies in our power. But the real problem is -this: The landowner uproots bushes, fells old trees, prevents the nest -building of our most useful birds and cannot give back to them what they -have lost. He prevents the possibility of their collecting again and -increasing, and consequently from performing their useful duties, which -are continually increasing. Where, however, bushes and trees have been -rooted up, new ones may be planted, and the birds encouraged to return, -although we cannot replace them at once--for hundreds of years may pass -before the trees grow tall enough, and we cannot wait so long. Then we -try to do by artificial means what we cannot do by nature; and we must -be careful to study nature in our operations or we shall not succeed. - -The Woodpecker, which lives in hollow trees, shows us how to build an -artificial nest. - -Table V., Fig. 1, gives a section of the nesting-hole of a Woodpecker -built by himself. - -Fig. 2 is a perfectly designed nest for Titmice. - -Fig. 3 shows the same nesting-box complete, provided with entrance hole -and cover. - -Fig. 4 shows an open nest-box for Flycatchers and a black Redstart. - -The most important is that shown in 2 and 3 as it is specially arranged -to suit Titmice. - -[Illustration] - -Nest-boxes, and especially their holes, should, of course, be of -different sizes, according to the birds that are to inhabit them. The -opening is always round, and is of varying size according to the -species. Many directions as to these are given in a paper by Baron von -Berlepsch, “On the Protection of Birds Generally,” published by the -German Association for the Protection of the Bird World, and also by -publications of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Hanover -Square, London. - -[Illustration: Nesting Boxes on Poles.] - -The following are some approximate measurements for nest-boxes:-- - - height, 11½ inches; - depth from back to front, 4½ inches; - diameter of round opening, 1¼ inches. - -For birds of the size of a Starling: - -For Titmice: - height, 18½ inches; - depth back to front, 9 inches; - diameter of opening, 1¾ inches. - -For Green Woodpeckers: - - height, 19¾ inches; - depth back to front, 9 inches; - diameter of opening, 2⅜ inches. - -The measurements for the Wild Pigeon are the same as these last, except -for the opening, which should be about 4½ inches wide. - -Flycatchers and Wagtails require a box as shown in Fig. 4. This is 9 -inches high, and has an opening about 4 inches square. - -The edge of the entrance to a nesting-box should be rounded off, as in -the hole of a tree, to make it more natural to the bird’s feet. - - * * * * * - -The nesting-boxes should be fixed in orchards, gardens, and houses on -the edge of a forest, on the trunks of trees and branches, also on -poles, and fastened by means of strong flexible wire, or, still better, -by screw-nails. They should be placed perpendicularly, slightly inclined -or crooked, but never inclined backwards as the rain gets in and the -Titmouse has sense enough to avoid such a nesting-box. They should be -fixed a little lower than the average height of a man, and so arranged -that the morning sun strikes the entrance hole if possible. The box is -an exact copy of the nest-hole of the small spotted Woodpecker, and -experience teaches us that the unoccupied nest-holes are frequently used -by the Titmouse. In spring the Titmice not only fight among themselves -for the possession of these nest-holes, but also with the hosts of House -Sparrows which strive to rob them of the holes. These Sparrows come in -crowds and make a great noise in the place. Being of a powerful build, -and provided with sharp beaks, the birds finally oust the Titmice. To -contravene the House Sparrow we must hang the nest-box somewhat low, -about one yard from the ground. The careful and suspicious bird dares -not trust himself in it. The Tree Sparrow, which does not come too near -the haunts of man, but hovers on the fringe of the villages or street -gardens, bushes and heaths, is a trusting bird, and not very heavy. It -likes nest-holes immensely, and attacks those which are placed low, -driving the Titmouse out. The Hedge Sparrow, again, lives on insects, -but he is not clean, and is no friend of the garden; therefore, when we -find him fighting with the Titmouse for possession of the nest-holes, we -help to oust the Hedge Sparrow in the interests of the garden and the -wood. - -[Illustration: SPARROWS HAVE OUSTED THE TITMOUSE.] - -The following birds must be protected at nesting-time: The Great -Titmouse, the Blue Titmouse, the Coal - -[Illustration: A PLEASANT MEAL ON THE SEEDS OF THE SUNFLOWER: THORNS -BELOW TO KEEP THE CAT AWAY.] - -Titmouse, the Marsh Titmouse, and Crested Titmouse, because all these -birds are likely nesting-box dwellers. The method organised by Baron von -Berlepsch, and used in Hungary by Minister Darányi, with slight -alterations, is intended to bring the vanishing singing birds back -again. By the use of different sized nest-boxes it is possible to -collect different kinds of birds. I know by experience that by arranging -the bushes in close, twisted branches we can get the useful and singing -Whitethroats to build their nests. - - * * * * * - -The importance of a rational study of this question of the protection of -birds, with particular regard to their economic significance in given -districts, has been demonstrated in Southern Victoria in a remarkable -manner, where great mistakes have been made by settlers who seem to have -been desirous of encouraging our own British birds about their -homesteads. To take steps which resulted in the nesting of a colony of -Fieldfares in a district where they had so far been unknown to breed, as -Baron von Berlepsch did, was most advantageous, since the Fieldfares -drove the murderous Shrike from the field. Again, by fixing up -artificial nesting-boxes, made according to this great naturalist’s -pattern--on stakes placed in certain districts of North Germany, ninety -per cent. of these became inhabited by Titmice, until that time -strangers to the region, where, however, their services were most -desirable. - -On the other hand, Greenfinches, which were introduced into Southern -Victoria by Australian settlers twenty-five years ago, took possession -of the pine trees, which were the only trees that afforded enough shade -and cover, and were the nearest approach there to their usual - -[Illustration: A FEEDING-PLACE FOR WET WEATHER. - -As a rule only feed the birds when weather reasons prevent them -procuring their own food.] - -nesting-places; and they drove away from the district the useful little -native Tits, which feed among these trees and have their own appointed -work on them. A correspondent of a Geelong paper writes again of the -charming sight of a number of English Blackbirds hopping about on a lawn -beneath the spraying water-hose, and busily feeding on the worms. Yet -this same bird is becoming a great nuisance to the fruit growers there. -This is also the case in New Zealand, where large prices are now being -offered for dead Blackbirds and their eggs. The Starling, again, which -is so useful in our own pasture lands, has been known to clear out a -vineyard in Southern Victoria in a single night. Thrushes are looked -upon there as suspects, but opinions are divided as to this bird. - -We have already written about the Quails, imported into the canefields -of Hawaii, to be in their turn exterminated by the mongoose, who had -been brought there to eat up the devastating rats. - -To sum up the whole matter, interference with the balance of Nature must -only be undertaken with knowledge and discretion; and those who -undertake it must study, and profit by the recorded experiences of our -accredited guides in this direction. - - - - -IN CONCLUSION. - - -The scope and limits of the present work does not allow of the inclusion -of some of the chapters contained in the latest Hungarian edition, such -as those treating of the skeleton, the viscera, etc., nor can this be -taken as adequately representing the work of the Royal Hungarian Central -Bureau of Ornithology of which Mr. Herman is the Director. That work is -arranged on a regular scientific basis, and it includes that important -investigation with regard to the food of birds, which is carried on by a -fully qualified entomologist. The Bureau has its collection, which -contains dried ingluvies, _i.e._, contents of the stomachs of nearly -9,000 different species of birds; skeletons, skins, eggs, nests and -insects. - -The Bureau has its meteorologist, its biologist, 267 corresponding -professional ornithologists, and as many as 326 foresters contributing -the results of their observations and experiences, besides a large -number of foreign correspondents. There is a huge collection of data for -the members of the regular staff to work from. These are written on -separate slips, on each of which is the name of the collector, his point -of observation, the character of the district in which this is carried -on, the scientific name of the species, and the date of observation. The -migration of birds is also made the subject of systematic observation. - -An important publication, “Aquila,” serve well in keeping together these -different workers in connection with the Central Bureau, and the whole -expenditure of this office, including the publication of the journal is -now included in the Budget of the State. - - * * * * * - -In order to prevent the abuses which might arise from a general -invitation to send in specimens of the different species of birds for -examination, the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture has issued various -decrees which are enforced by law, the non-observance of which is -punishable by fines. The taking alive or killing of protected species is -allowed only for scientific purposes, and with permission obtained from -the authorities, and any person found employed in this work must be -able, on demand, to produce an order in writing from some Hungarian -scientific institute, some expert, or known person who can prove that he -is engaged in Natural History research. This license is drawn up -according to a form legally provided. Another safeguard, provided by M. -Darányi against the abuse of such permission, is that the authorities -may only allow a license to the same individual for the capture of not -more than 10 animals, or the taking of not more than 10 birds, nests, or -eggs; and this maximum is only to be permitted in cases where there is -no danger of the extinction of the species. - -It may be added that, by a decree of the Minister of Agriculture, -protection is afforded to Bats of all kinds, and at all times; to Moles, -except in flower and kitchen gardens and nurseries, where it is -permitted to destroy them; to all kinds of Shrew-mice, except the Water -Shrew, which is injurious to fishing interests; and to Hedgehogs. - -Further, in view of the great amount of deforestation which is taking -place in Hungary, as in other countries, and the consequent destruction -of the natural nesting places of birds, the Government provides -artificial nesting-holes, and ensures the clipping of shrubs in a -suitable manner for the encouragement of desirable bird-residents. These -nesting-boxes are placed at a certain distance round the foresters’ -houses and become the starting points for further extension. In these -places the birds are regularly fed when the winter is a severe one. - -[Illustration: A Winter Food Shelter.] - - - - -Index. - - -Bearded Reedling, 203-204 - -Bills of Birds, 15-19 - -Bittern, 302-305 - -Blackbird, 245-249 - -Blackcap, 162-164 - -Blue-Tit, 209 - -Bullfinch, 270-273 - -Bunting: - “ Cirl, 278 - “ Yellow, 277 - “ Reed, 185 - -Buzzard, Common, 343-346 - - -Chaffinch, 267-269 - -Coal-Tit, 216 - -Crossbill, 135-138 - -Crow, Carrion, 64-67 - -Crow, Hooded, 17, 57 - -Cuckoo, 142-145 - -Curlew, Common, 17, 287-290 - - -Dabchick, 329 - -Dipper, 238-241 - -Doves: - “ Ring, 281-282 - “ Turtle, 279-282 - -Ducks: - “ Wild or Mallard, 316-319 - “ Pintailed, 320-322 - “ Shoveler, 323-326 - -Duck-Hawk. See Harrier, Marsh - - -Eagle, Golden, 332-335 - - -Falcon, Peregrine, 351 - -“ Red-footed, 340-342 - -Feathers, 22-23 - -Feeding of Birds, 378-380 - -Feet of Birds, 19 - -Fieldfares, 248 - -Flycatcher, Spotted, 189-192 - -“ Pied, 193-194 - - -Goatsucker. See Nightjar - -Goose, Bean, 313-315 - -Goldfinch, 273, 351 - -Goshawk, 351, 352 - -Grebe, Great-crested, 327-330 - -Greenfinch, 274 - -Gull, Blackheaded, 87-89 - - -Harriers: - “ Hen, 365-368 - “ Marsh, 362-364 - -Hawfinch, 17, 262-266 - -Herons: - “ Common, 17, 300-301 - “ Night, 298-301 - -Hobby, 355, 358 - -Hoopoe, 146-148 - - -Jackdaw, 72-77 - -Jay, 83-86 - - -Kestrel, 358-361 - -Kingfisher, 235-237 - -Kite, 336-339 - - -Lapwing, 283-286 - -Lark, 232 - - -Magpie, 78-82 - -Mallard. See Duck, Wild - -Martin: - “ House, 109-102 - “ Sand, 113-116 - -Mavis. See Thrush - -Mauvis. See Redwing - -Merganser, 17 - -Merlin, 361 - -Moorhen, 307-309 - - -Nesting-boxes, 373-379 - -Nettle-creeper. See Whitethroat - -Nightingale, 165-167 - -Nightjar, 120-123 - -Nuthatch, 133-134 - - -Oriole, 250-252 - -Owls: - “ Barn, 24-28 - “ Brown or Tawny, 29-33 - “ Little, 42-44 - “ Long-eared, 34-37 - “ Short-eared, 38-41 - -Oxeye. See Titmouse, Great - - -Partridge, 17 - -Peewit. See Lapwing - -Pigeon, Wood, 281-282 - -Pipit, Tree, 173-175 - -Plover, Green. See Lapwing - -Protection of Birds. 369-379 - - -Quail, 90-93 - - -Raven, 68-71 - -Redbreast, 253 - -Redshank, 291-294 - -Redstarts: - “ Common, 168-170 - “ Black, 171-172 - -Redwing, 248 - -Reed Warbler, Great, 181-185 - -Ringdove. See Pigeon, Wood - -Robin, 253-256 - -Rook, 45-56 - - -Sandpiper, Green, 295-297 - -Screecher. See Swift - -Shoveler, 323-326 - -Shrikes: - “ Great Grey, 149-151 - “ Lesser Grey, 152-154 - “ Red-backed, 155-158 - -Shuffle-wings. See Sparrow, Hedge - -Siskin, 171, 351 - -Skylark, 232-234 - -Snake-bird. See Wryneck - -Sparrow-Hawk, 347-350 - -Sparrows: - “ Hedge, 230-231 - “ House, 224-227 - “ Tree, 228-229 - -Starling, 94-98 - -“ Rose, 99-100 - -Stonechat, 200-202 - -Stormcock. See Thrush, Mistle - -Swallow, 104-108 - -Swift, 116-119 - - -Tern, 310-312 - -Thrush, 242-244 - -“ Mistle, 248 - -Titmouse: - “ Bearded, 203-204 - “ Blue, 209-212 - “ Coal, 216-218 - “ Crested, 215-216 - “ Great, 205-208 - “ Long-tailed, 17, 219-223 - “ Marsh, 217 - -Tree-Creeper, 131-133 - - -Wagtails, 17 - -“ Blue-headed, 178 - -“ Pied, 180 - -“ White, 176-178 - -“ Yellow, 179 - -Water-hen, 307-309 - -Waxwing, 101-103 - -Wheatear, 194-199 - -Whitethroat, Lesser, 159-161 - -Willow Wren, 186-188 - -Wings of Birds, 19-21 - -Wind-hover. See Kestrel - -Woodcock, 17 - -Woodpeckers, Green, 124-127 - -“ Greater Spotted, 128-130 - -“ Lesser Spotted, 127 - -Wren, 257-261 - -“ Gold-crested, 213-214 - -Writing Lark. See Bunting, Yellow - -Wryneck, 139-141 - - -Yaffil. See Woodpecker, Green - -Yellow-Hammer, 275-278 - - -Zizi. See Bunting, Cirl - - * * * * * - - JUST PUBLISHED. - - Demy 8vo. 510 pp. 6s. net. - - - The Country - Month by Month - - BY - - J. A. OWEN - - (_Collaborator in all the work signed “A Son of the - Marshes”_) and - - PROF. G. S. BOULGER, F.L.S., F.G.S. - - A New Edition. Complete in One Volume. With - Notes by the late - - LORD LILFORD. - - - LONDON - - DUCKWORTH & CO., - 3, HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN, W.C. - - * * * * * - - A FEW NOTICES OF THE BOOK. - -“Well adapted to the purpose.”--_Times._ - -“Interesting and brightly written.”--_Nature._ - -“These are excellent.”--_Nature’s Notes._ - -“Never to our knowledge were facts from Natural History and that -terrible subject Modern Botany more skilfully deployed before the -reader’s mind.”--_Daily Chronicle._ - -“Contains more of the information we are likely to want under such -circumstances than any other periodical or book.”--_Land and Water._ - -“Full of observant sympathy and special knowledge.”--_Scotsman._ - -“It is altogether delightful reading.”--_School Board Chronicle._ - -“Charming gossips--reminding us of Gilbert White and Richard -Jefferies.”--_Christian World._ - -“Should delight the heart of the naturalist.”--_Glasgow Herald._ - -“Literary in style, accurate in statement ... we know none which so well -deserves credit for being ‘up-to-date.’”--_Selborne Society’s “Nature -Notes.”_ - - -FOOTNOTES: - - [1] See Beethoven’s song “The Call of the Quail.” One of Antoinette - Sterling’s favourites. - - [2] Mr. Wells Bladen, of Stone, wrote an interesting brochure on this - subject. - - [3] “Birds in their Seasons.” - - [4] In “Home-Life of Marsh Birds,” Miss Emma Turner gives a most - interesting account of these lovely little birds, illustrated from her - own photographs. - - [5] “A Son of the Marshes.” - - [6] Noisy, coarse creatures. - - [7] “A Son of the Marshes.” - - [8] “A Son of the Marshes.” - - - -Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber: - -particular sepcies=> particular species {pg 8} - -their oppresive enemy=> their oppressive enemy {pg 28} - -plunders and steal nests=> plunders and steals nests {pg 69} - -and feeds its young=> and feeds it young {pg 91} - -I was struck wtih=> I was struck with {pg 96} - -it finds it diet=> it finds its diet {pg 131} - -The clutch consits=> The clutch consists {pg 131} - -enlivens the neighbourheed=> enlivens the neighbourhood {pg 153} - -The German naturalist Linz=> The German naturalist Lenz {pg 157} - -and it a joy=> and it is a joy {pg 169} - -as would by comparison made=> as would by comparison make {pg 219} - -clear and joyonus=> clear and joyous {pg 251} - -in one of of our old hedgerows=> in one of our old hedgerows {pg 264} - -The gooseberry blossoms was=> The gooseberry blossom was {pg 272} - -superstitition has linked=> superstition has linked {pg 277} - -wiremorms, click-beetles=> wireworms, click-beetles {pg 285} - -a vistor only on its way=> a visitor only on its way {pg 287} - -covers up the eggs is order=> covers up the eggs in order {pg 313} - -Its aspect in cunning and cruel=> Its aspect is cunning and cruel {pg -351} - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Birds useful and birds harmful, by -Ottó Herman and J. 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A. Owen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Birds useful and birds harmful - -Author: Ottó Herman - J. A. Owen - -Illustrator: T. Csörgey - -Release Date: March 25, 2016 [EBook #51553] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIRDS USEFUL AND BIRDS HARMFUL *** - - - - -Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images available at The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> -<p class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="320" height="500" alt="[Image of the cove -not available]" /> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> - -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a></p> -<p>Some typographical errors have been corrected; -<a href="#transcrib">a list follows the text</a>.</p> - -<p class="c"><span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking on this symbol <img class="enlargeimage" src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" alt="" title="" height="14" width="18" />, -or directly on the image, -will bring up a larger version of the illustration.)</span></p> - -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="cb">Birds Useful and Birds<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_i" id="page_i"></a>{i}</span> -Harmful -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_ii" id="page_ii"></a>{ii}</span> </p> - -<p class="cb"> -<span class="smcap">Sherratt & Hughes</span><br /> -Publishers to the Victoria University of Manchester<br /> -Manchester: 34 Cross Street<br /> -London: 33 Soho Square, W.<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iii" id="page_iii"></a>{iii}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_iv" id="page_iv"></a>{iv}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 447px;"> -<a href="images/i_004_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_004_sml.jpg" width="447" height="363" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"> -<p>THE BEARDED TIT.<br /> -<i><a href="#page_203">See page 203.</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_v" id="page_v"></a>{v}</span></p> - -<h1>BIRDS USEFUL<br /> -<br /> -and<br /> -<br /> -BIRDS HARMFUL</h1> - -<p class="c">BY<br /> -OTTO HERMAN<br /> -<small><i>Director of the Royal Hungarian Ornithological Bureau, Budapest</i></small><br /> -<br /> -AND<br /> -<br /> -J. A. OWEN<br /> -<small><i>Author of the “Country Month by Month,” etc.,<br /> -and Editor of all signed “A Son of the Marshes.”</i></small><br /> -<br /><br /> -Illustrated by T. Csörgey.<br /> -<br /><br /> -MANCHESTER<br /> -<span class="smcap">At the University Press</span><br /> -1909</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vi" id="page_vi"></a>{vi}</span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_vii" id="page_vii"></a>{vii}</span> </p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td><a href="#Preface">Preface</a></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_1">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Chapter I.</a> Useful or Harmful</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_7">7</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Chapter II.</a> The Structure of the Bird</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_15">15</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Chapter III.</a> Workers on the Ground</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_25">25</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">Barn or White Owl, Tawny or Wood Owl, Long-eared<br /> -Owl, Short-eared Owl, Little Owl, the<br /> -Rook, Hooded Crow, Carrion Crow, Raven,<br /> -Jackdaw, Jay, Magpie, Quail, Black-headed Gull,<br /> -Starling, Rose Starling, Waxwing.</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Chapter IV.</a> In the Air and on the Trees</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_105">105</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Swift,<br /> -Nightjar or Fern Owl, Green Woodpecker,<br /> -Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted<br /> -Woodpecker, Tree-Creeper, Nuthatch, Crossbill.</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Chapter V.</a> The Farmer’s Summer Friends</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_139">139</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">Wryneck, Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Great Grey Shrike,<br /> -Lesser Grey Shrike, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser<br /> -Whitethroat, Blackcap, Nightingale, Redstart,<br /> -Tree-Pipit, Wagtails, Great Reed Warbler,<br /> -Willow Wren, Flycatchers, Wheatear, Stonechat,<br /> -Bearded Reedling or Titmouse, the Titmouse<br /> -Family.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_viii" id="page_viii"></a>{viii}</span></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Chapter VI.</a> Workers all the year round</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_225">225</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow, Hedge Sparrow,<br /> -Skylark, Kingfisher, Dipper, Song Thrush,<br /> -Blackbird, Oriole, Robin, Wren, Chaffinch,<br /> -Hawfinch, Bullfinch, Yellow Hammer, Turtle<br /> -Dove.</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Chapter VII.</a> Some Wildfowl</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_283">283</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">Lapwing, Common Curlew, Redshank, Green<br /> -Sandpipers, Herons, Bitterns, Moorhen, Tern,<br /> -Bean Goose, Wild Duck or Mallard, Pintail<br /> -Duck, Shoveler, Great Crested Grebe.</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Chapter VIII.</a> Some of the Falconidæ</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_333">333</a></td></tr> -<tr><td class="mgr">Golden Eagle, Kite, Red-footed Falcon, Buzzard,<br /> -Sparrow Hawk, Goshawk, Hobby, Kestrel, Marsh<br /> -Harrier, Hen Harrier.</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Chapter IX.</a> The Rational Protection of Birds</td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_369">369</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td><a href="#Index">Index</a></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_385">385</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="Preface" id="Preface"></a>Preface.</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> systematic study of the economic value of birds in their relation to -agriculture has been carried out in Hungary of late years more -indefatigably than in most other parts of Europe. The natural resources -of the country are indeed so largely dependent on agriculture that this -is only what might have been expected.</p> - -<p>The Royal Hungarian Minister, M. Darányi, who has proved himself so -thorough and so capable a Director of his country’s interests in the -direction of Agriculture—amongst other handbooks issued under his -orders for popular use—commissioned the well-known naturalist, M. Otto -Herman, to prepare the present work, which is intended to give to -landowners, farmers, fruit-growers and gardeners such a knowledge of the -action, beneficial and otherwise, of birds as would prevent the mistakes -which have ended in some districts in our own country, in the wholesale -destruction of some very useful species.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2"></a>{2}</span></p> - -<p>The book is enriched by the drawings of a talented artist, M. Titus -Csörgey, who, I need not say, is himself a skilled naturalist. These are -so executed as to render it easy to the most casual observer to identify -the various markings of the plumage as well as the mere form of the -bird.</p> - -<p>The work makes no pretence at being scientific in the ordinary sense of -the word. It has been written with the view of providing a ready -handbook for the farmer, the gardener, the student, and bird-lovers -generally; and it embodies the result of exact data kept by -correspondents of M. Herman’s department in all parts of the country; so -that the observations on which its statements are grounded are the -results of personal investigation and dissection.</p> - -<p>In our country this study of the food of birds and the part they play in -the economy of nature has not received the attention it demands. Yet it -is one that affects the entire community. It is true that in journals -here and there valuable papers on this subject have appeared, but it is -felt that among the innumerable books on bird life which have been -published of late years there has been a lack which this little volume -may supply.</p> - -<p>A few words as to myself and my present association with M. Herman. From -my earliest childhood I have had a passionate love for birds and -flowers. I remember looking with wondering delight on the velvety -upturned faces of the variously tinted pansies that bordered the paths -leading up to the door of a certain farmhouse where we stayed much in -the summer-time, when I was just four years old,—wonder because our -mother told us that God’s finger painted them and I used to think that -He did it whilst we slept. Our father gave us<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3"></a>{3}</span> prizes for the one who -could collect the greatest number of wild flowers and knew most about -the trees. In the town I collected bird pictures, nursed an occasional -wounded sparrow, kept my eyes open generally, and read much of William -and Mary Howitt. Then came some years of school life—the last two of -these in Germany, where the study of natural history has always received -more attention than has hitherto been the case with us in England, and -these were followed by a few years at home on the moorlands of -Staffordshire. Later I had thirteen years of wandering in different -parts of the Pacific—New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, California, all of -which strengthened my love of out-door life; and although my scientific -knowledge was small, my acquaintance with nature and my love of nature -have been ever growing.</p> - -<p>As years advanced, and I was no longer able to go so far afield, it has -been a great pleasure to me to collaborate with other naturalists—more -than one of these—who, with greater opportunities for the practical -observation of birds have combined scientific research. I have been glad -to act as henchwoman to such—and to be, as it were, the little bird -that in its playful and circling way follows the flight of the greater -bird in the heavens.</p> - -<p>And as I edited—with much gain to my own knowledge—the records of -observations of the working naturalist styled “A Son of the Marshes,” so -I am glad also to be able to present to our English readers these -chapters on the Man and the Bird, and their relative significance in the -great field of agriculture.</p> - -<p>I visited M. and Madame Herman at their home in the beautiful Hungarian -valley of Lillafüred, where his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4"></a>{4}</span> summers are spent in the very heart of -nature; and I learned and saw much with him there. He had lived as a boy -among these mountains and valleys—his father having been the leading -physician in the district. There, he had scoured the woods over which -the Snake or Short-toed Eagle circled, climbed up to the Peregrine -Falcon’s nest, and boated on the lovely little lake, watching the -movements of the Osprey. But indeed his whole life has been devoted to -the study of nature, and the fauna of his Country, and his many -published writings have had a very large circulation there, as well as -in Germany.</p> - -<p>M. Herman laments the constantly decreasing number of birds in his -native valley. In a spot where he once counted many a Flycatcher’s nest, -only two pairs now breed. The Nightingales, formerly plentiful, have -entirely forsaken this valley—the Titmice are lessening in numbers, and -so on. Yet the masses show no inclination to destroy useful, -insect-eating birds—although modern forestry, and gardening, which does -not tolerate old trees, and the absence of sheltering hedges over the -great Hungarian plains, render many birds—especially the migratory -species—homeless.</p> - -<p>Numbers of interesting species nest in and visit this valley, however. -In winter that beautifully coloured, long-billed Rock-Creeper -(Tichodroma muraria)—with wings rose-red above, dashed with white -underneath, runs up the rock sides, as does the Tree Creeper on the tree -trunks—a blithe, busy creature. This species is found in the same -latitude, in rocky mountain ranges eastward, as far as Northern China. -The great slanting rocky spurs, that gleam with rosy light, or pale -blue, as the sun runs its daily course, this rock climber delights in. -The<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5"></a>{5}</span> Rock Thrush breeds in the same ridges; the Long-tailed Tit has its -nest there; near the ground in the woods, are the breeding-places of the -familiar Coal-Tit; where fir-trees abound it is at home. The less -welcome Red-backed Shrike pursues his cruel little methods here, -lessening the numbers of more useful and more attractive birds. -Waterfalls abound, and among the brooks, from stone to stone, trips the -merry Dipper, showing his pretty breast and red underparts—building his -large house near the running water, in whose pools fine trout are in -plenty.</p> - -<p>We have rested together in a little cove on the lake at Hamar, which is -overhung by luxuriant foliage; across the water, over the dense woods, -floats a solitary Eagle—that seeks his quarry in the shades below. Otto -Herman knew his breeding-place as a boy. Tradition says the nest is at -least a hundred years old, yet each year the young are still fed there.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>That Great Britain has still much to do in the direction of Bird -Protection is definitely shown in a leaflet just issued (December, 1908) -by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, of whose Council I -have the honour to be a member. Of the 370 or 380 species placed on the -list of “British birds,” scarcely 200 can now be justly termed British. -I may be allowed to give you here some idea of the principal agents in -this destruction of birds as set forth by our Society:—</p> - -<p>“First, there are those who destroy for destruction’s sake; the boy who -ravages the hedgerows in spring and delights in catapults, air-guns, and -stones at all times; the lout with a gun; and the cockney sportsman. -They are responsible for a vast amount of cruelty, especially<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6"></a>{6}</span> to -nesting birds and nestlings; for the killing of various home-birds and -migrants, and for the senseless shooting of sea-birds and occasionally -of rare visitants.</p> - -<p>“Secondly, the bird-catcher, responsible for the decrease of all those -birds sought for caging, such as Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Lark, etc. -This class, like the first-named, requires dealing with, chiefly because -of the intolerable amount of ill-treatment involved by the methods -employed in the catching, transit, and sale of wild birds. The -destruction of the useful Lapwing, and of the Skylark for the table, is -also a point in need of attention; and in the same category may be -placed the so-called sparrow-clubs, which encourage the indiscriminate -killing of many species of small birds.</p> - -<p>“Thirdly, the gamekeeper, responsible for the extinction, or extreme -rarity of most of our large birds, especially predatory species and -uncommon visitors.</p> - -<p>“Fourthly, the private collector with a craze for rare British-taken -birds and eggs, or, in the case of the humbler persecutor of beautiful -species, for something to put in a glass case.</p> - -<p>“Fifthly, the trader and the feathered woman, jointly responsible for -the devastation wrought among the loveliest birds of all lands.”</p> - -<p>We have included a few useful species here, which are only visitants to -our country, but which, with more protection, might remain for part of -the year with us regularly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7"></a>{7}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">Useful or Harmful?</span></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology was instituted in 1804, in -accordance with a scheme submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture by Mr. -Otto Herman, then a member of the Hungarian Parliament.</p> - -<p>The rapid progress of economical affairs in the nineteenth century, -particularly in its second half, had a perceptible influence upon the -position occupied by the bird and insect fauna, a change which was felt -in agriculture, and led to the formation of a new branch of -science—ornithologia oeconomica.</p> - -<p>The Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology took the new branch in -hand, after its transfer from the sphere of the Ministry of Public -Instruction to that of the Ministry of Agriculture, where M. de Darányi -assigned an important place to practical experimental methods as a -complement to strict science.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Baron Hans von Berlepsch of Seebach developed his system -for the protection and propagation of the most useful birds, the main -points of which were the feeding and providing with nesting -opportunities of such birds. Thereby bird protection was diverted into a -rational direction, which met with hearty sympathy on the part of M. de -Darányi; consequently the Hungarian Central Office for Ornithology -included this branch of ornithology in the work it set itself to do.</p> - -<p>The course followed by rational bird-protection in Hungary is as -follows. It starts with the idea that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8"></a>{8}</span> nature itself knows neither -useful nor noxious birds, but only necessary ones, which have developed -according to the laws of nature, and on the basis of their development -are performing in the world of nature the work which is appropriate to -their organism.</p> - -<p>The manifold character of the work performed by birds is in harmony with -the variety of these organisms.</p> - -<p>The question of the usefulness and noxiousness of birds during the whole -of the nineteenth century was treated only approximately, upon the -assertions of authorities. When, later on, Congresses began to embrace -the cause of bird-protection, and the question of the usefulness or -noxiousness of each species assumed a rôle of the first importance, it -turned out that there was no firm basis upon which to rely, in passing -judgment. Eminent ornithologists were often at variance with regard to -the usefulness or noxiousness of a particular species.</p> - -<p>Where Nature is intact, the number of birds is automatically regulated -in accordance with the natural development of their surroundings.</p> - -<p>The conceptions of “useful” and “noxious” are merely human ones; and man -can, by cultivation or the contrary, alter the normal conditions; and -may, consequently, modify the character and habits of birds also. -Agriculture on a large scale, modern forestry, the draining of -territory—all these things alter the fundamental conditions of animal -life, and in consequence of bird-life also; and if these modifications -in respect of birds are injurious to man, it is in the interests of man -to adapt them artificially for the benefit of birds; and if by -cultivation man deprives useful birds of their natural nesting -facilities, he ought to provide them with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9"></a>{9}</span> artificial ones. This is the -principle on which Baron von Berlepsch founded his system, which was -accepted and applied in Hungary, together with the modifications -required by special circumstances, or such as were introduced as the -result of experience.</p> - -<p>These principles apply chiefly to those species which remain with us -during summer and winter alike, and which are useful to agriculture. But -the international protection of birds is important as regards those -useful species that are migratory, and, as they migrate, pass through -countries where—as is the case in Italy—the birds are caught <i>en -masse</i>, and where bird-catching is carried on as a trade.</p> - -<p>The third international Ornithological Congress, held in Paris in 1900, -decided that the Governments of the various European States should be -called upon to have the food of birds made the object of special -investigations, and to report the result, within a space of five years. -When the fourth International Congress met, however, only Hungary and -Belgium were able to report on the subject.</p> - -<p>The publications of the Hungarian Ornithological Centre are founded upon -the collection of data, divided into two main groups:—1. The Migration -data, so-called historical, up to 1891, and again from that to the -present day. 2. Foreign data, partly taken from literature, and Special -data relating to one species, from the whole area of its habitation—the -Cuckoo for instance.</p> - -<p>The investigation of the economic rôle played by the Rook (Corvus -frugilegus L.), which English landowners and farmers are beginning to -feel is a matter of great importance, was begun by the Central Bureau in -1893; it is still going on. According to the results hitherto<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10"></a>{10}</span> attained, -this bird does more good by destroying insects, and in particular the -larvæ of insects living underground, than it does harm to the crops.</p> - -<p>It is our endeavour in this little volume which we now offer to English -readers, to give a faithful presentment of the good and the harm that -the birds are known to do, from the agriculturist’s standpoint. But in -this all depends on the attitude which the gardener and the farmer adopt -towards the birds.</p> - -<p>By throwing a single stone a lad can scare away a whole flock of rooks; -and when these birds alight on a field where they do harm to grain, a -man must not grudge a little labour in keeping them off; considering -that the same bird that works harm at one season, will be a valuable -ally at another, as well as a source of pleasure and interest.</p> - -<p>The rook, the crow, and even the mischievous magpie, follow the plough -as it turns up the brown furrows, with sharp eyes spying worms, larvæ -and cockchafer grubs. Nothing escapes the attention of the bird. He -picks here and there, and fills his crop with the worst enemies of the -tiller of the fields—the various forms of insect life that lie dormant -in the earth until the time arrives for each one to come forth and -fulfil its life’s mission—much of which means injury to the fruit of -man’s labour.</p> - -<p>Starlings rise in flocks—a perfect cloud of them—to disperse, and -again to assemble before settling on the pastures, where they will be -busy all the day, for that part of the year when man needs their -services most.</p> - -<p>Later, in the cherry trees and among our own vines the starlings would -do mischief enough. The rifled branches and stripped grape stems are a -sorry sight for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11"></a>{11}</span> the owner, who finds it hard to remember that God cares -even for the sparrows. He tries to drive the thieves away, but they care -little for the cries of the lads set to scare them. Little do they heed -the rattles, feathers, rows of sticks with lines of thread—all the -various flimsy inventions are useless; a gun will disperse them for the -moment, but the cloud of pilferers is soon back again, and as busy as -ever. At this juncture severe measures are justified. Even the most -ardent bird-lover will not be foolish enough to protect every bird at -all times and seasons. Yet it is only for a short season of the year -that starlings are harmful, and for the greater part they are useful, in -garden, field and meadow, from early morning until late evening, -protecting growing blades of grass and coming seed and roots for the -farmer, with unceasing labour. This is in the early spring; later they -betake themselves to the pasture lands, where, on bright sunny mornings, -they walk nimbly among the browsing cattle seeking their food in the -form of crane fly and daddy-long-legs, in the shadow of the patient -creatures. The gadflies, too, buzz about the bodies of the beasts, lay -their eggs under the hide, boring into the flesh, tormenting and -maddening the helpless cattle. The Hungarian herdsman is glad when he -sees the starlings settle on his wide pastures.</p> - -<p>When the eggs have developed into maggots the birds alight on the backs -of the beasts, to rid them of gadflies and batflies; and the cattle and -sheep suffer their services gladly, knowing well that these good -feathered friends will effectually extract their torturers without -further irritation to the infested parts. A horse has been known to die -from the exhaustion caused by the continuous action of parasitic -creatures.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12"></a>{12}</span></p> - -<p>Then, as regards the owl—that bird of the night, who shuns the light of -the life-giving sun; for which reason man distrusts and persecutes him. -The other birds also regard him with disfavour, and mob him when he -ventures forth from his holes by day, big birds and little ones, in -common dislike of the uncanny creature. They know full well that this is -the nocturnal disturber of woods and fields, and they resent his ways -and his manners.</p> - -<p>When the twilight is over all and the birds of day have betaken -themselves to rest, then most of the owls go forth to hunt for quarry. -Noiselessly they flit over the quiet meadows and fields; with those eyes -which shun the light they can detect through the dimness of evening the -nest where small birds are, and this they rifle. And so in that respect -they are harmful. The Short-eared owl will take birds from the size of a -lark to that of a plover.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, when mice have got the upper hand in house and barn, -devouring and spoiling man’s provision, then every species of owl is -welcome, even he the superstitious countryman calls the Death-bird. And, -again, when the weather favours that pest the field-mouse, and the -voles, and they swarm in meadows, cornlands and everywhere, so that the -land is full of mouse-runs; from all sides comes that gentle singing -from tiny throats and the farmer is at his wits’ end to know how to be -rid of the plague. Then in Hungary the mouse buzzards circle by day over -the pastures and fields, making war on the gnawing little beasts; and -the whole night long the owls take up the same useful work. They fill -their crops, each of them, with from twenty to thirty mice, fly to their -several<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13"></a>{13}</span> trees to digest the meal, and you will find the pellets formed -by the birds of the indigestible portions—bones and fur—in and about -their nesting-holes. Harmful moths and beetles they also kill.</p> - -<p>And so the Owls—barn, the tawny or wood-owl, the long and the -short-eared—which in England are the only common species, are -undoubtedly the agriculturalists’ good friends, and indeed friends of -the whole human race; and many landowners now prohibit the use of the -cruel pole-trap in their destruction. Richard Jefferies tells how 200 -owls were taken in one pole-trap in a plantation of young fir in his -time. Dr. Altum, a great mover in the cause of bird-protection, examined -210 of the wood-owl’s pellets and found in these the remains of 6 rats, -42 mice, 296 voles, 33 shrews, 48 moles, 18 birds and 48 beetles, -besides a countless number of cockchafers.</p> - -<p>And what can you find to say in favour of the Sparrow? I fancy I hear -many a reader ask,—that ubiquitous bird whose impudence is everywhere -proverbial. When sparrows in hosts settle down on the corn waiting to be -harvested, not only filling their crops but uselessly beating the grain -out of the ears, the case is bad, and it is hard then to recall all the -good the same birds had done in devouring the seeds of harmful weeds, -such as wild mustard, etc.—also to think of the cockchafers in the grub -as well as winged—daddy-longlegs, caterpillars, turnip-moth, grubs of -cabbage-moth and butterfly, and the moths of both currant and -gooseberry. In towns, too, the sparrow is invaluable as a street -scavenger. House-flies, those plagues indoors, maggots of fleas, eggs of -cockroaches, spiders, centipedes,—all, and many other “small deer” that -infest<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14"></a>{14}</span> stables, poultry-yards and other precincts of our homesteads the -sparrow diligently seeks for.</p> - -<p>It is true that the common sparrows multiply too fast and their numbers -must be thinned down. This, many a bird-loving landowner and farmer does -in various ways. The late Lord Lilford declared the most humane way was -to pull down all the nests within man’s reach. There would still be -plenty left, in inaccessible places. A humane farmer, the present writer -knows in Hampshire, a great wheat-grower, gives the lads round -threepence a score for all the sparrows’ eggs they can bring to him. -Sparrow-clubs—save the mark!—are schools for cruelty. In one -Lancashire parish which I know the vicar encourages the Jackdaw, -allowing it to build even in his church steeple, because wherever that -bird is, sparrows become more scarce, their young suiting that bird’s -palate well. Man has foolishly upset the balance of nature by destroying -the natural enemies of the sparrow. Take two neighbouring estates we -know in Yorkshire; on the one sparrows, blackbirds, bullfinches and -other birds are remorselessly shot during the fruit season; on the other -the use of the gun is forbidden. In the garden and orchard of the latter -there is always a far greater allowance of fruit than in those of the -former.</p> - -<p>Only where their natural enemies have become scarce ought man to set his -wits to work to compass the destruction of a species.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15"></a>{15}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">The Structure of the Bird.</span></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Let</span> us now consider the bird’s bodily structure. Every child knows that -the bird’s body is covered with feathers or down, and that what, in the -case of mammals are fore-feet, in birds are wings with which they fly.</p> - -<p>There are as many kinds of flight as there are kinds of birds. It -depends for the most part on the nature of the bird, in a smaller degree -on the structure of the wing.</p> - -<p>The wing of the Swallow (Plate VIII.<i>a</i>) is pointed like that of the -Peregrine Falcon, and is adapted for rapid flight. Both these birds -secure their prey on the wing, and could not, therefore, live otherwise.</p> - -<p>The wing of the Partridge is, on the contrary, rounded; this bird does -not cut through the air, but can only raise itself in flight with rapid -fluttering of the wings, and with a sudden loud “whirr” which makes -considerable noise if the covey is a large one. The wing of the -Partridge, therefore, is not at all adapted for enabling the bird to -catch its prey flying, but only for moving from place to place, where it -picks up its food walking.</p> - -<p>From this we learn that the various kinds of wings correspond to various -ways of flight and that each bird works out its destiny in its own way. -It is suggestive of the organisation of an army, composed of cavalry, -infantry, artillery, and other divisions. These also have different -kinds of functions, which are necessary both<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16"></a>{16}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 259px;"> -<a href="images/i_024_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_024_sml.jpg" width="259" height="414" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>(<i>a</i>) SWALLOW’S WING; (<i>b</i>) THAT OF THE PARTRIDGE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17"></a>{17}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">individually and in combination, and the one cannot supply the place of -the other.</p> - -<p>So much for the wings. Now we will examine Plate IX., which shows heads -and—what is the most important part of them—bills. We will take the -illustrations in their proper order.</p> - -<p>1. The bill of the Woodcock is shaped like a turner’s auger, the end -greatly resembling the tip of a finger. With this the bird gropes for -its food, and draws it out of the loose earth.</p> - -<p>2. The bill of the Merganser has a hook at the point; it is toothed at -the side, and is so well adapted to its purpose that no fish, however -slippery, can escape.</p> - -<p>3. The bill of the Hawfinch is conical, thick and strong, capable of -cracking the hardest cherry stones.</p> - -<p>4. The pretty Water-Wagtail has an awl-shaped bill, formed by Nature for -the catching of gnats and other insects.</p> - -<p>5. The Grey Heron has a bill which cuts like a knife. Woe to the most -slippery tench if once caught within it!</p> - -<p>6. The Curlew penetrates into the mud with its sickle shaped, slightly -curved bill, and brings out of its depths the worms it feeds on.</p> - -<p>7. The bill of the Long-tailed Tit is but a little point compared with -those mentioned above, but all the same it is quite suitable for the -bird, for only with such a tool could it pick the tiny insects out of -the smallest cracks in the boughs.</p> - -<p>8. The bill of the Goatsucker or Night-hawk is small, but the opening of -the mouth is comparatively gigantic: it forms a yawning abyss, which, in -the twilight and darkness of night, engulfs unwary insects.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18"></a>{18}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 285px;"> -<a href="images/i_026_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_026_sml.jpg" width="285" height="401" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19"></a>{19}</span></p> - -<p>9. The bill of the Woodpecker may be compared to the adze which the -Carpenter uses for chipping beams of wood. It is only by means of hard -blows that this bird can get at the worms which it finds in decaying -wood.</p> - -<p>10. The Duck’s bill, on the other hand, is flat toothed at the side, -exactly formed for straining the food which it gets out of the water.</p> - -<p>11. The bill of the Gull is so formed that it can easily take up food -from the surface of the water. Where Gulls arrive in large flocks, they -eagerly follow the plough in the fields, and are then of great benefit.</p> - -<p>12. The bill of the Crossbill is a valuable tool, with which he is able -to pick out the seeds from between the scales of the fir cones.</p> - -<p>13. The Ortolan splits hard seeds with the arch and the notch in its -beak, as it were with nut-crackers.</p> - -<p>14. The bill of the Avocet is in shape the opposite of the Curlew,—that -of the former curving upwards, of the latter downwards.</p> - -<p>Thus we see that as with the wing, so with the bill,—each bird is -furnished with the kind that is most suitable to its nature and habits.</p> - -<p>The general law of adaptability to its purpose is also strikingly -exemplified in the formation of the foot. Let us look at Plate X.</p> - -<p>1. The foot of the Fieldlark has a spur-like nail on the back toe which -is nearly straight, so that the bird can easily rest on the ground.</p> - -<p>2. The Pheasant’s foot is just like that of the Hen; which enables it to -walk and run.</p> - -<p>3. The powerful, sharp claw of the Eagle strikes deeply into the flesh -of its prey and holds it fast.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20"></a>{20}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 270px;"> -<a href="images/i_028_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_028_sml.jpg" width="270" height="407" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21"></a>{21}</span></p> - -<p>4. The Sparrow Hawk strangles and crushes with its warty toes the birds -on which it preys.</p> - -<p>5. The foot of the Owl, as well as its bill, proves that it is a bird of -prey.</p> - -<p>6. The foot of the Swift is so constructed that it can cling to walls; -it cannot walk or stand.</p> - -<p>7. The toes of the Moor-or Water-hen are provided with skin-flaps, not -altogether perfect for swimming, but excellent for wading and diving.</p> - -<p>8. The Crested Grebe excels in diving, pushing sideways with its feet.</p> - -<p>9. The foot of the Bustard has three toes, and hard soles, which enable -it to run extremely well.</p> - -<p>10. The four toes of the Cormorant are joined together by a web; it is a -good diver, can swim under water, and can also roost on trees.</p> - -<p>11. The Wild Duck has only three toes webbed together; its foot is, -therefore, specially suited for propelling the bird on the surface of -the water.</p> - -<p>12. The toes of the Avocet are only partially joined together by webs; -its legs are suitable only for wading, but can be used for swimming in -case of need.</p> - -<p>The variety and suitability to their purpose of wings, bills, and legs, -show us that the feathered inhabitants of a neighbourhood form a -community. A society of men would not be perfect if there were only men -of one calling. A variety of workers is needed in human society, with a -variety of tools, with which to perform a variety of necessary work, -just as various birds with a varied construction of body perform their -work in the open field of Nature.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22"></a>{22}</span></p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>A few words as to the feathers of the bird. The perfectly developed -feather consists of a quill which grows in the flesh, the stem becoming -gradually thinner towards the top and having lesser feathers on either -side, those on the one side of the</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 127px;"> -<a href="images/i_030a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_030a_sml.jpg" width="127" height="210" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="nind">quill being narrower than those on the other half. The feathers overlap -each other exactly and densely especially those which protect the main -part of the body. At the end of the quill of the top feathers is a down -which takes the place of our under-clothing, and which in the case of -waterfowl prevents the water from penetrating to the body of the bird. -There is also a pure down which is composed of numerous stems; this is -close and thick and protects the binding together of the general -plumage.</p> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 173px;"> -<a href="images/i_030b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_030b_sml.jpg" width="173" height="137" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p>The down has its fine quill and a stem bearing the close down which in -water fowls keeps the warmth of the body at an even temperature whether -in or out of the water. It would be an error to suppose that the -feathers grow in the skin without any order, simply close together. They -are in point of fact divided into areas between which the flesh is -generally<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23"></a>{23}</span> covered with down, and all is arranged in a system of -grouping which, the feathers being rightly placed over one and another, -does not in any way interfere with the movements of the body, each -movement being in perfect conformity with this feather covering. The -feathered areas can be moved independently with the aid of the muscles, -and this renders the cleansing of the individual feathers easy and the -removing of the fatty substance, which is a matter of great importance. -If we watch we see that the bird moves the feathers separately in this -cleansing process, drawing them through its beak, and so removing any -bits of fat and oily substances that may have collected about the fat -glands.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_031_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_031_sml.jpg" width="140" height="212" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>View of the back of the bird, showing the feather tracts.</p> - -<p>The spaces between the tracts are covered with down.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24"></a>{24}</span></p> -<div class="figcenter"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_032_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_032_sml.jpg" width="202" height="405" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BARN OWL, CHIEF OF THE MOUSE-HUNTERS.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25"></a>{25}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.<br /><br /> -WORKERS ON THE GROUND.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Barn Owl: White or Church Owl.</span><br /> -(<i>Strix Flammea.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Barn Owl builds no regular nest, but lays its eggs in the walls of -ruined castles, on the inner sills of towers, or in the dust and -sweepings that collect in the corners of granaries. The clutch consists -of five, occasionally seven, longish white eggs.</p> - -<p>This bird likes always to be close to the abode of man; she likes to -make her nest among the rafters of some warm barn and in other farm -buildings, or in church tower or belfry; in hollow trees, a cleft in -wall or cliff; semi-obscure corners, those even in broad daylight. There -she sits, putting herself now and again in grotesque positions, and when -that facial disk is stirred she appears to be, as the children say, -“pulling faces” at you. One of the most industrious of hunters, she -catches far more mice than she can devour. It is true she takes the bat, -who has his own insect-destroying work to do; and when she has the -chance she will cause havoc in the nest of a small bird. But this is -only an occasional outbreak, and it must not weigh against the general -good record of this most useful species. She takes living prey, and will -only touch carrion under extreme stress of hunger.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26"></a>{26}</span></p> - -<p>The Barn or White Owl is generally distributed throughout Great Britain. -It suffered at one time most undeservedly from the ignorant prejudices -of many gamekeepers, and of late years from the senseless fashion of -women wearing the wings and head in their headgear—a crowning folly -only perpetrated through that ignorant vanity which knows neither love -nor pity.</p> - -<p>Colonel Irby said that this Owl, which is most useful to man, can be -preserved and increased by fixing an 18-gallon cask in a tree. The -barrel should be placed on its side and have a hole cut in the upper -part of the head for the Owls to enter; care must, however, be taken -that Jackdaws do not take possession of the cask.</p> - -<p>Our gamekeepers are beginning now to be convinced of the usefulness of -the Owl, especially in view of the fact that so many young birds are -taken by the Brown Rat, a favourite quarry with the Owl—not to speak of -the Voles and Mice the bird devours. The late Lord Lilford told me that -he had watched a nest of young Owls being fed by their parents in an old -cedar tree in the rectory garden of a relative, and that on one occasion -the old birds came bringing food to these seventeen times in half an -hour by the clock, on that evening. There was a rickyard not far from -the nest which was the Owls’ favourite hunting-ground. Mice were not -plentiful there, but rats swarmed, and the pellets found under the nest -were here composed almost entirely of the remains of the latter. In the -South of France and in Spain this Owl is accused of drinking oil from -lamps in the peasants’ houses and in the churches and chapels. The name -given to it in the former country by the peasant of the <i>Midi is Béou -l’oli</i>—bird that drinks oil. Attracted by the light of the lamps, the -poor Owl<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27"></a>{27}</span> perhaps has entered, once in a way, and in its fright has -upset a lamp. Superstition grows on very meagre fare. This ally of the -agriculturalist has been ill-repaid for his services.</p> - -<p>Butler writes:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“An Owl that in a barn<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Sees a mouse creeping in the corn,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Sits still and shuts his round blue eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i1">As if he slept, until he spies<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The little beast within his reach,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Then starts, and seizes on the wretch.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Not a bird of the forest e’er mates with him,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">All mock him outright by day,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">But at night, when the woods grow still and dim,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">The boldest will shrink away.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">But why this is so who can tell? If the Barn Owl shows himself by day, -Rooks and Starlings, Blackbirds, both species of Thrush, Chaffinches, -Tits and Wrens will mob him; and he flies awkwardly from tree to tree, -with dazed eyes and apparently “mazed,” as the country folks says, -altogether, till he can find a hole in a tree where he can hide himself. -He may well like hollows in trees—for, as the poet says, “the Owl, with -all his feathers, is a-cold.” This is not hard to understand, for the -breast feathers are so light and fluffy that the wind easily parts them, -laying bare the shivering skin.</p> - -<p>His frequent choice of an old dovecote as a home was misunderstood. The -ignorant countryman thought it was in order to prey on the young pigeons -that he selected a corner there, whereas—and Waterton was the first to -record the bird’s reason, after watching the doings of a pair of Barn -Owls in his dovecote—the Owls were<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28"></a>{28}</span> there to prey on the pigeons’ -enemies, and Owls and Pigeons lived amicably together in the same home.</p> - -<p>Lord Cathcart, in a paper contributed to the Royal Agricultural Society, -said: “Our ancestors, wiser than we, always made in their great barns -ingress for Owls—an owl-hole, with often a stone perch.” And the Rev. -F. O. Morris tells of a pair of this species which lived in a barn near -Norwich, and were so fearless that they would stay there whilst the men -were threshing; they waited on the flails as rooks do on the plough, and -if a mouse were dislodged by the removal of a sheaf they would pounce -upon it without minding the men’s presence. They hunt mice amongst the -stacks, too, in the farmyard, staying there all night often, if mice -abound. As E. Newman says, “The farmer pays the price of a sack of grain -for every Owl nailed to his barn door, because that Owl would have -destroyed mice every night, and these mice, being relieved of their -oppressive enemy, would, in a very short time, consume a sack of wheat, -peas, or beans.”</p> - -<p>Owing to its very deep plumage, the Barn Owl looks larger than it is. -Its eye is dark-coloured, almost black: its glance is directed forwards. -The facial disk is very prominent; at rest, it is heart-shaped, and it -is edged with white and rust-colour. The bill is yellowish in colour, -and is slightly hooked. The legs are scantily feathered, and the toes -almost bare: the claw of the middle toe is serrated along its inner -edge. The body-plumage is soft as silk, and yielding, and thickly -pearled with white and dark markings on the beautiful ash-grey back. The -flanks are pale with a reddish tinge, in places very bright, and -sprinkled with tiny pearl-like spots of light and dark colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29"></a>{29}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Tawny or Wood-Owl.</span><br /> -(<i>Syrnium alúco.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Wood Owl, known also as the Brown or Tawny Owl, has the admirable -trait of constancy, for it is said he mates for life and the pair return -year after year to the same tree to nest. In the month of September you -will hear him hooting in the woods more than at any other time of the -year. He is not so constant in his choice of locality, but like many -other birds he and his kind will disappear from a district without any -apparent reason, to return to it again after a time. No doubt they -follow their food supply; the small creatures they feed on—mice, rats, -shrews, and squirrels—all disappear in the same fashion to re-appear -elsewhere; the movements of these being no doubt ruled by the same -conditions of suitable food, its scarcity or its plenty.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In spite of persecution the Tawny Owl is still fairly common in our own -country wherever there are woods or crags suitable for its habitat. In -the South of Scotland it is common, as well as in England and Wales. It -is strange that it seems to be absent from Ireland. Here, in Ealing, -where the present writer lives, its whoo-hoo, or, as Shakespeare has it, -<i>tu-whit</i> and <i>to-who</i>, are heard regularly in one little spinney at the -south-east corner of our suburb; and last summer—1908—a pair took up -their abode in a garden, right in amongst the shady roads not very far -from the Broadway.</p> - -<p>The Tawny Owl breeds early; strong-flying young ones may be seen in -April. A hollow oak tree or an elm is a favorite nesting site with it. -The young are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30"></a>{30}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 363px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_038_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_038_sml.jpg" width="363" height="427" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WOOD OR TAWNY OWL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31"></a>{31}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">very easy to rear and to tame. The late Lord Lilford, who was perhaps -our best authority on owls, stated that he had examined many pellets of -the Tawny Owl, and although he more than once found the remains of young -rabbits he could not accuse the bird of any serious poaching.</p> - -<p>Living more in the woods the Brown Owl is less often observed than is -the White Owl; also its plumage is darker, and this makes it often less -visible, especially in the shade of the trees. When flying, his legs are -stretched out behind, “as a balance to his heavy head,” White of -Selborne remarked. The young ones, funny little balls of grey down, -resemble, some one has said, “a pair of Shetland worsted stockings -rolled up, such as might have belonged to Tam o’ Shanter.”</p> - -<p>And this reminds us of Burns, who, when he bids the birds mourn for him, -“Wha lies in clay, Wham we deplore,” sings:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Ye howlets, frae your ivy bow’r,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">In some old tree or eldritch tow’r,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">What time the moon wi silent glow’r,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Sets up her horn.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Wail through the dreary midnight hour<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Till waukrife morn.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>But Shakespeare said of the Wood-Owl:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Tu-whit! tu-whoo, a merry note<br /></span> -<span class="i1">hile greasy Joan doth keel the pot!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>It was in 210 pellets of this species that Dr. Altum found the remains -of 6 rats, 42 mice, 296 voles, 33 shrews, 48 moles, 18 birds, and 48 -beetles, besides countless numbers of cockchafers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32"></a>{32}</span></p> - -<p>Brown Owls make very amusing pets and they are not hard to tame. They -are less suspicious than other owls and become very companionable. R. -Bosworth Smith, whose recent death was so much lamented by all -bird-lovers, and who said: “Birds have been to me the solace, the -recreation and the passion of a life-time,” told of one young brown owl -which he brought up from the nest, which was very fond of music. It -would make its way, through an open window on the ground floor, into the -room in which a piano was being played and would even press closely -against the case of the instrument. Dr. J. Cooper, Professor of Greek -Language and Literature at Rutger’s College, New Brunswick, also told -the same author that one morning in November of 1899 he found, on going -to his lecture room, that a brown owl had somehow made its way into it, -and had selected as a perch a huge framed photograph of Athens. It was, -he remarks, an unlooked for illustration to both teacher and taught, of -the proverbial expression “Owls to Athens.” And there she was, just over -the Areopagus, the High Court of Athens, and she sat perched there four -whole hours, that “bird of wisdom,” whilst the Professor gave as many -lectures to successive classes of his pupils, quite undisturbed by the -noise they made, coming and going. Before she disappeared, one of the -lecturer’s brother-Professors had time to take a photograph of “the Bird -of Pallas on her chosen throne.”</p> - -<p>Description: In the adult male the upper parts are of variable shades of -ash-grey, mottled with brown; there are large white spots on the outer -webs of the wing-coverts; the tail is barred with brown and tipped with -white; the under-parts are a buffish-white, mottled with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33"></a>{33}</span> pale and -streaked with dark brown. The disk about the face is greyish, having a -dark brown border; the legs are feathered to the claws. The length of -the bird is about 16 inches. The female is larger than the male and its -plumage is a more rufous brown; but there are two varieties in this -species, a red and a grey, the colour being independent of sex; the -rufous form is more common in Great Britain. After the first greyish -down of the nestlings they put on a more reddish brown than the adult -birds have.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34"></a>{34}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_042_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_042_sml.jpg" width="339" height="423" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE LONG-EARED OWL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35"></a>{35}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Long-eared Owl.</span><br /> -(<i>Asio ótus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> the wooded districts of Great Britain this handsome Owl is always to -be found; the numbers bred here are augmented also by a considerable -number which come to us in autumn from the Continent. It is a larger -bird than the Short-eared species and it lives much in the same way as -the Brown Owl. These two are not so fastidious in their way of feeding -as the White Owl. It lives on small birds, rodents, bats, fish, reptiles -and large insects. Some have accused it of taking birds up to the size -of a Plover, but the late Lord Lilford stated that he had never heard -any complaint of its destruction of game in those districts where it was -comparatively common; the castings of this species which he examined -were mainly composed of the remains of greenfinches, sparrows and field -mice. It is often seen flying about by daylight and it <i>has</i> been known -to pick up and carry off wounded birds. It is said to be much disliked -by other birds—possibly the last mentioned habit may be at the bottom -of this strong feeling on their part, also its appropriation of other -birds’ nests. The note of the hungry young birds of this species is a -loud mewing.</p> - -<p>The prophet Isaiah had not very pleasant associations with Owls, it -would seem. When speaking of desolated places, he says, “Owls shall -dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there ... the screech owl also shall -rest there ... the great owl make her nest....”</p> - -<p>Alluding to the death of Julius Cæsar—or rather to the omens that -preceded it—Shakespeare wrote:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36"></a>{36}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“And yesterday the bird of night did sit<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Even at noonday, in the market-place,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Hooting and shrieking.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Of crook-backed Richard of Gloucester, too, he says:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The Owl shrieked at thy birth, an evil sign,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The night-crow cried.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Different parts of the White Owl’s body were supposed to possess -different magical powers, and they have been used by many a rural -imposter to breed awe in the credulous.</p> - -<p>Happily all this is changed now excepting amongst a small ignorant -minority. Of late years women who affected the fashion of wearing owls -heads and wings on toques seemed likely to become the poor Owls’ worst -enemy. Mr. Ward Fowler saw, not long ago, in a public house, this -advertisement: “Wanted at once by a London firm, 1,000 owls.”</p> - -<p>The late R. Bosworth Smith wrote: “The number of owls has been terribly -diminished. Let them be encouraged and protected in every possible way. -Let the gamekeeper be rewarded, as I have rewarded him myself, not for -the owls he destroys, but for the owls he preserves.... Let the owl be -regarded and protected in England as the stork is regarded and protected -in Holland!”</p> - -<p>The Long-eared Owl is 15 inches in length. The upper parts are a warm -buff, mottled and pearled with brown and grey and streaked with dark -brown, bill black, dark markings about the eyes, facial disk buff with -greyish black margin and outer rim. The long erectile tufts are streaked -with dark brown. The eyes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37"></a>{37}</span> are a rich yellow. Under parts warm buff and -grey with broad blackish streaks and small transverse bars. Legs covered -to the toes with fawn coloured feathers. The eggs, four to six in -number, are laid with us in an old squirrel’s drey or on the old nest of -a Ringdove, a Magpie, Rook, Crow, or Heron’s nest; in Hungary often in -that of a Buzzard or a Kite, with a few slight sticks and rabbits’ fur -added. They are white, the surface smooth but not glossy. As a rule this -species does not hoot like the Tawny Owl, but is rather silent.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38"></a>{38}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 193px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_046_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_046_sml.jpg" width="193" height="223" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SHORT-EARED OWL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39"></a>{39}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Short-eared Owl.</span><br /> -(<i>Asio accipitrinus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> Hungary Short-eared Owls appear in numbers with the Buzzards where -field mice get the upper hand, and work with these grander birds. A -peculiarity of the species is to crouch down to the earth like a hen -when in danger. So confiding in nature is it that it falls an easy prey -to the guns of those whom we call the “Sunday sportsmen,” to the great -loss of the agriculturist. Large numbers of the Short-eared Owl arrive -regularly in Great Britain from the Continent, to remain with us during -the winter. This species is often termed the Woodcock Owl here, partly -on account of its twisting flight it is supposed, and also because both -birds make their appearance about the same time—some years in larger, -some years in lesser numbers. A few pairs still breed in the eastern -counties, but it nests more often in the north, in widely scattered -parts of our moorland districts. In Scotland the species is common; but -in Ireland it has not yet been recorded as breeding, although it is very -common there in winter. I remember a relative telling me of a -Short-eared Owl hovering much over a terrier he had out walking with -him, one evening late, on Congleton Edge. Probably the bird had its -young on some tuft of heather near them and was anxious as to the safety -of these, and it would not have hesitated to attack the terrier had it -been alone.</p> - -<p>Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, in Lyddeker’s “R. Natural History,” says: “It is a -curious circumstance that,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40"></a>{40}</span> although the number of eggs laid by this -bird (the Short-eared Owl) is generally four, yet, when food is -unusually abundant, as during a lemming-migration, the number in a -clutch will rise to seven or eight, and during the recent vole plague in -Scotland larger numbers were recorded, reaching as many as thirteen.”</p> - -<p>As many as ten and twelve eggs were often found on some hill farms where -these Owls remained feeding all the winter and commenced nesting in -March, the birds in many cases nearing a second brood.</p> - -<p>Mr. Colles, of Higher Broughton, Manchester, speaking of the Short-eared -Owl, said in a letter to his friend (R. Bosworth Smith): “You will -remember that a few years ago certain parts of the country (Scotland) -were infested with voles to such an extent that the sheep would not eat -grass over thousands of acres of moorland. It was some two years after -they had been at their worst that my son and I were fishing in St. -Mary’s Loch; and one day, about noon, while I was crouching down between -the high banks of the Meggett, to keep out of sight of the fish, a -Short-eared Owl skimmed over the top of the bank directly to the place -where I was; and I can assure you that no exaggerated comic picture of -an Owl I had ever seen affected me as did this one. Its eyes looked to -me as large as saucers, and the bird seemed a perfect ogre. A few days -later we were fishing one of the tributaries of the Tweed near its -source, and had to walk a mile or so, on almost flat moorland, where -there was hardly a bush, much less a tree, to be seen. Wherever there -was rise enough in the ground to form a little bank the soil was -perfectly honeycombed with what appeared miniature colonnades or rather -cloisters, and we caught<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41"></a>{41}</span> frequent glimpses of the voles within, as they -flitted along their galleries. When we were well into this dreary place -a couple of Short-eared Owls positively mobbed us, and as we walked -along, with our fishing-rods over our shoulders they followed us till we -reached a dry gully, where they became even more demonstrative, coming -well within point of our rods. On both occasions the hour was between -eleven and twelve o’clock and the sun was shining brilliantly.”</p> - -<p>The Short-eared Owl is fierce and bold in defence of her young. She will -attack larger animals than herself. In the Hawaiian Islands she has -always been much admired because of her fine qualities, and was indeed -one of the old tutelary deities of the natives.</p> - -<p>This Owl is from 14 to 15 inches in length. The ear-feathers are short, -the irides yellow, bill black, black about the eyes, and the facial disk -is browner than in the last-named species; the plumage of the upper -parts is more blotched than streaked; the buff tint is more decided. The -ear-tufts, though erectile, are short, and not seen except when the bird -is excited. Under-parts streaked lengthwise with blackish-brown, but -have no transverse bars. The young are browner and darker and more -boldly marked, and tawny on the under parts, iris paler than in the -adult.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42"></a>{42}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 240px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_050_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_050_sml.jpg" width="240" height="328" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE LITTLE OWL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43"></a>{43}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Little Owl.</span><br /> -(<i>Athéne noctua.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Little Owl makes its nest where it has its ordinary dwelling-place; -that is to say, in hollows, behind beams, sometimes even under bridges. -The clutch of eggs is four to five, and they are almost perfectly round. -The young are covered with white down.</p> - -<p>This is a friendly little species; it likes to get under the house-roof, -into barns and towers; retires also into the hollow of a tree and clefts -in old masonry. A capital mouse-hunter, it feeds also largely on -insects, and haunts the lawns to get out the earthworms. In winter it -catches birds at roost, getting numbers of Thrushes, also mice and other -small mammals. When the chase is prolonged till daylight the small birds -mob the Little Owl, surrounding him in numbers. They dare not meddle -with him because of his sharp claws, but they scold and chatter at him -as a shameless thief. Bird-catchers profit by this, and they fasten him -to a bough to act as a lure. There is in Hungary a superstition that no -one dies where this Little Owl appears and utters his cry of <i>Kooweek, -kooweek!</i> which comes down from the gables or the attic windows of the -house.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The numbers of the Little Owl have been increasing in England of late. -Mr. Meade-Waldo informed me that in the neighbourhood of Penshurst, near -his own home, in Kent, he had seen as many as sixteen Little Owls -perched on the telegraph wires on the line between two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44"></a>{44}</span> stations. This -gentleman has always been known to be a lover and a protector of this -species.</p> - -<p>In Leadenhall Market there are often cages full of them which have been -brought over from Holland. They make delightful house pets and good -mousers indoors. “I have one of my own,” says A Son of the Marshes, “and -I set him down as a bird of priceless value, for he has the power to -make me laugh when I should be least in the mood for it.... Jan Steen -and Teniers introduced him into their pictures. In that of ‘The Jealous -Wife,’ for instance, there is the Little Owl perched on the window -shutter contemplating an aged man holding sweet converse with a young -woman, presumably his niece. The old woman, his wife, has also her head -in the opening, taking in the scene wrathfully. My own bird is at -liberty. This he uses to the best of his ability, making the third -member of our small household.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Little Owl is about eight inches long, but seems bigger than it is -because of its large head and soft plumage: its body is compressed in -form. Bill and iris are yellow, legs clad with hair-like feathers, toes -almost bare. The short tail is hardly visible beneath the points of the -wings. The back is greyish-brown, spotted with white; the belly whitish, -with long brown markings.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45"></a>{45}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Rook.</span><br /> -(<i>Corvus frúgilegus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Rook lives in flocks and breeds in great colonies. Its nest is -smaller and looser than that of the Hooded Crow. Five or six nests one -above another, are often found in one tree—sometimes as many as -eighteen. It pairs somewhat late, in Hungary, but already in April may -be found three to five eggs of a pale green colour spotted with grey and -blue. These are smaller than those of the Hooded Crow.</p> - -<p>The Rook spends the greater part of its life in its native home, often -in huge crowds, numbering many thousands, which divide up during the day -to seek food in different parts of the neighbourhood. During the -breeding time they are divided according to the breeding places. This -bird is the most zealous follower of the ploughman, and by its great -number destroys an enormous quantity of noxious creatures—the -cockchafer being its most coveted delicacy. It covers, with its flocks, -the freshly ploughed field, and if they are sown, picks up the grains -that are lying about. It bores into the soft earth of the meadows and -cornfields, for destructive grubs, and pulls up the withered plants in -order to secure the caterpillar or wireworm which has destroyed the -roots. This has caused the Rook to be suspected of plundering the -fields, but the question has not yet been settled, and the general -inclination is in the bird’s favour. The fact is that even in Hungary, -where the Rook exists in millions, the people generally are indifferent -about it. Early sowing, while there is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46"></a>{46}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>CHIEFLY USEFUL.</p> -<a href="images/i_054_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_054_sml.jpg" width="362" height="334" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<p>THE ROOK. AN OLD AND A YOUNG BIRD.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47"></a>{47}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">sufficient insect food for the birds, is the best protection from its -mischief, and this is good for the services it performs.</p> - -<p>A knowledge of the habits of the Rook is important, because the bird is -closely associated with husbandry, and with its well organised work -deeply affects the interests of the husbandman. While the Hooded Crow -roams about the district with the Jackdaw, thousands of Rooks cover the -corn-fields; they settle also on fallow ground, on the freshly ploughed -field, on the sprouting crops, and on the turnip-field. It is this -appearance in vast numbers which mainly distinguishes the Rook from the -Hooded Crow, which otherwise its habits closely resemble.</p> - -<p>In regard to this bird also, different views are held. Whilst the -scientific agriculturist considers it useful, the old-fashioned -husbandman is convinced that it is harmful. Here again, therefore, must -a just verdict be given, between two opposing parties—but this verdict -must be impartial. Various things are said of the Rook—but it is not -true that it picks the seed out of the earth, so that the spoiled seed -has to be ploughed in again. It only takes the seed which has been -imperfectly covered by the harrow,—and the reploughing is only an empty -complaint, for no one ever heard tell of a particular village, or farm, -where reploughing had to be performed on account of the Rooks. The -farmer who keeps his eyes open before he gives an opinion knows that the -Rook digs his beak into the ground because he hopes to find worms there. -Sometimes it is shot, in order to be set up as a scarecrow, but they say -nothing of what may be found in its crop, should it be opened; this, -however, is just what is necessary in order to ascertain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48"></a>{48}</span> the -truth—although the other conditions of its life must also be taken into -account.</p> - -<p>It is easy to observe the behaviour of Rooks, because they always move -and act in flocks. These flocks are dissolved only in cold snowy -winters, when the birds, tired of the cold and lack of food, come into -the villages. When the early spring ploughing begins, part of them -follow the plough; the flock spreads itself over the freshly ploughed -land and they snap up the grubs of the destructive insects which escape -from the newly-turned clods. This then is useful work. They also settle -on the sown land and pick up the seeds which the harrow has left on the -surface, but at the same time devour the insects which the harrow has -turned up. There is no harm in this. In a short time the full spring has -come and the immature insects have developed into other forms—then the -Rook begins to think of building its nest. Its young are not fed on -seeds, for at that time there are none to be had, but exclusively on -insects—which again is a great and useful work. Then the flock spreads -over the neighbourhood, leaving their sleeping-place in the morning in a -body, and betaking themselves to different parts of the district; and it -may be remembered that separate flocks repeatedly visit the same spot, -and work there; as, for instance, one point in a great stretch of -cornland, where in the track of the birds lie many uprooted plants, -which the farmer generally looks upon as due to the mischief of the -Rooks. When insect life has become stronger, they settle on the meadows, -where they eagerly hunt for crickets and grasshoppers; then they return -to the ploughed fields and destroy the insects that have been -disturbed—and this is useful work. It is true that later on they visit -any heaps of cut corn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49"></a>{49}</span> that may lie in their way, and in this way do -harm, but the greater number of the flock pick up the fallen grains in -the stubble field, and a few follow the carts which carry the corn, and -pick up any that is dropped. There is no harm in this, as these ears -would in any case be lost to the farmer. At the time of the hay harvest -they settle on the ridges of cut grass and hunt for crickets and -grasshoppers, for these creatures have then no cover, and easily fall a -prey to the birds. The Rook also attacks the young maize and fruit, but -it has not skill in this respect and cannot do much harm. The harm done -is outweighed a thousandfold by the good which it does in the -destruction of insects. The black army of birds lights also upon the -turnip crops just at the time when these valuable plants are covered -with masses of the “turnip caterpillar.” By the destruction of this pest -they do the farmer invaluable service.</p> - -<p>This sanitary work continues into the late autumn as long as the -caterpillars, the Rook’s favourite food, remain. The Rook may do serious -damage during the autumn sowing, especially if it is thin, and sown and -harrowed so late that the caterpillars have disappeared, not so much, -however, that the field must be ploughed up; at the worst there would -remain only one or two unproductive spots, and we know that corn grows -in tufts, and if it is not thinned by the Rooks it must be done by the -farmer, so that the corn is not choked by its own abundance.</p> - -<p>When the hard part of winter comes, the flocks of Rooks seek towns and -villages, where they spend the nights on the roofs of houses in order to -shelter themselves from the icy wind; during the day they steal from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50"></a>{50}</span> -the barns and granaries, or, if the opportunity offers, they get at the -bundles of straw which they pull about to try and find a stray ear of -corn.</p> - -<p>This much is certain that the principal food of the Rook consists of -insects and grubs, which it gets not only from the surface of the earth, -but also from beneath it, when the bird sees from the colour of the -fading plant that a grub is gnawing at its root. This is the meaning of -the uprooted plants; and why one flock after another so often visits the -same cornfields. It is a sure sign that the wireworm or some similar -pest is busy with its depredations. Here again the work of the Rook is a -blessing.</p> - -<p>There are neighbourhoods where the farmer makes a great fuss about a -grain or two of wheat or maize, as if he must be ruined by the damage. I -repeat that the bird has earned its few grains by its other work; -indeed, without its useful services these grains would probably never -have grown.</p> - -<p>The lesson we learn then is as follows:—The Rook lives principally and -preferably on insects, grubs and worms, and so long as these are -procurable, it does not look for grain—therefore, the spring sowing -should be performed as late as possible, when the insects have -developed, and the Rook can find its natural food; in autumn the sowing -should be done as early as possible while there are still some insects -to be found. The further actions of this bird are protective, for it -attacks the gnawing maggots that live in the ground. These facts can be -verified by dissection of the bird, when the stomach is often found to -be full of wire-worms.</p> - -<p>None the less researches into the habits of the rook<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51"></a>{51}</span> require to be more -thoroughly worked out, and this must not be lost sight of.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>I asked a tenant farmer in our own Midlands his views on the subject of -Rooks and the following, with some slight editing of my own, was what he -sent me. I give it in full as although there may be some repetition of -the foregoing statements, it has special interest as coming from one of -our English farmers.</p> - -<p>A recent writer from the sportsman’s point of view speaks of the Rook as -“this black robber,” and he says that there is no practical difference -of opinion as to the question whether his benefits outweigh his -depredations. Now, as a farmer, I confidently affirm that he does much -more good than harm. He will sometimes uproot vegetables in getting at -the worms round their roots. It is true also that he often robs the -nests of the pheasant and the partridge; but, as I could easily show, he -does far more good to the general community by furthering the labours of -agriculturists, on whom so much depends, than harm to the sport of our -leisured classes.</p> - -<p>A more social bird even than the gregarious starling, he flies in -flocks, feeds in flocks, and builds in flocks. His everyday life may -appear to be an uneventful one to the outside world, and most -commonplace; yet it is full of adventure and of joy tempered with -sorrows. Apparently a grave bird, he is brimful of humour and, at times, -as full of play as a titmouse. Like all other links in the seemingly -endless chain of nature, he is the victim of circumstances: without much -ado he could count up his sincere friends, but his enemies are beyond -his conception of numbers.</p> - -<p>From his winter homing quarters he comes with his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52"></a>{52}</span> company during -February to inspect the colony of breeding nests which he regards as his -peculiar domain, going back as night approaches to his sleeping-place -until all is ready for the family life to begin. Rookeries vary, of -course, greatly in size; one may be as a city or large town, again there -will be a village, and here and there a small hamlet. There are in my -own fields one of about a hundred and thirty nests, one of sixty, one of -eight, and another of four nests. Of these latter I have some views of -my own. I believe them to be those of odd and outlawed individuals who -follow the other companies hither, but are socially considered as -pariahs. My nearest neighbours are those of the sixty-two-nest village, -and my last census-taking records about sixty-two married couples and -thirty-six or more odd or unmated birds. These are all, of course, adult -birds, their numbers reckoned before the young were hatched out.</p> - -<p>The odd birds may some of them be outlaws, as I said before, but the -majority of them are not vagabonds by any means. They only happen to -belong to that numerous enough class amongst humans—those who have been -forced by some just cause or impediment into a life of celibacy. As the -rook does not mate until it is nearly two years old, a number of the -single birds are, therefore, simply lusty young bachelors. The few -individuals whom I sum up as ne’er-do-weels or unfortunates—I know -personally three of these at the present moment—are to be recognised by -the shabby, neglected, and generally unkempt appearance of their -plumage, and some other of the many outward signs of a past henpecked -existence. I am ignorant of the life history of these; perhaps if we -knew all about them we should look upon them as objects of pity rather -than of reproach.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53"></a>{53}</span> Now and again I notice that a few old birds in our -colony appear to be dissatisfied with everybody and everything; and -imaginary grievances, political and social, often lead to a segregation -scheme. This is how I have accounted for my hamlet of four nests. The -general run of our odd, or celibate, birds is, however, good in -character; they help in the building of the nests and even in feeding -the sitting birds. For the wedded pairs April is a most trying time: if -the season be a dry one, or frost sets in, food is scarce. Insects and -worms are deep in the earth; the farmer is engaged in sowing his spring -corn, oats, and barley. The rooks prefer a diet of insects, worms and -grubs, but these are hard to get at times; the spring beans are just -peeping through, and the sitting hen asks for food. The cock bird -ventures too long in the beanfield, and as he skims over the hedge with -a bean or two in his pouch a shot is heard; the faithful mate of the -sitting bird is brought down to mother earth, and the farmer feels that -he has one enemy the less. Personally I would not shoot a bird if you -gave me a sovereign for it. The old bird may, and does, grieve, but the -news of her loss is soon at the rookery, and her food is brought to her -by a new mate. Thus there is a place taken in the rookery by one of our -odd birds, and there is a bachelor less in the community. I have known -many a bird die about this time through over-zeal—a slave to love and -duty. If April prove seasonable and mild with showers, worms are -plentiful, and the farmer’s gun remains in its place over the kitchen -chimneypiece.</p> - -<p>Often during the building season the rookery is disturbed by discordant -notes, accompanied by a great fluttering of wings; there is a big row in -the township;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54"></a>{54}</span> not a duel over a “squaw”: the rook is a philosopher, and -the ritual of love-making and matrimony are of the simplest. The bother -will be over divergent interests or a disputed claim, for there is a -recognised right of property—not ground-rent to pay, but a specified -limit for nest-room has been accorded. The trouble occurs mostly with -young birds wishing to place their nests too near to an old nest. A -parish council is called, with the result that the disputants’ nests are -soon scattered to the winds, and the claimant and the defendant may both -have to begin a new foundation. Sometimes there is a disturbance on a -more limited scale: one between very near neighbours or -blood-relations—a family jar, in fact. One pair of birds do their very -best to pull the sticks from the nest of another pair: each of the -contending parties will do all they can to prevent the other from -building.</p> - -<p>As to the nests, we all know how busily the rooks set to work to repair -these after a gale of wind has wrought some havoc in their colonies; but -I do not think it is equally well known that they are curiously -weather-wise, and they scent the coming storm and set to work to repair -and strengthen before the imminent gale has been evident to the farmer. -I have noticed that fact; the Rook’s powers of sight and hearing are -remarkable.</p> - -<p>At the end of the breeding-season comes the farmers’ rook-shooting, -which I, for one, never take part in: I have too much regard for the -labours of both the adult and the young birds. About the roots of each -of the turnip-plants there may gather scores of wireworms, which eat the -turnips; in the crops of young birds which have been shot are found -myriads of these wireworms, or it may be that they are filled with grubs -of various<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55"></a>{55}</span> sorts, the larvæ of cockchafers, etc. In fact, in my -opinion—that of a tenant farmer who is forced to make things pay—all -the Rook’s acts of depredation ought to be forgotten if we carefully -consider the great services he renders to the agriculturist. Beetles, -tipula (Daddy Longlegs grubs), warble grubs, oak-leaf roller -caterpillars, and the caterpillars of the diamond-backed moth he -devours. The game-preserver may grudge the birds their plundering of his -nests, but the farmer is in gratitude bound to spare them. A lot of -young birds at the rook-shooting time are still unable to take a flight -of any distance, but others are, happily for themselves, able to fly -well. I am persuaded that the old parent birds often—foreseeing a -shooting raid—get these out of the way, and so they secure life for a -number of their young who might have been sacrificed. They betake -themselves in parties to their rootings about the elms upon outlying -pastures. Daily they grow stronger on the wing, and learn the ways and -means of living.</p> - -<p>Like all long-lived creatures, the Rook is temperate in eating, and he -is capable of going a long time without food—a faculty which stands him -in good stead during hard winters. In a long frost or a prolonged -drought he is a most determined robber, and when he is on what he knows -to be forbidden ground, he posts a sentinel to give warning of the -approaching farmer or watcher. He is known to take the eggs of such -favourite birds as the thrush and the blackbird, whose nests are open, -and therefore soon discovered and plundered. But this is no doubt where -his proper food is scarce; and if man had not been so eager in the -destruction of some of our birds of prey, who are the natural enemies of -him and his, Rooks would be less plentiful in some districts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56"></a>{56}</span> Still, I -for one have no desire to see their numbers decrease, so certain am I of -their value; and I believe this bird will become even more valuable as -time goes on.</p> - -<p>The Rook is somewhat smaller than the Hooded Crow; the beak more -slender, rather straighter; the base of it in mature age bare, and -covered with a kind of white scurf. The entire bird is black with a -steely-blue and purple gloss. The feet black and thick, the claws -strong, the sole rough; it walks better than the Hooded Crow. The beak -of the young bird is not bare, the nostrils being covered with bristly -feathers. The bareness first appears when the bird begins to dig in the -ground for its food.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 164px;"> -<a href="images/i_064_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_064_sml.jpg" width="164" height="146" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The open nest tempts the Rook.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57"></a>{57}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hooded-Crow.</span><br /> -(<i>Corvus cornix.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Hooded Crow walks well, with head erect, moving its tail right and -left as it goes. Its flight is easy, using comparatively little movement -of the wings. This Crow usually makes its nest in the tops of high -trees, preferably in one standing alone in a field; but sometimes on -rocks. It does not build in colonies but usually settles alone, though -occasionally two or three pairs will build on the edge of a wood or in a -small plantation. The nest consists of twigs, roots, and grass; the -hollow of the nest being safely lined; in the spring it contains four to -six eggs of a light green colour speckled with grey and brown marks.</p> - -<p>In mild seasons this bird has been known to pair, as early as the end of -February, but the usual time is March. Then the construction and -arrangements of the nest begins. The female bird, only, sits on the -eggs; the male guards the nest and provides the food. When near the -nest, he is a courageous, even daring bird, able to keep off such -enemies as the Hawk or the Eagle. His cry is “<i>kár, kár</i>.”</p> - -<p>The Hooded Crow is a clever intelligent bird. It easily adapts itself to -circumstances; the wave-lashed rock, or the icy peak, are as acceptable -to it as green meadows, or the palms and sycamores of Egypt; the woods, -as welcome as the heart of the snug village, as the tiny garden round a -peasant’s hut. It is omnivorous; so long as it can find food in forest -or field, on the sea shore or river bank, it avoids the proximity of -man; but when winter comes, it settles near inhabited districts and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58"></a>{58}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 383px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>CHIEFLY USEFUL.</p></div> -<br /> -<a href="images/i_066_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_066_sml.jpg" width="383" height="288" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"> -<p>THE HOODED OR ROYSTON CROW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59"></a>{59}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">highroads, in order to seize upon anything eatable, however bad its -condition.</p> - -<p>And now let us investigate its actions, which divide men into two camps, -one of which states that the Hooded Crow is harmful, the other that it -is serviceable. First, as to the harm. It is true that this bird -considers a young chicken a great delicacy, and so, takes one when it -has a chance. But this happens very rarely, for the good mother-hen -flies at the marauder, and raises a cry that brings out the people of -the house to see what is the matter, and the Crow has to beat a retreat, -without having secured its prey—or run the risk of having a wing broken -by a stone, a rolling-pin, or other missile. Should it succeed in -securing a chicken, then indeed it has done harm, but this happens so -rarely, that the housekeeper does not make much account of it. It is -also true that it attacks the timid little hares in the fields, and if -the mother is absent, the young ones are quickly destroyed, and torn to -pieces by two or three blows of the strong beak. In this case it is the -sportsman who is most annoyed, for the farmer is no friend of the hare, -which does great harm in the winter by gnawing the fruit trees. It is a -known fact also that the Crow robs the nests of birds which are built on -the ground in the fields, when it finds them. This also is harm, but the -little birds exhibit wonderful instinct in hiding their nests, so that -even the sharp-eyed Crow can rarely find one, especially when we -consider that its attention is constantly being diverted from the search -by a fat cricket or grasshopper, or a mouse slipping hurriedly by. -Neither can it be denied that when the ears of maize are young and soft -the Crows opens the husk with its beak and regales itself with the milky -juice. This is indeed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60"></a>{60}</span> mischievous, but the harm is only local. A few -farmers track it down, others do not, for about this time the bird -begins to mend his ways. It cannot be denied either that it pecks young -fruit of all kinds, and later pulls it off the trees, and if not driven -away, considerable damage is done, especially if the orchard lies within -a district where Crows abound. It is evident then that the gamekeeper -must be allowed a little license, for where game is bred and preserved, -especially in such places as Pheasant runs, the Crow may do much damage -among the young birds; but why is the gamekeeper there, if not to scare -away the feathered thieves with his gun? Once having experienced such a -fright the Crow does not often return to the same place.</p> - -<p>And now let us consider the bird’s good deeds.</p> - -<p>The ploughman would be indeed unwise were he to scare away the Crow, -that, following in the furrow of the plough, picks out from the freshly -turned clods, the worms, grubs, and maggots, which are the farmer’s -worst enemies; nor do the evicted tenants of overturned mouse-nests -escape the strong beak of the bird;—and how busy it is when a plague of -mice occurs, as it does in some seasons! Then occurs a wholesale -massacre, and if this visitation happens in winter, the snow bears -evident traces of the Crow’s sanguinary work.</p> - -<p>It is also useful among the sheep and cattle, settling on their backs, -and destroying the parasites that attack them. The beasts leave it -undisturbed knowing that it is doing them good service. Neither must we -forget that in villages, near human habitations it does excellent -scavengering work. It knows the precise time at which the remnants of -food are usually thrown out from the cottage on the rubbish heap, and -waits on the roof, till<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61"></a>{61}</span> the moment arrives when it can pounce on the -promising morsels, which it carries away; thus removing what would -otherwise soon have become putrid. In winter when pigs are killed, the -Crows wait, among the neighbouring trees, for their share.</p> - -<p>The only remaining question, then, is, in which part of the year this -bird is harmful, and in which serviceable, and how long does each of -these periods last. The destructive period is really of short duration, -for the chickens soon grow into hens, the leverets become hares, the -young birds leave the nests, the maize hardens, and ripe fruit lasts but -a little while. That is to say, the destructive period lasts but a few -weeks. And what does the Hooded Crow do for the rest of the year? It -destroys insect pests, cleanses and purifies, and by its continuous -activity, does a service to man, which no other creature could do.</p> - -<p>Wherever and whenever this bird does harm it must be driven off, but not -destroyed. The hens must be kept from roving, and the orchard must be -watched. If it will not be scared away then it must be shot. But when -busy in the furrow, the field, or the dunghill, let it be left in peace, -for it is doing a beneficent work. Neither nature nor man can do without -the Hooded Crow, and for this reason it must be treated indulgently.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The head, wings, tail, feet and throat of this bird are black, but not -glossy; the lower breast, under-parts, and back ashen grey; the grey -colour of the back forms a kind of mantle,—hence the name Mantle—or -Hooded Crow. The strong curved beak is black, the nostrils covered by -bristly feathers; the eyes dark brown; the feet strong and armed with -thick scales, the soles rough.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62"></a>{62}</span></p> - -<p>To England and Wales the Hooded, often called the Grey or Royston Crow, -is a regular and in many districts far too numerous a visitor, from -October on during the winter. A few birds have remained to breed, and -some cases of hybridism with the Carrion Crow occur in the North. In -Ireland it has become a perfect scourge. In the Isle of Man it is said -to nest each year. On the Scottish Mainland again they are far too many -of this species. So greedy is he that Howard Saunders tells of having -seen him eagerly devouring the carcase of a recently shot member of the -same brood as himself. To some extent hybrids with the Carrion Crow are -said to be fertile.</p> - -<p>A Son of the Marshes says that the Cob—the Great Black-backed Gull, -which is called the Carrion Gull, is a noble and open minded bird -compared with the Dun Crow—the Hooded Crow of the foreshores. “His -general conduct would lead you to think he was only looking about for -amusement, up and down and over the water, just far enough to see if any -prey, such as a dead fish or fowl, is washing in. He does not mean the -gulls to share the spoil if he can help it. He flaps to the beach and -out again just to make sure that it is coming all right, and gorbles to -himself a little. This wave must beach it, he thinks; but no, with the -receding of the wave the fish—a large dead skate—goes also. The next -long roller may have more force in it, so he hopes, with half open wings -and throat feathers puffed out, down to the very edge of the watery -beach. Perching next on a large stone, with keen eye and outstretched -neck, the bird sees it gather, a mile out. On it comes, gathering in -force as it begins to crest up, until with a crash it breaks, and -Hoody’s dead fish is flung high and dry<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63"></a>{63}</span> almost at his feet. Hardly, -however, has he had time to give one or two vicious digs at the now -tender skin in order to get at his highly flavoured meat, when from all -points of the compass other crows come shooting along like so many hawks -to join in the banquet. We could have knocked them over well”, concludes -our Marshman, “but on no account would we have done so for they were -doing their appointed work, that of clearing up the refuse brought in by -the tide, honestly and well. “Hoody” is one of the scavengers of the -foreshores.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64"></a>{64}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 391px;"> -<a href="images/i_072_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_072_sml.jpg" width="391" height="302" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE CARRION CROW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65"></a>{65}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Carrion Crow</span><br /> -(<i>Corvus coróne</i>.)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> principal colour is black, shining, with a steely blue lustre on the -neck and back. The beak strong, distinctly curved, and black, as are -also the feet; the eyes are dark brown. The Carrion Crow makes its nest -in woods and is for the most part solitary; when with others, each one -nests alone on a separate tree. The nest consists of twigs, roots, -leaves, etc. The hollow of the nest is softly lined, and in the spring, -four to six eggs may be found in it, of a pale green colour, speckled -with brown and grey.</p> - -<p>The Carrion Crow is sly and cunning; courageous, but at the same time, -cautious, and extraordinarily clever; it discriminates exactly between -the farmer and the hunter, and allows the former to come quite close to -him. Its sense of smell is very delicate; it scents carrion a mile away, -under snow and earth. This bird is to the West what the Hooded Crow is -to the East—from Austria onward through the whole of Germany and in -Great Britain. It croaks hoarsely “<i>Caw, caw, caw</i>.”</p> - -<p>The Carrion Crow follows the plough, and devours grubs and mice; it eats -the insects in large quantities, and lies in wait for the mice about -their holes. On the sea shore, it will seize a large muscle with its -beak, fly up to a considerable height in the air, then drop the muscle -on to a rock, so that the shell is broken to pieces, and the contents -emptied out. The Carrion Crow steals and plunders the nests of the -useful birds, spoils fruit and crops; but the great naturalist Naumann -advises that these birds should not be too hastily destroyed, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66"></a>{66}</span> they -do mischief only for a short time, while during the rest of the year -they make war on the numerous pests, and are of great service to the -husbandman.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Since so much bird protection has been inculcated, these Crows are -enjoying much more immunity from harm than heretofore. The result is -that in some of our London suburbs the bold but handsome creature comes -to feed with the small birds at our very doors in cold weather. I have -often watched the ungainly yet cautious manœuvres of a Crow which has -frequented my little lawn at Ealing. The letting of his heavy body down -from over the ends of the outstretching bough of a great elm, which has -its trunk on the other side of my fence, so as to quietly drop on to the -grass on the feeding side of the fence—is very comical. He evidently -wishes to do it as slyly and as quietly as possible. Caution and cunning -are inherited traits with the once persecuted crow. I confess to a -liking for him, but then I am not interested in the preservation of -game. He pairs for life too, and is therefore a respectable character so -far. And he too is useful as a scavenger, and takes also plenty of rats -as well as insects and grubs. When the pair are on the hunt together, -one watches whilst the other feeds. He greatly resembles his greater -relative the Raven, in shape and plumage, and gamekeepers hate him even -more than they do the latter bird, which country folks generally regard -as the more ill-omened of the two.</p> - -<p>Speaking of my own pet Crow, a new maid I had came to my bedside early -the morning after her arrival, to inform me that she could not possibly -stay in my house<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67"></a>{67}</span> as a Crow had croaked about her bedroom window -“something dreadful.”</p> - -<p>In Thibet, we read, there is an evil city of Crows, and Hiawatha is said -to have known of a land of dead crowmen. The Crow, according to the old -Vedas, fell from Paradise, and in Norway there is “the Hill of Bad -Spirits,” where the souls of the wicked fly about in the guise of crows. -Happy the present generation who are taught more toleration for “all -things both great and small.”</p> - -<p>The Carrion Crow has always done good work as a scavenger, for which he -has had small thanks. The poets have all combined in holding him up to -execration.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“My roost is the creaking gibbet’s beam<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Where the murderer’s bones swing bleaching;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Where the clattering chain rings back again<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To the night-wind’s desolate screeching.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>It is good to believe that “sweetness and light” are gradually getting -the upper hand; and the gibbet with its ghastly burden, and most of the -cruel superstitions concerning some of the most useful of God’s -feathered creatures are alike a thing of the past.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 142px;"> -<a href="images/i_075_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_075_sml.jpg" width="142" height="131" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68"></a>{68}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 439px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_076_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_076_sml.jpg" width="439" height="308" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE RAVEN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69"></a>{69}</span></p> - -<h3>THE RAVEN.<br /> -(<i>Corvus córax.</i>)</h3> - -<p>The Raven is fully one third larger than the crow. Its plumage is black, -with a blue or green lustre. Tail wedge-shaped; beak large and slightly -curved; the breast feathers pointed. It builds its nest in woods, on the -tops of high trees; selecting most cunningly such trees as cannot be -climbed. The clutch consists of four to six light green eggs with dark -speckles.</p> - -<p>It flies well, and can hover in circles, and is a cunning, shy bird, -always ready for plunder—but a splendid creature. It is really sad that -it should allow itself to be led away to the paths of dishonesty by the -sight of shining objects. It attacks everything from earth-worms to -hares, plunders and steals nests, takes eggs and fledgelings, and also -feeds on carrion. According to popular superstition, it first pecks out -the eyes of its prey. The proverb says:—One crow does not peck out the -eyes of another.</p> - -<p>Another proverb allegorically expresses the fact that the young brood -are black:—It may be freely translated as follows:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“That ravens bear not doves ’tis known,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And grapes on thorn-trees ne’er have grown.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Raven lives to a great age; it becomes tame in confinement, and can -be easily taught. It even learns to speak, and can pronounce words -clearly. It is the jester among the animals in the farm-yard. It -sometimes happens that the black colouring matter is wanting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70"></a>{70}</span> in the -plumage of the raven, and the bird is then white. This, however, occurs -very rarely—so that when people wish to explain that a certain thing is -quite exceptional, they speak of it as a white raven.</p> - -<p>The coat-of-arms of the renowned Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus, bears -a raven with a golden ring in its beak. There were more Ravens in those -old troublous days, of long, wild trains of warriors and robbers, when -slaughtered men and fallen cattle remained unburied by the wayside, and -when the gallows stood in the open field, as a sign and a warning to -men,—than there are now, in our days of milder methods.</p> - -<p>The Raven is not altogether common with us.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Don Quixote says that King Arthur did not die but was changed by -witchcraft into a raven, and that some day he will put on his own shape -again and claim his old rights. And so no Englishman—he says—has ever -been known to kill a raven, for fear he should kill King Arthur. The -Raven, it seems, has continued to build every year since 1856 either at -Badbury Rings—Mount Badon, where King Arthur defeated the West Saxons, -or else, so the late Mr. Bosworth Smith told us, “in the adjoining park -of Kingston Lacy, where they are safe under the protection of Mr. Ralph -Bankes.”</p> - -<p>The necromancers of old are said to detect sixty-five intonations of the -Raven’s voice; he certainly croaks and barks and chuckles, but it has -some pleasanter, more musical notes early in the year in the courting -season, and the great solemn looking bird becomes quite playful and even -graceful in his movements when his mate and he are about to make their -nest. He performs evolutions in the air and turns somersaults most -gleefully.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71"></a>{71}</span> The pair play together and tumble down as if shot, and turn -over on their backs. Then whilst his mate is sitting he keeps careful -watch over her and utters savage croaks if any footstep approaches. He -will fight any large bird of prey that dares to approach his nesting -place. A faithful creature, he pairs for life and, says one of his -lovers “you will hear him utter a low gurgling note of conjugal -endearment which will sometimes lure his mate from her charge; and then -after a little coze and talk together, you will see him, unlike many -husbands, relieve her for the time of her responsibilities, and take his -own turn on the nest.”</p> - -<p>The Raven is in danger of extinction in our country unless better -protection can be procured for him. Sheep farmers have a special grudge -against him. Its numbers are kept down in the South of England by the -prices paid for the young birds. Still they continue to breed all along -the south coast and from North Devon to Wales, wherever there is a -suitable headland. The so-called Raven-trees are much fewer than they -used to be. The Raven is rare in the eastern counties and in the -Midlands. In Scotland it is not uncommon wherever it finds suitable -cliffs to build in. In Ireland its numbers are fast decreasing. Its -fondness for weakly ewes, lambs and game make him an object of hatred in -many districts.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72"></a>{72}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 355px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_080_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_080_sml.jpg" width="355" height="230" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE JACKDAW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73"></a>{73}</span></p> - -<h3>THE JACKDAW.<br /> -(<i>Corvus monedula.</i>)</h3> - -<p>The Jackdaw is considerably smaller than the Crow. The crown of its head -is black, the nape and throat grey at the sides; the back and the tail -also black; the underpart slatey-grey and black. The plumage and eyes of -the Jackdaw become whitish in old age. It builds its nest in hollow -trees, in the clefts of banks and of old masonry, and in towns between -the ornamental parts of buildings. The eggs, which usually are five in -number, are of a light bluish-green speckled with dark grey and olive -brown.</p> - -<p>The movements of this bird are quick and active, it is light on the -wing, busy in flight and call. Its cry sounds like “<i>Cáee, Caee</i>.” Heard -from a height it attracts attention to the approaching birds. Jackdaws -usually fly in small flocks; they mix with other Crows and roam about -the fields and meadows with them. It is a confiding bird, that not only -visits large towns, but actually dwells in them. It is true that it does -not despise a brood of young birds, if fortunate enough to secure one; -but its principal food consists of the numerous insects, maggots, worms, -caterpillars, and other creatures which the plough discovers with the -upturned clod in field and meadow. It is pleasant to observe the bird -following the ploughman at a distance of five or six paces, watching -with its sharp, bright eyes for what the ploughshare may turn up—and -descrying, instantly, even the very tiniest grub or maggot. The slight -harm which it may do among the young birds or<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74"></a>{74}</span> the fruit, or -occasionally in the young maize ears, is outweighed a thousand times by -the services performed for men by this lively, busy bird, as a destroyer -of insect pests.</p> - -<p>The Jackdaw becomes very tame if caught young; it accustoms itself to -life indoors, and becomes attached to members of the household—and can -be taught many funny tricks and games. It is a great thief, taking away -and hiding any shiny object it can carry. It loves a bath, and -immediately paddles about in any little piece of water it can find.</p> - -<p>The Jackdaw is found throughout the greater part of Europe; South of -Germany it is somewhat rare. Nowhere is it so numerous as in Russia.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Mr. Herman’s mention of the Jackdaw’s nesting place being in towns among -the ornamental parts of buildings reminds me of an act of great apparent -cruelty on that bird’s part which a friend witnessed and reported to me. -He was passing by Apsley House at Hyde Park corner one Spring morning -when he noticed a Jackdaw pounce on a Pigeon which was about one of the -ornamental parts of that mansion. The Jackdaw literally tore the poor -bird to pieces. Whether the Pigeon was invading ground the Jackdaw -looked upon as its own domain he could not say; but the sight was cruel -enough. That this species is intolerant in nature is shown by the fact -that he would hardly ever nest in the same neighbourhood as the Chough -when this bird was more plentiful than it is now. The Chough has ousted -it—or at any rate taken its place in Kerry and Donegal, and other wild -parts of the Irish coast, though it is numerous in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75"></a>{75}</span> other districts. -Large numbers of Jackdaws come to our eastern coast in autumn.</p> - -<p>I have referred more than once to the late Rev. R. Bosworth Smith, but I -feel that I must give one other fact here which came to me through a -friend of his own who attended his funeral. It has not, I believe, been -recorded before. He had a special affection for the bird now under -notice. After a very serious operation in London this gentleman—and how -truly gentle he was, many a one knows—declared that he wished “to be -back amongst his dear birds again” at Bingham’s Melcombe old Manor -House. In his delightful book “Bird Life and Bird Lore” he has told us -of the falling of the big tree in which eleven pairs of Jackdaws had -their ancestral home. It fell, crushing an unlucky cow that happened to -be taking an afternoon nap beneath it. After its fall, the whole colony -of daws sat on the stump and held a conference. Other Jackdaws who had -lately been shut out by wirework from the Manor House chimneys, and more -whom the churchwardens had banished from the church belfry were also -hard put to, at the same time, to find proper lodgings. Their numbers -did not, however, diminish, in the grounds, and when their friend came -home to die in the midst of his feathered friends, strangely enough a -Jackdaw circled round about the church whilst the last service was held -for him, followed the coffin to the grave, and hovered about this, and -near the friends who were there, until the last sad rites were over. If -space allowed one could tell other stories of the strange sympathy -between birds and their human friends.</p> - -<p>Many a sheep farmer can speak to the services Jackey renders to his -sheep in ridding them of their tormentors<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76"></a>{76}</span> in the shape of ticks, not to -speak of the friend he is to the grazier in ridding his beasts of the -flies that harass and nearly madden them at times. This goes far beyond -making up for the eggs of small birds, pheasants and partridges. It is -on record that 400 maggots, each an inch in length, have been taken from -one wretched beast, and of the Ox Bot-fly we read that the eggs having -been laid in the hair on the skin of cattle and the maggots being -hatched out, these eat their way through the skin, and, taking a lodging -beneath it, they form large tumours known as warbles. The grub can -enlarge this at will through a breathing hole left in the skin. After -staying in these horrible quarters for ten or eleven months, feeding on -the nastiness there, it creeps out, drops to the ground, and buries -itself to pass through the pupa stage, whence it emerges a winged fly. -Then there is the Sheep Bot-fly which is worse still, laying its eggs in -the nostrils of sheep. The maggots force their way upwards as far as the -bones of the forehead where they abide for about nine months, causing -vertigo and staggers, and sometimes death. Finally they descend by the -nostrils and are got rid of by the poor sheep’s sneezing. They get so to -ground and bury themselves. From the pupa they pass to the winged stage -so as to lay eggs in summer.</p> - -<p>Who that has seen our bird on the back of one of these tormented -creatures could ever complain of “that wicked Jackdaw.”</p> - -<p>The gardener also may welcome it with justice. Earwigs and spiders, with -their white bags of eggs or young, Jackey makes short work of, also -snails. It is true he takes ripe fruit, peas, etc., but we may not -grudge one of the very best of our bird lovers a tithe of the produce<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77"></a>{77}</span> -which his own good services have increased immeasurably to our benefit. -That ancient poet who wrote of the cave where</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i10">“Birds obscene,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Of ominous note, resorted, choughs and daws.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">was not so good an agriculturist as one might have expected him to be.</p> - -<p>Cowper appreciated the character of the Jackdaw to the full. He says</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“There is a bird who, by his coat<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And by the hoarseness of his note,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Might be supposed a crow.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">A great frequenter of the church,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Where, bishop-like, he finds a perch,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And dormitory too.<br /></span> -<span style="margin-left: 4em;">. . . . . . . . . .</span><br /> -<span class="i1">Thrice happy bird, I too have seen<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Much of the vanities of men,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And, sick of having seen ’em,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Would cheerfully these limbs resign<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For such a pair of wings as thine,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And such a head between ’em.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78"></a>{78}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 448px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>DOUBTFUL.</p></div><br /> -<a href="images/i_086_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_086_sml.jpg" width="448" height="279" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE MAGPIE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79"></a>{79}</span></p> - -<h3>THE MAGPIE.<br /> -(<i>Píca rústica.</i>)</h3> - -<p>This is an extraordinarily clever, sly, and calculating bird, which, -although living mostly in the neighbourhood of man, never becomes -confiding, though bold enough to steal a young bird off the nest, and -make away with it. When a pig is killed, it lurks around for hours with -other birds of the crow species, near the spot where the pig is singed -and cut open; and at an opportune moment darts down, siezes something, -and is instantly back on the roof or the hay rick.</p> - -<p>In a hard winter it will come into the farmyard or the village, and -filch whenever and whatever it can. It builds its nest, preferably, on a -road where rows of acacia trees border the cornfields; a spot which -offers a wide field for its activity: doing mischief by decimating the -young birds; but on the other hand it destroys grubs and beetles, and in -this way is useful. It does, however, considerable harm, and therefore -its numbers should be lessened in my opinion.</p> - -<p>It is well known that the Magpie steals any shining object it can find. -Its call sounds like “Shakerack.” There is a saying in Hungary, where it -is very numerous, that when the Magpie cries on the roof there are -visitors coming.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Game-preservers have managed to destroy more Magpies than Jays in Great -Britain, but the Magpie is still fairly numerous and the species is -distributed widely throughout our country. In Ireland it is even -increasing in numbers. The Magpie confers immense benefits by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80"></a>{80}</span> devouring -slugs, snails, worms, rats and mice, and these ought surely to weigh -against its depredations in the poultry yard, and where eggs and game -are concerned.</p> - -<p>A number of Magpies together have, under stress of hunger, been known to -attack weakly animals, and the late Lord Lilford recorded an instance of -fourteen or fifteen of these birds fastening on to a sore-backed donkey -in very severe snowy weather, and after the death of this animal, from -natural causes, several of the birds were shot as they fed on its body. -But what will starving creatures not do if they can fill their empty -stomachs? Their keen eyes also see when a fox is growing exhausted, and -they will hover and swoop over it in a most suggestive manner.</p> - -<p>In point of fact the Magpie robs poultry yards, taking eggs, chicks and -young ducks, during the months of May and June especially; but these -might be protected. Some fruit too he will steal; but let us consider -that all the year round he feeds on the very worst enemies to -agriculture, and that it feeds its young, generally six of these in each -nest, on insects chiefly and later on rats, mice, etc. The short-tailed -Vole or field mouse of which from time to time our country has a perfect -plague “overwhelming the whole earth, in the marshes,” said one old -chronicler, is especially sought for by the Magpie and these Field Voles -have three or four litters in the year, litters of from four to eight -young. One writer states his belief that the destruction of Kestrels and -Magpies is the cause of the increase of Field Voles. The Rev. J. G. Wood -considered that it more than compensated for the harm it did to game and -poultry by its good offices in ridding the gardens and cultivated -grounds of their varied foes, and Macgillivray gave the bird a good<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81"></a>{81}</span> -character on the whole. Our cattle are grateful for its services; like -the Jackdaw it frees them often of the vermin which annoy them so -persistently. The large White—or cabbage butterflies, it devours -largely, and these feed on other crops beside cabbage, both the leaves -and seed-pods of turnips for instance, horse-radish too and watercress. -Enormous flights of these insects come to us from abroad from time to -time.</p> - -<p>It is of course a noisy chattering creature, and, as a child, I remember -I had a perfect terror of a tame Magpie that ran after me, pecking at my -heels. Its “tricks and manners” leave much to be desired, it must be -owned, yet it is an ornament to the country side, and to meet more than -one Magpie is considered to be a very lucky omen, that is, I believe, up -to six. In Scandinavia it is the bird of good luck, par excellence, and -its presence is much desired about the homestead.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Montgomery wrote:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Magpie, thou too hast learned by rote to speak<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Words without meaning through thy uncouth beak.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">but the Magpie retorts:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Words have I learned, and without meaning too,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Mark well, my masters taught me all they knew.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Head, neck, throat, mantle, rump, and thighs black; breast, underparts, -shoulder and the inside of the wing feathers pure white. This gives the -bird a very pied appearance. The tail is long, arrow-shaped, and like -the wings have a beautiful metallic lustre. Its nest,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82"></a>{82}</span> which is a work -of art, is built in trees. Dry twigs and thorns form the foundation, and -on this lies the cup made of earth or clay and lined with fine roots, -leaves and hair. Over this is a domed roof of thorns and twigs: the -opening of the nest is at the side. The clutch consists of four to seven -eggs of greenish grey speckled with brown.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 184px;"> -<a href="images/i_090_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_090_sml.jpg" width="184" height="171" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Out in the Cold.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83"></a>{83}</span></p> - -<h3>THE JAY.<br /> -(<i>Gárrulus glandárius.</i>)</h3> - -<p>Wherever this bird is found woods and gardens ring with the sound of its -voice. Its usual cry sounds like “Matyash” (Hungarian for the name -Matthias) by which name it is consequently often called in that country. -It is an active, restless visitor to the bushes and gardens, when they -are near a wood. It is not dainty and its voracity is great. Nuts, -filberts, acorns, beechnuts, fruits, berries, but also insects from -grubs upwards, grasshoppers, beetles,—everything finds its way into its -crop. Such things as nuts and filberts, which have a hard shell, it -collects in crevices and holes. All this is not so bad, but another of -its habits is evil—it is a nest plunderer. Eggs, naked fledglings, -half-fledged young, sitting on the edge of the nest awaiting the -mother’s return—all become its prey. In order to reach them it squeezes -through the thick growth of the whitethorn. In fact it is a shameful -bird that deserves no consideration.</p> - -<p>If caught young and kept in a cage or running about the house, he is -often found to be an amusing fellow, even if not quite tame,—and proves -himself a perfect master in imitating the notes of other birds. In the -first place he learns the noises of the domestic fowls and animals. He -chirps like the little chickens, crows and cackles; then he howls like -the dog, cries like the cat, squeaks like the unoiled hinges of a door, -or a cart-wheel. He answers the Cock, like a cock, the goose, like a -goose. His usual cry is a screeching “Retch” or “Rey”—or when in fear -“Kay” or “Kray.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84"></a>{84}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 254px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>DOUBTFUL.</p></div> -<a href="images/i_092_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_092_sml.jpg" width="254" height="343" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE JAY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85"></a>{85}</span></p> - -<p>It is fairly numerous with us, and is on account of its brilliant -plumage, an ornament of the woods.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In Great Britain the Jay finds little consideration, save from the -makers of artificial flies, after he has been shot or trapped. The -lovely blue wing-feathers are used by these men. Gamekeepers also show -him scant mercy. Still he manages to hold his own in the woodlands and -is fairly common in England and Wales. In Ireland its numbers are fast -decreasing. On the east coasts large flocks sometimes arrive from the -Continent to stay for a time; but the Jay is of course resident with us -as a species.</p> - -<p>The Jay is perhaps now receiving a little more toleration than formerly. -It devours worms and insects, certainly, and to a considerable extent. A -Son of the Marshes puts it in a light which is worthy of consideration. -To quote from “Nature’s Raiders”—“The Jays have scant mercy shown them -as a rule. On some estates extreme measures are carried out against them -but this is not always the case. Taking their numbers into -consideration, they cannot be half so hurtful as they are represented to -be from the gamekeepers’ point of view, or they would be thinned off -more. Jays are excellent covert guards in the daytime in the same way in -which the peewits, at night, guard the fields which they frequent. Both -birds give tongue as it is termed. To the small allotment holders who -have their cultivated patches in sheltered hollows close to the woods, -this bird must be considered as a feathered benefactor, for he will, if -allowed to do so, keep within due bounds the small raiders that play -havoc with their garden produce. Recently I saw at least a dozen -watching for—and capturing<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86"></a>{86}</span> also—some of the wood mice that had -ventured out on the sunny slopes of the allotment grounds. As the crops -were vegetable ones the less attention these have paid to them by the -mice, when in a young state, the better.”</p> - -<p>The voice of the Jay is against him, however. It does not evoke -sympathy. Montgomery wrote:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Thou hast a crested poll and ’scutcheoned wing<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Fit for the herald of an eagle king,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">But such a voice! I would that thou could’st sing.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">And the Jay retorts:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“My bill has rougher work, to scream with fright,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And then, when screaming will not do, to fight.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Jay is smaller than the Jackdaw. Its plumage is reddish grey, the -bridle wide and black; crown nearly white with dark longitudinal flecks; -rump and undertail-cover white; on the wings a white spot; tail -black,—with pale blue cross bars. Its great beauty is due to the upper -wing feathers which are striped with white, black and a beautiful blue. -It has bright shining eyes of light blue. The nest is built in trees, -sometimes high, sometimes low, and five to nine eggs are laid, which on -a pale, usually greenish, ground are thickly speckled with dark but -delicate spots.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 311px;"> -<a href="images/i_094_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_094_sml.jpg" width="311" height="153" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The Jay as raider.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87"></a>{87}</span></p> - -<h3>THE BLACK-HEADED GULL.<br /> -(<i>Larus ridibundus.</i>)</h3> - -<p>This Gull is a migrant in Hungary. Many, however, pass the winter with -us, leaving the frozen inland waters for the open streams of the rivers, -where they pass their time until spring returns. It has quite adapted -itself to life on land, and there is no bird which more assiduously -follows the plough in those districts where it has its nesting place on -the inland waters, or more zealously clears the cornfields, meadows, and -rush-beds of all kinds of noxious worms and grubs, than this gull. It -also feeds its young on these insects, and many of the landowners, have -to thank the Blackheaded Gull that they are free from the annoyance of -these pests. It frequents the ponds and lakes, however, in autumn, and -makes havoc among the little fishes. Its screeching call can be heard at -a great distance, “<i>Kreā, Kreā</i>,” or “<i>Krackackark</i>.”</p> - -<p>It is an exceedingly useful bird, and ought to be protected.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This species is generally distributed on our shores all through the year -in Great Britain, but in spring it betakes itself to marshy places near -the coast and to inland lakes and meres. Near Poole in Dorset is a -colony of these Gulls, they ought rather to be called Brown than -Black-headed; on the coast of Essex, several in Norfolk, small ones in -Yorkshire—one large one near Brigg in Lincolnshire; and those of -Aqualate Mere in Staffordshire and Norbury have existed for some -centuries. In many other districts to the North they are even<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88"></a>{88}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 394px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_096_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_096_sml.jpg" width="394" height="310" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BACK-HEADED GULL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89"></a>{89}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">more plentiful—right up as far as the Shetlands. In Ireland it is the -commonest species of its family.</p> - -<p>To the farmer the services of this Gull are invaluable. Like the Rook it -follows the plough, devouring vast quantities of worms and grubs. It can -capture moths and cockchafers on the wing, and will eat indeed almost -anything, acting also like others of its congeners as a scavenger of the -foreshores. Farming in districts near the coast benefits greatly from -the services of these birds. They are partial to snails also, and as no -Gull feeds on plants, seeds or fruits, a Gull in a garden, wing-clipped, -is often kept as a useful pet.</p> - -<p>This Gull is sixteen inches in length, that is almost as big as a crow. -The beak is not strong, the point is curved downwards; the head a -beautiful dark-brown. This colour extends to the throat. There is a -white ring round the eyes. Neck and mantle a beautiful ashen-grey, -throat, breast and underparts white, with pinkish tinge; outer primaries -dark with white stripes. The upper parts of the wings are light grey; -beak and legs carmine, also the irides and their borders; the toes are -joined together by a web. The head becomes white in winter, the beak and -feet lose their brilliant red colour and become flesh colour, and then -brownish. It nests with others in settlements consisting sometimes of -3000 to 4000 nests. The nest is placed on broken reeds, turf clods, -tufts of rushes; the bird, without much skill, makes a little heap, -scratches a hollow in it, smoothes the inside, prepares a litter of dry -rush and sedge leaves, and the nest is finished. The nests are placed -close together. The clutch consists of two or three eggs, very rarely -four, usually of a yellowish clay colour, marked, or regularly speckled -with a dark shade.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90"></a>{90}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 279px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_098_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_098_sml.jpg" width="279" height="167" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE QUAIL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91"></a>{91}</span></p> - -<h3>THE QUAIL.<br /> -(<i>Cotúrnix commúnis.</i>)</h3> - -<p>The Quail is about the size of a large clenched fist, and is almost as -round as a skittle ball. Its entire plumage is clay-coloured speckled -with a darker shade, and marked with light lines, like the head of oats. -The whole marking of it, especially of its back, is designed to avert -man’s attention from this crouching bird. The throat of the cock is -black, the beak and legs like those of the barn-door fowl. The bright -eye light nut-brown. The nest is placed on the ground, and is simply a -scratched-out hole, which is rather littered than lined with blades of -grass. In this the female bird lays her eggs of olive yellow, -beautifully speckled with brown, sometimes to the number of sixteen, but -usually ten. The chicks run after their mother as soon as they are -hatched and dried—which is a very pretty sight. They can make -themselves invisible by crouching on the ground, so that the colour of -their down assimilates with that of the earth.</p> - -<p>The habits of this bird are those of the domestic fowl. From early -morning till evening twilight, the Quail is on its feet, searching the -ground for grains of seed or little beetles. It scratches like a hen, -and when it finds a sunny, dusty or sandy place, it bathes in the sand, -flinging the dust all about. The Quail is a useful bird—for it picks up -only the seed which lies on the ground, and feeds its young with the -same. It therefore deserves shelter and care. Its voice and habits are -pleasant and agreeable to man. Its familiar and homelike cry, sounds -from out of the cornfields, and the little hen answers. The mating call -of both is, “<i>Bue bee wee</i>.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92"></a>{92}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Ah! what sweet accents fall softly around,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Fürchte Gott!)<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Murmurs the quaint little quail from the ground.”<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The bird’s cry of “<i>Bit by bit</i>,” and his mate’s reply, “<i>Wet my weet, -Wet my weet</i>,” as we render it, is not often heard now in our own -country. This is attributed by some to the fact that most of the Quail’s -favourite feeding-grounds have been “improved” away. Fine pasture-lands -are now where the ground was once coarse and covered with tussock, bent, -thistles, burdock, hawkweed, and such plants as flourish in uncared-for -lands, and in such surroundings the Quail delighted to remain. Now, only -very few winter with us; the majority leave in October for the South.</p> - -<p>The Quail is an accomplished ventriloquist, and the late Lord Lilford, -in his “Notes on the Birds of Northamptonshire,” says that he often -heard a caged Quail calling when within a few feet of him, which yet -gave the impression of being many yards distant. On the western side of -Corfu he found numbers of these birds in the currant-vines on very steep -hill-sides, and vast numbers are bred in the cultivated plains around -and below Seville, where their numbers are thinned in the pairing season -by a clever method of calling the birds into a net by imitating the -call-note of the female. On the island of Capri, in the Bay of Naples, -it is on record that as many as 160,000 have been netted in a single -season.</p> - -<p>Many of us have eaten them in the South of France during the grape -season. The birds can be caught by the hand when they have, as the -French say, intoxicated<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93"></a>{93}</span> themselves by feeding on the ripe grapes. -During the winter and the early spring they feed on the seeds of the -plantain, dock, vetch, and chickweed. Slugs also and insects help to -form the bird’s diet. The Italian’s notion that it is unwholesome to eat -Quails at a given season arises, no doubt, from the fact that it is -pleasanter eating and the flesh is plumper at certain times of the year -than at others, owing largely to the varying nature of the bird’s food.</p> - -<p>The Quail is a favourite pet in Spain; the birds are kept much in cages -there, and are valued because of their song; and that the Quails have -been taken on the Continent in vast numbers when netting them, at the -time of the vernal migration, is not to be denied. “We remember,” says -Lord Lilford, “seeing a steamer at Bressina, in the month of May, 1874, -one of whose officers assured us that he had six thousand pairs of -Quails alive on board, all destined for the London market. The unhappy -birds are carried in low flat cages on boxes, wired only in front, and -it is surprising what a very small percentage of them die on the voyage, -unless “a sea” happens to break over them. They thrive well on millet, -and soon become fat; but, in our opinion, this traffic should be -prohibited, as the unfortunate birds are caught on their way to their -breeding quarters, and some of them at all events would afford sport at -a legitimate season when naturally fit for the table.” “Chaud comme -caille,” says the French proverb, because Quails are exceedingly amorous -and pugnacious at the time of pairing. They thrive well in confinement, -and are easily “fatted up” for the table.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94"></a>{94}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 231px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_102_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_102_sml.jpg" width="231" height="313" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE STARLING.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95"></a>{95}</span></p> - -<h3>THE STARLING.<br /> -(<i>Sturnus vulgaris.</i>)</h3> - -<p>The Starling is a very lively, jovial bird, very active, hunting about, -and chattering over what it snaps up. It is also very sociable. These -birds often collect in such numbers, in places, where a wood is bounded -by pastures or reed-beds that when the flock rises together, it throws a -shadow like a dark cloud. It specially seeks out flocks—cattle, horses, -sheep or pigs, and stalks about in their shadow, under the very noses of -the wallowing swine, in order to drag out of the earth the desired -worms, in company with the Blue headed Wagtail. It also perches on the -bodies of the beasts, and operates on them where there are maggots or -worms. The animal knows the bird is doing him a good turn, and remains -perfectly still.</p> - -<p>It is true that this bird also attacks cherries, blackberries, -raspberries and grapes; and, if present in numbers, it does, indeed, -considerable harm.—Then it must be frightened off with rattles, -blank-shot, and whatever else is of use. Still, the year through, it -does a thousand times more good than harm and therefore deserves to be -protected and cherished.</p> - -<p>It becomes very tame and trusting in captivity and can be easily taught. -It can learn to sing tunes and speak words—and becomes attached to its -owner.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Mrs. Edward Phillips of Croydon rescued forty starlings once from the -pockets of a working man who said<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96"></a>{96}</span> he was selling them to serve as -pigeon dummies, in shooting matches amongst his friends. Needless to say -she paid for and set them at liberty. I was struck with the scarcity of -Starlings in the centre of France, and country folks there told me they -were getting scarce. Perhaps they were not much protected, for I saw in -Anjou a family of the young birds in the hands of a boy who told me he -was carrying them home to train for sale as singing and talking pets. -They are not good to eat and yet they will feed on them in that -part—birds these that, if spared, eat up tons of those grubs and larvæ -which ruin the crops in the field. Sometimes even they have been shut up -and fed on vegetable diet to make them taste better. This has only made -the bird thinner, proof positive that the enemies of “green stuff” and -not itself form their natural diet. Feeding as they do at all seasons on -our pasture lands the services they render are incalculable.</p> - -<p>In November, or somewhat earlier, they arrive on our east coasts in -great numbers; whilst others migrate westward, deserting some localities -entirely for a time. Great numbers also visit the South of Ireland then. -They settle on the salt marshes for a while sometimes; but often they -pass on further inland in perfect silence, with a swift direct flight, -and a way altogether unlike their usual chattering fussy ways. They -begin to pair in January in some of our districts. Naturalists call them -Ambulatores, or walking birds; they are quaint creatures in all their -ways and habits. Of late years they have been accused of pecking into -apples more than is desirable. As the season advanced, and fruit was not -so varied and plentiful, I used to find that when all the leaves were -off my pear trees—in a former home—they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97"></a>{97}</span> ate the few pears that were -left hanging high up until nothing but stalk was left, but they touched -neither apples nor pears whilst the leaves were on the trees.</p> - -<p>The best way of keeping Starlings away from <i>high</i> cherry trees, that I -have seen, is fixing a long narrow flag to a strong top branch. Large -flocks of them resort to cowfolds, where the stock are all night, and -before these are let out the birds are there seeking for larvæ and worms -in the dried dung, perching now and anon on the backs of the cattle, -chattering low all the time. They rid trees of caterpillars, and the -turnip fields, where they have been known to clear these of “fly”; also -to visit field peas that were infected with aphides and do good work -there; and they devour great numbers of Daddy-longlegs. Waterton,—that -past-master in the art of observing and chronicling the doings of birds, -wrote: “There is not a bird in all Great Britain more harmless than the -Starling: still, it has to suffer persecution, and is often doomed to -see its numbers thinned by the hand of wantonness or error. The author -of ‘Journal of a Naturalist’ observed a pair of Starlings having young -ones for several days, and he wrote, ‘It appears probable that this -pair, in conjunction, do not travel less than 50 miles a day, visiting -and feeding their young about 140 times, which, consisting of five in -number, and admitting only one to be fed each time, every bird must -receive in this period twenty portions of food.”</p> - -<p>In 1891 twelve farmers, replying to Miss Ormerod’s question as to which -kinds of birds were specially useful in destroying caterpillars, all -replied in favour of the Starling. Now what, after all, matters a little -fruit taken from private gardens in view of all this good work done. And -as to the professional fruit grower, it will pay him<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98"></a>{98}</span> to employ a boy or -two during a short season of the year, to keep birds off his trees.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Sir Herbert Maxwell, who writes on the whole in favour of Starlings, and -remarks truly that all naturalists are agreed that the good they do -outweighs the evil, says that “from many a dovecote the legitimate -occupants have been expelled by the intrusion of these irrepressible -creatures.” And Waterton wrote, “The farmer complains that it sucks his -pigeons’ eggs, and when the gunner and his assembly wish, the keeper is -ordered to close the holes of entrance to the dovecot overnight, and the -next morning three or four dozen of Starlings are captured to be -shot.... Alas! these poor Starlings had merely resorted to it for -shelter and protection, and were in no way responsible for the fragments -of egg-shells which were strewed on the floor.... The rat and the weasel -were the real destroyers,” etc.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Starling is as big as a thrush; it has bluish iridescent plumage, -the feathers tipped with white. Beak relatively small, brow flat; eyes -near the base of the beak, which gives it a cunning expression. The -feathers are small and tapering at the point; beak yellowish. The hen is -paler, the young ones still more so. The legs are strong, with sharp -claws. It selects for its nest holes in oak trees in the woods near -which is pasture land or water stocked with reeds and rushes. In warmer -regions it breeds twice in the summer. The first clutch consists of five -to seven eggs, the second of four or five of a pale light blue colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99"></a>{99}</span></p> - -<h3>THE ROSE STARLING.<br /> -(<i>Pastor roseus.</i>)</h3> - -<p>In Hungary this bird is only a summer guest, and single pairs may be met -with in various parts of the country. Its appearance in large numbers -always coincides with the time of the grasshopper plague;—a fact which -was first observed in 1814. The distinguished Hungarian ornithologist, -Petényi, described his observations in 1837. He states that, so long as -the grasshoppers are not fully developed, the bird feeds on all sorts of -insects; but as soon as the grasshopper is sufficiently matured, this -insect forms its sole food, and is pursued with great eagerness. Thus, -in the year 1907 great numbers of Rose Starlings appeared on the -well-known Puerta of Hortshágy where just at that time the grasshopper -plague was raging. There we may enjoy the spectacle which Petényi -described as follows: “To the eye of the beholder a flock of these birds -in flight has the appearance of a roseate cloud, always -moving,—backwards, forwards, sideways, in ever changing forms of -beauty—or, alighting, they give an exquisite impression of whole -bunches of wandering roses moving on the green turf.”</p> - -<p>Although the Rose Starling also loves fruit-berries and causes such -damage to them by its great numbers, that in some parts it is called the -“devil’s bird”—the fact remains that its chief food is the grasshopper. -In Tartary, its native land, it destroys the locusts which in former -times visited Hungary. A Turkish proverb says that the Rose Starling -kills ninety-nine grasshoppers before it eats one. When a flight of -these birds descends upon a grasshopper infested district, it consumes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span> -an enormous number of these insects, and that, in places where human -defences can do nothing; in this consists the value of its actions.</p> - -<p>Among the grasshoppers found in Hungary at the present time are the -<i>Stauronatus maroccanus</i> and in smaller numbers the <i>Colopterus -italicus</i>, the latter of which belongs naturally to the Hungarian fauna.</p> - -<p>The note of the Rose Starling is a harsh and continuous babble. This -bird is protected in the Caucasus and elsewhere because locusts are the -favourite food of both the old and the young birds. In the East it is -said to be, however, very injurious to grain during the colder season; -also I believe, in Africa. This beautiful bird has occurred of late -years in most parts of Great Britain, but only, alas, to be shot and -“stuffed.” As a rule it visits us in summer and autumn, single birds, -perhaps separated somehow from flocks of their own species. In such a -case they generally join our own Starlings.</p> - -<p>This beautiful species is the same size as its congener, the Common -Starling, and it resembles the latter in form although so much smarter -in appearance. Rump, back, shoulders, breast and underparts are a bright -rosy pink, head, neck and throat are a glossy black, wings and tail are -a metallic greenish-black. The bill is a yellowish-pink, black at the -base; legs yellowish-brown. The long crest of the adult male is composed -of fine violet-black feathers. The female is not so brightly tinted and -has a smaller crest. The nest of the Rose Starling is built in its own -native home in south-eastern Europe in some crevice in a ruin in -quarries, cliffs, or among stones in a ravine or a railway cutting. The -clutch consists of five to six eggs of a pale bluish-white colour, or -pale bluish-green.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Waxwing.</span><br /> -(<i>Ampelis garrulus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> beautiful little bird has its nesting place in the far north. It -often visits Mid-Europe in winter in great numbers, principally -frequenting juniper plantations, where it is easily snared. Its flesh -being a great delicacy, it is much sought for. Moving along the -headlands it passes also into the valleys, and even visits the gardens -and parks of great towns, especially where mistletoe is found on the old -trees. When in need it eats seeds; it also feeds on the berries of -whitethorn, mountain ash, hawthorn, and other bushes. It has a good -appetite and digests its food very quickly, but is somewhat inactive in -its movements. It lives in colonies sometimes smaller sometimes larger. -Its breeding range extends across Behring Straits to Alaska and the -Rocky Mountains.</p> - -<p>The Waxwing visits Great Britain at irregular intervals, often in large -numbers, during the winter. Being an inhabitant of the Arctic regions, -its visits are more frequently paid to the Northern and Eastern sides of -the country, but it has been seen often in the Southern counties. In -Norfolk, on the spring migration, it is sometimes seen up to the first -week in May. It is a silent, gentle-mannered bird and its only note is a -low <i>cir-ir-ir-ir-re</i>. It is essentially a wandering species and is very -erratic as to its nesting places, belonging to the class the poet refers -to in those lines</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The birds of passage transmigrating come,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Unnumbered colonies of foreign wing,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">At Nature’s summons.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 229px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_110_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_110_sml.jpg" width="229" height="258" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WAXWING.</p> - -<p>An erratic winter visitant.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span></p> - -<p>The Waxwing has a very silky plumage. On its head is a crest, inclining -backwards, which can, however, be erected at pleasure. Throat smooth -black; back cinnamon-brown, underparts a lighter shade of the same -colour. Tail black with a golden-yellow border at the end. Wings black -with white bars. The outer half of the secondary wing feathers yellow, -with white border at the end. The shafts of these feathers are tipped -with red horny appendages like sealing-wax, which also appear on the -tail feathers of the adult male.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 238px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_112_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_112_sml.jpg" width="238" height="282" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SWALLOW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a> -<a href="images/i_113_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_113_sml.jpg" width="311" height="130" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<br /><br /> -CHAPTER IV.<br /><br /> -IN THE AIR AND ON THE TREES.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Swallow.</span><br /> -(<i>Hirundo rustica.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> nest of the Swallow is in the shape of half a saucer, quite open, -and formed of clay, into which straw and grass are cleverly kneaded. It -is built in old huts, in chimneys, also under the eaves of houses, often -so low, that it can easily be reached by an outstretched arm. This bird -is truly a household companion with us in Hungary. The first clutch of -the year consists of five to six eggs, the second which comes at -Midsummer, of three or four; they are white, speckled with reddish-brown -and grey.</p> - -<p>It is a pleasure for man, to observe the daily life of the Swallow. In -spring it returns to its old nest, tidies it up, and then its domestic -felicity begins. In the early morning light, it may be seen sitting on -the roof, on the window-sill, or on a post, cleaning and arranging its -plumage; then it wakes the household,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> with its twittering morning song. -Next husband and wife begin their flight. Swift as an arrow, off they -go, seizing flying insects and caressing each other on the way. The -Chimney Swallow, when on the wing, utters a hasty “<i>Beeweest, -beeweest</i>,” especially if it is alarmed. Its cry is a tender “<i>Weet</i>” or -“<i>Weeda weet</i>.”</p> - -<p>Soon comes the brooding time; then, the young ones slip out of the eggs, -and the work of feeding and educating begins. The parents take it in -turns to perform these duties, which they do with the greatest industry, -and even when the young ones are as big as themselves, and fully -fledged, they still place them in a row on some bough, and bring them -food. It is beautiful to see with what fidelity this is done. It is a -sight to move heart and mind with tenderness, and this is the pet bird -of our people, who care for it, and gladly give it shelter and -protection; not however, that of the Southerners, who catch and cook -Swallows by hundreds of thousands.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>We hear from all parts of the country of the scarcity of Swallows, and -various theories have been offered as to the reason of this. In France -their numbers have been for years systematically reduced by the snaring -and destruction of them, in various ways, for table use. An instance of -this I can personally vouch for. A doctor in Nismes, the brother of a -friend of my own, who is keen on bird protection, being in the market -one day, was pressed by a poulterer to buy Larks. When he refused, the -man, thinking the price was too high for him, took him aside and showed -him two hampers apparently full of these birds, which are allowed to be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span> -sold there, whereas the massacre of Swallows is illegal. On the top was -a layer of Larks, underneath were Swallows only. “These I can do -cheaper,” he said.</p> - -<p>The Midland farmer I alluded to before, Mr. E. Hancock, who writes to me -at times, and who has commented on the few Swallows about, sends me a -story of a pair nesting in his bedroom. They built over a picture frame, -brought out their young successfully, and the youngsters having gone out -into the wide world, the two parent birds remained in the home. One -roosted regularly on a clock in the bedroom, the other upon the picture -frame. It is possible that this pair, or one of them, was hatched out on -the picture at Great Bealings House, Suffolk, of which I have written -elsewhere. Who can tell? A few days ago they began cleaning, relining -and repairing the nest, making all ready for the coming of their second -brood.</p> - -<p>Lady Farren had little silver rings put on the young of the second brood -hatched over the portrait in the bedroom at Great Bealings. A bird, with -the ring still on came to breed in that same place two years later.</p> - -<p>The poor Swallows often suffer terribly from storms and unseasonable -weather coming after they have left their warm winter quarters. Mr. -Poole, of Ealing, told me that being at his angling quarters on the -river Kennet, Ham Bridge, near Newbury, on April 25, 1908, at 8.15 a.m., -he saw Martins and Swallows hawking flies, most probably the <i>grannow</i>, -as there had been some previous hatches of this fly noticed. The season -earlier had been a warm one and these birds had arrived early.</p> - -<p>It was snowing hard at the time, and had been doing so for some few -hours, and three or four inches of snow<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span> lay on the ground. All that day -it snowed continuously, ceasing only at about 7 p.m., with a fall nearly -two feet deep. The frost was occasionally severe during the day. On the -morrow, April 26, it was intensely bright, and even hot in the sun, the -snow disappearing very quickly; but, said Mr. Poole, “I saw not a sign -of either Swallow or Martin and indeed they were scarce on the Kennet -for the rest of the season. I also noted a great scarcity upon the riven -Itchen, in Hampshire.”</p> - -<p>A lady also tells me that near Lynn in Norfolk, during the great cold, -the hungry Swallows came down on her garden lawn and picked up the -scattered crumbs of bread.</p> - -<p>Probably numbers perished of cold and hunger. As Swallows live entirely -on insects, the diminution in their numbers is a serious matter.</p> - -<p>It is sometimes necessary, in order to preserve the proper order of -things, to describe what every one knows. The most striking -characteristics of the Swallow, which distinguish it from its congeners -are as follows: Brow and throat a beautiful chestnut brown; breast, -back, wings, and tail a fine black with a bluish metallic lustre. With -regard to the tail however, only the two middle feathers are pure black, -on the others small whitish specks are discernible. The outer -tail-feathers form a long pronged fork. The underparts are sometimes -white, sometimes brownish. The beak is very small, the gape wide. The -open jaw forms a kind of little pocket. The legs are small with sharp -claws suitable for grasping.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The House Martin.</span><br /> -(<i>Chelidon urbica.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">While</span> the Chimney Swallow builds inside houses, under some circumstances -even in the fire-place—thus becoming a beloved member of the -family,—the House Martin constructs its strong and comparatively large -nest on the outside of the building. In mountainous districts it is -found also in an overhanging position on the steep rocks, where it is -sheltered from the rain. In many villages, where windows and doors of -the upper floor are kept shut, so that the Chimney Swallow cannot come -in, the latter is not found, and the House Martin then takes its place.</p> - -<p>This Swallow also lives entirely upon flying insects. It spends most of -its time on the wing otherwise it could not live. It has, consequently, -small, weak legs, which are only useful for clinging. It is as useful as -its relative but has less confidence in man; it is less familiar. -Neither does it please our ears with such a pretty twittering, and its -enclosed, remote nest, affords us no insight to its family life. It -arrives later in the spring than the Swallow, and assembles in the -autumn in flocks, on towers, trees, roofs of houses and churches. One -fine day we find they are all up and away—for the distant South.</p> - -<p>This bird deserves every care and protection.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>I had been watching with interest the building of some nests of the -House Martin one season, and enjoying the sight of the pretty creatures -as they circled about a house I was staying in for a time, and the way -they<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 264px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_118_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_118_sml.jpg" width="264" height="290" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HOUSE MARTIN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">dived in under the eaves. But those bold marauders the House Sparrows, -whom over-feeding and indulgence have corrupted and made indolent, -forcibly took possession of these homes which were ready for immediate -habitation. My neighbour literally fought the intruders, brandishing a -clothes-prop from her open bedroom window for several mornings and -evenings. The Martins forsook the nests at last in dudgeon, worn out -with anxiety as to their homes which are now empty, for my friend -declares no Sparrows shall have them. This is one of the worst -indictments against the Sparrow, as we all prefer the graceful and -useful House Martins about our homes; and through this evil habit of the -former their numbers are greatly lessening.</p> - -<p>There has been a general complaint of late years that the numbers of the -Swallow family are decreasing. This is an international question. If the -Southern European States net and kill Swallows and other small useful -birds which are passing through on their migratory flight, the more -Northern States naturally suffer loss. That is why many of us regret -greatly that England has not as yet seen her way towards joining that -International convention for the protection of wild birds which had its -first beginning in Germany in a little band of foresters and to which -nearly all the European States excepting England now subscribe.</p> - -<p>The whole study of the migration of birds is full of interest and, -indeed, of mystery, much as we have learned of their life history during -the last fifty years. As a humble student of bird-life, glad to learn -all I can from other students, I have found that those who know most -about this wonderful migration are the most modest in making definite -assertions in the matter. So little,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span> they will tell one, is as yet -absolutely established fact, “the way of the bird in the air” is still -shrouded in mystery.</p> - -<p>The House Martin is smaller than the Chimney Swallow and is easily -distinguished from it. At the first glance we are struck by the two -colours of its plumage, black and white. Throat, breast, underparts, and -also the rump are white; beak, neck, mantle, wings, and tail, black. The -little legs are covered in front with white down, like little trousers. -The throat is less white than that of the Swallow. Its nest is -half-globular, built of clay, and has only a very narrow opening. It -builds under eaves, or cornices, in sheltered places on houses and -churches, in whole colonies, sometimes in groups, also one over another -like a bunch of grapes. It lays five, sometimes seven white eggs.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 307px;"> -<a href="images/i_120_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_120_sml.jpg" width="307" height="121" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The Swallow’s Flight.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Sand Martin.</span><br /> -(<i>Cotile riparia.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Sand Martin flies quickly, but not with the arrow-like speed of the -Chimney Swallow. It dwells on the waterside, where it nests in colonies -of hundreds, even thousands. The nest is composed almost exclusively of -earth, and is placed in the steep high bank or in the walls of a -landslip, and it is remarkable as to its architecture. The little bird -excavates a long horizontal tunnel in the side of the bank, at the end -of which is an oven-like cave, in which it builds its nest of vegetable -fibre, roots, feathers and hair. The neighbours build so close together -that the bank in many places appears to be completely honeycombed. These -nests are built at least 12 inches from the surface of the bank. This -bird visits the neighbouring streams and ponds in flocks, circling and -darting here and there as is necessary in the pursuit of the winged -water-insects. On its return in the spring it seeks and enlarges its old -nest hole. It is widely distributed and occurs in great numbers.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>The Sand Martin arrives in Great Britain often as early as the last week -in March; it is also one of the first species to leave us. The Sparrows -often oust whole little colonies of these birds from their dwellings, -but when the colony is a large one they get the better of the hectoring -intruders. As soon as the young are able to leave the nest they go to -spots where there is water, as they find their food all day long in -localities where there is an abundance of insects—gnats especially. -Most useful they are in marshy localities, where the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 347px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_122_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_122_sml.jpg" width="347" height="270" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SAND MARTIN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">atmosphere would be intolerable for human beings but for the work of -these little creatures. A little dry grass and a quantity of feathers -supplies material for the nest which, being in a little chamber up a -tunnel, out of the disinfecting wind, gets flea-infested and very -unpleasant. Railway cuttings are much frequented both by Martins and -Wagtails because the passing of a train stirs up insect life in it.</p> - -<p>The gnat is frightfully prolific; it would soon poison our water as well -as render it hard for men to breathe. A mother gnat is said to lay from -200 to 300 eggs at one time, and in two weeks the young from these are -able to lay eggs themselves. Gnats must themselves be needed in the -economy of nature, but if not kept in check they would render our life -absolutely unbearable; they form the food for fishes, however, as well -as for birds.</p> - -<p>A porter at a railway station close to a cutting told Mr. C. Simeon, who -wrote on angling and natural history, that they did not allow boys -about, robbing the eggs in the colonies nesting there. “They”—the -birds—“are such good friends to us that we won’t let anyone meddle with -them.” He explained further that the flies about the station would be -unbearable but for the Martins that were always hawking about it. Before -the Martins arrived a few warm spring days often brought out a -troublesome number of flies. “Now,” he concluded, “we may see a fly now -and then, but that is all.”</p> - -<p>The Sand Martin is smaller than the others of the Swallow family and has -dull simple coloured plumage. Back greyish brown, throat and underparts -white, the short forked tail is of a uniform ashen-grey. Feet small but -strong. It lays five small, pure white eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 311px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_124_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_124_sml.jpg" width="311" height="294" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SWIFT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Swift.</span><br /> -(<i>Cypselus ápus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Swift comes to Hungary early in May and leaves again the first days -of August. In England it comes and leaves about the end of these months, -that is as soon as the young are ready to fly. The materials for the -nest are obtained on the wing, therefore often with difficulty, as the -wind brings it. These are glued together by the viscous secretions of -the bird. Sometimes, however, it robs Martins, House-Sparrows and -Starlings of their homes. The wild note of <i>see-see</i> has gained for the -Swifts the name of “Screechers,” and “Devilings” in Great Britain. They -always hunt in companies and one might say that they compass the wide -world in their rapid and powerful flight. The feet which are so helpless -on the ground are well adapted to clinging on to the rocks and heights -where they breed. The work Swifts do in clearing the air of insects must -be enormous, these forming all their food.</p> - -<p>This is one of the most interesting of our British birds, and one that -is still an unknown quantity, in some respects, to the most learned of -our ornithologists. “It soars on higher wing” even than the Skylark. A -larger bird, it rises until it is lost to the keenest sight, remaining -in the air longer, also, than perhaps any other bird. Whether it is -capable of rising from the ground, when once there, is, curiously -enough, still a matter of dispute among certain naturalists. “Can Swifts -take wing from the ground?” was a question raised not long ago in -“Nature Notes,” the organ of the Selborne Society.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span></p> - -<p>Over two centuries ago Dr. Plot wrote of the Swift, “ ... it having so -very long wings, and so short legs and small feet, that it cannot easily -rise from the ground unless it be very plain and free from grass; -wherefore it either always flies or sits on the tops of churches, -towers, or else hangs on other ancient buildings by its sharp claws, -from which it falls and so takes its flight.” It would appear from old -records to be very much commoner now in our country than it was; and -several recent accounts attest to its trick of exploring the old -nesting-hole of a Starling. Mr. Yates, of Staffordshire, and Mr. -Carr-Ellison, of Alnwick, both give interesting facts in corroboration -of this proclivity. In an Eccleshall street Mr. Yates saw a Swift enter -a hole where it had been in the habit of nesting, but it quickly emerged -with a Starling fast to its tail. So weighted, the unlucky Swift soon -came to the ground and to grief, but it was rescued and was started on -its flight again. The Alnwick naturalist, again, saw a Starling pecking -at a grounded Swift, and drove the former away. The Starling then flew -on to an apple espalier close by, and watched the Swift, which tried to -fly along the slightly sloping walk, but it could not get its wings -clear of the ground. Its friend lifted and threw it up in the air. Three -times this gentleman has witnessed the same scene at long intervals. The -reason of it is that he had had a hole made near his study window for -nesting purposes. Starlings always build in this in April or early in -May, and after they have left Swifts build in the same hole. Sometimes -they attempt this too soon; one comes to explore the hole, and gets -caught by a returning Starling who at once pulls it to the ground below, -where it is pecked whenever it tries to move. The Swift never<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> alights -on the ground of its own free will; about eighty of these birds, which -were picked up dead on a peninsula where I once sojourned, had dropped, -exhausted by violent storms encountered on the migratory flight, and -there for want of food and help they had perished.</p> - -<p>It is a delight to watch the evolutions of a Swift on a clear evening; -with a grand, falcon-like stooping, the cock-bird begins to drive its -mate back to her nest; at least, such is supposed to be its intention. -The males first rise high in the air, and then make the swoop, and there -is much evading by the females, and renewed pursuit, after which the -males come back alone to enjoy themselves whilst their mates sit quietly -on their nests.</p> - -<p>The Swift, which used to be classed with Swallows, is now placed in the -same order as the Fern Owl or Goatsucker, being, it is decided by -scientific authorities, more allied to the latter in its structural -affinity than to the Swallow. Its general colour is a bronzed -blackish-brown; the throat is a greyish-white; the bill, claws and toes -are black. The young birds have more white about the throat than the -adults. The tail is forked, the wings are long and narrow, formed like a -sickle. The eggs are generally only two in number, oval in shape and -dead white, whereas the Swallows and the Martins lay four to six eggs -each. Also the Swift has only one brood in the season, instead of two.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 476px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_128_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_128_sml.jpg" width="476" height="290" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE FERN OWL, NIGHT SWALLOW, OR NIGHTJAR.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Nightjar.</span><br /> -(<i>Caprimulgus Europæus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Nightjar is the bird of twilight and late evening. When the sun has -set and twilight is spreading over the land the bird leaves its day -hiding place, on the bough of an old tree, where it has clung the whole -time, undistinguishable from the bough on account of the colour of its -plumage. It rises on the wing, and with its peculiar, irresolute flight, -makes for the plain, or the bare places, and clearings in the woods.</p> - -<p>Like the Swallow it catches its prey on the wing—the flying insects of -the dusk, among them the largest night moths. Its cry is a pleasant -faint “<i>Häit, häit</i>.”</p> - -<p>There is a wide-spread, foolish superstition that the Nightjar sucks the -milk of cows and goats; it is, indeed, known to many people under the -name of “Goat Sucker.” This has arisen from the fact that it is often -seen flying about, here and there, in the pasture fields. It darts down, -then flies up again and seems to glance stealthily around. This -behaviour, and its great mouth, have given it a bad name. Every -herdsman, and indeed every one else who uses his eyes, knows that the -droppings of cows simply swarm with insects towards evening. The -Nightjar knows this also, and it is for that reason that the innocent -bird frequents such places.</p> - -<p>It is very useful and deserves help and protection, and the more so -because it is somewhat rare in Hungary.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>In the middle of May the Fern Owl or Nightjar arrives in Great Britain, -and utters his jarring or churring<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span> spinning-wheel song over the sloping -ground of many a common, where the golden gorse blossoms give out their -delicious, apricot-like scent, hanging over rifts in the sandstone; and -the ground below is studded with patches of ling, below which again -luxuriant green ferns, having their roots in the cool moist bottoms, -raise their tall fronds. It is warm on the bare patches of stony, sandy -soil, on which the sun has been shining all the afternoon, and moths -with other winged insects are here in numbers. The Fern Owls know that, -and they are churring and squeaking over the slopes and tumbling and -darting about after their winged prey, flying quite near to you as you -rest on a bit of their hunting ground.</p> - -<p>On a bare spot on the sunny slope, where a few gorse needles and bits of -dead bracken lie, two oblong creamy white eggs will be laid later, -marbled and veined in such tones as match their surroundings of stones, -dead leaves and bits of brown fern-stalk, so closely that it is by a -rare chance that the eye distinguishes them. And when the little -creatures are hatched out, they will look, at first, just like a bit of -lichen covered stone and a dead leaf. The mother will, it is said, pick -her eggs up and place them elsewhere if an intruder has approached them -too closely. When the young birds begin to flutter with their wings, the -parent bird shifts them up by easy stages, through the low growth of -heather and ferns, hustling them on, and bearing them up, until they -reach the lowest branches of some dipping oak bough, where they sit in a -line with the branch they rest on, invisible to the ordinary observer; -and there they are fed with scarcely a pause in the flight of the -industrious parent. In Devonshire they feed much on “fern-web”—namely, -small chafers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span></p> - -<p>It is a curious thing that the unjust appellation of “goat sucker,” -given from time immemorial to this bird, has its equivalent in almost -every country of Europe. It is like the case of the barn-owl, which is -called “oil drinker” in the south of France. Night-feeding birds have -always been the objects of ignorant persecution. The Nightjar is called -tette chèvre in France and Geissmelker in Germany. Crapaud-volant is -another of its names, after the toad, which is also said to suck goat’s -milk.</p> - -<p>The Nightjar is about 10 inches in length. It is a peculiar bird. The -plumage is fine and soft; in this, as well as in its colour, reminding -us of the Owl, with this difference, that the yellow in the colouring of -the Owl is not so pronounced and the ashen-grey and washed-out looking -brown is therefore more decided. The two middle tail feathers are a -beautiful grey with dark dots and intermittent cross-stripes. The head -is large, the eyes dark-brown and large, and they have power to see -clearly in the twilight. The beak is small, the gape, on the other hand, -relatively enormous, forming a yawning abyss when open; the edge of the -upper mandible beset with moveable bristles. Legs short and weak. It -does not build a nest. It lays two eggs on the bare ground and there -hatches them. The eggs are nearly white with dark marble-like veining.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_132_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_132_sml.jpg" width="344" height="406" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREEN WOODPECKER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Green Woodpecker.</span><br /> -(<i>Gecinus viridis.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> Woodpecker is indefatigible in its work of hacking trees and -dragging out worms; it flies in a curve from tree to tree, always -beginning its climb from the bottom; finds out the weak places in the -tree, in which it pecks holes so that it can reach the insects in them -with its long tongue, and so furnish itself with a meal. It is equally -busy on the ground, with the ant-heaps, which it bores into. Then when -the ants collect together it flings out its long sticky tongue; the ants -are caught on it, as on a lime twig, and so they find their way in to -the stomach of the bird. The Woodpecker carries on this business also in -winter, when he breaks through the hard frozen side of the ant-hill, and -surprises and decimates the inhabitants while in their winter sleep.</p> - -<p>It is a noisy bird whose “<i>klu-klu-klu-klu</i>” echoes through the wood, -breaking in on many a lonely hour for the woodman; a real blessing in -the orchard, and a skilful surgeon for invalid trees; on that account it -deserves protection and care.</p> - -<p>In this country it is fairly common.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>This is the largest and best known of our English Woodpeckers, and it -occurs in most of our wooded districts south of Derbyshire and -Yorkshire. In the northern counties it only breeds occasionally. In -Scotland it is little known and from Ireland it is also practically -absent. In England, too, it is very local in its occurrences. The song -which roused my imagination most in childhood’s days was that one with -the refrain about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> “The woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree.” And -the fact that as I listened to it I could only gaze out of the -old-fashioned bow windows of a town house, which looked out over a -sloping expanse of smoky chimneys, made the idea of the Woodpecker -tapping mysteriously suggestive and attractive. Since then I have heard -it in many a country—the green species and its relatives, and the song -takes me always back to the old home and the mother’s side by the piano.</p> - -<p>Windy March found me one morning in a pleasant wooded district in -Suffolk. Above the tossing of the branches of the great elms, as the -gale rushed over, sounded the notes of the Mistle-Thrush, fitly named -the storm-cock, singing out his defiance to the weather, as he swayed on -the topmost bough of an old cedar across the lawn. He is one of the -earliest heralds of spring, and is never daunted by the weather, though -it revert to wintry wildness. On the same lawn, well kept though it be, -if we look out early enough, we may see a pair of Green Woodpeckers. -Last evening, when for a time all was hushed and still, the well-known -yiking laugh of the Yaffil, as Chaucer called him, came over from the -avenue, whence, too, had sounded his busy drumming. Then he and his mate -were busy getting the grubs that had bored deep down in the timber, but -now come up near the bark of the trees in order to get the warmth -necessary for their development. In the early morning hours, when the -watchful gardener has not yet appeared, the pair tear holes in his -well-tended lawns with their feet, and hack at the turf with strong -bills to get at the grubs below. They feed indeed largely on ground -grubs throughout the year, as well as on ants in summer, and -timber-haunting grubs and beetles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span></p> - -<p>The Lesser Spotted species, although not so widely distributed, is even -more common in the south of England, and near London. One was shot -lately in Scotland, as “a very rare bird.” It is probably chiefly owing -to the cutting down of old forests that they are not found in Scotland. -Now and again they may even be seen in Kensington Gardens.</p> - -<p>We have no picture of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (<i>Dendrocopus -minor</i>). It is perhaps oftener present with us than is supposed, being -smaller than its relatives. Also it frequents taller trees. I have seen -numbers of these bright busy creatures in Hungary, in the poplars, along -the river Waag, in the foothills of the Carpathians. Its colouring is -much the same as the Greater Spotted species, only the markings are -different and it is only just over five inches in length, whereas its -near congener is just over nine inches. The male bird makes the same -loud vibrating noise in the trees as the latter.</p> - -<p>The Green Woodpecker is 12 inches in length. The mantle is bright -olive-green. The crown of the male bird, as far down as the nape, is -fiery red, also the moustaches. The lores and cheeks black, is less -crimson on the head of the female, and the moustaches are black. The -outer feathers of the wing are nearly black with white flecks. It has -two front and two back toes; the claws, strong, curved and adapted for -clinging. The tail feathers strong and suitable for pressing. Beak -leaden-grey, strong, with an edge like an adze; worm shaped tongue which -can be greatly extended. Having selected a suitable tree, it makes its -nest hole at a medium height, with a narrow entrance and lays in it -six—sometimes, but rarely—eight dazzling snow white eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 284px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_136_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_136_sml.jpg" width="284" height="470" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Greater Spotted Woodpecker.</span><br /> -(<i>Dendrocopus major.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> also is a busy hammering bird, which flies energetically about the -woods and gardens, climbing up the trees from the bottom, closely -examining the bark and wood for grubs and bark-beetles, and extracting -them with its long pointed tongue. When opportunity offers, it also -attacks oily seeds, such as those of the sunflower and berries; but this -must not be counted as harmful. By its whole nature, and its peculiar -work it belongs decidedly to the most useful of birds. There is a widely -spread belief and suspicion among the country people that this -Woodpecker spoils the healthy trees, but its beak cannot avail beyond a -certain degree of hardness; it can only pierce holes where the wood is -softened by rot, and therefore harbours timber grubs. The fine wood-dust -under the trees where the Woodpecker has been at work calls the -attention of the good gardener to the bad state of the tree, and he can -then take steps to arrest the mischief if not too late. The Spotted -Woodpecker can conceal itself very quickly. When it sees a human being -it clambers up the opposite side of the tree trunk. In autumn it roams -about with swarms of other tree-cleansing birds. In spring it makes a -loud drumming noise among the dry branches.</p> - -<p>It is fairly common in Hungary, but is less so in Great Britain, -although pretty well distributed in the wooded portions of England. In -Scotland generally it is rare, but southwards from the Shetlands, down -to the east coast, it occurs at times on migratory flight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span></p> - -<p> </p> - -<p><span class="smcap">This</span>is a black, white, and fiery-red speckled bird, length over nine -inches. The black lores extend like a bridle to the neck. Back and rump -black. In the male the back part of the head is red, in the female -black; in both the lower part a burning red. The sides of the underparts -dingy white; on the shoulder a white spot; on the flight feathers white, -cross flecks. Tail strong, the middle feathers pointed and stiff, -suitable for climbing. Beak relatively short, but strong at the base, -pointed like a chisel. It bores its nesting hole in trees about half way -up, the entrance being round and only just large enough for the bird to -go in and out. It lays four eggs, occasionally six, of a dazzling snow -white, with delicate shells.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Tree Creeper.</span><br /> -(<i>Certhia familiaris.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> winsome little Tree-Creeper is distributed all over Great Britain, -but you need a sharp eye to detect it in its quiet colouring on the -trunk of a tree with which its quiet colours are in perfect harmony. -Within the crevices of the bark it finds its diet of destructive -creatures’ eggs which are glued to the bark and little spiders which -hide there. During the winter it associates with the Titmice and -Fire-crested Wrens. Upwards and downwards and round about the old tree -trunk it moves. It might be taken for a mouse or some such creature; it -moves about so deftly and so close to the hole of its tree, a useful -unobtrusive little bird. In the United States they consider this species -so useful that they fix a box for it, to entice it to nest in gardens.</p> - -<p>The Tree-Creeper climbs as nimbly as the best Woodpecker. It cannot -extend its tongue as that bird does, but can use it very cleverly. With -its fine little bill it can pierce into the smallest crevices and -extract from them the tiniest grubs. It is of great use in wood and -garden. Its usual note is a low “<i>seet</i>” or “<i>seet, seet, seet</i>.” The -simple song of the male bird is recognisable by the syllabes <i>teet, -teet, teet, titi-woi-teet</i>.</p> - -<p>It is not uncommon in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Tree Creeper is smaller even than the Wren, but is longer than that -bird; it is a tiny creature with a stiff tail which is very useful in -climbing. There are three front toes and one back toe on the little -legs; the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 293px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_140_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_140_sml.jpg" width="293" height="393" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>TREE CREEPER AND NUTHATCH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">bill is delicate and slightly curved; the upperside of the body is the -same grey of the tree trunks, spotted with white. It lays -five—sometimes as many as nine—milk-white eggs, delicately speckled -with rust-red and blood-red spots. The nest is made in crevices, small -holes, sometimes between the loosened bark and the tree, and is composed -of fine soft material.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Nuthatch.</span><br /> -(<i>Sitta cæsia.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Wherever</span> in wood or garden the Nuthatch dwells its voice is heard. It -calls sometimes a flute-like “<i>tüüi, tüüi tüüi</i>”—sometimes a quick -“<i>kwee, kwee, kwee</i>”—and it is always very busy. It is the only bird we -have that can climb head downwards and that as quickly as it is safe. -The beak is strong and pointed. It picks out of crevices and from under -the bark of trees everything that is there in the way of grubs and -beetles and insect eggs. In the autumn it gets at oily seeds, conceals -nuts and filberts in suitable crevices and knocks them till they crack. -It does the same with the gall-nuts in order to get at the maggots or -chrysalis of the gall-wasp. It is an absolutely useful bird and one not -uncommon with us in Hungary.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>This bird is common in most districts in the centre and south-east of -England where there is old timber. In the westward it is less common. In -some old parks in Yorkshire it appears again, but is rare elsewhere in -the northern counties. In Scotland it is not very often<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span> seen and in -Ireland it is so far unknown. Beech-mast it is fond of in our own woods, -but it feeds on insects on the ground as well as in the trees. This -species, like the last-mentioned, is very mouse-like in its movements -and many ornithologists assert that it sleeps with the head and back -downwards.</p> - -<p>The Nuthatch is as big as a Sparrow, but more solid; above bluish-grey; -underneath white or rust-red; over the eye a black stripe. The tail is -not adapted for climbing. Legs short and strong, claws strong and -sickle-shaped, three toes turn to the front, one to the back. The clutch -consists of six or eight white eggs, speckled with rust-red. The nest is -formed of a wide hole, which so walled in by the bird with earth and -clay that there is only just room for it to go in and out.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Crossbill.</span><br /> -(<i>Loxia curvirostra.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Crossbill is a stationary bird as to habitat, but it does ramble -about. Staying at home, or wandering, depends upon the supply of sap or -seeds of the fir tree, which forms its sole food; although it visits -also beeches, maples, and alders, sometimes even falls back on -thistle-seeds, and does not even despise caterpillars. Its beak is an -excellent tool for removing husks and crushing seed. It wastes a great -many seeds, for it lets fall all those which it cannot shell with one -bite. It reminds us of the Parrot, not only by the form of its beak, but -also by the clever way in which the beak is used in addition to the legs -in climbing from bough to bough, just as the Parrot does. It is besides -a cheerful, indeed, a restless bird. It sings whole songs, and the old -bird fancier Bechstein has put words to one of these, beginning:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Zeri-zeri doeng-doeng-doeng—hist-hist.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Its call is <i>sok, sok</i>.</p> - -<p>The firwoods of our Hungarian mountains contain plenty of these birds.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>These interesting birds, the Crossbills, nest in many parts north of the -Solway, and southwards may be seen in September in flocks or parties, -wandering about in suitable districts in search of food. In the young -birds, the bill, or rather the mandibles, are not crossed, and the -beautiful crimson colour in the male is not seen the first year. A -greenish-orange replaces this in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 316px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_144_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_144_sml.jpg" width="316" height="283" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE CROSSBILL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">females. I saw a very fine Crossbill lately that had been obtained in -the valley between Newbury and Theale, where these birds are to be found -most years among the fir-clumps on the higher lying commons. It is said -to breed in many of the Southern Counties, but there is no reliable -evidence of its doing so in the Midlands. In Scotland it nests in -districts where are old pine forests, building a cup-shaped structure of -dry grass, moss, and wool, which is placed on twigs, and these on the -branch of a fir, close to the stem. From fir-cones their food is -extracted, but in the autumn, berries and apple pips are taken, an old -name for the Crossbill being Shell-apple. Many years ago great damage -was done to some apple orchards by the boring of fruit to extract the -pips.</p> - -<p>Although usually a winter visitant, the late Lord Lilford reported -having seen large numbers of these birds during the month of June in a -district of North Devon. The forest-folk of Thuringia are fond of them -as caged pets, considering that they bring luck to the house, and also -cure the diseases of the family—if the mandibles cross left to right, -those of the females, if from right to left, those of the males. I would -not now keep any bird in a cage, but I once kept many; and the most -amusing of all these was a Crossbill, who had a large wired-off -compartment to himself, between one containing a number of avadavats, -and another inhabited by Redpoles, Siskins and other birds. He loved to -tear open the shells of almonds to get at the nuts. When the little -avadavats had gone to sleep, nestling together for warmth, the old -Crossbill would sidle up, looking very wicked, and quickly lift the end -of their perch. Down fell the small things, master Crossbill watching -them with unmistakable delight. At last he made so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span> much commotion -amongst the lesser birds that we made a present of him to Mr. Denham -Jordan, who wrote an amusing memoir of him which was headed “Crossbill -Turk.”</p> - -<p>The Crossbill is 6·5 inches in length. The back and underparts of the -old male bird are red, the rump fiery red; wings and tail dark -olive-brown; the back of the female is grey, rump greenish-yellow. The -upper beak is curved downwards, the under one upwards, inclined to one -side, with sharp points. The tips of the beaks cross, sometimes to the -right, sometimes to the left. This crossing of the two halves of the -beak is the exclusive characteristic of this bird. It lays three to five -greyish-white eggs spotted with shades of reddish-brown. The nest is -found in fir trees, and sometimes in the birch. It is made of fine -materials, is built very high up, and is well concealed. It nests in -February. The nest therefore is very stout and well-lined, and the -mother-bird sits continuously in order to preserve the warmth.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.<br /><br /> -SUMMER WORKERS.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Wryneck.</span><br /> -(<i>Iynx torquilla.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Wryneck is a migrant, which makes itself heard as soon as it appears -with its <i>Kyen-kyen-kyen</i> or <i>pay, pay, pay</i>, which is as peculiar as it -is pleasing. It cannot be denied, that after the long silence of winter -the sound is a very agreeable one. The Wryneck does not tap and climb -like the Woodpecker, but it uses its tongue in the same way. Ants cling -to its sticky tongue. It drags out and destroys the insects from the -crevices in the bark of the trees. On this account it is useful.</p> - -<p>It is not shy and can be observed quite close by. it owes its name to -its peculiar position when it stretches out its neck and twists it -round, raising its crest and spreading out its tail. It likes trees with -dense foliage, and orchards.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>In England we call this bird the Cuckoo’s mate or leader, because it -always precedes the coming of that bird by a few days. This name has its -equivalent in several European languages. It is more common in the -south-east than in the west, and is rare in Wales. Some northern -counties it never visits, yet from time to time it strays up as far as -the Orkneys and the Shetlands. Towards the end of September it leaves us -for the south. In autumn it is said to eat the berries of the elder, -otherwise its food consists entirely of insects, ants and their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 366px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_148_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_148_sml.jpg" width="366" height="254" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WRYNECK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">pupæ especially. It is very courageous in defence of its young and will -hiss like a snake if an enemy or intruder approaches its nest.</p> - -<p>Country children in our Home Counties listen eagerly for the call of the -Cuckoo’s mate, whom Eliza Cook calls “the merry pee bird.” They know -then that Spring is with us, and out-door pleasures are on the way. It -is only the size of a lark, and it is difficult to observe the bird well -either on its nest or during its short undulating flight.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Wryneck is seven inches in length. It has fine, loose plumage, which -recalls that of the Owl or the Night-jar. The throat is clay-colour with -fine dark wavy cross lines; tail a beautiful grey with delicate black -speckles, and six broad pointed stripes across it; the under side is -covered with brownish-white and black spots, and delicately speckled: -from the nape, down the back, about the shoulders, are large black -spots. The flight-feathers have rust-red cross stripes; it has two toes -towards the front and two towards the back; the legs are short. It makes -its nest in any cavity it can find, and in it lays, on soft chaff, its -seven to twelve white eggs. The Wryneck, like the Woodpecker, has a long -wormlike tongue which can be extended.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 297px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_150_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_150_sml.jpg" width="297" height="348" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE CUCKOO.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Cuckoo.</span><br /> -(<i>Cuculus canorus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Cuckoo is a most useful bird, as regards his food, which consists -for the most part of very mischievous insects and caterpillars of all -kinds; it is the more so as this bird is insatiable.</p> - -<p>An individual Cuckoo probably always lays its eggs in the same -neighbourhood, and always in the nest of the same kind of bird, and -usually the same kind in which it was itself brought up. The young -Cuckoo soon obtains the upper hand in the nest, on account of its rapid -growth, and throws out its weaker foster-brothers and sisters. It always -calls its own name—though it sounds more like “<i>ha-hu</i>”; sometimes it -utters sounds which are like laughter. There is a popular superstition -that the Cuckoo foretells to those who ask it, how many years they will -live—and to young maidens, how many years they must wait for a husband.</p> - -<p>Like the Swallow it brings the announcement of spring, and our Hungarian -children have a song:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Cuckoo! Cuckoo! sounds from the wood<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Now let us dance and sing;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For Spring is coming; Spring is here;”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Cuckoo detracts from its usefulness, however, by its other actions. -It greatly damages the nests of the small useful birds, in which it -places its eggs, and consequently its young ones. The female Cuckoo -selects a district, finds out all the nests of Wren, Robin, -White-throat,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span> Wagtail, or some other, and thereupon begins to place her -egg in this. When she finds that she cannot get into a nest of a bird -which builds in a hole, she lays her egg on the ground, then takes it up -in her bill and drops it into the nest.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In spring and summer the Cuckoo’s note sounds all through Great Britain. -Its ways will always have a fascination both for the old and the young. -Many will be surprised to hear that scientists have now verified the -placing of its eggs in the nests of as many as 145 species; in different -countries, that is, including the nests of the Isabelline and other -Chats in Africa and China, and the Red-headed Bunting on the steppes of -Turkestan. In Lapland the Grey-headed Wagtail and the Red-spotted -Bluethroat are the foster-parents; in Andalusia the Great-spotted Cuckoo -lays oftenest in the nest of the Spanish Magpie.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> The old poet, -Quarles, must have seen the bird with an egg in its beak when he wrote -“The idle Cuckoo having made a feast of Sparrow’s eggs, Lays down her -own i’ the nest.”</p> - -<p>A German authority, Dr. Rey, made a collection of over seven hundred -Cuckoo’s eggs; and he states that the proportion of those which resemble -in colouring those of the foster-parents is only about thirty per cent. -Yet out of sixty-seven which he took from a Redstart’s nest fifty-seven -were blue. Another collector again states that only one blue Cuckoo’s -egg had passed through his hands. Lately a man told me of having found -two Cuckoo’s eggs in one small nest, an unusual occurrence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span></p> - -<p>The Cuckoo is a very slender, long-tailed bird, 12 inches in length. In -the male bird the mantle is ashen-grey, the tail has cross stripes, the -under-parts are whitish with cross-running wavy lines. The female and -young ones, with their reddish-brown dark cross bands, remind us of the -Hawk. From this arises the popular superstition that the Cuckoo changes -into a hawk in late autumn. The legs are yellow; eyes fiery red edged -with yellow, beak dark, reddish at the corners. It never builds a nest. -In its system of transplanting it shows itself an arrant knave, for it -places its eggs in the nests of other birds, whose eggs, as a rule are -totally different in size, colour and form. The eggs of one Cuckoo so -placed may reach the number of 20 to 22, but as a rule are about 11 to -12.</p> - -<p>With regard to the Cuckoo’s usual habit of leaving us in the autumn, a -belated young bird may now and again spend the winter here. One -frequented my sister’s tennis ground till the end of November, when the -cat caught and killed it; and a gentleman of my acquaintance, Mr. -Robinson of Pinchbeck, Lincolnshire, saw one on his farm early in -February of 1908.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 410px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_154_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_154_sml.jpg" width="410" height="260" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HOOPOE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>{147}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hoopoe.</span><br /> -(<i>Upupa epops.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Hoopoe is from base of bill 10 inches long. It is a fair bird with -beautiful variegated plumage. Head, upper back, and breast pale -rust-red; mantle, shining black, with white ornamentation; tail also -black, with a crescent-shaped white band curving inwards towards the -rump. The head is adorned with a bunch of feathers which the bird can -erect or depress at pleasure. The feathers of this are light coloured, -with black tips, but the tips of the longest feathers are black and -white. Beak, long and slightly curved, thin, and adapted for picking. It -lays four to seven eggs, greenish olive, or clay colour, but always of -uniform colour, which it places on the mould in the holes of trees. The -Hoopoe is the only bird that fouls its nest, and brings up its young in -dirt and filth. On this account both mother and young have an evil -odour, as some of the bird’s names indicate.</p> - -<p>This national Hungarian bird is a migrant, and dwells chiefly on the -borders of woods in the low bushes, and in the neighbourhood of -pastures, where it is never weary of examining the droppings of the -cows, from which it obtains beetles and maggots. It also catches gnats -on the wing, and the leaping grasshoppers. It is a noisy bird, and its -cry “<i>Hup up</i>”—from which its name is derived—is heard sounding -vigorously from the branches. It is one of our most useful, and most -brilliantly coloured birds, and should be protected.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>For over two hundred years the Hoopoe has been recorded as a visitor to -Great Britain, a more or less frequent<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span> one. Some years ago the late Mr. -Howard Saunders told us that the head-keeper at Ashburnham Park, in -Sussex, destroyed seven in one week, and that many a one has been slain -in Kent, at the point where they alight after crossing the Channel. A -few have, in spite of persecution contrived to breed in our country—in -southern counties chiefly. Sometimes numbers come to England in the -autumn, and it is generally an annual visitor in small numbers to -Ireland. As it is a useful bird all should try to procure protection for -it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Great Grey Shrike.</span><br /> -(<i>Lanius excubitor.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> spite of its comparatively small size this is a bold bird, and a true -“Watchman”; he keeps a sharp lookout from the top branches of a dead -tree, or a post, and will not suffer any other bird, even if ten times -his size, to perch anywhere in his vicinity. Buzzards, Ravens, Crows, -Magpies, he pounces on, something in the manner of a Falcon, and tries -to push them off. He generally succeeds in routing the intruder, for he -is indefatigable in attack. His food includes any living creature that -he can slaughter.</p> - -<p>He picks up a fat grasshopper, hovers over and darts on a mouse, just as -a hawk does. These acts are beneficial; but they are not to be compared -with the amount of harm he does, as a cut-throat and robber among the -useful small birds. He disturbs the nests of the little singing birds -which build on the ground, ransacks bushes and treetops, and slays -mercilessly. His methods are those of the highwayman. He will sit on a -stake on the top of a hayrick and watch, keeping perfectly still, only -his eyes sweeping around. When his victim comes within range of his -vision on earth, or tree, he instantly falls upon it. His close relation -to the birds of prey, is indicated by his cry “<i>Tett, tett</i>.” His call -is a strong, rough sound, like, “<i>Sheck, sheck</i>,” or a fainter -“<i>Truii</i>.” This bird remains in Hungary through the winter, but is not -very common. Where he does take up his abode, he does great harm by -slaughtering the useful birds.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 381px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div> -<a href="images/i_158_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_158_sml.jpg" width="381" height="212" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span></p> - -<p>This Shrike is one of the regular visitors from the Continent, coming to -Great Britain in autumn and winter. In England it has even been seen -during the summer, but it has not bred with us. Lizards, mice, shrews, -frogs, and insects, especially beetles and grasshoppers, it feeds on, as -well as small birds.</p> - -<p>The Great Grey Shrike is 9·5 inches in length. The back is light -ashen-grey; underparts dingey white, brow whitish; from the base of the -bill a broad black band passes over the eye to near the ear. Bill, legs, -wings and tail black: the wings, however, have a white patch, and also -the feathers on both sides of the tail show a white border. On the -underparts of the female bird, faint stripes of a darker shade are -discernible. The bill is indented at the point and has a hook. The bird -builds its nest in trees and lays five or six eggs, occasionally seven, -greenish-white speckled with grey.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 164px;"> -<a href="images/i_159_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_159_sml.jpg" width="164" height="146" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A Watchful Mother.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 259px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_160_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_160_sml.jpg" width="259" height="301" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE LESSER GREY SHRIKE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Lesser Grey Shrike.</span><br /> -(<i>Lanius minor.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> habits of this Shrike are, on the whole, those of the larger -species, with this difference, that the Lesser Shrike, does not rob -nests, but destroys insects, and therefore does good. It also, is a -“Watchman.” It sits on a high point and flings its glances round about. -Suddenly it darts down, looks about, finds its prey, and flies back to -its former perch. When it is keeping watch over a place where the ground -is covered with thick growth, it hovers at about half the height of a -man, sometimes until it can see something that will serve as prey. If it -finds nothing, it will cease to hover, and flies back to its post. Near -the highroad it will flit onward from tree to tree, generally slightly -in advance of a vehicle, till at last, at some point or other, it turns -away over the fields and with a peculiar undulating flight returns to -the spot where it started.</p> - -<p>The Lesser Shrike is a migrant, and departs for warmer places at the -beginning of autumn, returning to its nesting place in this country in -the spring. Its cry sounds like “<i>Keejay</i>.” It is by nature quarrelsome, -but it embellishes and enlivens the neighbourhood. Inthe warmer parts of -Europe, it is the most common of all the Shrikes.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>This species only wanders occasionally to England, a mere straggler, on -migratory flight. If it be seen it must be protected, as a useful -species, from “the man<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span> the gun” who shoots to sell or to enrich his own -private collection.</p> - -<p>The Lesser Shrike is smaller than the Great Shrike, but it is quite as -beautiful and has the same deportment. Besides its smaller size, it is -distinguished from its congener, by its black brow, the colour of which -merges into that of the broad black stripe. The breast is a beautiful -white, flushed with rose-colour. The white patch on the black wings is -quite small. Otherwise the colouring is the same as that of the Great -Shrike. Its nest is built in poplar trees bordering the -highroad—sometimes in other trees. It employs sweet-scented plants in -building the nest. It lays five or six pale green eggs, which have a -speckled ring round the thicker end.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Red-backed Shrike.</span><br /> -(<i>Lanius collurio.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> Shrike specially likes bushes at the side of a road, or the edge of -a wood, and more particularly affects the whitethorn, or sloe bushes; -but it sometimes ventures into gardens. It kills more than it can eat, -so it impales the superfluous provender on thorns, so as to be ready -when the bird feels hungry again, or when the weather is not favourable -for hunting. So crickets, grasshoppers, cock-chafers, and, alas! also -young birds, are sometimes found sticking on thorns. As this bird keeps -to its own district, it robs the nests of the small birds in a -scandalous way, including that of the White-throat.</p> - -<p>Care, therefore, should be taken to keep this ogre at a respectful -distance from the gardens; he does less harm in the open fields, as he -there employs his energies on the mice.</p> - -<p>It is a migrant, and departs at the beginning of autumn, returning not -earlier than near the end of April. Wherever it is, its “<i>Geck, geck, -geck</i>,” is frequently heard. Sometimes also “<i>Treng, treng</i>,” reminding -us of the Sparrow. It imitates the song of other birds in a remarkable -way, even that of the Nightingale, often in this way misleading both man -and birds.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Red-backed Shrike comes to Great Britain in May. It is the commonest -of our own three species; but is becoming rarer each year in Lancashire -and Yorkshire, being more often met with in the wooded parts of the -Southern counties and in Wales. A handsome fellow, with his grey head, -mantle of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 352px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>PARTLY USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_164_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_164_sml.jpg" width="352" height="267" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE RED-BACKED SHRIKE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">chestnut-brown, and underparts a pale rosy buff colour, he has not the -look of the cruel bird he really is; his song is fairly sweet, and I -have heard of one which was so good a mimic that it could even bark like -a dog. This particular one had been brought up in an aviary, I believe. -All this species are, however, very imitative in their notes. In some -parts of Germany, they are looked on as a great scourge of small birds, -yet one or two of our English naturalists have tried to do justice to -the pretty fellow. <i>They</i> have seen only beetles, wasps and other -not-to-be-regretted small deer impaled on the thorns of his larder. In -point of fact, small birds, especially our pleasant little Tits, -disappear under his notice; White-throats also occasionally, as well as -bigger fledglings.</p> - -<p>The German naturalist Lenz writes that he made some experiments in -regard to Shrikes. In one garden he destroyed every Butcher-bird’s nest -that he could find, and shot the birds; and there he had plenty of -fruit, because the small birds stayed and destroyed the grubs and -insects. In another, a larger garden, he allowed just one Shrike to -breed. Wasps and other creatures destroyed all the fruit near the part -where this Shrike’s nest was. In a third garden Lenz allowed Shrikes to -nest freely, with the result that all the insect-eating birds forsook -the place, or else were destroyed by the Butcher-birds, and there was no -fruit. Writing of the Red-backed Shrike, one of our leading authorities -in bird matters notes that in its larder he has seen the bodies of large -moths, dragon-flies, mice, and sometimes a small bird from which the -head has been wrenched, and many a cockchafer; and Canon Tristam -considers that the food of the various species of Shrikes is almost -entirely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span> cockchafers, where they are to be had. The Rev. T. Wood again -ranks them with the Owls for usefulness. A French naturalist also says -they have every right to be placed on the list of useful insectivorous -birds. It would seem to depend much on the nature of the district -whether this bird is to be welcomed or otherwise.</p> - -<p>The Red-backed Shrike is 7 inches long. Its whole shape and -colouring—still more its habits—are those of a true Shrike. Crown and -neck a beautiful grey; mantle reddish-brown; the folded wings show no -white patch. Underparts pale rose colour, throat white; across the eyes -and towards the ears, is the broad black band. The middle feathers of -the tail reddish-brown, the outside feathers white near the root. The -breast of the female bird is pale, crossed by brown wavy lines. The -upper mandible is serrated and has a slight hook. The nest is usually -placed in bushes; it contains five to seven eggs nearly white, with a -ring of small darker speckles, sometimes at the larger and sometimes at -the smaller end.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Lesser Whitethroat.</span><br /> -(<i>Sylvia curruca.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> simple, modest, agreeable bird is valued and loved by us, because -it comes in such a friendly way near our houses and ourselves. It nests -in orchards, and more especially in gardens where there are bushes, and -charms us in the early spring with its sweet trilling song, -“<i>Lee-lee-lee-lee-lee</i>.” The little song is quite simple, being just the -repetition from six to eight times of the syllable “Leeleelee.” Its -call-note is “<i>tack-tack-tack</i>.” It keeps the feathers of its head -erected whilst singing. Its food consists of all kinds of harmful -insects for which it hunts without rest, and is therefore no less useful -than the Titmouse. It feeds also on various berries, but without doing -any harm. The hen shows great self-sacrifice in rearing her brood, -amongst which is often found a stranger—the Cuckoo.</p> - -<p>Its nest should be protected from the house Cat. Whoever protects it -secures its services for himself. The Whitethroat is migratory, and so -exposed to many dangers.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 181px;"> -<a href="images/i_167_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_167_sml.jpg" width="181" height="99" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p>Mr. Herman gives us only the Lesser Whitethroat. With us what we call -the Whitethroat proper is much<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 288px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_168_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_168_sml.jpg" width="288" height="204" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE LESSER WHITETHROAT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">more common (<i>Sylvia cinérea</i>). Both species arrive in Great Britain at -the same time, that is about the second week in April, to stay until the -beginning of September. With us they nest in brambles and low hedgerows, -and because of the fondness of nettle beds, schoolboys know it mostly as -the “Nettle-creeper.” The male is a courageous little bird; he will -often follow one along the side of his favourite hedgerow, flitting from -branch to branch with the feathers on head and throat bluffed out and -agitating his tail. We hear his song by night as well as by day.</p> - -<p>The Lesser Whitethroat is 5·25 inches long. The crown is ashen-grey; -cheeks darker, mantle grey-brown; back and breast white, merging into -yellowish-red at the sides. The side feathers of the tail are -wedge-shaped, the feathers near it having small indistinct spots. Beak -small, awl-shaped; legs strong and bluish. The nest is generally found -in whitethorn hedges and sloe-bushes, at about two and a half feet from -the ground; in gardens the nest is placed higher. It is composed of fine -grass and root fibre, interwoven and compacted with spider’s web, and -lined with pig’s bristles and horse-hair. The bird lays five or six -beautifully formed eggs, which are white or bluish with delicate -speckles, which are thicker at the larger end of the egg, round which -they form a ring.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 297px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_170_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_170_sml.jpg" width="297" height="251" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BLACKCAP.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Blackcap.</span><br /> -(<i>Sylvia atricapilla.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Blackcap prefers the underwood, particularly where higher trees -stand solitary; it also nests in gardens, even in the public gardens of -large towns, where it feeds on all kinds of insects, and so it serves -wood and garden equally well. It leads a happy family life, and during -its courting days the little wooer is full of joyous song. The song is -simple, and does not approach that of the Nightingale in our opinion, -although others say it does; it certainly cannot express so many phases -of feeling, but it is as lovely and joyous as that of a merry child. It -is heard first from one side of the bush, and then from the other, and -it carries delight into the heart of the listener. Hoffman represents -the song of the Blackcap by the syllables “<i>Rutia, ruetidi-rutia, -tuedili, tuedia</i>.” Its mating call is “<i>Take, take, take</i>,” the warning -cry “<i>Rarr</i>.” Towards autumn this bird eats all kinds of berries from -the bushes—elderberries, blackberries, and others; in the garden it -picks currants, without, however, doing any serious mischief, or being -able to do so, for its principal food is composed of insects.</p> - -<p>The bird-catchers ensnare it on account of its charming song. They cover -its cage with greenery, so that it may imagine itself in the underwood, -and thus the poor thing lives and learns the songs of other captive -birds.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Blackcap loves our old English hedgerows, about which it can find -all its necessary insect food and also good cover. It is not a very -commonly distributed bird<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span> with us; like the Nightingale, it is local in -its habitat. The young fuss about after their parents for food supplies, -after they have left the nest, more than most young birds do. Often the -Blackcap builds in a privet hedge, or some bush near to garden or -orchard, for the sake of the fruit of which it certainly avails itself a -little. Do not grudge it, the song will make up for a slight loss of -fruit, which is the more plentiful for the little bird’s making away -with insect pests that infest the same precincts.</p> - -<p>The Blackcap’s mantle is olive-grey, underparts nearly white; the -colouring of the head forms a black cap, which extends over the eyes: -hence its distinguished name. The cap is brown on the female bird and -its young. Tail and wings dark-brown; beak thin, awl-shaped; legs -strong; very bright dark-brown eyes. The nest is always found in thick -bushes, near the ground, and it is furnished with grass and rootlets, -and also the webs of insects, sometimes hair, but very little feather. -It contains five or six eggs, which vary in colour, being sometimes -brownish, sometimes nearly white or olive-grey, speckled or otherwise -marked with a reddish tint.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Nightingale.</span><br /> -(<i>Daulias luscinia.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Nightingale leads a quiet domestic life among the thickets. It has -much occupation on the ground, whence it derives its livelihood, its -food consisting entirely of grubs and insects. In the pairing season, -and at the time when the hen is sitting, the male bird perches on a twig -near the nest and sings his song—now mournful, now stirring, now -tender; the finest song produced from any bird’s throat! Enthusiastic -bird-fanciers have put words to the Nightingale’s song and turned it -into verse. It begins thus:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><i>Fid, fid, fid! kr-kr-zi-zi, doredo, reredezit.</i><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>We have a native congener, the Meadow Nightingale, which is larger than -the bird described above, and has a darker and fuller breast. The -Hungarian Nightingale of the bird dealers begins its song thus:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0"><i>Philipp—Philipp—Philipp,</i><br /></span> -<span class="i0"><i>Tarak—Tarak—Tarak,</i><br /></span> -<span class="i0"><i>Diderot—Diderot—Diderot.</i><br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Bird-catchers have been very destructive to this noble, useful bird on -the Continent.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Nightingale comes to Great Britain in the middle of April. In August -the young birds take their departure, but the old birds stay until -September in order to finish moulting before taking flight. It has been -supposed that the migration is made singly, not in flocks like that of -other small birds; but a naturalist has recorded having once seen great -numbers of Nightingales resting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 277px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_174_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_174_sml.jpg" width="277" height="272" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE NIGHTINGALE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">under the bathing machines along the <i>whole length</i> of the shore at -Brighton.</p> - -<p>This fine singer is very local in its appearance. In the West of England -it is rarer than elsewhere, and beyond Devonshire it is said to be quite -unknown. In the Midlands it is scarce, and in the Northern counties it -is entirely absent excepting in Yorkshire, where it is getting more -common. They seem to be capricious in their comings and goings from -given localities; no doubt their presence depends on the season’s -scarcity or abundance of the food they prefer. The nestlings live on -spiders, ants and small green caterpillars in June, and they afterwards -frequent fields planted with peas and beans. The adult birds feed on -worms, insects and wild fruits, especially the berries of the elder.</p> - -<p>The Nightingale is as plain in plumage as it is marvellous in song. The -mantle is russet-brown, shading off into reddish-chestnut near the tail, -which is rust-colour, underparts whitish. It is scarcely as large as a -Sparrow, and is much more delicately formed. Beak thin and pointed, legs -slender. The shining, dark-brown eye has a brilliant glow. Its nest is -placed among the bushes of a thicket, always near the ground. The outer -covering is of dry leaves, then come blades of grass and fine rootlets, -sometimes having hair interwoven with them. It does not stand out from -the surrounding objects, and requires a sharp eye to discover it. The -clutch consists of five or six olive-green eggs, with darker -reddish-brown veining and speckles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 269px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_176_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_176_sml.jpg" width="269" height="232" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE REDSTART.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Redstart.</span><br /> -(<i>Ruticilla phoenicúrus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> pretty and very useful bird quickly attracts notice in our gardens -by its lively disposition. When it flies the tail spreads out, and then, -when the bird settles again on any post or ledge the tail moves in a -quick, tremulous way that is most amusing.</p> - -<p>It usually perceives the creeping and flying beetles on the grass -borders from a higher point above them; the former it picks up, the -latter it swallows on the wing, twisting and turning about as -circumstances require. It lives on all kinds of grubs and insects, and -hence its great use in wood and garden. In autumn it takes the berries -from the bushes, but without doing any mischief. Its mating call sounds -like “<i>Fid-fid-fid-tik-tik-tik</i>,” and also “<i>Weet, weet, tak-tak</i>,” and -ends with a smacking sound. In some places in Hungary the bee-keepers -are great enemies of this charming little bird, believing that it steals -their honey. This is not true, however, for it only catches the drones, -which have no sting, takes the rejected, spoiled larvæ, and the -destructive wax-mite. From its usefulness it is worthy of all -protection, and it is a joy for heart and mind.</p> - -<p>To us also in Great Britain where this species is generally distributed -it is a joy, and in orchards its presence is most welcome. The red about -the tail shows brightly as the bird darts from branch to branch. I have -watched it myself where a nesting box has been put up for its use in an -apple tree, until the little pair became quite used to my presence and -to watch their pretty, affectionate ways was delightful. In speaking of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> -nesting boxes, one must give a warning in connection with those smaller -birds who like to nest in holes in walls and trees. I have seen them -with lids at the top for the proprietor to open, which, through stress -of weather and weak rusty hinges, soon came to grief. I regret to say -this happened in the case of the pair I knew best. The lid was -defective, and one night or morning early soon after the nestlings were -hatched out, a Shrike or a Crow routed them out, to my great sorrow.</p> - -<p>The Redstart is an elegant gay-coloured bird of slender shape, in other -respects like the Robin. Throat, lores, brow and bill-base are a fine -black. The upper part of the brow is pure white, passing into the -bluish-grey of the crown. Back of the head and mantle also of the same -beautiful bluish-grey; breast, rump, and tail a brilliant chestnut-red, -but the middle feathers of the tail grey. Beak and legs delicate, but -strong. The female bird and the young are less brightly coloured. The -nest is found in cracks, holes, convenient corners, such as are under -the roof of summer houses. It is rather carelessly put together, but -well-formed, and is lined with hair and feathers. The bird lays five or -six eggs, of a fine rare blue-green colour.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 116px;"> -<a href="images/i_178_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_178_sml.jpg" width="116" height="109" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Black Redstart.</span><br /> -(<i>Ruticilla titys.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Black Redstart which was formerly rare with us, is now a well-known -visitor to many parts of our coasts in the autumn and winter, especially -to Cornwall and Devon. It does not as yet breed with us, however. It -visits Ireland also, particularly on the east and south coasts. It is -called the House Redstart, and its congener the Garden Redstart on the -Continent; the one under notice frequents the roofs of buildings, and it -places its nest in châlets, holes in walls, sheds, etc. It is a useful -little bird.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 135px;"> -<a href="images/i_179_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_179_sml.jpg" width="135" height="161" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The pretty Siskin.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 218px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_180_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_180_sml.jpg" width="218" height="246" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BLACK REDSTART.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Tree Pipit.</span><br /> -(<i>Anthus triviális.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Frequenting</span> the woods, the Tree Pipit seeks only the clearings, -especially the wild parts, where these and copsewood alternate, and the -ground is mossy. At the time of migratory flight it likes to rest on -vegetable fields and cornfields. It will rest willingly on trees, but -prefers the ground. Very small seeds it will eat, but all kinds of grubs -and caterpillars and insects it prefers. The Tree Pipit has a pleasant -note, “<i>Zeä, zeä, zeä</i>”—the mating call is more like “<i>Seele, seele, -seele</i>.” It is absolutely useful in its mode of living.</p> - -<p>It nests in Hungary more numerously than any other of the Pipits, for it -has relatives which only visit our neighbourhood. At the time of -migration, they arrive, rest themselves, and go off again.</p> - -<p>In addition to the Pipit here described there is the Water Pipit, which -breeds here. It seeks the mountain districts in summer, but takes refuge -in the valley in winter; Richard’s Pipit, rather larger than these -others, and with longer legs and a very long hind claw. The Meadow Pipit -only passes through our land, like the Tawny Pipit; both of the latter -nest in the far North, and they go far South in the winter.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Tree Pipit comes to the South of Great Britain early in April, and -it is spread pretty considerably throughout the country, excepting in -Cornwall and Wales. As yet it is not, I believe, in Ireland. The song of -this bird is rather like that of a Canary. It begins on the highest -branch of a tree generally, after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 269px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_182_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_182_sml.jpg" width="269" height="290" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>TREE PIPIT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">which the bird hovers a little, then descends, singing still, to the -perch he started from.</p> - -<p>The Meadow Pipit is the best known member of his family with us. -Ground-lark, Titlark, Ling-bird, Moss-cheeper are some of its local -names. It seems able to make itself at home anywhere in summer, but in -winter it seeks the fields in sheltered places, near the coast by -preference. Its food consists of insects, worms, molluscs and small -snails, with seeds in winter. The little bird works its creeping way up -the grass or heather, taking now and again quick little runs. The flight -is wavering and jerky. The Titlark has a very strong smell about it, -dogs “point” it frequently.</p> - -<p>In size the Tree Pipit most resembles the Wagtail, but it has a shorter -tail. Its general colour is more like the Lark, but it is less speckled. -The mantle is olive-green, the breast yellowish. The points of the -folded tail are formed by the three first flight feathers; the fourth is -much shorter. The nail of the back toe is long like a spur, but not so -long as the toe. The beak is delicate and slightly awl-shaped. It is a -nice modest little bird; its flight dips and rises again continually. It -builds its nest cleverly with soft materials in the shape of a saucer, -and places it on the ground on a clod of earth, under the shelter of a -heap of stones, or on a grass ridge. Five eggs are laid which are very -varied, a dull blue, sometimes brownish, sometimes white, with dark -spots.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 289px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_184_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_184_sml.jpg" width="289" height="184" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>WHITE WAGTAIL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The White Wagtail.</span><br /> -(<i>Motacilla alba.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Wagtails</span> are all migrants and arrive in Hungary in great numbers.</p> - -<p>This is a lively, elegant little bird, that walks and runs well, is very -active, and always wagging its tail as it goes. It hops daintily from -stone to stone in the shallow water, picking up insects busily, and -snapping at the flies and gnats; and over the tall grasses and banks of -the water, it dashes into the air, turning and twisting in the pursuit -of insects. When there is pasture land near the water, it shows itself -to be a good friend to the cattle, by destroying the flies and gnats and -the tiny midges of the dragonfly kind, which would otherwise torment -them. Its congeners in Hungary are the Yellow Wagtail, whose underpart -is bright yellow, and mantle olive-green, which wags its tail less, and -confines itself to cattle pastures; the Mountain Wagtail, the upper part -of which is ashen-grey, and the under side brimstone yellow. Its call is -a clear “<i>Zeewit-zuyit-beuees</i>, or <i>zeueess</i>,” sometimes it sounds like -“<i>Kwee-kwee, kweereeree-kweeree</i>.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Wagtail is 7·5 inches in length, and has a long tail. It is a very -charming bird. Its plumage is of three colours—black, white, and -ashen-grey. Crown, neck, and throat black; brow, cheeks, and underparts -white; mantle grey; tail and wings black, the feathers of the latter -being edged with white; the two outer feathers on both sides of the tail -are mostly white. Rump dark-grey, underneath the tail white; bill<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span> -awl-shaped, and black, as are also the slender legs. It builds its nest -on the edge of the water in all sorts of places: in holes, between -stones, in cracks in the earth, among roots or in wood-stacks. It lays -sometimes as many as eight, but usually five white eggs, finely speckled -with dark colour, the speckling thicker at the larger end, in a ring -round the egg.</p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Blue-headed Wagtail.</span><br /> -(<i>Motacilla flava.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> very handsome little bird, which is smaller than the White Wagtail, -and does not wag its tail so much, inhabits the low Hungarian plain, and -the pastureland generally of the open country, especially moist -moorlands, and the banks of marshes, where it keeps close to the grazing -animals, which are mostly swine and buffaloes. When swine trample down -the bank of the ponds the bird approaches, and picks up the water -insects and larvæ which have been exposed in the disturbed ground, or if -the buffaloes trample the earth on the edge of the marsh the Wagtail is -sure to be close on their heels to secure its share of food. It builds -its nest in the grasses of the meadow or at the roots of the bushes in -the hedge. It usually lays five eggs, which have light flecks on a dingy -white ground.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>A bird I always looked for eagerly in the days of my youth, on our -Staffordshire moorlands was the Yellow<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span> Wagtail with its lovely tints. -It would come tripping blithely along a certain road on its way from one -rough fallow field to another, a most dainty, and I fancied then, even -foreign-looking little creature. It has a prettier song than its -relatives, the Grey and the Pied Wagtails, and is altogether a daintier -looking bird. Nor is it so common, being very local in its distribution. -Leaving us in September, little parties of the Yellow Wagtails are -formed then, and some districts only make their acquaintance with these -birds when on their migratory flight. Lately I heard of a company of -about seventy Wagtails resting for the night in Kew Gardens grounds, -where they had not been noted before. They frequent the meadows beside -the Brent by Perivale, Ealing, where small, thin-shelled molluscs by the -stream, and insects stirred into activity by the heavy feet of the -grazing cattle, furnish them with food. I watched one day a pretty -sight,—a nimble Wagtail in close attendance on an old sheep. The way it -darted nimbly about this animal’s face, picking off the tiny flies as -the creature fed was wonderful. Sometimes you may chance to see one -picking the torturing little insects out of an old horse’s ears as it -lies resting on the sward.</p> - -<p>The yellow species is called <i>Motacilla raii</i>, but the Abbé Vincelot, -who wrote half a century ago, on the birds of Maine-et-Loire, treating -specially of their names as descriptive of their manners, call it -<i>Motacilla boarula</i>, and he said he thought the latter designation came -from Boaria, an old name for Bavaria, used after the Boïens, driven by -the Marcomans from Bohemia, settled there. This name Boïens seems to -have been given to the tribes who reared and tended cattle. There were -Boïens of Gaul, of Italy, and of Germany. In Poitou an ox is still -called<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span> boe and the grazier boier. By the ancient Romans the beef market -was called the forum boarium. And so the name of boarule given to the -Yellow Wagtail may be supposed to indicate this habit of following up -the cattle in quest of his insect food. Bergeronette, the common French -name of this charming and useful species, is equally descriptive of the -bird as an ally of the shepherd.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Pied Wagtail, <i>Motacilla lugubris</i>, is our common and well -distributed species. The Grey Wagtail, <i>M. Melanópe</i>, a beautiful bird -with its longer tail and yellow tints, frequents our hilly districts and -mountain streams; but, the Blue-headed species is only an irregular -visitor to our Islands, on migration. The food and habits of this family -are alike, and they are all most useful to the grazier and farmers -generally.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 163px;"> -<a href="images/i_188_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_188_sml.jpg" width="163" height="108" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A Morning Bath</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Great Reed Warbler.</span><br /> -(<i>Acrocephalus turdoides.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> Reed Warbler lives exclusively in reed beds, and, as it is fairly -common, inhabits a large number of such places, so that in the pairing -season the whole neighbourhood resounds with its love song, which even -overpowers the croaking of the frogs. There are usually large numbers of -the birds near together, and all join with one voice in the concert. It -goes on from morning till night. Indeed during the most eager time of -its wooing it goes on all night.</p> - -<p>The song is sometimes expressed thus:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Karrey-karrey-karrey<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Ker-ker-ker<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Hedder-hedder<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Duee-duee-duee, etc.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Where the reeds are thickest it shoots between them, as a weaver’s -shuttle shoots between the threads. What is still more clever is the way -in which it climbs about the straight tall stalks of the reeds. It -clasps the reed with its toes and claws, and immediately it seems to be -up on the top, then in a moment it slides down again and vanishes among -the reeds. And of what use is all this? This bird is of use in its own -way, in places inaccessible to others. It destroys innumerable grubs and -insects, which frequent water and boggy land, and does its best to make -such places habitable. The food of this Reed Warbler consists -principally of insects and their larvæ, although in the autumn, like -most creatures, instinct teaches it to eat some fruit for health’s sake, -in the shape of berries, particularly those of the elder.</p> - -<p>The nest of this Reed Warbler is one of the marvels<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 300px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_190_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_190_sml.jpg" width="300" height="464" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREAT REED WARBLER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">of bird architecture. It is a real work of art, because, in its perfect -suitability for its purpose, it shows an amount of calculation that few -men would think a bird capable of.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 209px;"> -<a href="images/i_191_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_191_sml.jpg" width="209" height="344" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p>Whoever is acquainted with the nature of marshland, and the reed beds -that border it, knows that on the smooth surface of the water, the -breeze, the wind, the storm have free course, and can at times bluster -and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span> rage. Everyone also knows that the lightest breezes moves the -leaves of the reeds, bends their stems and sets the whole wilderness of -them in motion, like the water itself. The wisdom of Nature has placed -this bird of the reed beds here, and so formed it that it could live -nowhere else. Therefore it must build its nest in this unstable-looking -spot and can do so in perfect safety; so that it can lay its eggs, hatch -them, tend the young birds which are at first blind, feed them and bring -them up until they are fledged and like their parents.</p> - -<p>It is no small undertaking to build among the bending stems a nest which -will afford security in calm weather and also in storm! If the bird -fastened it to one stem, and the wind were to come, the fastenings would -soon be torn away, and all destroyed.</p> - -<p>What then does the bird do? It chooses three or four stems at about -equal distances standing near to each other. On these it darns and knits -its nest in the shape of a high, eastern, fur hat reversed: attaching it -also with tough grass to the reed in such a manner that it can give way -on the stalk when it waves in the wind, so that the stalk cannot tear -the nest. The cup of the nest is deep, narrowing a little at the upper -edge to prevent anything falling out when moved by the wind. In this -nest the Reed Warbler lays five or six eggs of pale green with darker -speckles, which are hatched in fourteen days. It is a perfect work of -art.</p> - -<p>The Great Reed Warbler is 8 inches in length, that is, an inch less than -a Thrush; and its form is not unlike that of the Thrush. The upper side -is brown, shading into rust colour; over the eye is a lighter stripe, -and round the ears the plumage is also a lighter colour. The underparts -are whitish, tinged on the sides with yellowish<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> clay colour. Beak like -that of the Thrush, rather strong, slightly curved, pointed. Legs -strong, suited for clinging. The nest is treated of separately.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 121px;"> -<a href="images/i_193_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_193_sml.jpg" width="121" height="162" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The Reed Bunting.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>We have a smaller relative of this bird in England, although it is not -known in Scotland, and is only said to have been taken once in Ireland. -Our Reed Warbler (<i>Acrocephalus streperus</i>) arrives regularly in the -latter end of April, to stay until September. It is common in those -places that suit its way of living, in the Midlands and the Southern and -Eastern counties. In form it resembles its larger relative. This species -does not confine itself to reeds or to watery quarters; it has even been -known to build in a garden at Hampstead. The slender branches of willows -or alder beside a running stream suit it well. Still it prefers reeds, -and its nest also is supported by being woven about and through three or -four, or even two reeds. The building is begun whilst the reeds are -short, but by the time the young are hatched the nest is three feet -above the water. That wandering creature the Cuckoo will even drop her -egg into this hanging nest; indeed she is fond of it. The song of this -species is at its loudest and pleasant during the long summer twilight. -It is a useful little bird.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 251px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_194_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_194_sml.jpg" width="251" height="305" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WILLOW WREN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Willow Wren.</span><br /> -(<i>Phylloscopus tróchilus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> bird is called the Willow Wren because it loves the willow trees, -the leaves of which, both in form and colour, are adapted to hide and -protect it.</p> - -<p>Its nest is well hidden, being often placed near the ground, under -overhanging grasses and bushes, and built of materials found immediately -around the chosen site; it can only be discovered by the eyes of an -experienced bird-nester. It is covered over. The clutch consists of five -or six little white eggs, speckled with reddish-brown.</p> - -<p>It is a lively, active bird, that likes to frequent the tops of trees in -thick woods, where it hops briskly from twig to twig, and is never -still. But neither its colour nor its movements betray its presence and -nature as does its voice, which is really extraordinarily strong and -far-reaching, considering how tiny is the singer, and still more tiny -its vocal organ. Its song is heard in spring, and sounds like -<i>Zilp-Zalp, Zilp-Zalp</i>, and so on. Its busy call-note is <i>Whit, whit!</i> -It feeds on the insects which it finds on the trees. In autumn, when -starving, it eats elder-berries and such things, but does no harm -whatever. As a loud harbinger of spring, and a bringer of glad-tidings -we welcome and protect it.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>About the first week in April the Willow Wren comes to us in England, -where it is the commonest of the three small greenish-yellow Warblers -that come to us—the Chiff-chaff and the Wood Wren are its congeners. -Owing to the shape of its domed nest it has been given<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span> the name of -Oven-bird; indeed all three are known by that name, and the Willow Wren -also by that of Hay-bird, because of the dry materials it uses for its -nest. This species is very useful to the gardener, as its food consists -almost entirely of insects, flies and aphides.</p> - -<p>The Willow Wren is a little longer than the Chiff-chaff and an inch -longer than the Wren. The upper parts, except the crown, is -greenish-brown, passing into a yellow tinge; the underparts white, -breast and throat pale yellow; the cheeks golden-brown, the inside of -the wings yellow, legs brownish; the under side of the toes yellow. All -is subdued, nothing glaring on this delicately coloured bird; indeed, -all is delicate, including the bill, which is pointed and adapted for -investigating the tiniest cracks and bud axels.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Spotted Flycatcher.</span><br /> -(<i>Múscicapa grísola.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> habits of the Spotted Flycatcher are quite different from those of -its feathered companions in garden and forest, such as the Tits; for -while the latter are always moving, darting here, hunting there, the -Flycatcher sits quietly on the extreme end of a bough, on some point, or -on a post, and watches for flying insects exclusively; flies, beetles; -or near the bee-house it lies in wait for drones, but it never snaps at -a stinging bee or wasp. It is quiet, only occasionally moving first one -wing and then the other, as if to ascertain that they are in working -order; then, as soon as it sees a flying insect, it darts forward, sure -of aim as the Swallow, seizes its prey, and flies back in a fine curve -to its post of observation.</p> - -<p>The Flycatcher then, belongs to the useful birds, especially in gardens, -where it destroys the harmful insects which fly among the trees. If it -should happen to make away with the gall-insect, among others in the -woods, that will not outweigh its good deeds. In gardens, at all events, -it ought to be cherished and protected. Place a nest-box, such as it -loves, with a wide opening, and let it nest there. There is not much to -be said for its song; its call note is “<i>Tschee, tschee</i>.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Spotted Flycatcher is one of our latest British spring migrants, its -usual time for coming is about the first week in May. Although it feeds -almost exclusively on insects, it has been known to eat the berries of -the mountain ash; I have noticed indeed that these disappear<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 295px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_198_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_198_sml.jpg" width="295" height="287" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SPOTTED FLYCATCHER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">before the birds more quickly than other wild berries. It is local with -us in its breeding habits. It is one of the few species which still -breed in some of our London parks and the larger gardens in town. The -nest may be found among old creepers, but in the country it is often -built on the beam of an outbuilding, and so it has been called the -Beam-bird. It is a charming little creature to note as it sweeps round -in quest of insect life. I was once watching a nest in a creeper on the -porch of an old farmhouse. The young birds, tightly packed within, -gasped greedily for the food brought by their parents. One had a fly too -big for its swallow; it was stuck in its throat, and the fledgling -graciously allowed me to push it down with a pin.</p> - -<p>It is a charming sight to see the parent bird catch its prey when on the -wing, and carrying it promptly to the nest within the creeper. “Not only -tiny insects and moths go there, but also the bodies, denuded of their -wings, of many a white cabbage butterfly, which would otherwise have -deposited her small white eggs on the leaves of the cauliflowers in the -kitchen garden close at hand. These eggs would become green grubs, which -would injure the plants and make them unfit for food. The quick eyes of -the bird and his clever flight put an end to the mischief so far as many -a cauliflower is concerned. Flies, beetles, and aphides in hosts are -devoured—the last especially during August, when they come in myriads -from hop fields, or fruit trees—damsons; and the Flycatchers will clear -the gooseberry bushes of the hurtful sawfly. Macgillivray has recorded -that he noted a parent bird bring food to the nest five hundred and -thirty-seven times during one day! Flycatchers come back to the same -nesting place year after year.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span> They may take a little fruit from you in -the shape of red currants, but this is open to doubt. Like other -creatures, a change of diet is, perhaps, valuable to them; but their -labours during the early summer surely entitle them to a share of the -fruit.”<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Spotted Flycatcher is a little grey bird, smaller than the sparrow. -The upper side of its body is mouse-colour, the underside whitish: on -the breast and about the eyes are dark specks. The beak is black, -flattened out wider at the base; the upper half of it furnished with -stiff bristles on each side of the base to prevent its prey escaping. -Legs black and weak; eyes dark and bright. The nest is usually built in -trees, stumps of boughs, near the trunk, also in holes, but never very -deep ones. It is beautifully woven, of fine moss, lichens, fine rootlets -and grass, and is lined with wool, feathers and horse-hair. It contains -five eggs of light grey-green, with dark marble-like veining and specks -of rust-colour; the speckling is sometimes thicker in a ring round the -larger end.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Pied Flycatcher.</span><br /> -(<i>Muscicapa atricapilla.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> male Pied Flycatcher is so strikingly marked a bird that he is -almost dazzling to the eye. Yet he is only in black and white, but his -markings are very decided. The female is more quietly feathered, the -frontlet, wing-patches and under parts are a buffish-white, whilst her -upper parts are olive-green. The bill is just like that of its congener -already described. The nest is made in a hole in some tree, of dry -grass, moss and rootlets with a lining of hair.</p> - -<p>This species prefers warmer districts, where it remains chiefly in leafy -woods. The bird is a charming little object as it disports itself -amongst the young green of oak and beech woods. When on the lookout for -its prey it prefers to perch on some old withered tree branch. And so -gentle and small it looks one would not dream of its injuring a fly. -Yet, for the great benefit of the woods, it is keen in pursuit of flies, -gnats and other “small deer.” It will agitate its little wings in front -of the larger hollows in old trees, so as to create a slight wind which -will rouse and bring out lurking insects to become the prey of this -disturber of their peace. In the high beech woods this Flycatcher -pounces on the little insects that play in the rays of sunlight that -filter through the openings between the branches. A beautiful bird this -and well deserving protection.</p> - -<p>In Great Britain this species is far less numerous than its congener. It -is, however, a regular visitor to some of our counties. Its song is like -that of the Redstart.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 269px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_202_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_202_sml.jpg" width="269" height="289" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE PIED FLYCATCHER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Wheatear.</span><br /> -(<i>Saxicola œnánthé.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is a lively and vigilant bird. It selects a district, to which it -afterwards remains faithful. It likes fallow ground, stony hollows, -marsh-land, sandy depressions where there are undulations, also meadows -where there are grass-grown mole-hills or grass plots. From one of these -small eminences it surveys the surrounding land, and on seeing prey -instantly makes for it, and having caught it flies on to another stone -or hillock. It also perches on low posts, but only takes to a tree in -case of need. As it prefers to be in the open, it is often visible, for -when it begins to fly it spreads out its tail and the white feathers at -once attract attention. It is a very useful bird, for it lives entirely -upon grubs and insects. In autumn it destroys the caterpillars of the -white cabbage butterfly. The modest little song is not heard only from -the hillocks and stones on which it perches, but also high up in the air -when wooing his bride with sweet sounds. It is fairly common in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>About the middle of March the Wheatear, with its graceful motions, -begins to arrive in numbers on our own Southern and Eastern coasts. It -flits over downs and fallow lands, some pairs remaining to make nests in -old rabbit holes, and in sandy warrens near the coast, others passing on -after a brief rest, seeking higher latitudes—the rocky moorlands of the -Peak, the fallows of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 389px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_204_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_204_sml.jpg" width="389" height="263" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WHEATEAR.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">agricultural districts in the Midlands, the mountains of Scotland. The -old hole of a Sand-martin in a railway cutting, a crevice in a stone -wall, the lee side of a boulder stone, or merely the shelter of a clod -of earth in a fallow field serves his purpose. As regards a nesting -site, the Wheatear is exceedingly adaptable, suiting himself to the -locality. And so the popular names given to this bird seem often -misleading to a student of its life-history. In the Southern counties as -the “Fallow Chat” it is best known, in Lancashire and Derbyshire it is -“Walltack,” “Stonecheek,” “Stone-smack,” or “Smutch”: and this in -Staffordshire is “Stone Smasher.” But tack and cheek and smutch all come -from the bird’s sharp note “Chack, chack!” uttered as it flits from -stone to stone on high land or along the wind-swept downs and warrens.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Steinschmätzer is the German name for the Wheatear; so the Lancashire -name of Stonesmatch is decidedly Saxon. Schmatzen is to kiss -heartily—to give a good smack in fact. The French name for this bird, -Traquet, was given because of the continual movement of the wings and -tail, which is compared to the traquet, or clapper of mills, which is -kept in motion by the wind or by the water.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>All works on natural history describe the beautiful Wheatear as always -wary and shy to a degree, and chiefly, as we have already said, to be -found on warrens and poor lands near the coast, but as being especially -plentiful about our South Downs. In other districts, too, it frequents -the open ground and rough hillocky pastures. But who would look for the -Wheatear amongst the old slag-heaps, in the very heart of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span> North -Staffordshire Potteries? where, too, the bird seems to lay aside its shy -and wary little manœuvres.</p> - -<p>Mr. Wells Bladen, the well-known Staffordshire ornithologist, reports on -the Wheatear, which arrived earlier than usual, telling us that he saw -one on a slag-heap at Etruria on March 3rd. In April again he witnessed -the curious sight of five Wheatears, mobbing a Kestrel on their -slag-heap and driving off the intruder quickly. In June there were at -least a dozen of these birds frequenting the heap, and one pair had -nested within twenty feet of a very busy railway siding. The nest, with -its lovely pale blue eggs, was in a hole in a bank of fused clinkers, -two feet from the ground. The eggs were hatched safely, but the young -birds were unfortunately killed by some mischievous person before they -were old enough to leave the nest. It was a pity the bird made its nest -so near the ground, for, as a rule the great heaps which railway -passengers between Stoke and Crewe have seen and wondered at, by night -as well as by day, are little interfered with, or trespassed on. The -dreary slag-heaps in the neighbourhood of blast-furnaces would appear to -be spots equally unattractive to man and beast, and especially so to -that brightly marked migrant the Wheatear, as it is known on the sunny, -wind-swept downs and sandhills near the sea. In August again, one was -seen on a railway waggon.</p> - -<p>Wheatears leave us by the beginning of October, but now and again a few -stray birds are said to winter here in mild districts.</p> - -<p>The Wheatear has the crown, back of the head and back a beautiful -ashen-grey; throat a faint buffish-white. There is a black stripe from -the bill to the eye, which broadens out towards the ear. Underparts -nearly white,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> breast yellowish. The side feathers of the wings are -white towards the base—at the end black; the middle feathers entirely -black. Bill awl-shaped, and, like the legs, black. The female bird and -the young are less varied in colour. The Wheatear hides its nest away in -heaps of stones, and crevices of the earth, and is most discreet as a -rule in ensuring its safety. It lays five eggs, occasionally seven, -which are usually of a uniform pale-blue colour, sometimes faintly -dotted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 175px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_208_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_208_sml.jpg" width="175" height="223" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE STONECHAT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Stonechat.</span><br /> -(<i>Pratíncola rubícola.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> lively little bird—that is the male bird—has the following -characteristics: head, throat, nape, and back black. A conspicuous white -patch on the wing-coverts. Under wing-coverts and axillaries black and -white. Bill small and awl-shaped, legs and feet black.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>It hides its nest so well, that it is difficult to find. It is usually -built on the ground in a slight dip, so that the heads of the fledglings -are level with the surface of the ground, and thus it merges into its -surroundings. Five bluish grey eggs, speckled with brown, are usually -found in the nest.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Stonechat is a very pleasant bird, that seems, wherever it may be, -to live by itself. It always sits on the topmost part of a bush, and -thence looks attentively on to the ground, yet is quite conscious of all -the insects and chafers flying about, for it is an alert captor. -Sometimes it looks as if it were turning a summersault in the air, which -is always a sign that it has disturbed a beetle in its flight and -snapped him up.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This little Black-throat is more a bird of the foothills, where it loves -the rocky dips where a few bushes render these not quite bare. It will -suddenly appear on the top of a bush, the point of a moth-mullein or a -nettle—always on a high perch—gives one look round, swallows an -insect, and disappears as if by magic. Soon after it will appear in -another spot, and go through the same performance. Meanwhile it wags its -little tail, spreading<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span> it out. Late in the autumn, before its -migration, it comes nearer to human dwellings, and carries on its -pursuit of insects, among the hedges. It even ventures into the kitchen -garden, where the cabbage stumps, and vegetable stalks are a favourable -position, from which it can easily secure its prey. Its song is clear, -pleasing, but not loud. Its call is “<i>Weet, weet, weet—tek, tek, tek</i>.”</p> - -<p>The birds arrive in Hungary singly.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In Great Britain the Stonechat is a resident in most parts, although -such as have bred in the colder districts migrate to more sheltered -places in winter. At that season we have a number of arrivals from such -parts of the Continent as are too cold for these birds to remain in. -Grubs, worms, insects, and beetles are its chief diet, to which it adds -a few small seeds. A very destructive insect which they take is known as -the Bean Weevil. It is about a quarter of an inch in length; and it -finds lodging among the whins, which the Chat family frequent. This -beetle also haunts the rhubarb flowers in our gardens and visits the -peas, selecting, it is said, always the finest of these in which to lay -her eggs. Daddy-longlegs, cattle-flies, wire-worms, small snails, and -slugs are also eaten by the Chats—especially the Whinchat, <i>Pratincola -rubétra</i>, which comes to the South in middle of April, reaching the -North early in May. It has a long white streak over the eye, which is a -distinguishing feature of this species, also its underparts are buff, -turning to bright fawn colour on the breast and throat. The crown and -upper parts are mottled equally with sandy-buff and dark brown. Its bill -is less delicate than that of the Stonechat.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bearded Tit or Reedling.</span><br /> -(<i>Panurus biármicus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Bearded Tit is the ornament of the Reed-lands. Its feathers being -unusually fine and light, the brilliant black moustache gives it all the -more charming and attractive an appearance. It usually slips round in -the high reeds about which it clambers very cleverly. The nest is placed -between the stalks of the reeds, and is composed chiefly of their -leaves, the colour of which harmonises with that of the bird’s long -tail, so that the latter, which stands out of the nest, cannot be -distinguished from its surroundings. The clutch consists of five to -seven eggs, which have light brown specks and stripes on a white ground.</p> - -<p>With the disappearance of the reeds, the number of the birds diminishes.</p> - -<p>That is why we have not in England so many of this lovely species as we -used to have. Our fens and meres in Lincoln, Huntingdon, and Cambridge -Shires, as well as in Kent, Sussex, and Essex, also in Suffolk having -been drained, the birds that lived in these have naturally left them. We -are glad, however, to know that Bearded Tits are increasing again in the -Norfolk Broads, owing to protection from the greed of private -collectors. The great naturalist, Buffon, declared that the male bird -has the charming habit of covering his mate with his wings to protect -her alike from unkind winds and the burning heat of the sun, as she sits -on her nest. <i>Trinkin</i>, the peasants of Anjon call it because of the -metallic tone of its cry. In the Norfolk Broads it has been known as the -Reed Pheasant. Scientists have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> found that this species differs in its -digestive organs and other points from the Titmouse family, and that it -is, as the late Professor Newton remarks, a perfectly distinct form, -representing the family Panuridæ, instead of forming one species of the -Paridæ.</p> - -<p>It feeds on the seeds of the reeds in winter and in summer on small -molluscs.</p> - -<p>This bird, which is a beautiful and delightful bird in every respect, is -the size of a Yellow-Hammer. Its feathers are of a silky fineness. The -head is bluish-grey; from the corner of the mouth on each side, hangs a -pointed, silky black moustache, which can be raised erect on occasion. -The nape and back are cinnamon brown, which is lighter over the root of -the tail; the tail is deep black underneath, and is wedge-shaped with -feathers of graduated length. The wings are striped with buffish-white, -black and rufous; the quills are brown with white outer borders. The -throat and chest are snow white, the under parts white with a flush of -rose colour at the sides. The pupil of the eye is golden yellow.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Great Titmouse.</span><br /> -(<i>Parus major.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> respect to usefulness and activity, this bird takes the foremost -place among the Tits: restless, noisy, and always cheerful from morning -to night. It clings to the end of the twigs, head downwards, to look for -insects underneath the buds; it even climbs up walls if they are rough -and uneven. It slips into holes and crevices which seem impossible of -entry. It pursues insects everywhere, and swallows them wholesale, as -though it could never be satisfied. It has no fear of men, but comes -confidently under the roof and perches on the gate, or looks in at the -window from the window sill. It is courageous, even bold, and -boundlessly inquisitive, a trait which often places its life and liberty -in peril. For the sake of a little fat it will allow itself to be snared -in a gourd or other trap. But it is just these qualities that make it so -popular.</p> - -<p>Its voice sounds like “<i>tzit</i>” or “<i>sitzida, sitzida</i>.” This beautiful, -kindly bird deserves every protection.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Our sympathies are quite with this bright active creature, although some -of our English naturalists accuse it of using its strong beak in order -to split the skull of small weakly birds so as to feast on their brains. -It has even been known to treat a Bat in this manner. We recognise it -readily in the early spring by its note which is like the noise caused -by the sharpening of a saw with a file.</p> - -<p>Two years ago I saw the largest company of Tits—Great Tits, Blue Tits, -Coal Tits, Marsh Tits and Crested<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 238px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_214_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_214_sml.jpg" width="238" height="356" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREAT TITMOUSE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span></p> - -<p>Tits—together with a great number of tiny and beautiful gold-crested -Wrens, that I have ever seen, or indeed can ever hope to see again. It -was in a pine forest about twenty miles north of Gotha, the property of -Hans Freiherr von Berlepsch, Germany’s most ardent bird protector. He -was with us at the time and he said even he had never seen the like -before, nor had his chief gamekeeper, who is himself an ornithologist. -It was the more wonderful because we had walked for nearly three hours -through the woods that morning and had seen, with this great exception, -little wild life beyond an occasional black Squirrel and, through an -avenue of pines from afar, a grand Buck feeding in a clearing. It was in -the late autumn.</p> - -<p>Nearly three thousand nesting-boxes have been fixed in the trees there, -and it was about one of these, a deep one, that a number of Tits had -appropriated as a warm and secure sleeping place for the autumn and -winter, that the birds—three hundred of them at least the gamekeeper -declared—had gathered; now pouncing down on it, a dozen of them at a -time, now settling in noisy zi-zi-zi-ing parties on the high branches of -pine round this centre. Perhaps, like Rooks that quarrel over a -desirable nesting site, they were all eager to secure specially -desirable sleeping quarters. Tits and Wrens do, of course, always go -about the woods in parties, when family cares are over, but on such a -scale as this rarely; and so many dainty Golden-Crested Wrens together -might not be seen again in a life-time. All the species of the Tit -family, excepting the Bearded and the Long-tailed Tit were there.</p> - -<p>The amount of good these birds do among forest trees is incalculable, -not to mention their greatly misunderstood<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span> labours in ridding the -blossoms of our fruit trees of their infesting insect pests. Tits are, -in fact, most energetic and active insect destroyers.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Great Tit is a lively bird about the size of a Sparrow. The crown, -neck, and throat black; cheeks white. A black stripe runs from the -throat over the breast and under parts. The mantle is bright green; -rump, tail, and wings plum colour, with oblique whitish stripes on the -wings. The under side of the body is a beautiful bright yellow on either -side of the black stripe. The short, strong beak is shaped like a grain -of wheat and brown in colour; the strong legs are bluish. It builds its -nest delicately, and usually in such hollow places as have a narrow -opening, sometimes even in empty beehives. It lays six to -nine—sometimes, though rarely, as many as fifteen—eggs, which are -finely formed, of a pure white, with speckles of a beautiful rust -colour.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 121px;"> -<a href="images/i_216_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_216_sml.jpg" width="121" height="127" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A Tit’s Nestling.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Blue Titmouse.</span><br /> -(<i>Parus cærúleus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Crown</span> bright blue, forehead and cheeks white. A dark stripe is drawn -from above the eyes towards the nape. The white cheeks are edged at the -back and underneath, with black. The under part and rump are -sulphur-yellow, or rather lemon colour. Tail and wings blue, like the -bloom on a ripe plum. There is an oblique white stripe on the wings. The -beak is like a little grain of wheat. Legs bluish. The nest is placed in -holes of trees with small opening and is composed of soft stuff and is -very lightly built. The clutch consists of seven to ten eggs, which are -like those of the Great-tit, only much smaller. As many as eighteen eggs -have been recorded as being found in one nest.</p> - -<p>It is one of the prettiest and most useful birds, and in its actions -resembles the other Tits. The number of insects destroyed by these rises -into millions, and it has been observed that one pair, in the course of -seventeen hours brought food to their young 475 times. Its cry is clear -and piercing: “<i>Tgi, tgi, tgi</i>”—or “<i>Ze, ze, zirr</i>,” or “<i>Ze, ze, -he-he-he-he-he</i>.”</p> - -<p>It is a real treasure, and not rare in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Blue-tit is one of our best known and best liked British birds. In -the autumn great numbers arrive on our east coasts. The Blue-tit, -especially, devours a powerful tiny beetle with the ominous name of -Scolytus destructor, which works its way from the chrysalis stage at the -end of a tunnel bored by the mother beetle in the tree, until it comes -out, after biting a round hole in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_218_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_218_sml.jpg" width="290" height="306" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BLUE TITMOUSE. GOLD-CRESTED WREN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">bark, as a perfect beetle. By this small creature’s labours the bark is -separated to such an extent from the tree that it cannot live long. A -plague of other small wood-boring beetles of like habits destroyed -1,500,000 trees in the Harz Forest one season, when the priests even -prayed in their churches for relief from this awful pest. And yet there -are still numbers of country gardeners who look upon the Blue-tit, -especially, as one of their worst enemies.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>A house with large grounds in our populous London suburb is a large -boys’ school—a private one. One day I saw a pretty sight, one that did -credit to the character of the boys there. Between the playground and -the cricket field is an iron fence, having a wide gate. For some time -this has not been properly closed, and just within the hole in the -tubular iron post, into which the fastening bolt ought to run, a pair of -Blue-Tits have their nest. As I approached it, a number of gaping mouths -were thrust up for food. As the nestlings are fed with aphides and -gooseberry moths and the old birds have a large family to feed, and they -prey also on grubs and maggots, it is well for the vegetable garden -close by.</p> - -<p>About sixty boys pass noisily to and fro through this gateway during -play-hours, but the wise parents think they know better than to feed -them in the sight of these. All is done during school time and early in -the morning.</p> - -<p>A friend tells me that he knows of a Blue-Tit’s nest in an exactly -similar position. When the bird was sitting he kicked the bottom of the -iron post, and put his finger in the hole. Up flew the bold little -creature, hissing like a snake, and bit vigorously at it, fully -justifying her rural nickname of Billy-biter.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span></p> - -<p>I am glad to think that some of my schoolboy neighbours will read this, -and will know that their forbearance towards these little birds is -appreciated: a forbearance towards the defenceless which is always a -distinguishing characteristic of the true gentleman.</p> - -<p>The Blue-Tit is of great service to all flower and fruit growers, and it -comes much to our suburban, and even London gardens. And yet gardeners -at one time persecuted the little labourer, one of the prettiest and -most winsome of our common birds.</p> - -<p>Sitting in the garden of a house I formerly lived in, I noted there, in -my apple trees laden with fruit, that the Tits—the Great, the Marsh, -the Coal, and the Blue-Tit—that had not been much in evidence since -April, when they were busy amongst the blossom buds, have come back, and -they were busy now again amid the branches. Having read lately that they -destroy the fruit, notably apples, in the autumn, I have watched them -closely. It is as I expected: a number of the apples have been attacked -by insects, and it is on these that the birds are busy, on fruit which -if they did remain on the trees—they are now falling in numbers—would -be quite worthless. The Tits enlarge the holes so as to get at the true -destroyers, and they are doing more good than harm. As the Rev. F. O. -Morris said, long ago, “the destruction of the Blue-tit by the farmer or -gardener is an act of economical suicide.”</p> - -<p>Tits will also sometimes have recourse to the orchard in times of -drought, in order to quench their thirst by bites at the fruit. But we -should be churlish indeed if we grudged our little unpaid labourers a -small tithe of our harvest, which is the larger for their spring -services.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Golden-Crested Wren.</span><br /> -(<i>Regulus cristatus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is the very smallest of our British birds, and indeed of all -European species. It is found generally throughout Great Britain, and it -has increased in the north greatly of late years owing to the greater -cultivation of larch and fir-trees. The numbers of these Wrens are -augmented often in autumn by great flocks that come to our eastern coast -from the Continent. A migration wave of this sort, Mr. Howard Saunders -told of, which lasted 92 days, and reached from the Channel to the Faroe -Islands. Another migration in 1883 lasted 82 days, and one, the -following year, 87 days. On such occasions bushes in gardens on the -coast are covered with birds as with a swarm of bees; crowds flutter -round the lighthouse lanterns, and often come to grief there, and weary -little travellers climb about the rigging of fishing-smacks in the North -Sea.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Golden-Crested Wren is even smaller than the Common Wren, but its -feathers are more flossy. It has on its crown a tongue-shaped patch of -warm saffron yellow edged with black. The whole of the rest of its coat -is of a plain greenish gray, which is lighter on the under parts of his -body. The colour of the wings is also sober, the feathers having a -lighter edge; the little beak is thin and pointed, the legs nearly -black. The cunningly built nest is placed in the fir-trees where it can -with difficulty be discovered. The eggs, which number six, occasionally -eleven—of the size of peas—are<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span> reddish speckled with a darker shade -of the same colour. This useful little bird, always active, hopping -unweariedly about seeking food, lives exclusively on insects and grubs. -Its dwelling is among pines and fir-trees; it often associates with the -Tits, its call is “<i>Sit, sit, sit</i>.”</p> - -<p>It is not rare, and is worth its weight in gold.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 110px;"> -<a href="images/i_222_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_222_sml.jpg" width="110" height="69" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Crested Titmouse.</span><br /> -(<i>Parus cristátus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> order to learn habits of the Crested Tit it is necessary to climb -high into the region of the firwoods. Here the Crested Tit is the good -genius of the neighbourhood, for with untiring zeal it hops about among -the thick branches of the fir labyrinth and destroys the most -mischievous insects. Its call is “<i>ziárrrr</i>” or “<i>zick güirr</i>.” It is -not rare in the pine forests of Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Crested Tit breeds in a few of the oldest forests in Scotland where -firs and oaks remain. In Perthshire it is seen, but to England it is a -stranger, a few cases only, being on record. In Ireland also it is -practically unknown.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Crested Titmouse is much smaller than the Great Tit or Oxeye. It is -easily recognised by its pointed head, which resembles that of the -Crested Lark. The feathers of this are black, edged with white; the -cheeks white; throat and round the ears black; so that the head has the -appearance of being framed. Wings and tail greyish-brown, the feathers -with whitish edges. Underneath it is a dingy white, rust colour at the -sides. Its nest is carefully built, in holes and in trees. It lays from -five to eight, sometimes ten, white eggs speckled with light rust -colour. Two broods are generally brought out in the season.</p> - -<p>These birds are seen in Germany, and elsewhere on the Continent, -frequently in company with Golden-crested Wrens, other Tits and also -Tree-creepers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span> </p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 305px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_224_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_224_sml.jpg" width="305" height="383" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CRESTED TITMOUSE. COAL-TITMOUSE.</p></div> -</div> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Coal-tit.</span><br /> -(<i>Parus ater.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> lively, pretty, amiable bird, also lives in the thickest parts of -the fir woods, where it carries on its work of destroying the injurious -insects, the number of which is enormous. It used to be thought that the -Coal-Tit did harm to the young buds; but this has never been -authenticated, and even if it does break one off here and there, the -mischief is small indeed, in comparison with the service it performs -from one year’s end to the other. Its call is shrill and clear “<i>ziwih, -ziwih, ziwih,</i>” or “<i>sitt, sitt</i>”—or a long-drawn “<i>seeb, seeb</i>.”</p> - -<p>This bird occurs in considerable numbers in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Coal-Titmouse is one of our common birds in the United Kingdom and -it is said to increase yearly, although it is not yet so common as the -Great and the Blue Tits. It is a very useful little bird as it feeds its -young largely on green caterpillars; but it eats nuts as well as -seeds—the seeds of the Scotch fir it is specially fond of.</p> - -<p>The Marsh-Titmouse—<i>Parus palústris</i>—is another resident species in -Great Britain, but it is, with the exception of the Crested Titmouse, -the least common of our Tits. I have seen it much about our Middlesex -gardens, a superficial observer can note the difference between this -bird and the Coal-Tit easily because the Marsh-Tit has not the white -patch on the back of the head which the Coal-Tit has. It is often seen -in orchards where it does good service, but is fond of the -neighbourhood<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span> of rivers and delights itself among the alder trees and -pollarded willows of swampy ground.</p> - -<p>The Coal Tit is the same size as the Crested Tit. Cheeks white—at the -back of the head a white patch, the rest of the head black, so that this -colour forms a broad bridle, which recalls that of the great tit. -Underneath it is of a dingy white, the mantle a bluish ash-colour with a -tinge of green. Wings and tail dark grey, the former having two oblique -whitish stripes. The nest is built on the ground, in holes in fir trees -under decaying bark, sometimes in holes in the ground—and is formed for -the most part of green moss, the interior being warmly lined with hair. -The clutch consists of six—sometimes even ten—eggs of a brilliant -white finely speckled with rust-colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Long-tailed Tit.</span><br /> -(<i>Acredula caudáta.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is a true Tit, and never rests, but is hunting here and there, -slipping in and out, in constant movement, from morning till night, now -and then indulging in such gymnastic exercises on the frailest twigs, as -would by comparison make the limb-dislocating mountebank look a clumsy -lout. Nothing can be more charming than the society of which the -Long-tailed Tit is the grand master. It comprehends the Great-Tit, the -Blue-Tit, and the Coal-Tit, one or two tree runners, Spotted Woodpeckers -and a Nuthatch. The whole form a brigade of workers, who rove through -the woods and gardens, each one working according to the measure of its -strength. They search a tree, from the bark to the point of the thin -topmost twig, where the Long-Tailed one is quite at home, so light a -featherweight is his body—the twig bends, but does not break, and the -tail acts as its balancing pole. This society gathers at the same hour -at the same place, in the late autumn, in order to seek fresh places. -The note of the Long-Tailed Tit sounds like “<i>je, je, je,</i>” and “<i>gey, -gey, gey, gey</i>.” It lives on injurious insects, and wherever it builds -its nest in wood or garden it is a priceless treasure.</p> - -<p>It is not rare in Hungary, and deserves to be protected.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>There are various forms of the Long-tailed Titmouse in Europe; our own -form is fairly common in localities which suit its mode of living. It is -resident and common in Ireland, but very local in its occurrence in -Scotland. These Tits often rear two broods in a season, and afterwards -the whole family may be seen flitting about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 334px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_228_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_228_sml.jpg" width="334" height="173" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LONG-TAILED TIT.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">together, in single file from hedgerow to hedgerow. There is a dipping -motion in their flight which is pretty to watch. All these feed on -insects and their larvæ.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 154px;"> -<a href="images/i_229_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_229_sml.jpg" width="154" height="135" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A bright winter friend.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The Long-tailed Tit is the size of the Wren; a round-headed little bird -with a tiny beak, and a very long tail. The head is white, and suggests -that of a grey-headed old grandfather. The fore-part of the back is -black with white patches on the shoulders, the tail black, the three -outer feathers being for the most part white, and graduated in length, -the two middle feathers being shorter. The under part is rose colour; -the tiny beak black.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Nest of the Long-tailed Tit.</span></h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> is not only in our latitudes that the nest of the Long-tailed Tit is -considered a masterpiece, but even far away south where nature works -such marvels, where the little humming birds, scarcely bigger than the -joint of a child’s finger,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 280px;"> -<a href="images/i_230_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_230_sml.jpg" width="280" height="247" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LONG-TAILED TITS AND FAMILY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">shine in the sunlight like diamonds and -rubies, and build nests no bigger than half a small hen’s egg,—even -there, this nest is looked upon one of the finest specimens of bird -architecture. It is the most charming, most beautiful, and warmest bird -abode. Most often it is round, the twigs supporting it like the fingers -of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span> hand, and often it stands free like a little beehive. It is -beautifully roofed in with a domed top, and has at the side an opening -large enough for a big bumble bee. It is constructed of the finest moss, -and the softest fluff from the meadows and poplars; it is soft, and yet -so strongly put together that no human workman can imitate it.</p> - -<p>In this soft, warm nest the tiny bird lays its nine, sometimes eleven, -eggs. These are white with rose-coloured spots at the thicker end. The -male and female birds sit alternately on the eggs for fourteen days; and -then the hard work begins—twelve babes to nourish, and with the finest -food!</p> - -<p>The industry of the Swallow is truly great, but that of the Long-tailed -Tit is still greater. The Swallow seizes its booty while on the wing, -and has only to open its beak; but the Tit has to go from branch to -branch, working sometimes head downwards, sometimes swinging, in order -to secure the tiny morsels.</p> - -<p>Truly he who does not delight in the sight of this tiny family united by -love, who is not moved when the twelve baby birds are seen sitting close -pressed together on a slender bough, and the little parents come and go, -with their continuous cry, bringing food and giving it in turn to the -young ones—he whom such a sight does not fill with pleasure, must have -a stone in his breast instead of a heart.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 371px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>MUST BE KEPT IN CHECK.</p></div> -<a href="images/i_232_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_232_sml.jpg" width="371" height="332" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE TREE SPARROW.</p> - -<p>THE HOUSE SPARROW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.<br /><br /> -WORKERS ALL THE YEAR ROUND.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The House Sparrow.</span><br /> -(<i>Passer domesticus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is among birds what the street-boy is in the towns—merry, -audacious, obtrusive and quarrelsome, always moving and picking up what -it can. A human habitation without Sparrows is inconceivable. In the -street it rummages in the tracks of the horses; in the markets, it sees -when the stall-keeper is dozing, and helps itself out of her basket to -anything that takes its fancy.</p> - -<p>When the wheat ears are soft it betakes itself to the fields and fills -its stomach and also feeds its young with their milky juice; when the -corn is ripe he attacks it and knocks more grains out of the ears than -it can possibly eat. It does the same with cherries, mulberries, and all -kinds of seeds. It also breaks off young buds and the points of young -shoots.</p> - -<p>It drags the Titmice out of their nest-holes and establishes itself -there. It presence is easy to recognise by the straws sticking out of -the hole. The only method of preventing this is to make the -entrance-hole narrower and to hang the nest-hole lower down.</p> - -<p>It is true that when there is a great abundance of cockchafers it -consumes a great quantity of these creatures; but as soon as it finds -something it likes<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span> better, and is easily obtained, he leaves the -destructive chafers to others. The most useful service it does is in -severe snowy winters, when, in company with a large number of other -Sparrows, it scours the fields and picks up the seeds of noxious weeds; -besides this it feeds its young with insects. It should not be suffered -to increase too much, for it does on the whole considerable mischief. -The humane way of lessening its numbers, as we have before pointed out, -is to pull down the nest wherever we can.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>A word for our English Sparrows. E. Newman, F.Z.S., says: “A -Sparrow-hawk left to himself, even by scaring the Sparrow from ripe -grain, will save the wages of at least ten boys.” And the head gardener -of a large garden which was protected with a network of black cotton -only, said: “Nobody knows what good a Sparrow does in a garden. In -fields it eats charlock, chickweed, plaintain, buttercup, knot-grass,” -etc. When the hay lies in swathes in the fields it haunts them in quest -of what are called “haychaffers”; craneflies, earwigs, blight, etc., are -part of its prey. “They have been known,” writes Curtis of Sparrows in -“Farm Insects,” “to gorge themselves with the larvæ of the May-bug till -they were unable to fly.” A French writer says: “Under one Sparrow’s -nest the rejected wing-cases of cockchafers were picked up; they -numbered over 1,400. Thus one pair had destroyed more than 700 insects -to feed one brood.” Much of the harm attributed to Sparrows is the work -of a small Weevil, which is very destructive to many kitchen-garden -plants. Mr. Joseph Nunn of Royston, a farmer, writing of the Sparrow -during 1897, says that Sparrows do not eat<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span> more corn from the stacks -than other Finches or the Buntings, and that a farmer must learn how to -protect his property the same as any other tradesman.</p> - -<p>As to its colour, we may say that its crown is grey with chestnut -stripes, throat black—that is, the male bird. The throat of the female -is whitish, and there are whitish lines on the head and over the eyes. -Beak strong, wedge-shaped, pointed. The whole bird suggests strength. It -lays five or six eggs, which are white, thickly speckled with dark -marks. The nest is composed of straw, wood, tow, hair and feathers -carelessly put together, still it is soft and warm. This bird breeds -twice a year, sometimes three times.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Tree Sparrow.</span><br /> -(<i>Passer Montanus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> habits of this Sparrow vary from those of the house species in that -it dwells among fields and foothills where wood and thicket alternate. -It also frequents gardens, and behaves very audaciously. In hollow -places in old trees it is sure to be met with. It is a bold builder, and -will place its nest with us in Hungary under the Eagle’s eyrie, or the -Stork’s nest. It may generally be said to be a hole-nester, and a much -greater insect eater than its congener the House Sparrow.</p> - -<p>Its manner of nesting makes it all the more dangerous to the artificial -nest-holes, and we cannot guard them against this species, either by -decreasing the size of the entrance or by placing the nest-holes lower; -it drags the Tits out and takes possession of the hole; the only thing -that can be done is to drive it away with small shot; otherwise we -should harbour Tree Sparrows instead of Tits, and, although they are not -as numerous as the House Sparrow the supply of them is more than enough.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Tree Sparrow is also rarer with us in Great Britain than its -ubiquitous relative. It is quite local as to habitat. Until quite -recently it was unknown in Ireland. Large numbers arrive, however, in -autumn along the east coast, and its settlements in Scotland are chiefly -on the eastern side, up as far as Sutherland. Its nest with us will be -found at times at some distance from human dwellings; in the soft rotten -wood of trees often, but it builds also about farm-buildings, beneath -roof-tilings<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> and in cliffs by the sea. The eggs are more glossy than -the House Sparrow’s; two and even three broods will be reared in a -season. The young are fed on caterpillars and other insects, soft -vegetable matter, etc., but in winter both young and old frequent -farmyards, and visit the ricks; also they seek grain among -horse-droppings in the streets. The illustration shows the difference in -the markings of the two species of Sparrow.</p> - -<p>This bird is smaller than the House Sparrow, and more slender. The -colouring is, on the whole, the same in the male and female birds. From -crown to tail it is chestnut brown, passing into ash-grey, with dark -markings round the ears and on the throat. Both in colour and demeanour -it is a true Sparrow. It lays five or six, occasionally seven, -light-coloured speckled eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 256px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_238_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_238_sml.jpg" width="256" height="210" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HEDGE SPARROW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hedge Sparrow.</span><br /> -(<i>Accentor modularis.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is no vulgar little city arab, picking about in untidy stables, in -the refuse on the streets, and among the droppings of horses. Does not -its Latin name rather proclaim it one of the aristocrats of bird life. -Its dress may be dull-coloured, but its form and its motions are not -inelegant, despite its familiar name of “Shufflewings” and “Smokie,” in -deference to its characteristic motion and its colouring. Head and nape -are a bluish-grey, streaked with brown, back and wings are a -reddish-brown, streaked blackish; the lower wing-coverts are tipped with -clayish colour, in bar-fashion, underparts a dull white; the sides are -marked with dark streaks on a pale reddish-brown ground; the bill brown, -the base being of a lighter shade; the legs and feet are yellow brown. -Length 5.5 inches. The slate-grey on the head and throat is not seen on -the young birds, which are browner and more spotted than the adults. -This is a friendly bird and very easily tamed, so that it will often -bring its mate to the kitchen door for food in winter, and its song is -more melodious than many of our singers. The nest is built of moss, bits -of stick, roots, and dry grass, in all kinds of hedges, or roadside -thickets. The eggs, four to six, greenish-blue without spots and rough -in texture. Many bird-lovers refuse to call this bird by the plebian -name of Sparrow, with them it is always the Hedge Accentor.</p> - -<p>The food of this bird mainly consists of caterpillars, eggs of insects, -wood-lice, earwigs, chrysalids, small seeds of weeds, house-refuse, -etc.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 290px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_240_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_240_sml.jpg" width="290" height="208" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SKYLARK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Skylark.</span><br /> -(<i>Alauda arvensis.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">It</span> can raise a tuft on its head at will. A long, slightly hooked claw is -on the back toe. The nest is placed on the ground, more rarely among -corn or meadow grass, but rather on fallow ground or clover field, among -low thick growth; it assimilates so closely with its surroundings that -it is difficult to discover. It usually contains five eggs, which, being -of a dingy, grey-green speckled with a darker colour, also somewhat -resemble the colour of the earth.</p> - -<p>This Lark occurs most numerously in the northern regions, and as regards -its habits is one of the best known and most popular of birds. It -arrives in Hungary early in the spring, settles down, and does not allow -any other bird to approach it, pecking them away if possible. Its little -territory often occupies only a hundred paces. The different territories -are contiguous, and disputes between the neighbours are perpetually -going on. The combatants may constantly be seen, darting here and there -with lightning speed, flying near the ground, in pursuit of one another. -During the pairing and brooding-time the male bird sings unweariedly, -flinging his song into the air. He rises towards the sky, with vibrating -wings, higher and higher, dropping his ever-changing trilling -notes,—often rising to such a height that he disappears from sight and -the song dies away. Then suddenly he reappears, becomes silent, and -drops like a stone to earth.</p> - -<p>In his poem “In Winter,” Johann Arány says of the Lark:—<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i12">“Like the poor poet,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Who in the sun’s bright rays spreads out his wing<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And bears towards heaven his song: he turns and falls,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">And he is silent.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Lark lives partly on seeds, but its chief food is gathered from the -insect world. It is almost universally considered by epicures a great -delicacy, and is snared by thousands. Fortunately it exists in great -numbers, but its snaring is to be deprecated.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p>In England larks have been very largely eaten, but happily the practice -is now most strongly opposed by thoughtful people. If the consumption of -Larks in our country went on as it was doing a few years ago the species -would soon be extinct. Yet this singer—whom poets have delighted to -honour and one—possibly because of its alert ways and its sentinel-like -attitude—which Julius Cæsar chose as an emblem for one of his famous -legions,—devours wireworms, grubs and various larvæ when these lie -hidden in the short winter pastures, and just at the stage when the -latter are most greedy of nourishment, so that the grass would suffer -incredibly but for the bird’s work. A recent authority stated that it -was to be deplored that not a tenth part of the Skylarks that formerly -frequented the Midland pastures were there now. Unfortunately this bird -is a favourite among those who are given to the caging of singing birds.</p> - -<p>This bird is bigger and more slender than the Sparrow, and the colouring -generally of the upper parts is a warm yellowish-brown. It is -distinguished from its congener, the Woodlark, by its tail feathers. The -two outermost feathers are white, growing darker only about the shaft. -The outer web of the second feather is white. The tail feathers have -dark-brown centres and tawny edges.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Kingfisher.</span><br /> -(<i>Alcedo ispida.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Kingfisher is the arch-enemy of the fish, and it is hardly credible -that this relatively small bird, should gulp down, as it does, fish as -long as your finger, in order to fill his stomach. It digests very -quickly, and spits out the bones, scales, and fins. It watches, from a -bough, for the little fish. Where a bush bending over the water -undisturbed by the eddy forms a calm mirror,—there does this -resplendent fish-poacher settle itself on an overhanging bough, to -watch—motionless and with incredible tenacity—the water and the living -things beneath it. If a trout or other small fish, feeling quite safe, -comes to the surface, the Kingfisher drops on it like a piece of lead; -it grasps its prey with its sharp beak, and, shaking the water from its -plumage, flies back to its perch, gulps down its delicate morsel, and -sets itself again to watch. Its colour protects the bird when diving. -The underparts are much the same colour as a fallen leaf, and this -arouses no suspicion in the fish—the back, on the other hand, shines -like the blue shimmer of the running stream, and that often protects the -bird from the circling Sparrow-hawk. If it comes to a flat shore on the -side of a small stream, which offers no overhanging perching place, it -settles on a stake or a clod of earth, and now and then hovers over the -water, and flutters like a hawk. It is an inconstant bird. It appears, -and disappears from a district, and then, perhaps after some years, -presents itself again. Its flight is rapid, and it raises its cry, as it -goes, “<i>teet</i>.”</p> - -<p>It does harm, but is scarce in Hungary.</p> - -<p class="cspan">. . . . . . . . . . .</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 353px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL</p></div> - -<a href="images/i_244_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_244_sml.jpg" width="353" height="446" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE KINGFISHER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span></p> - -<p>In Great Britain it was also becoming scarce, but of late years Bird -Protection and the ever increasing number of bird-lovers has been in -favour of this beautiful ornament of streams and meadows. It is, -however, often shot because its feathers are of value for dressing -artificial flies. Personally I could not call a bird hurtful because it -seeks the food which its Creator <i>intended</i> it to eat, which is no more -the property of man when it is taken in its natural conditions than it -is that of the bird, and I confess I would rather see the brilliant blue -of the Kingfisher flash up a meadow stream than the angler’s figure -there with his rod.</p> - -<p>The Kingfisher is seven and a half inches long, a short thick set bird, -with short tail and straight pointed beak, which sticks out like a lath -nail. The colouring of its plumage, which, in its flight, sparkles like -precious gems, makes it one of the marvels of nature. Crown, neck, -mantle, and rump are of an exquisite brilliant blue; a cinnamon brown -stripe passes over the eye, growing lighter as it extends over the side -of the neck. Eyes brown, throat white, underparts a brilliant rust-red, -legs red, rather short, the toes slightly joined at the root. It nests -on the banks of rivers and streams, boring in the bank, on a level just -above the surface of the water a tunnel a yard long, which it enlarges -at the end into a cauldron-shaped cavity. It does not build a nest here, -but lays its round white eggs on rejected fish-bones. The eggs number -six or seven.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 314px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_246_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_246_sml.jpg" width="314" height="303" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE DIPPER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Dipper.</span><br /> -(<i>Cinclus aquaticus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Dipper’s habits are most interesting. The bird frequents the most -picturesque streams, perching on the dry boulders, with the water -gurgling and splashing about him. From this he dives and walks under the -water, turns over the small pebbles and returns to his stone. This led -to his being suspected of being an enemy to the fisherman. It has, -however, be proved by the inspection of the contents of the stomachs of -several Dippers that only insect remains and small shell-fish were -eaten. The fact that he will attach himself to brooks which contain no -fish at all, proves that he does not feed on these. The bird’s plumage -is simply watertight, and therefore admirably adapted to a bird which -can swim as well as dive.</p> - -<p>The song of the Dipper is strong and cheery; and the lively ways of this -Water-ouzel, as it often called, lend a charm to our mountain streams. -With us in Hungary a thorough investigation of the life-habits of this -bird, which spread over a considerable period, and involved much -correspondence, has resulted in the complete vindication of this bird’s -character.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Mr. Herman’s verdict on the Dipper and the Kingfisher, are the more -valuable because he is the great authority, in his own country, in all -that relates to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span> pisciculture. The Dipper remains with us all the year -round, especially in the Peak District in Derbyshire, and the -hill-streams of North Staffordshire. It is, however, found in the -British Islands, wherever there are rapid rivers or stony brooks and -streams. All the Highland burns and rivers have a few pairs. In Ireland, -too, it is resident in the mountainous districts, but it forsakes these -often, at the approach of winter, for the mouths of tidal rivers and the -salt flats of the seashore. In the valley of the Dove it remains about -the stream all through the winter. The birds are clever in contriving to -make so heavy a nest cling to the wall of rock or stone, where it is -placed. It cocks up its short tail very much as a Wren does, and dips -its head in a way, which has gained for it the quaint local name of -“Betty Dowker.” As it feeds much on the larvae of the May-fly and -bank-fly, and others which are destructive to the salmon spawning beds, -it must be of good service to the fisher. The young birds are able to -swim as soon as they leave the nest, and to chase the water insects, -using both legs and wings in pursuit. The wings serve as oars. The song -of the bird is begun in autumn, and it will often be heard all through -the winter, but always in early spring, and fully fledged young have -been found by the twenty-first of March.</p> - -<p>This is a thick-set but charming bird a little over six inches in -length. Head and nape are umber-brown, tail and wing-feathers dark -brown; chin, throat, and upper breast white, passing off into -chestnut-brown, dark-grey and black on the belly; bill brownish-black, -legs and feet brown; upper parts mottled with dark grey and brown. The -beak is awl-shaped, and the sharp toes on the strong feet are long and -well divided. The nest is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> generally placed close to a running stream, -preferably near to, and even behind some little waterfall. It is a large -oval ball of leaves, grass, and moss, lined with dry grass and dead -leaves. The entrance is low down in the side. From four to six eggs are -laid, which are glossy white at first, but become dull as the bird sits. -Two broods are reared in a season.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 502px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_250_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_250_sml.jpg" width="502" height="342" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE THRUSH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Thrush.</span><br /> -(<i>Turdus musicus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> bird is the same size as a Blackbird. The upper side is -olive-brown; throat and under parts whitish; breast rusty-yellow with -dark heart-shaped spots and flecks. A light eye-brow stripe runs over -the eye. The under side of the wing is rusty-yellow; beak and legs -brownish-yellow. Its nest is very remarkable. It builds by preference in -trees with dense foliage, at a medium height, and employs stalks, grass, -and small twigs well woven together, the crevices being filled with -moss. There is nothing remarkable in this, for there are many better -woven nests; but the cup of the nest is a work of art. It is wide, and -deep, having inside a strong layer finely cemented and smoothed, about -the thickness of the back of a table knife. This is composed of -pulverised atoms of decayed wood, which the Thrush mixes with its sticky -saliva, and kneads into a paste, with its beak. It lays five or six eggs -of a vitriol-green colour, with very fine spots.</p> - -<p>The Thrush is a fine strong bird, and moves firmly and skilfully among -the branches. When on the ground it holds its head and beak well up; -always alert. When it sees its prey it springs on it at once with -lowered head, seizes it and tears it to pieces with its beak. On mossy -grounds it is very skilful in turning over tufts of moss, in order to -reach the insects which crawl about underneath. It also catches -grasshoppers, and in the late summer and autumn attacks the wild -berries.</p> - -<p>It has many enemies. The Jay is the worst plunderer<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span> of its nest; but it -has recently been ascertained that the Squirrel also sucks the eggs.</p> - -<p>Its song is beautiful, flooding the woods far and near, with its rich -fluty tones. It sings from the highest branches of trees, sitting -quietly meanwhile, as if itself steeped in the dreamy rapture of its own -performance.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Song Thrush in Scotland is called the Mavis. This is strange as it -is the Redwing which is known in France under the name of <i>Mauvis</i>. The -song of the Blackbird is often confused with that of the Thrush; yet -that of the latter is a very distinctive one, because in the middle of a -strain of song there is the repetition of its three chief notes. You -will seem to hear it saying “Pretty dear, pretty dear,” or “Wait a bit, -wait a bit.”</p> - -<p>We must own that the Thrush is a very active thief, although it does -feed much on insects, worms, and snails. It is absolutely necessary to -protect one’s fruit against this depredator.</p> - -<p>Shakespeare speaks of the “throstle with his note so true,” and Clare -wrote</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“And thrushes too ’gan clear their throats,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And get by heart some two ’r three notes<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Of their intended summer song.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">But Browning still more finely enters into the spirit of this bird’s -song:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“That’s the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Lest you should think he never can recapture<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The first, fine, careless rapture!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Blackbird.</span><br /> -(<i>Turdus merula.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is a lively, cheery bird, an ornament to the thickets and clearings -of the woods. Just before the evening twilight, in company with others -of the Thrush family, it seeks the clearings and openings of the woods, -and delights the eye of the beholder, by its hopping here and there, its -darting and hunting—busily dragging worms out of the ground and -attacking all the mischievous Chafer family. Then it flies on to the -summit of a bush or an over-spreading bough, and its powerful, pure -flute-like song resounds through the wood, and makes the listener forget -all else. In autumn it eats the berries, sometimes fruit; but being very -timid it is easily driven off. It is a useful bird and a pleasure to eye -and ear.</p> - -<p>This is the bird which is so often taken from the nest and reared. The -male bird fetches a good price in Hungary, for it learns to whistle -tunes—even from street-organs. Because it learns so easily, it -sometimes happens, that in the middle of a beautiful tune which it has -been taught, some most excruciating sound is heard, reminiscent of an -ungreased cart-wheel. In Germany the Blackbird has become a town-bird; -and people spread dried ant-eggs, chopped meat, and maggots, and make a -nest for it near their vine-covered windows. It stays there also during -the winter.</p> - -<p>And what about the East? Why are children ever brought up in such a way -that they seize a stone directly they see a Blackbird?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 468px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_254_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_254_sml.jpg" width="468" height="251" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BLACKBIRD.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span></p> - -<p>In February our English Blackbird will be thinking of mating. We are all -familiar with the usual nesting-site which is chosen—evergreen, thick -bushes, and hedgerows—but it has been known to build successfully and -to lay its eggs, in the heart of what is known as the thousand-headed -cabbage. The young of the early broods sometimes help the parents to -feed the young of the second brood of the season.</p> - -<p>The Blackbird is commoner in the South than the Thrush, and is as a rule -more popular with the country people than the latter bird. Gardeners -look upon it as a terrible thief, but the good it does in feeding on -moths, beetles, other insects and larvæ, caterpillars, cockchafer grubs, -quite counterbalances the harm it does in taking fruit. A well-known -Zoologist says, “Short-sighted agriculturists kill the Blackbirds that, -at the rate of sixty an hour, destroy their worst foes, or working as -they do from early dawn to dusk six hundred in the course of a single -day, which, given ten Blackbirds, raises the total of vermin put out of -the way to six thousand per diem, against which a few dozens of -strawberries should count as the dust in the balance. But the -horticulturist sees the Blackbirds pick a raspberry now and again, and -he does not see the same bird kill a dozen or two of grubs or snails for -each morsel of fruit he may help himself to.” Another, a Fruit-grower, -says that during one hard winter when some of his fruit trees were -killed, and in some places the Thrush tribe were all but annihilated, -snails were a scourge in the following summer, and gooseberry bushes -were stripped by caterpillars innumerable. This is the testimony of the -late Joseph Witherspoon, a well-known fruit grower. He goes on to say, -“When gardens are surrounded by<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span> woods, it is only by a liberal use of -nets that any reasonable portion of fruit can be saved, as swarms of -Blackbirds and Thrushes will eat every fruit as it ripens. I provide -nesting-places, and thus have my birds so near my caterpillars, and so -far from house morsels that they eat the pest greedily; but fruit crops -being thereby secured, we must next draw on our ingenuity to prevent the -birds taking more than their fair tithe.”</p> - -<p>In winter Blackbirds feed principally on snails, the shells of which -they break by raising them in the bill and dashing them against a hard -stone, just as Thrushes do. But for these birds, we should be quite -unable to save our gardens from the wholesale ravages of those enemies -to plant life.</p> - -<p>The Blackbird, of course, belongs to the Thrush family, and its -relatives the Fieldfare, the Redwing, and the Mistle Thrush all have the -same habits of feeding. They all devour snails, slugs, worms, and -insects, and in the autumn take wild berries. The Fieldfares are only -with us in winter, and they seek their food over the fields and pasture -lands in mild weather, and eat the berries when frost comes, and snow -covers the ground. The Redwing is a delicate bird, and often comes to -grief in our country during a hard winter. The Mistle Thrush is with us -all the year, and its food consists, not of mistletoe as used to be -supposed, but of the berries of the yew, holly, mountain ash, hawthorn, -etc., worms, snails, and insects, and, it must be confessed, of a little -fruit occasionally.</p> - -<p>The male bird is pure black, the eyes bordered with a fine golden -yellow. The beak is also of this colour. Legs blackish. The female is -dark-brown, chin whitish,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> breast a shabby brown with dark spots, beak -and legs brown. The male does not attain his brilliant blackness until -his third year. It builds its nest in bushes and thick foliage, where it -is well hidden. It is composed chiefly of moss, fine twigs, and tufts of -hair; and is strong and durable. The clutch consists of four to six eggs -of pale green, speckled with pale rust-red and violet.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 229px;"> -<a href="images/i_257_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_257_sml.jpg" width="229" height="280" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>An evening lyric.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 383px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_258_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_258_sml.jpg" width="383" height="320" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GOLDEN ORIOLE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Oriole.</span><br /> -(<i>Oriolus galbula.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> bird is noisy in the spring and the early summer, its voice, which -is full and deep like the note of the reed-pipe, fills the edge of the -woods and the great gardens. “Next to the call of the Cuckoo, the -flute-like note of the Oriole most enlivens the early summer woods and -so contributes to the perfect harmony of a sunny spring-tide day; -‘<i>deelee-adid-leen</i>,’ or ‘<i>ditleo, deega, ditleeo</i>’ it sounds, always -clear and joyous out of the bushy treetops.” In Hungary, it endeavours -to lure away boys from too close proximity to the nest, by the cry, -“<i>kell-cy dió, fiu?</i>” which means “Boys do you want some nuts?”</p> - -<p>Except at the fruit season, the Oriole is a very useful bird, and there -is no kind of caterpillar that it will not pick up. In seasons when -there are a great many cockchafers, it carries on a perfect war of -extermination on these unhappy creatures. It is unfortunately true, -however, that when the summer fruit is ripe—it departs for warmer -regions before autumn—it troubles itself little about chafers, but -turns its attention to cherries, apricots, morellas, and early pears. -Still the good it does in destroying insects, is much greater than the -harm it does otherwise, and therefore we will be indulgent to it. -Besides, its lovely colour is a delight to the eye.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This Oriole comes annually to Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, but can -only be called a visitor to our country, although nests have been found -occasionally in some counties, especially in Kent. It is not -unfrequently<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> noticed in the Southern and Eastern counties of England.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately collectors cannot resist adding this beautifully plumaged -bird to their lists. I have watched it myself in Southern Germany and -Hungary. It is not at all shy, and one of the most beautiful things in -bird-life I have ever seen was a number of Orioles flitting from tree to -tree in an orchard situated amongst vineyards on the hilly banks of the -Danube in Baranya. The black on the wing-coverts and tail-feathers is in -striking contrast with the golden-yellow of the greater part of the -plumage. The male has a very flute-like call, hence its French name of -Loriot. The female is a devoted mother. Where these birds have been -protected on private estates in our country they have reared broods -successfully; it would surely add to the beauty of our rural landscapes, -if they were encouraged and protected.</p> - -<p>The Oriole is rather larger than the Thrush. The male is a beautiful -golden-yellow; wings and tail black except the end of the tail which is -yellow. A black stripe passes across the eyes from the base of the beak; -the beak is a reddish flesh colour, the eye blood-red. In the female and -the young, all the parts which in the male are golden-yellow are -greenish, the underparts a greyish-white with darker stripes. The nest -is quite a work of art. It is always placed in the base of a fork of a -branch, and is fastened to the bough with fine root fibre and bast; it -is lined with any fine soft material, even cob-webs are sometimes found -in it. The clutch usually consists of five eggs, which are white with a -few very prominent dark specks. It also nests in gardens.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Robin.</span><br /> -(<i>Eríthacus rubécula.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Robin is one of the cleverest courtiers. It alights on the ground, -alternately appears and vanishes for a few moments, then suddenly stands -still, makes a low bow, droops its wings, raises its tail, then looks up -at one with shining eyes, full of confidence, as if to say: “I trust -you.” It hunts beetles with great energy, and does not even recoil -before the slug, still less before a small earthworm, which the lordly -hedge-sparrow would not touch for all the world.</p> - -<p>Sometimes it flies on to a high branch, keeping quite still, except that -now and then it makes a bow and raises its tail; then all at once it -flies to the ground, pounces on the awaited booty, returns to its bough -and devours its prey. Its song is beautiful, exquisite, rivalling, but -not excelling, that of the Lark. The bird sits quietly and sings, and is -in no hurry to cease. Its cry is a light piercing “<i>see</i>.”</p> - -<p>It is a bird which may be said to become tame almost immediately when -caught. It likes to move at liberty about a room. Poor people with us -like to keep it, for it catches the flies in the room, the spiders in -the corners or even on the bed; or any other moving thing. This bonny -bird deserves every protection.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The ways of the “cheery little Ruddock,” as Shakespeare calls him, are -so well known that it is not necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 253px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_262_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_262_sml.jpg" width="253" height="224" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE ROBIN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">to add much more to Mr. Herman’s graphic description. Perhaps it is not -known to all our readers, however, that a great number of Robins migrate -to our country every autumn from the Continent, whilst some of our -home-bred birds leave our shores. As a rule the red on the breast of the -former is brighter than with those bred here. There are, however, as we -know, individual birds which will attach themselves to a home where they -have been treated kindly, for a number of successive winters, entering -the open window and feeding with the children.</p> - -<p>The Robin has three different styles of song, one the gay, joyous -outpouring which delights us on sunny days, then the autumnal dirge, -which proclaims the approach of cold stormy days, and is often uttered -just before it leaves us for warmer quarters; and again, the long -drawn-out cries, notes of distress, when some prowling cat or other -enemy approaches its nest.</p> - -<p>Robins, as we all know, devour great quantities of worms and insects. It -is a most valuable species to the gardener and fruit grower, for, except -under the stress of thirst, it lives only on animal food.</p> - -<p>The Robin needs little description. The whole of the upper side, -including the back of the head and crown, is olive brown, the -under-parts dingy white; throat, breast, and brow a beautiful rose-red -with us,—in some districts more chestnut-red,—whence the bird is -called the Redbreast. There are plainly discernable oblique stripes of a -lighter shade on the wings. Eyes dark brown and large; legs dark and -strong; beak finely pointed; plumage fine, soft, and loose. The nest is -always placed low down, in the thickest bushes, in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span> hollow trees, holes, -and crevices. It is well and delicately built; the outer covering -consists of dry leaves, the inner of thickly woven moss, rootlets, hair, -and feathers. It is difficult to find. The eggs usually number five, -occasionally seven; they are of a yellowish olive-brown speckled with -rust colour, the speckling being closer in a ring round the thicker end. -Two or even three broods are produced in the year.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The Robin and the Wren<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Are God Almighty’s cock and hen.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Him that harries their nest,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Never shall his soul have rest.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Grahame sang—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i7">“Dearer the redbreast’s note,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">That mourns the fading year in Scotia’s vales,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Than Philomel’s where spring is ever new;<br /></span> -<span class="i0">More dear the redbreast’s sober suit,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">So like the withered leaflet, than the glare<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Of gaudy wings that make the Iris dim.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Wren.</span><br /> -(<i>Troglodytes párvulus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Wren is certainly the most lively of little birds. With its -confiding nature, especially in winter, it approaches close to men, and -with lightning speed dashes into the openings and gaps in the wood -stack. It is visible only for a moment at a time, and, with its little -upright tail, its nodding and see-sawing, its appearing and -disappearing, its popping in and out, it disposes even the most morose -persons to cheerfulness. It slips through the prickliest bunch of -blackthorn like the nimblest mouse, and has scarcely vanished on one -side, before it appears on the other, shoots about like an arrow and is -quickly lost in the neighbouring hedge. It does not fly far. If it finds -itself in difficulties in the open, it slips into a mouse-hole. It feeds -on the tiniest, and most hidden insects. It finds the smallest spiders, -caterpillars, chrysalises, and grubs, which it wants, with skill and -inexhaustible energy. It is found both in summer and winter with us.</p> - -<p>This little bird has also its song, which is louder than might be -expected, suggesting somewhat that of the Canary. A listener to whom it -is not known, is astonished if he happens to discover the tiny vocalist. -It sings always in an open place. Its cry is “<i>Zrr’s Zezerr</i>.”</p> - -<p>A Lancashire naturalist writes of “the irrepressible vitality of the -Wrens which prompts them to fling a song in the face of winter whenever -they get a chance.” A chiding, chattering song it is; flung out also in -advance of the intruding footsteps that disturb the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 312px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_266_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_266_sml.jpg" width="312" height="216" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WREN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">privacy of the hedge-row at the foot of which the bold, pert little -creatures are seeking their food. In old nests in the thatch and holes -in the walls, they find warmth and shelter during the winter, a little -batch of them together. They are supposed to build special nests, -“cocks’ nests,” they are called. A Staffordshire acquaintance tells how, -being curious as to the number sleeping in one of these which he had -previously noted in a grotto in his grounds, he and gardener surprised -them one night by the light of a lanthorn, and no fewer than six Wrens -fluttered out of the nest.</p> - -<p>Another friend who was fishing near Brambridge, in Hampshire, tells me -that he knows one such nest under the thatch of an under-keeper’s -cottage, and he has seen five or six enter this in the early twilight of -a winter evening. On two different occasions, when a dogcart sent to the -keeper’s cottage at which he puts up, was waiting for him to drive to -his day’s fishing, a Wren settled on the back of the standing horse, -near the cottage door, and remained there for a few minutes, as though -enjoying the warmth coming through the creature’s coat.</p> - -<p>In Ireland every Wren that can be seen is hunted down and killed on St. -Stephen’s Day; and a Surrey man tells me that up to twenty-five years -ago he has witnessed the same persecution in the home counties. -Tradition says that it is due in Ireland to the fact of a party of Wrens -hopping over a drum’s head, and thereby disturbing a sentinel, when a -party of Irish were on the point of surprising their enemies.</p> - -<p>Shakespeare writes of “the Wren with little quill,” in Bottom’s song of -birds; and again, in “Cymbeline,” Imogen says, “if there be yet left in -Heaven as small a drop of pity as a Wren’s eye.” The comparisons<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span> drawn -by old-fashioned country folk are often very quaint. I remember an old -lady who, if she were asked to take more of some dish at table, often -said, “Just a bit the size of a bee’s knee,” to the great edification of -us youngsters. The song of the Wren is always the same: a few separate -notes, a trill, a rattle and a trill, while its call-note has been -likened to the clicking of a watch while it is being wound up. There is -no more winsome picture of bird-life than this tiny creature dotting -about, with little tail erect and fan-like, in quest of its insect food -among the dry bramble leaves, so vivacious in its movements that no -camera could ever do it justice.</p> - -<p>The Wren is almost the smallest of European birds. There is not much to -be said about the colouring of its feathers, which are the brown of the -tree trunks, with beautiful thick oblique stripes of a darker shade. The -colour is lighter over the eyes, on throat and breast. The tail feathers -are especially fine, and thickly striped. The beak is slightly -depressed, fine and sharp as a needle; the brown legs relatively strong. -The nest is placed under the cover of felled boughs, between roots, in -secluded corners of abandoned huts, which it can slip into. The nest is -comparatively large, with a spacious entrance, and consists of a -foundation of leaves and fine twigs, within which is a layer of moss, -and again within that a mass of smooth, finely broken feathers. The -clutch is six, sometimes, but rarely, eight small white eggs, with fine -blood-red speckles.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width:300px;"> -<a href="images/i_269_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_269a_sml.jpg" width="63" height="40" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>1</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_269_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_269b_sml.jpg" width="253" height="170" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>2</p></div> - -<div class="caption"><p>1. Wren’s Egg. -2. Great Bustard’s Egg.</p> - -<p>Comparative sizes.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 259px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>DOUBTFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_270_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_270_sml.jpg" width="259" height="340" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HAWFINCH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hawfinch.</span><br /> -(<i>Coccothraustes vulgaris.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is not a true migrant, for it is only in severe winters that it -seeks a warmer climate. In autumn it comes from the hills, down into the -plain, to the neighbourhood of human habitations, where it leads a -restless life. It is timid, and easily startled; while flying it utters -its shrill cry “<i>seu, seu, seu</i>.” The striking bulk of its beak -indicates the strength it has to use in obtaining its food; and it is -so, for the kernels of the hardest cherry stones are its favourite -dainty.</p> - -<p>It flies in small flocks, and when these light on a cherry tree, they -are quite quiet, not a sound is heard, except the cracking of the hard -shells by the strong bills, which are specially formed for the work. The -cherry stone lies in the lower mandible, the upper one being ribbed and -so perfectly adapted for cracking the stone. This bird breaks with ease -a fruit stone, which a full-grown man can only crush with the heavy -pressure of his boot heel. Towards spring, when there are no more fruit -stones to be found, it attacks and destroys the young leaf buds.</p> - -<p>This bird is not very commonly found in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The number of Hawfinches has been steadily increasing in England of late -years. This is probably due to Bird Protection, which is so much more -enforced than it used to be. The young are fed chiefly on caterpillars, -but unfortunately they soon take to eating peas, which brings them into -bad repute with gardeners, and numbers of young birds are shot and -buried in gardens<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span> where peas are grown. It is pleasant, on the other -hand, to watch them amongst the wild plums and sloes and crab-trees in -one of our old hedgerows, but is not an easy matter as they are so -suspicious. In districts where many peas are grown for the market, these -birds are a perfect plague. In Germany this bird is called Kernbeisser -(kernel biter) because of the ease with which it cracks cherry stones -with its powerful bill. With us it eats the seeds of the horn-beam and -other trees, beechmast, haws, etc.</p> - -<p>Only one brood is raised in a season, but if the first nest is meddled -with, another one is made.</p> - -<p>In “Within an Hour of London Town” the writer interviews a gardener on -the subject of Hawfinches. We give it here as it stands.</p> - -<p>“What do I want with the gun? Hawfinches; they hawfinches in my peas!” -he grunts.</p> - -<p>As he leaves the tool-house I quietly follow, and place myself with him -behind a low faggot-stack which stands in a line with the peas.</p> - -<p>“Jest hear ’em! ain’t it cruel!” he whispers. “I hope the whole roost of -’em may git in a lump so that I ken blow ’em to rags an’ tatters. If you -didn’t know what it was you’d think some old cow was grindin’ up them -peas. Ain’t they scrunchin’ of ’em! All right now, I ken see you, you -grindin’ varmints! Now for it!” Bang!</p> - -<p>Three birds fall—young ones in their first plumage, which has a strong -likeness to that of a greenfinch.</p> - -<p>After picking the birds up, we examine the pea-rows. There is no doubt -as to the mischief the birds have done. The old fellow’s own expression, -“grinding up,” is the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span> best to convey any idea of the destruction that -has taken place. Where the birds have been, nothing remains but the -stringy portion of the pods of his precious “Marrer fats.”</p> - -<p>There is enormous power in the bill of the Hawfinch, when the size of -the bird is considered. The pea-pod is simply run through the bill, and -the contents are squeezed out in a state of green pulp and swallowed.</p> - -<p>“Varmints I call ’em, an’ nothin’ else,” is the remark my old friend -makes, as he goes towards the tool-house and takes from a shelf a hen -Hawfinch and two young ones, the former probably the mother of some of -the birds that are about, if not, indeed, of the whole brood, her -plumage showing that she has been sitting.</p> - -<p>“People wants me to git ’em full-feathered old birds for stuffin’, but -bless ye, ye might as well try to ketch weasels asleep. A cock Hawfinch -is about one o’ the most artful customers as I knows on. The only time -to get a clip at ’em is in winter, under the plum and damson trees. They -gits there after the stones, any amount o’ stones lays jest under the -ground, an’ they picks ’em out an’ cracks them easy. I gits plenty o’ -young ones when peas are about—the old ones lets ’em come, but they -take precious good care they don’t come off the tops o’ the trees -themselves afore they knows there ain’t nobody about. Some says they’re -scarce birds. I knows they ain’t—leastways not when my peas are ready -to gather.”</p> - -<p>The Hawfinch is seven inches in length and has a thick head, short tail, -and very strong bill. Crown and cheeks cinnamon brown, neck greyish, -mantle chestnut. There is a black patch on the throat, the base of the -bill, and the eye, and a white patch on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span> wing. The tail is white in -the middle and darker at the sides, the underparts are greyish with a -tinge of violet. The middle wing feathers are serrated in wavy curves, -and look as if clipt with scissors, the bill is exceptionally strong, -very thick at the base, and sharp at the point. It lays four to six eggs -of a pale green colour slightly speckled. The nest is well-built and is -placed in fruit trees, and in open spaces in the woods, at a height of -from six feet upwards.</p> - -<p>The moral of the story of the gardener and the Hawfinch is that the -gardener must protect his peas.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Chaffinch.</span><br /> -(<i>Fringilla coelebs.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Chaffinch is a useful bird, and is also an ornament to the woods and -gardens, not only by its lovely plumage, its friendliness, and its -movements, but especially by its clear voice which rings like a silver -bell. Its call-note is “<i>fink-fink</i>,” and it has a short, cheery little -song. Through the whole laying and brooding season it is busy with the -destructive grubs and insects, especially the little caterpillars and -tiny beetles which destroy the buds on the trees. When the seeds are -ripe it lives entirely on them, but almost exclusively on those which it -is able to pick up from the ground. It is true that when a considerable -number of these birds visit a vegetable garden they do a great deal of -harm, but this is outweighed by the good they do.</p> - -<p>In very severe winters, it comes either in flocks or small parties with -other starving companions—Yellow-Hammers, Siskins, Crested Larks, and -Sparrows—into the villages, and even towns, and picks over the heaps of -street refuse and gutter sweepings.</p> - -<p>It is still common with us in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This Chaffinch is one of our common British species in winter, although -in some seasons their numbers are unaccountably smaller than in others. -It was called cœlebs, or bachelor, because of a partial separation of -the sexes which takes place during the winter. Large flocks arrive from -the Continent at that season on our East coast, whilst others come from -the North of our islands to spread themselves inland. Unfortunately the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 410px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_276_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_276_sml.jpg" width="410" height="185" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE CHAFFINCH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span></p> - -<p>Chaffinch is the favourite bird in the shops of the Seven Dials in -London, and before the Bird Protection Acts came into force, many a -country lane has been cleared of Chaffinches to the great disgust of -many of the residents in the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>In Germany this is called the Buchfink—Beechfinch—because of its -fondness for beech woods. In the Thurigen Forest they have come to our -table like Sparrows for crumbs. It frequents our suburban gardens.</p> - -<p>The Chaffinch is a delightful bird in garden and wood. The full-grown -male has a broad white stripe and a smaller yellow stripe on the wings; -the two outer feathers of the tail are large, with white wedge-shaped -spots, which give the bird in flight a very variegated appearance. Crown -and neck are bluish-grey; brow black; cheeks and under parts -brownish-red; wings and tail black, except the white spots. The female -and young are more plainly coloured; otherwise, like the male. Its nest -is built among the high tree-tops, sometimes quite in the open, and is -made of tufts of hair, moss, root-fibres, wool, and hair, very skilfully -constructed. It lays five or six eggs with dark dots and fine markings, -but occasionally of a uniform colour.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 133px;"> -<a href="images/i_277_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_277_sml.jpg" width="133" height="88" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Chaffinches at the stream.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>MAINLY USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_278_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_278_sml.jpg" width="380" height="218" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BULLFINCH.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bullfinch.</span><br /> -(<i>Pyrrhula europœa.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Bullfinch lives in summer in the mountains, and descends in late -autumn to the plains, where it meets its far bigger relatives who come -to us for the winter from the Far North, and joins company with them in -wood and grove and garden, even in the immediate neighbourhood of -dwellings. When the sunshine glistens on frost and snow, and these -splendidly coloured birds settle on a dry bough, the scene presents a -lovely winter landscape the impression of which is heightened by its -melancholy subdued cry, “<i>deeu</i>,” or “<i>beut, beut</i>.” In captivity it -learns to sing tunes. It is easily caught, for it is incautious.</p> - -<p>In winter it visits plants, choosing the young wild vines, buds, seeds -of all kinds, berries including those of the alder, and the wayfaring -tree; it does not attack weeds. In very severe winters, when starving, -it will also do mischief among the buds of the fruit-trees.</p> - -<p>It is frequently seen in winter.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Bullfinch has been causing much dissension in and near an East -Anglian district where I have lately been staying. A net had been placed -over the gooseberry bushes to protect the blossom, and much indignation -was caused early one morning by the sight of three lusty Bullfinches -within the meshes, and a quantity of promising blossom on the ground. -“There would be no gooseberries whatever, this season; it was positively -unbearable; sentiment was utterly misplaced.” The three birds were -caught by the hand within the net, two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span> were put in a cage in the -stable, and one was exposed in a small cage on the top of the garden -wall to attract others to the like fate. The gardeners were inexorable. -Madame was irritated by the sight of the rifled twigs. “And all last -Sunday was spent, by the wife and me,” said the gardener, “shying stones -at the rascals among the trees in our own garden.” The next day a -market-gardener shot no less than six Bullfinches on his grounds.</p> - -<p>As a rule, my friends on this estate, are extremely good to birds, and -they attract them by placing breeding boxes, and supplying food in -winter; but these sturdy rascals find no quarter. I pleaded hard for -them, but, I fear, without result. The gooseberry blossom was certainly -nearly all destroyed, but it was in a quest for the destructive larvæ of -the winter moths, which make their appearance in the early spring and -eat the not yet expanded buds. A fruit grower has stated that he allowed -the Bullfinches to eat as much as they pleased; the crop of fruit has -usually been as good as if the birds had not done any disbudding, and -when, by a rare chance, the trees had borne no fruit at all, he knew it -was because the trees required clearing, and the next year the crop -would be all the finer. In some cases the tree appears to be entirely -disbudded, and still fruit has appeared.</p> - -<p>It is only for a short period that the Bullfinches visit the fruit -trees. During the rest of the year they eat the seeds of harmful -weeds—dock, thistle, groundsel, plantain; and one authority states that -a single Bullfinch has been known to devour 238 seeds of the common -spear-thistle in twenty minutes! A writer in the Journal of the Royal -Agricultural Society say that he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span> has seen “a small party of these birds -eagerly devouring the seeds of the large sow-thistle.” A little fruit -more or less in a season, in one’s own domain, is a small matter in -comparison with the vast amount of noxious weeds destroyed on our -fields.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Bullfinch is an ornament in a garden. Crown, wings, and tail are -shining black, and the same colour surrounds the bill; mantle a -beautiful ashen-grey, rump and under tail cover snow white, breast and -under-parts a fine red. In the female the under-part is ashen-grey. Bill -short but very thick, at the end curved and hooked. The clutch is -composed of five green eggs with purple and grey speckles. It nests in -the fir woods of the mountains, at a height of about six yards; the nest -is made of thin twigs and is lined with hair.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Goldfinch (<i>Carduélis élegans</i>) is so well known in Great Britain -that it requires little description. Unhappily for the “Proud Tailor,” -as he is called in the Midlands, he has always been a favourite -cage-bird, and on the South Downs Goldfinches have been captured in -thousands at the times of migration, to be miserably caged in dozens for -the bird dealers.</p> - -<p>They are birds which found their food on the waste lands where large -thistles used to grow, and with the improvement of these waste lands the -thistles have gone, and the Goldfinches with them. Increased Bird -Protection is, however, causing more Goldfinches to breed amongst us, -which is a good thing for agriculture, this bird’s food consisting, as -it does, of the seeds of the thistle, knap-weed, groundsel, dock, and -other plants. The Goldfinch is considered to be one of the most useful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span> -of all our birds, feeding, as it does, on the seeds of noxious plants of -which there is a succession all the year round. It ought to be -encouraged in orchards, where it feeds its young on small caterpillars, -and destroys great numbers of other insects for them.</p> - -<p>Its relative, the Greenfinch (<i>Ligurinus chlóris</i>), a common and -well-known species everywhere, is not quite so valuable a bird to the -agriculturist as the above species. It is well known that it steals much -swede and turnip seed, still it devours quantities of the seeds of such -weeds as dandelion, corn marigold, charlock, wild vetch, etc., and the -parents capture immense quantities of moths, flies, caterpillars, and -other pests for their young.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 144px;"> -<a href="images/i_282_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_282_sml.jpg" width="144" height="182" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A Feast of Thistle Seed.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Yellow Hammer.</span><br /> -(<i>Emberiza citrinella.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> is a pretty, cheerful, friendly bird, that lives in gardens, -thickets, or the outer part of the woods. Its chief distinguishing -characteristic is that it loves to associate with other kinds of birds, -especially the Fieldfares, with which it is most intimate. During the -brooding time and before the seeds are ripe it lives chiefly on grubs -and insects, being particularly fond of the smooth caterpillars, which -the other birds do not much relish. It also likes seeds, and rather the -floury than the oily ones. In winter it flies about the fields with -other birds, and destroys the seed of the runners, and the weeds that -shoot up through the snow—and is thus doubly of use to the farmer.</p> - -<p>In a severe winter it comes with other feathered visitors into the -inhabited districts. At the weekly market it appears with Finches, -Crested Larks, and Sparrows, and picks up the oats and other grain which -are lying about, showing little timidity in doing so. It has a dipping -flight. It enlivens the country-side in spring and summer with its song.</p> - -<p>It is very numerous with us in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This bird is resident and common in most parts of Great Britain. From -morning till evening it sings the same song all through the spring and -summer; it has been transcribed as “Little bit of bread and no -che-eese.” The form and hardness of its bill, proclaims the bird to be a -grain eater, and of course it will pick up a great deal of corn, where -it is to be found, yet both<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 233px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_284_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_284_sml.jpg" width="233" height="232" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>YELLOW HAMMER OR BUNTING.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277"></a>{277}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">old and young birds live upon insects largely, as well as the seeds of -baneful weeds, and it has been estimated with us that the good it does -far outweighs any harm which the farmer suffers through it.</p> - -<p>The Yellow Bunting, well known under its universal name of Yellow -Hammer, says “A Son of the Marshes,” “is a very handsome bird and a very -common one. The plumage is splashed with rich yellows, warm red-browns -and darker streaks; this is his nesting suit. In winter the colouring is -not quite so gay. Where farms or farm-buildings show, you will be sure -to find Yellow Hammers round about them. Stand just inside the stable, -after the horses have left it in the morning for their work in the -fields, and look at the birds gathered round the open door, all busily -picking up the grains of oats that have fallen from the nose-bags. A -fine mid-April morning suits the bird to perfection, for he droops his -wings, spreads his tail out, and glides here and there pecking up as he -goes, in the most dainty manner. Then, for a time, he visits the trees.</p> - -<p>The lowering of the wings, until they almost touch the ground, and the -spreading out of the tail, is a peculiar trait seen more or less in the -whole of the Bunting family.</p> - -<p>Trees and fields are necessary to the well-being of the Yellow-Hammer, -which may be considered one of the farmer’s friends; for at certain -seasons he, as well as others of his family, live in the fields, only -leaving them to rest, or roost in the trees that surround them. Innocent -as the creature is in all its ways and means of living, superstition has -linked its name with evil. I have been assured, in the most solemn -manner, that the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278"></a>{278}</span> badger, the toad, and the Yellow Hammer are all in -league with the Prince of Darkness.”</p> - -<p>The Cirl Bunting, often called the French Yellow Hammer, which is -distinguished from the commoner bird by the dark throat gorget, is more -numerous at times than it is supposed to be. In fact it is becoming -fairly common as a resident species.</p> - -<p>The Yellow Hammer is the size of a Sparrow but longer and more elegant. -Throat, underparts, and crown of the full-grown male, golden-yellow; -mantle rust-red merging into green. The bill is peculiar, the lower half -is compressed, and the upper half is so formed that it is adapted for -shelling seeds. Its well built nest is placed low down among the bushes. -It lays five eggs which have dark markings on a light ground.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 115px;"> -<a href="images/i_286_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_286_sml.jpg" width="115" height="161" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_279" id="page_279"></a>{279}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Turtle Dove.</span><br /> -(<i>Turtur communis.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Turtle Dove has a pretty, dainty walk, an uncommonly rapid flight, -and is altogether a beautiful pleasant cleanly bird. The pairs are -devoted to each other. Their cooing, “<i>turr, turr</i>,” is pleasing, -gentle, and rich. It is a harmonious sound which makes a soothing -impression on the mind. It is no wonder that, from its whole nature, the -Turtle Dove has been chosen as the symbol of faithful love. Popular -sentiment is shown in the widespread belief, that if his mate is taken -from him, the male bird dies of grief—or that in sorrow for his loss he -never again sits on a green bough. The Turtle Dove loves the border of a -wood, or the trees, and rows of poplars that skirt a corn-field. It -likes to be near clear water to which the birds come in flocks to drink. -Its food consists almost entirely of seeds, chiefly those of weeds. That -is why this bird is so useful to the farmer. It does, indeed, sometimes -take toll of the grains, in the corn-field, when they have not been -properly covered by the harrow. Then, indeed, the Doves so fill their -crops, that bare places do not fail to appear on the ground. But this -bad behaviour lasts only for a short time; besides it is not very bad, -for they eat chiefly the superfluous grains. It is quite different with -regard to the seeds of weeds, which they destroy the whole summer -through in great quantities. A student of bird-lore once opened the crop -of a Dove in midsummer, and found in it 1942 seeds, of which all but one -were the seeds of the poisonous willow-leaved wolfs-milk—the one -exception being also the seed of a noxious<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_280" id="page_280"></a>{280}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 296px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_288_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_288_sml.jpg" width="296" height="265" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE TURTLE DOVE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_281" id="page_281"></a>{281}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">weed. There can be no doubt that this bird does more good than harm—and -we will, therefore, encourage and protect it.</p> - -<p>It is still common in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>It is common in some parts of England, but is very local in its -visitations and is only a summer visitor. A “Son of the Marshes,” says, -“It is common enough in some parts of Surrey. I have seen from ten to -thirty of them rise from the standing oats, or from the long grass in -the hayfield, at one flight. One of my friends shot a couple as they -were rising from the oats, and opened their crops. Not a single grain of -oat did he find in them. They were full of a little vetch that grew -abundantly at the roots of the oats, or, to express it in true rustic -agricultural phrase, ‘at the stam o’ the whuts.’ I was with the man at -the time; after that examination of the birds’ crops he declared he -would never shoot another pigeon.”</p> - -<p>Another member of this family, the beautiful Ring Dove or Wood Pigeon -(<i>Colúmba palumbus</i>), called Queest in Ireland, and Cushat in the North, -because of its soft notes, is a bird that we could ill-spare from our -woods and coppices. It is, however, an undeniable fact that the members -of this voracious species have increased of late years in a manner which -is alarming to the hard-working farmer. Many writers have taken up the -cudgels in defence of these birds on account mainly of the amount of -noxious weeds, wild mustard seed, and leaves they devour, but, as that -great naturalist, the late Lord Lilford, wrote, in sending me a little -box of the contents of the crops of three birds extracted by himself: -“In a highly-farmed country<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_282" id="page_282"></a>{282}</span> these weeds hardly exist; and,” he added, -“in my opinion his good deeds are in no way comparable to the damage -done. I have frequently, when shooting Wood Pigeons in the winter -months, seen their crops burst on coming down dead from a height, from -distension with hearts, acorns, barley, and turnip-tops.” The contents -of the three birds’ crops sent to me were 129 peas, 85 beans, and some -broken vegetable matter.</p> - -<p>The amount of good or of harm done by this species varies, as in the -case of other birds, according to the weather and the scarcity or plenty -of their natural food about the woods and the lands skirting these. -Considering the numbers that breed in our midst the farmers might well -thin these, and send a better supply of birds to the market.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Turtle Dove is smaller than the Pigeon, slenderer, and it has a more -stately form. Crown and brow are a beautiful grey, cheeks and ear parts -flushed with rust colour. On each side of the neck it has an ornament of -black and white dots arranged in rows. The mantle is ashen-grey with -dark specks which have a reddish border. The rump is ashen-grey with a -shade of rust colour. Throat and breast reddish, melting into violet; -the under-parts are white. The wings are black, shaded with slate -colour; tail slate colour; four, at least, of the tail feathers have -white tips. Beak black, the irides fiery red; legs blood-red. The young -birds are of soberer colour. The nest is placed in thickets and is well -hidden. It is composed of little branches and twigs, very lightly put -together—indeed so loose and open is it, that the eggs and the sitting -hen can be seen through it. It lays two white eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_283" id="page_283"></a>{283}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.<br /><br /> -SOME WILDFOWL.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Lapwing.</span><br /> -(<i>Vanéllus vulgáris.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> reedlands and meadow-lands, moist fields, marsh and lake districts, -would be desolate and lifeless without the beautiful Lapwings. They -wheel and flap, and twist, and wheel again, on the large open uplands, -so that their varied plumage almost dazzles the eye, and when several -pairs frequent the same field they embellish air and sky. When the -nesting time arrives the whole neighbourhood resounds with the call -which the bird utters while in flight. The call-note sounds like -“Keevit,” from which, of course, its name is taken. The pairing note -sounds like “Ka kerkhoit, kewit, kewit, kewit, kewit.” It can run well -and quickly on the ground. If a dog or a crow approaches the nest it -flies at it with a loud, despairing cry, “Chrait,” and strikes at the -enemy with its beak; if a man shows himself it practices all kinds of -cunning tricks. It flies along near the ground, repeatedly stopping, and -so lures him away from the nest. The eggs of the Lapwing are much sought -after. Its usual food consists of worms, the various kinds of snails, -chafers, grasshoppers. In autumn it covers the fields and meadows in -great flocks like a cloud, and destroys the pests of agriculture. It -departs in winter. It is recommended for protection both on account of -its beauty and its usefulness.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_284" id="page_284"></a>{284}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 393px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_292_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_292_sml.jpg" width="393" height="279" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE LAPWING.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_285" id="page_285"></a>{285}</span></p> - -<p>Sir Herbert Maxwell, writing last autumn, 1908, in the <i>Pall Mall -Gazette</i>, after referring to another species, says: “There is another -bird equally industrious in ridding the farm of insect pests and with no -fruit or grain eating propensities whatever, which we allow each year to -be slain in increasing numbers. Already in poulterers’ shops, not of the -first class, may be seen strings of Lapwings exposed for sale, and this -will continue till far on in next spring. May I make my annual protest -against this mischievous traffic? Great Britain has held aloof from the -Convention of Continental States formed for the protection of birds -useful to agriculture. Her Government decided upon this attitude on the -ground that Parliament had already effected by legislation most of the -objects which the Convention has in view. But the continued slaughter of -Lapwings is altogether at variance with—nay, is in direct opposition -to—the main provisions of the Convention. It is true that powers have -been conferred upon County Councils enabling them to prohibit the -killing, capture or exposure for sale, of Lapwings or any other kind of -bird at any or every season; but so long as these powers are not -exercised this senseless slaughter will go on. For, unhappily, there is -a ready market for the carcases of these useful birds. People whose -palates are so gross as to be gratified by the flesh of carnivorous -birds eat Lapwings greedily enough. Why not compel them to be content -with their eggs? seeing that every Lapwing destroyed means the -preservation of hundreds of noxious insects, such as leather grubs, -wireworms, click-beetles, caterpillars, and such like.”</p> - -<p>In England drainage and the improvement of waste<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_286" id="page_286"></a>{286}</span> lands have caused its -numbers to diminish, still it holds its own on most of our high-lying -moorlands. In Scotland it is plentiful, and is even on the increase in -many of the northern districts. Unfortunately, its eggs are in great -demand. In Ireland this is not the case; the eggs are not sought after -as they are in England, but the birds are netted in numbers for eating.</p> - -<p>The Lapwing is twelve inches in length. It can be immediately recognised -by the long pointed crest which begins on the crown, extending backwards -and being slightly curved upwards at the end, resembling a good deal a -waxed military moustache. This is black, as are also the brow, throat -and breast; the under parts are quite white, the rump a brilliant -rust-colour; the base of the tail white; the end of the tail is adorned -with a broad black border. Mantle shining, iridescent black. Legs red, -eyes brown and bright; beak shaped like a thick awl. Such is the -appearance of the males; the female bird and its young are much plainer -in colour, and have a smaller crest. The nest is placed in the reed-beds -and in shallow parts of the marshes; it is simply a scratched out hollow -bedded with dry chaff. The clutch usually consists of four pear-shaped -eggs, which have olive-brown spots and flecks on an olive-green ground. -The young leave the nest as soon as they are hatched, sometimes even -carrying part of the shell on their feathers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_287" id="page_287"></a>{287}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Common Curlew.</span><br /> -(<i>Numenius arquata.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> bird takes up its residence with us in Hungary as a visitor only on -its way during the long migratory journey, which extends from the -northernmost parts of our hemisphere to the Nile.</p> - -<p>Its habits are most varied, for it stays sometimes on the flat sea -shore, sometimes on the border of the desert, sometimes on a rocky -river-bank; with us it settles on pasture land, fallow fields, marshy -flats, and lowlands. It destroys everywhere immense numbers of -grasshoppers and beetles. Crickets are the food it likes best, but it -also eats snails, and sometimes even frogs. It is, therefore, of great -service to the farmer, more especially as it frequents and cleanses the -fields in large numbers. It does not require much protection for it is -an extremely shy bird, and he must be a clever marksman who can bring it -down with a shot. But the sportsmen of the lowlands are even more -cunning than the Curlew. At certain places they lure the birds with a -decoy—a bird dried in the oven which is placed on the lake edge—and a -pair of Curlews are almost certain to fall victims to the ruse.</p> - -<p>Its call-note is audible at a considerable distance, floating -pleasantly, something like a modulated human whistle: “<i>Klowit!</i>” or -“<i>Taue taue</i>,” and “<i>Tlouid tlouid!</i>” Shepherds believe that when this -cry is heard it foretells wind.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Common Curlew is to be found in Great Britain, wherever there are -sand and mud-flats, and rocks covered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_288" id="page_288"></a>{288}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_296_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_296_sml.jpg" width="338" height="323" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE COMMON CURLEW.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_289" id="page_289"></a>{289}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">with sea-weed left high and dry at ebb-tide. It is with us during the -entire year, for when the old birds go inland in spring, the young birds -take their place and remain for the summer. As long as the young birds -remain on the moors and pastures, their food consists of berries, -insects, spiders, worms, and snails, and they then become excellent for -the table; but after feeding near the sea, they become unpalatable.</p> - -<p>Its plumage, mottled, speckled, and cut up with broken tones of brown -grey white and light red, makes it look like a Plover when squatted, -unless its long scythe-shaped bill can be detected,—a most difficult -matter when in that position. It is wary in the extreme; morning, noon, -and night on the alert. That it is brought to bay at times is certainly -no fault of its own, but is mainly due to its surroundings.</p> - -<p>The Curlew is a most interesting bird, see it when you may, on some -upland with the sheep, in the grass meadows, or on the shore, when huge -dark storm-clouds roll in from open water, a gale blowing, and the white -parts of its plumage showing like large snowflakes as the bird and its -companions are driven shrieking and wailing in all directions, or in the -calm, still days of early autumn.</p> - -<p>“From a fishing smack,” says “A Son of the Marshes,” I have watched it -probing for lug-worms, running nimbly or walking sedately on the mingled -sand and ooze.</p> - -<p>Curlews allow themselves to be blown, or drifted only, when waiting over -some favourite feeding-ground, before the tide has sufficiently left for -them to feed. I have repeatedly watched mobs of them, waiting for the -tide, when a heavy gale has been blowing. The birds know<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_290" id="page_290"></a>{290}</span> that their -food is just below them so they merely flap to and fro and put up with -the inconvenience of being blown about. At any other time they would -shoot clean through in the teeth of the gale. Only those who have seen a -frightened Curlew go up or down a creek lined with shore-shooters, -shrieking as it flies, can form any idea of the bird’s swiftness. I have -known a bird of this kind “fly the gauntlet” for three miles, and there -has been bang! bang! bang! from every shooter that it passed, good shots -too. It escaped the lot without being touched. Swift flyers at all -times, their ordinary speed is as nothing compared with what it is when -they are frightened.”</p> - -<p>The Curlew is 24 inches in length. It has a long scythe-shaped bill, a -long neck, and long, waders’ legs. The plumage is marked with hemp-seed -speckling, the specks somewhat elongated, here and there arrow-shaped. -Tail white, slightly tinged with brown; every feather has brown bars. -Eye brown. It does not usually nest with us, but is more a spring and -autumn visitor; yet it sometimes happens that a pair of these birds -build and rear their young. In its northern home it builds on the -ground, on the moorlands. It lays four pear-shaped eggs, as large as -those of the farmyard duck, of an olive green colour, with dark -speckling.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_291" id="page_291"></a>{291}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Common Redshank.</span><br /> -(<i>Totanus cálidris.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Redshank enlivens whatever place in the reed-land or marsh it -happens to nest in by its voice and its varied plumage. It is a -beautiful sight when it spreads out its wings, rises into the air and -stretches out its long legs. Its resounding whistle is pleasant to the -ear. It runs well, wades in water, and in case of need can swim. When -the young ones are hatched, anyone approaching the nest should be moved -by the wailing cry which it utters in anxiety for its young, though it -has a thousand ways of luring people away from the nest and of -misleading them, when it takes the trouble to do so. With a plaintive -cry it settles on the ground, makes all kinds of bows and curtseys, -utters its flute-like note, then begins to run, as if to say, “Follow -me, man!” When it has come out of the immediate neighbourhood of the -nest it settles on a branch or a stake, or even attempts to perch on a -telegraph wire. Then its voice becomes more plaintive even than that of -the Lapwing. Even a shot does not scare it away. It moves away, -disappears, but in a very short time it is back in the same place to -continue its bitter lamentations; its note sounds like “<i>Dlue, dlue, -dlue, dlue-dee-dee-deedle-dee</i>.”</p> - -<p>Like all the waders of the marshlands, the Redshank is very voracious, -and has an excellent stomach. It devours beetles, grasshoppers and -snails with great<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_292" id="page_292"></a>{292}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 316px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_300_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_300_sml.jpg" width="316" height="382" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE REDSHANK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_293" id="page_293"></a>{293}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">avidity. All for the good of plants, and of men who derive benefits out -of the sedge and reed beds.</p> - -<p>This bird is a migrant.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Redshank is still to be found breeding in most of the marshy -districts in England and here and there in Wales; it appears inland from -the middle of March, and early in autumn it begins to resort to the -coast, being joined there by numbers of migrants from the Continent. -When the winter is mild, birds are to be found throughout the year, more -especially in the south and west. It is abundant as far as the Shetlands -in Scotland; in Ireland it is fairly plentiful during the summer, and on -the bays of the west it is numerous at other times of the year, wherever -there is a sufficient supply of <i>zostera marina</i> left behind by the tide -for it to feed amongst.</p> - -<p>“Redshank, pool-snipe, teuke or toak, sandcock, red-leg, -redlegged-horseman,—all these names are given to him, as well as -another, which exactly expresses the main characteristic of the -bird—the yelper; and he certainly does yelp. When the tide is up all is -level on the flats, even the blite is covered until the tide goes down. -To all appearance the blite is left dry; but this is not the case, for -thousands of small pools are left at the roots of the blite shrubs. -These cannot be seen, because the thick grey-green leaves cover them. -Most of the fowl feed in the numerous gullies that run through this salt -vegetation. Some of the smaller kinds feed in the pools under it. If any -web-footed fowl are about they are sure to pitch in one or other of the -gripes and gullies.”</p> - -<p>The Common Redshank is eleven inches in length.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_294" id="page_294"></a>{294}</span> Its plumage also has -the hemp-seed speckling, but is more thickly speckled and barred. Beak -long; legs long, of a bright orange-red. It is perceptibly webbed -between the toes. Tail white, with dark bars. The dark wings are adorned -with a white patch, the sides with pointed spots like drops. Its nest is -found in wet marsh, or moorland, between the weeds and creeping stems, -in little dips, and consists simply of straw litter. It lays four -pear-shaped eggs, which are arranged in the nest with the points towards -one another. The ground colour is clay-yellow, and they are speckled -with greyish and dark-brown spots and flecks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_295" id="page_295"></a>{295}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Green Sandpiper.</span><br /> -(<i>Totanus óchropùs.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> flight of the Green Sandpiper is very rapid; the note is a shrill -<i>tui-tui-tui</i>. The food of the bird consists of insects chiefly, with -small red worms and fresh water snails. It is not good to eat, having a -disagreeable musty odour.</p> - -<p>The Green Sandpiper is not uncommon in many parts of England and Wales, -on the spring as well as on the autumnal migration. On the east side of -Scotland it is fairly frequent, but in the north it is very rare. To -Ireland it pays unfrequent visits, even in autumn. “The Green Sandpiper -is a restless bird, for ever moving on,” says “A Son of the Marshes.” -“Something impels him to constant haste.... The first time I met him, -unexpectedly, was on a breezy upland common, with just enough wind -blowing to carry the white clouds along without blowing them to pieces, -a few sheep were wandering about, their bells tinkling. On one side of -the common are a number of old blackthorns, with wisps of wool sticking -on their rough stems, then comes the long high-road, and close to the -road is a small pond, gravel-edged, where the cattle that graze on the -common come to drink. A shrill whistle, and in front of us is a -beautiful bird. He runs a short distance, his feet just in the water, -picks at something, whistles, and is off, over some old beech-trees. I -have examined him dead, and have seen him and his mate exquisitely set -up by a naturalist and bird-stuffer, but you must see him alive to form -any idea of the dashing vitality of the bird itself.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_296" id="page_296"></a>{296}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 359px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL CHIEFLY.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_304_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_304_sml.jpg" width="359" height="258" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREEN SANDPIPER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_297" id="page_297"></a>{297}</span></p> - -<p>The eggs of the Sandpiper are rarely found with us, being laid in -deserted nests of Crows, Woodpigeons, Blackbirds, Jays or Thrushes, or -even old squirrel dreys; although its haunts are about the peaty swamps, -hill streams and ponds. Its nesting habits differ from the others of its -congeners. Its cousin, the Common Sandpiper (<i>Totanus hypoleucus</i>), is -also a lively creature, that goes by the name of Fidler Willy-wicket, -Dicky-dy-dee, and Water-junket. Fish is sure to be in the stream about -which trips the Fiddler. Its note on rising to take flight is “<i>Wheet! -wheet!</i>” and its alarm cry a shary “<i>Giff! giff!</i>” At Madely, in -Staffordshire, a pair of these Sandpipers hatched out their young in a -vicarage garden a few summers ago, the fact being recorded by the vicar, -the Rev. T. W. Daltry.</p> - -<p>In June you may come on a hen Sandpiper, with her young, beside some -moorland stream. The little ones are precocious in their ways, and run -about nimbly as soon as hatched out. The young of the Green Sandpiper -are not so easy to observe.</p> - -<p>The Green Sandpiper is a little over nine inches in length. Upper parts -olive brown tinged with metallic green, speckled and mottled, the lower -parts white, so that when flying it looks like a black and white bird; -the middle tail feathers having broad black bars, towards the end, the -two outside feathers almost white. Feet greenish. The bird lays its eggs -in old Squirrels’ dreys, or the nests of Mistle-and Song-Thrushes, -Blackbirds, Jays, and Woodpigeons; sometimes even on the ground, or on -mossy stumps, and spines heaped upon fir branches, as high up as -thirty-five feet but always near to pools. The eggs are light -greenish-grey, with small purplish brown spots, generally four in -number.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_298" id="page_298"></a>{298}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 437px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL</p></div> -<a href="images/i_306_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_306_sml.jpg" width="437" height="304" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE NIGHT HERON.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_299" id="page_299"></a>{299}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Night Heron.</span><br /> -(<i>Nycticorax gríseus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Night Heron nests with large numbers of its congeners in -inaccessible spots in the marshes where marshy tracts and broom bush are -close together. In such places will be found on each tree as many nests -as there is room for. The nest itself is carelessly built of a few -branches laid one on another, with a final layer of dry rush and sedge -leaves. It contains four or five pale green-blue eggs.</p> - -<p>It is not so secluded in its habits as the Bittern, and is not so fond -of the broad open ponds and reed beds, but prefers the marshes, -especially where there are slimy puddles, alternating with broken -rushes, bushes, and trees. In such places it breeds, in great colonies, -and watches for its prey, which it obtains from ooze—mud fish and other -small fishes, water-rats, lizards, and all kinds of large insects. When -flying, it draws in its legs and head, and so scarcely looks like a -Heron, but when it settles on a tree, as it often does, draws in its -neck and hunches itself up, it greatly resembles a Raven, whence it is -sometimes called the “Nightraven.” Also from its voice, which is like -the croak of the Raven, and sounds like “<i>Koā</i>,” “<i>Koari</i>,” or -“<i>Koay</i>.” Wherever the Night Heron settles it does much harm among the -fish. It is not numerous in Germany; in Hungary it is still fairly -common, but with the draining of the marshes the number of these birds -is likely to decrease.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Night Heron has been increasing in numbers in the British Islands -during the last hundred years, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_300" id="page_300"></a>{300}</span> that it may now be ranked as an -annual visitor to this country.</p> - -<p>It is about 23 inches in length; wing 12 inches. The crown and nape are -black with a green metallic lustre. Brow white, about the base of the -beak. Two or three, occasionally four, snow-white feathers, pointing -backwards, adorn its crown. The eye is large with a carmine-red iris; -the long, pointed beak is black; the back is black with a greenish -lustre; neck, wings and tail are ashen-grey. Underparts white, legs -reddish-yellow. The female bird is more uniform in colour. The young are -speckled, while still in the nest.</p> - -<p>The Common Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) is well distributed throughout Great -Britain. There are, as before, when this bird was used in the old -Falconry days, very many colonies, although these are not so crowded -with nests as they used to be. The long-legged grey fisher is one of the -most interesting sights beside our streams and meres. “Judy o’ the Bog” -is the name given to the Heron by the peasants in the south of Ireland. -Young Herons were much in favour as table birds in the olden times. They -are still eaten in some districts, but they are only good at certain -seasons, if then; the flesh has mostly a very oily, fishy taste. The -good this bird does in devouring water-rats, field-mice, worms and -insects is counterbalanced by its depredations amongst the fish where -the latter are a consideration.</p> - -<p>Let me give here again a presentment of our Common Heron in the -Marshlands of Kent. “An empty stomach has caused the Heron to leave his -sanctuary in the Scotch firs that close in one end of the now frozen -mere, and to come floating down to the river side. He has left bitter -weather behind him, at any rate, for out in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_301" id="page_301"></a>{301}</span> the west it is a cold -steel-grey above, with a glow like that of the northern lights resting -on the crests of the distant hills. For once he places caution on one -side; one ring round directly over our head, and then he drops and folds -his wings by the edge of a bit of water that is not frozen because it -runs sharply over some shallows. The grey and white fisher has come here -for his supper, knowing well that when waters are icebound, the fish -will work up to any open piece of water, or even to a small hole broken -through the ice, for air. They must have air; even eels, which are -supposed to be able to live anyhow or anywhere.</p> - -<p>To prevent him rising I take a wide range out in the water meadows, -frozen down nearly two feet in depth; but I might just as well have been -saved the trouble for a lot of rooks that have been trying to stock out -a last scanty meal before roosting, from some manure heaps—that have -been placed there to dress the meadow for the hay crop—come for him as -one bird, and the lonely fisher is up and away again to his sanctuary in -the fir trees.”<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_302" id="page_302"></a>{302}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 369px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL</p></div> -<a href="images/i_310_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_310_sml.jpg" width="369" height="464" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BITTERN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_303" id="page_303"></a>{303}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bittern.</span><br /> -(<i>Botaurus stellaris.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> bittern is a strange-looking bird which as it moves stealthily among -the reed-beds, has given rise to many superstitions and weird beliefs. -Yet it is nothing but a greedy, insatiable cousin of the Heron, living -on small fishes, but not despising young birds, water-rats, -water-beetles, frogs, and even horse-leeches as food. Its eyes at once -announce that it is a night bird. On a still night its booming can be -heard more than a mile and a half away; and from this the bird has -received some of its local names, such as “Bumble” and “Mire-drum.” The -sounds which it utters are deep, hollow roars, as though they came from -some large animal; many people will not believe that these sounds -proceed from a slender bird. They sound like -“<i>Cu-prumb-cu-prumm-cu-um</i>.” Sometimes, though not often, a “<i>boo</i>” is -added to the “<i>prumb</i>.” Learned scientific books have been written on -the nature of these sounds. The truth is that they occur when the bird -draws air into its feed-pipe until it is full and then expels it -forcibly. In this way it produces its mating-call, the love-song of the -male bird. It is not given to every bird to sing like the nightingale.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This deep-toned cry is rarely heard now in our British marshlands, where -the bird now comes only to be shot and sent to the shop of the bird -preserver. It has, of course, been getting scarcer every year. In -Selby<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_304" id="page_304"></a>{304}</span>’s time it was very scarce in some seasons, yet he records the -fact that in the winter of 1830 to 1831 ten bitterns were exposed for -sale on one morning in Bath, and sixty were taken the same season in -Yorkshire. “Butter-bumps” was the popular name for the noisy bird, -which, as some said, bellowed like a bull. The late Lord Lilford wrote -that he knew a lady who said that when she was first married, about the -year 1845, and went to live in East Norfolk, she was constantly kept -awake by the Bittern’s booming in the neighbouring marshes. Tennyson’s -farmer called it the bogle.</p> - -<p>Some of us were not sorry to hear that one of these rare visitors had -been able to have its revenge on one of its persecutors lately. Being -wounded only, it turned on the dog of “the man with the gun,” who could -not resist shooting a stranger, and used its strong bill and claws to -good purpose. Its haunts are reed-beds, and the nest is composed of -dried flags and reeds. Its flesh is said to taste and look like that of -the leveret, with a slight flavour of wild-fowl, and to be more bitter -eating than that of the young Heron. In the North Kent marshes Bitterns -were called “Yaller French Herns,” and the fen dwellers could get half a -guinea for each bird. In France, of a coarse and stupid man, they often -say, “C’est un vrai butor (Bittern);” Molière says, “Peste soit du gras -butor;” and Georges Sand wrote, “If your provincial bourgeois heard -that, they would take our daughters for ‘des butordes,’<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a> such as their -own are.” Voltaire speaks again of “les butorderies de cet univers.” In -Saxony again the peasants say of a noisy brawler, “He booms like a -Bittern.”</p> - -<p>That a pair of Bitterns which had been observed for some little time on -an estate near Hertford should<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_305" id="page_305"></a>{305}</span> have been shot lately, 1908, and that -just before breeding season, is a fact to be deplored. I saw a beautiful -specimen in Berkshire that had also fallen to the gun of a collector. -With the advance of civilisation and the drainage of the fens we cannot, -of course, expect to have Bitterns nesting in our country again; but our -children will we trust, be educated, in these days of Nature-Study, to -welcome rare visitors, whilst respecting their right to live. Molluscs, -frogs, lizards, small snakes and insects form their diet, and these we -can all spare; and we should protect a vanishing species. A nest was -taken in England in 1868, but we have not had a later one recorded. A -friend of the late Lord Lilford, writing to him, said: “My brother and -myself, about the year 1825, shot seven Bitterns in a field.” This was -at Holme Fen, near the New River. “The Son of the Marshes” says: “The -Bittern is the bird of desolation, and it is in desolate places you will -find him if he is about at all. All his habits are secretive ones. As a -rule he comes out with the marsh owls. His plumage mimics the -marsh-tangle perfectly, and the Bittern draws himself up by the side of -that tangle, his dangerous bill pointing upwards in a line with the -great rush stems, so that you might be within a yard of him and yet not -see him. Frequently it has been the case that shooters have had these -birds clutter up close to their feet.”</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Bittern is 28 to 30 inches in length, but its loose feathers, long -neck and thin legs make it look much bigger. The arrangement and -colouring of the plumage are not unlike those of the Owl; it is -yellowish with brown speckles. Bill yellowish-green, but the back of it -brown. The legs are also yellowish-green, and have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_306" id="page_306"></a>{306}</span> long toes. Eyes -yellow, as in many owls. The bird can draw in its neck and cover it with -feathers in such a way that only its long legs betray its species as -being that of the Heron. The nest stands always alone in thick reed-beds -near standing water. The eggs are usually three to five in number, and -are pale bluish-green in colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_307" id="page_307"></a>{307}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Waterhen or Moorhen.</span><br /> -(<i>Gallinula chloropus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Waterhen likes ponds surrounded by thick bushy growth and builds its -nest on the edge. It clambers nimbly about the reeds, and also swims -very well although not web-footed; it dives, and is able to remain some -time under the water. It does this when pursued, only occasionally -sticking its bill out of the water to breathe. It takes long strides -when walking, and can run fast, can stand on the broad round leaves of -water plants, on the water grasses, and floating rubbish, its long toes -preventing it breaking through and sinking in. It is a very pleasant -bird, and if left alone becomes very confident, and it is then an -ornament to its surroundings. Its food consists of insects and -water-wort; it also rips off the points of sprouting rushes, and the -fleshy sedges. In fact it is an innocent and indeed a useful bird.</p> - -<p>The little tail is always turned upward, both in running and swimming, -and with each movement it nods its pretty head. It is a truly charming -sight when the Waterhen first takes her eight or ten black, silky, -roguish-eyed nestlings to the water—each one being about the size of a -walnut, they bob about like so many black corks.</p> - -<p>This bird is worthy of every protection.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Moor or Waterhen is well distributed throughout the British Islands -and it is, as a rule, settled in its habitat although in severe winters -many migrate from the northern to the southern parts of the country.</p> - -<p>When the sooty chicks are out, the Moorhen parents<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_308" id="page_308"></a>{308}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_316_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_316_sml.jpg" width="455" height="283" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WATERHEN OR MOORHEN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_309" id="page_309"></a>{309}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">have a very anxious time of it, for the Heron is on the look-out for -them, and he does a lot of wading in the reeds and the swamps all the -time the young Moorhens are about. They would be far more numerous were -they not hunted for, so persistently, by furred, finned, and feathered -prowlers.</p> - -<p>The Pike is one of their worst enemies, and the youngsters are kept -often in about three inches of water to escape his murderous bite.</p> - -<p>“The Moorhen can both swim and dive, and he flies well when fairly on -the wing; but as his real flights take place, as a rule, at night, very -little is known about them. I once saw a flight at daybreak that very -much astonished me. The bird shifts considerably about at night at -times. When alarmed it is occasionally very clever in concealing itself, -and it will sham death to perfection, even when caught alive by a good -dog, without a feather being injured.”</p> - -<p>The Waterhen is rather larger than the Partridge; it has longer legs, of -a green colour, and much longer toes. It has a small growth on the wings -like a spur. On the brow is a bare crescent-shaped red patch, the pupil -of the eye is carmine; neck and the whole of the mantle dark, -greenish-olive brown; the other parts of the body slate colour, the -inside of the lower tail-cover being of a darker shade, with a broad -yellowish white border. The feathers on the edge of the wings are tipped -with white, forming a beautiful white line, to the front of the wings. -The bill is green, red at the base. The nest is nearly always placed in -dry sedge-bushes on the edge of the water; the dry grass serves for -litter. The clutch consists of ten eggs, which have a pale yellowish red -ground speckled with violet and reddish-brown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_310" id="page_310"></a>{310}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 494px;"> -<a href="images/i_318_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_318_sml.jpg" width="494" height="359" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE COMMON TERN.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_311" id="page_311"></a>{311}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Common Tern.</span><br /> -(<i>Sterna fluviatilis.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">This</span> birds nests in companies, in grassy places near a river bank, where -a nest, without any foundation, is made, being a flat hollow in the -ground. In this it lays two or three eggs of a clay-or brownish-yellow -colour, speckled with violet-grey and brown. The Tern is a real ornament -to our large rivers and lakes, with its guileless nature and its fine -swinging flight. If it were to disappear we should lose one of the joys -and beauties of life. All day long it flies over the water, with only -short intervals of rest which it takes on a gravel heap or a hurdle, -with neck drawn in and pointed upwards, only turning its head now and -then to look at the water. It constantly flies at the same height, and -as soon as its prey comes to the surface of the water it spreads its -tail stiffly downwards, and hovers, beating with its wings, and gazing -fixedly on the spot where the victim showed itself. Then, suddenly, it -drops like a stone, with a loud splash, into the water. It has then -secured its booty, usually a small fish. Its usual voice sounds like -“<i>Kriey</i>”; sometimes, when in trouble, it utters a light “<i>Kek</i>” or -“<i>Krek</i>.” It is not common enough in Hungary to do much mischief.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In Great Britain we find the Common Tern along the shores of the Channel -and up the West coast as far as the Isle of Skye, and again from the -Moray Firth down to Kent. In Ireland it is plentiful in the South. -“Three species at least of the beautiful terns, well within my own time, -bred freely in this country; but their colonies on the flats and the -foreshores have been harried<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_312" id="page_312"></a>{312}</span> for eggs and birds so persistently, season -after season, that they have ceased to exist as breeding places. A few -hatch out in lonely shingle runs here and there on the coast lines; -others have changed their breeding grounds for good. The ring-dotterels -have suffered in the same way, but, from their different nesting habits -nothing like so much as the terns have done. When dogs are trained for -egg hunting, and the capture of young birds alive, without hurting them, -is it to be wondered at if the poor birds shift elsewhere? The size of a -place has nothing to do with its nesting capacities; if the conditions -are favourable, there the birds will come in their seasons to settle -down. If they are not interfered with they will come again, until at -last you may count on their arrival almost to a day. One place I -frequently visit, where the birds, water-fowl and waders have been -protected for forty years, not by keepers or lookers, but by the people -that pass that way, because the owner of a fine sheet of water desired -that they might not be frightened. This is as it should be, yet for all -that they are wild birds pure and simple, free to come and go just as -they please, according as their inclinations move them.”<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a></p> - -<p>The Common Tern is 14·25 inches in length but its long wings and tail -make it appear larger. The legs are red, the feet webbed. Beak red with -a sharp point; crown and nape quite black; mantle a fine bluish grey. -Throat and breast beautifully white; wing feathers darkish. Tail forked -like that of the House Swallow. The longest, outer side feathers, which -form the fork, are dark grey, the other tail feathers, and the rump -white. The eye reddish-brown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_313" id="page_313"></a>{313}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Bean Goose.</span><br /> -(<i>Anser ségetum.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Bean Goose visits us only in winter, for it breeds in the most -northern portion of our hemisphere, whence it is driven to our milder -regions by the extreme cold of winter. Here it waits for spring, then it -hurries back to its breeding place on the coasts of the Northern Ocean. -It lays seven to ten white eggs in its simply-formed nest in the -inhospitable desolate land of its birth. When obliged to leave the nest -it carefully covers up the eggs in order to preserve their warmth.</p> - -<p>These birds move southwards in great flocks towards autumn. Some of them -come to us, and in many places cover the fields in swarms, and in the -case of their settling constantly in the same places, they may do -considerable harm by nibbling, tearing up and trampling over everywhere -generally.</p> - -<p>When the winter is very severe here, and the seeds are covered with a -thick layer of snow, Geese go still further south, some of them even -crossing the Mediterranean; but they return directly the weather becomes -milder. From this comes the shepherd’s prophecy: “When the geese go -south we may expect great cold; when they go north warmer weather is -coming.” The birds assemble in great flocks,—usually at the beginning -of March, if wind and weather are favourable—and return to their home, -where, separating into strings, they scatter themselves over the Polar -regions.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This is the “Wild-goose” as known to shore shooters. It does not breed -in our islands at all, but comes to us in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_314" id="page_314"></a>{314}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 346px;"> -<a href="images/i_322_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_322_sml.jpg" width="346" height="335" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BEAN GOOSE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_315" id="page_315"></a>{315}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">the autumn, and is to be seen in numbers on some of our coasts all -through the winter. In cold weather it is fairly common on the mainland -of Scotland. From autumn to spring it is found in all parts of Ireland, -and is the commonest of the inland feeding Geese.</p> - -<p>“Very awkward mistakes, and sad ones too some of them, have been made -sometimes when these birds have been feeding on the saltings and marshes -close to the tide, for at certain seasons the Geese will feed at night -and then is the time to go after them. On one occasion a fowler shot his -horse by mistake, and at another time a man shot his own son. Such -incidents were once only too common. Fowl, feeding at night, bunch -themselves up, taking strange shapes, and when alarmed they run before -flighting, but they are not very wary, nor have they the keen sight of -other wild fowl.”</p> - -<p>“Gabble-retchet” is the term applied to the cry of the Geese on flight. -An old proverb says: “Its aye fine when the Goose honks (or cries) -high.” This in the Eastern States of America has been corrupted into: -“It’s aye fine when the goose <i>hangs</i> high,” and is often taken as -meaning when there’s plenty in the larder.</p> - -<p>This Goose is 34 inches in length. The beak is black, the knob of it -being orange-coloured, as is also a broad oblique stripe on the -nostrils. The points of the wings when folded extend over the tail. The -prevailing colour is brownish-grey; the edges of the feathers and the -breast lighter. The flight feathers are dark brown, so are the eyes, -legs reddish-brown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_316" id="page_316"></a>{316}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 324px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div> -<a href="images/i_324_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_324_sml.jpg" width="324" height="314" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE WILD DUCK OR MALLARD.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_317" id="page_317"></a>{317}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Wild Duck or Mallard.</span><br /> -(<i>Anas bóscas.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> nest of the Mallard is placed in the sedges of the marsh, in -cornfields, and—strangely enough—on willow stumps and in large holes -in trees. It is carelessly put together, but is lined with soft downy -feathers. It lays ten or twelve strong yellowish-white eggs.</p> - -<p>The way in which a mother Duck, who has nested in a tree hole rather -high up, brings her young family to the water is remarkable. As soon as -they are dry after hatching, she carries them one by one in her bill -down to the water’s edge. Each duckling as it is set down remains -motionless as a stone on the ground, until the mother has brought the -last baby to join the others, then the whole family begins to cackle and -pipe, the young ones follow their mother into the water, swimming at -once, and their duck life begins its ordinary course.</p> - -<p>Their usual diet consists of water plants, duckweed, sundew, the green -parts of the water-nut and the seeds of water grasses. They let the -water flow, filtering through their beaks as beseems a well brought up -duck, and in this way allow many little water creatures, fish spawn and -such like, to enter their crops. But they can also do mischief. At -harvest time the duck visits the cut corn lying on the ground and the -sheaves, picks out the corn and treads down the ears. Therefore—and -also because it is so good for the table—it is worthy of a well-aimed -shot.</p> - -<p>It is still very common in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>“Mallards manifest bird chivalry and courtesy to perfection—the drakes -industriously finding mussels for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_318" id="page_318"></a>{318}</span> their sober-coloured mates, not -because these are not able to find for themselves but because the males -consider it their place to do so. Stretching out their necks and -ruffling all their feathers they softly call when they have a lucky -find; up rushes the duck, nips fast hold of the gaper and swings it from -side to side as a terrier shakes a rat: after wrenching it from the -shell she washes it in the water of the runnel and swallows it.</p> - -<p>It is a matter of serious regret to many a sportsman and one entailing -loss to the longshore shooter that the numbers of our common Wild Ducks -or Mallards are each year becoming less. But for those bred in the -Arctic regions—those the North Kent marshman calls “foreign flighters,” -we should be in a bad way as to the Wild Duck.</p> - -<p>The latter arrive in great numbers from the Continent during the colder -months. Drainage of the fens, and improvements in agriculture have, of -course, lessened the numbers of those that breed with us; but -flapper-shooting on the flats and the want of protection are decimating -them largely on the Essex and North Kent marsh-lands. All good -authorities on the subject agree that there ought to be a close time for -our Wild Duck up to the 1st of September, whereas in Essex protection -extends only to August 16th, and in Kent only till the 13th of that -month. In shooting the Flappers, or young birds, many an old Drake gets -killed; having lost his quills he is incapable of flight. He does not -put on his full new dress until the middle of October. Flappers are -easily killed as they reach full growth before their wings are fledged; -so that it is not really fair sport, which should give a free field. As -old Peter Hawker, the father of Wild Duck Shooting said, -flapper-shooting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_319" id="page_319"></a>{319}</span> is often more like hunting water-rats than shooting -birds. They haunt deep and retired parts of a brook, or stream, in -families. Flappers are only called Wild Ducks when they take wing.</p> - -<p>In the Fens formerly, until put a stop to by Act of Parliament, not only -were Flappers shot as they are now, but an annual driving of the young -birds before they could fly took place. A vast tract was beaten, and the -birds were forced into a net placed where the sport was to terminate. A -hundred and fifty dozens have been taken at once in this fashion. If our -handsome British Wild Duck is to be preserved to us, further steps must -now be taken to enforce and extend the close time for our home-bred -birds of this species.</p> - -<p>Both duck and drake are the size of the domestic duck, which is a near -relation of its wild congener. It is the loudest cackler of the ponds. -The drake has splendid plumage. The whole of the head has a fine green -metallic lustre, this being separated from the rest of the colouring by -a white band round the neck. A small bunch of feathers, curled upwards, -stands on the rump, which is smooth black, as is also the under tail -cover. It has a beautiful, lustrous violet patch bordered on each side -with white, on its wings. Neck and breast are chestnut-brown; the mantle -finely and beautifully spotted. The underparts light grey, each feather -having fine dark stripes. Bill greenish; legs orange. The female bird is -yellowish-brown speckled with dark brown.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_320" id="page_320"></a>{320}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 367px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>CHIEFLY USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_328_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_328_sml.jpg" width="367" height="230" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE PINTAILED DUCK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_321" id="page_321"></a>{321}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Pintailed Duck.</span><br /> -(<i>Dafila acuta.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> nest of the Pintail is placed among the sedges, rushes, and reeds of -open ponds. The clutch consists of eight to ten greenish eggs, which are -smaller and somewhat thicker than those of the common Wild Duck. It is a -shy bird, difficult to surprise, which arrives here in large flocks, on -its way elsewhere, only a few settling on large inaccessible ponds, or -on the hidden pools hemmed in by huge reed beds, on the Platten See in -Hungary, especially in shallow places where the white water-lilies and -other water plants almost cover the surface with their leaves. In such -places it pecks about the ground in the same way as the farmyard duck. -Its food is tender duck-weed, and the young juicy shoots and points of -water plants. But its most eager search is for water beetles, and the -larvæ of dragon-flies and other such insects. As the marshes are drained -and brought into cultivation the number of these beautiful birds -decreases. It is still, however, not uncommon in Hungary.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This is a slender and finely shaped duck which is locally called the -“Sea Pheasant.” It comes regularly to our British Islands in October, -staying in some districts longer than in others. In the North it seldom -tarries long. Its favourite resorts are about our Southern shores and -estuaries. When it is feeding the tail is raised high above the water, -its head being below the surface. A hybrid between the Mallard and the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_322" id="page_322"></a>{322}</span> -Pintail, a half-bred drake, is a very handsome bird. Pintails have also -been known to pair with Wigeons.</p> - -<p>The Pintailed Duck is smaller and more slender, but longer than the -Common Wild Duck. The middle tail-feathers are long-shaped like a spit -or awl, and from these the bird derives its name. The neck is long and -thin like that of the Heron. The drake has fine summer plumage. The -wings have a shining metallic green beauty-spot bordered with red in -front and white behind. Head a dusky-brown, cheeks copper colour. Throat -white on either side, and black in the middle from the back of the head -downwards. The whole of the underparts white, also the mantle, which is -adorned with fine, close, dark wavy lines. The long pointed shoulder -feathers are black with a white border. Tail nearly black, the middle -pointed feathers quite black, and also the under tail cover. Legs -bluish-grey; beak bluish, eyes brown. The female bird is like the female -wild duck in colour but has the long tail feathers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_323" id="page_323"></a>{323}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Shoveler.</span><br /> -(<i>Spatula clypeata.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Shoveler has a stately, direct, and rapid flight. It can be -recognised by its great beak even when flying high. It is less timid -than the other ducks, and does not go about in flocks, but if it does -join flocks of other ducks, it flies somewhat apart from them. As its -beak indicates, its food consists less of plants than of small living -creatures of the pond and lake, fish, insects, shell-fish, and other -things which it finds in the water while it paddles around and lets the -water run through the filtering edge of its beak. But the worst of it is -this: The fish spawn in the shallow, tepid water near the bank, and -there the young fishes are hatched. When the Shoveler comes to a -spawning bed, in its voracity it destroys the young fish in thousands, -before they are fully hatched. Thus it is a great pest to fishermen, and -it is therefore fortunate that this bird belongs to the rarer species.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>“Compared with the size of the Shoveler’s paddles, its webs are small. -Splashes and reed-beds are what it delights in. Many days have I passed -where these birds could be seen. All sorts of flying and creeping things -lived there; in fact the amount of insect life to be found in the haunts -of the Shoveler would have to be seen, nay more than that, it would have -to be felt, before it could be thoroughly believed in. Some sorts of -insects have a very short play-time. Coming forth in clouds as perfect -flying creatures, they fulfil the purpose they were created for, and -then they drop down in the reeds,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_324" id="page_324"></a>{324}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_332_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_332_sml.jpg" width="340" height="296" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SHOVELER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_325" id="page_325"></a>{325}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">or in the water either dead or dying. So thickly at times do these -short-lived insects cover the water that, in places, the masses look -like large patches of grey film.</p> - -<p>This is the time for the Shoveler. He and his mate, will, so to speak, -lay their heads and necks on the water, the lower mandible being just -under water; and they will paddle along feeding as they go. These -insects are part of their food in the season. Then too, they can probe -and spatter on the edge of the reeds, where they find plenty of food, -for the soft mud at their roots is full of the seeds of water plants -growing below. As to the undeveloped forms of insect life, the light -vegetable mud is full of these. So this handsome bird goes on his way -very happily if not disturbed.”<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a></p> - -<p>Shovelers are plump ducks, and when their food is right are excellent -for the table.</p> - -<p>The Shoveler visits Great Britain during cold weather, and a fair number -of the birds stay and breed with us.</p> - -<p>The Shoveler is smaller than the Wild Duck and is more thick-set in -build. Its chief characteristic is its powerful spoon-shaped, or rather -shovel-shaped bill, which broadens out in front, and is furnished with a -thickly toothed, comb-like arrangement on the inner edge which is -specially adapted for filtering the water. The drake has beautiful -plumage. The beauty spot on the wings is of a lustrous green, and has a -white upper border, the wing itself is light blue. The sides of the head -are bluish-green, with a fine lustre, the crop white. The forepart of -the mantle is greenish-black, each feather having a white border; rump -bluish—black as is also the under tail cover. Shoulder feathers -pointed, black and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_326" id="page_326"></a>{326}</span> white, legs orange, bill dark. The female bird -resembles the female wild duck in colour, but the broad shovel-shaped -bill, immediately marks the difference between the two birds. The nest -is placed in the boggy parts of the marshes and is formed simply of -litter. The clutch consists of seven to fourteen rusty yellow eggs.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_327" id="page_327"></a>{327}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Great Crested Grebe.</span><br /> -(<i>Podicipes cristatus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> nest of the Great Crested Grebe is built of various decaying plants, -and floats on the water. It is not found in the thick reed-beds; but on -their borders, where the reeds are already beginning to shoot. There it -so fixed to a single stalk that it remains in one place, and cannot be -washed away. It usually contains four longish white eggs, which, -however, become brown and dirty during the long sitting and rotten -surroundings. The young birds are grey with dark stripes. In times of -danger the mother gathers them closely under her wings and then dives -until the peril is past.</p> - -<p>This Grebe is a remarkable diver; it dives with such lightning speed, -that a shot aimed at it only strikes the surface of the water. It is a -terror in the fishpond. When the fish feel secure, several of these -birds join together and make a raid on them. They dive, and while under -water drive the fish towards the shallow shore, and having thus placed -them in a difficulty, the birds seize their prey from among the -bewildered victims.</p> - -<p>The Grebe endeavours to avoid danger to itself by diving, as long as it -can—and it is able to remain under water for a long time and swim a -considerable distance. If the rushes for which it is making, are still -at some distance, it raises its head out of water for a moment, breathes -once, and dives again. It is only in direst<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_328" id="page_328"></a>{328}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 374px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_336_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_336_sml.jpg" width="374" height="225" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GREAT CRESTED GREBE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_329" id="page_329"></a>{329}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">need that it takes to flight, and beats the water for some time before -it begins to rise. Having once risen it flies rapidly and steadily.</p> - -<p>Its powerful, piercing voice has various sounds. The call-note sounds -like “<i>Kekekeke</i>”; during the brooding time its cry “<i>Kroar</i>” or -“<i>Kruor</i>” is heard at a long distance.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Great Crested Grebe is resident in Great Britain on many sheets of -water where reeds grow in plenty, such as the Broads of Norfolk, the -meres of Cheshire and Lancashire, lakes in Wales, and very occasionally -only in Scotland. In the County of Stafford the Great-crested Grebe and -Little Grebe, or Dabchick, are protected all the year round; and the -meres in the West of Staffordshire, together with those of Shropshire, -form one of the chief breeding areas of the former species of Great -Britain and Ireland. On Trentham Lake, Dr. McAldowie has observed the -Great-crested Grebe in mid-winter. They have also bred there of late -years. On the rivers Dove and Trent, however, it has only been seen -during the periods of migration. That it nests on the Lake Aqualate and -on that in Trentham Park proves what the protection of landowners will -do.</p> - -<p>The Great Crested Grebe is the size of a Wild Duck but more slender. The -general appearance of the bird, with its long outstretched thin neck is -that of a long-necked bottle. It has on its black crown a double crest, -forked and inclining backwards something in the manner of ears; on its -neck, beginning at the back of the head and reaching to the throat, it -has a red collar of split feathers with dark borders closely set -together,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_330" id="page_330"></a>{330}</span> which surrounds the sides of the head and the throat. The -legs are constructed for propelling by a sideways stroke; instead of a -true web, it has divided, cross-ribbed broad flaps on the toes, the pads -of which are flat and broad. Beak sharp and pointed as a dagger; tail -consists of a few little ragged feathers. The spot on the wings is -white. The female has a smaller collar, and is more uniform in colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_331" id="page_331"></a>{331}</span></p> - -<p class="c"><span class="smcap">An Elegy.</span></p> - -<p>Our children will perhaps know less than we do of the delightful poems -of Robert Burns, composed as so many of them were whilst he followed the -plough, with ever a keen eye for bird and blossom wherever his work -might lead him. I cannot resist quoting here that wonderful elegy of -his:—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Mourn, ye wee songsters of the wood;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Ye Grouse that crap the heather bud;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Ye Curlews, calling thro’ a clud;<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Ye whistling Plover,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And mourn, ye whirring Paitrick broo’,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">He’s gane for ever!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Mourn, sooty Coots and speckled Teals;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Ye fisher Herons, watching eels;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Ye Duck and Drake, wi’ airy wheels,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Circling the lake.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Ye Bitterns, till the quagmire reels,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Rair for his sake!<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Mourn, clam’ring Crakes at close of day<br /></span> -<span class="i1">’Mang fields o’ flow’ring clover gay,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And when ye wing your annual way<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Frae our cauld shore,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Tell the far warlds, wha lies in clay<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Wham we deplore.<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i1">Ye Howlets frae your ivy bow’r<br /></span> -<span class="i1">In some old tree or eldritch tow’r,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">What time the moon wi’ silent glow’r,<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Sets up her horn:<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Wail through the dreary midnight hour<br /></span> -<span class="i3">Till waukrife morn!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_332" id="page_332"></a>{332}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 382px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_340_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_340_sml.jpg" width="382" height="270" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE GOLDEN EAGLE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_333" id="page_333"></a>{333}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.<br /><br /> -SOME OF THE FALCONIDÆ.</h2> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Golden Eagle.</span><br /> -(<i>Aquila chrysáëtus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">In</span> Scotland the living prey of the Golden Eagle, called there the Black -Eagle, consists largely of mountain hares, but it takes lambs, grouse -and other birds, sometimes even fawns and the young of the red-deer. In -Hungary he sweeps down towards autumn from the higher regions to the -vast plains, where he works havoc among the smaller wild animals, -especially the hares. Only when driven by extreme hunger will he feed on -carrion. On sunny days he soars circling above, with shrill squeal, -until quite lost to sight, looking as it were into the very face of the -sun.</p> - -<p>The breeding places of the Eagle are confined in Great Britain to the -Highlands of Scotland and the islands of the Western side, and they are -now protected by the owners of deer forests from the grouse preservers -and sheep farmers who greatly thinned their numbers in former years. In -Ireland very few pairs now remain; they were nearly all destroyed there -by poison. They rarely visit England. So far from attacking any one who -visits the eyrie or tries to take an egg or young, those who know them -best say that they can be photographed without the least difficulty, in -fact the old birds will soar high above, seemingly ignoring the presence -of the intruders. A visitor to one eyrie, in which was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_334" id="page_334"></a>{334}</span> baby Eaglet, -found there four grouse, part of a hare, and a monk stoat! the latter, -as the gamekeeper said, being an unheard of thing. Sometimes an enraged -Hoodie Crow has been seen in full chase of a Golden Eagle which had been -too near the nest and young of the former.</p> - -<p>Mr. Seton Gordon says that when this Eagle is pursued by a small bird, -the Mistle Thrush for instance, it never turns on its pursuer, although -it could kill it with the greatest ease; but as he adds “in nature it -seems to be the invariable rule that the pursued flies from the pursuer -no matter what the relative sizes may be.”</p> - -<p>The Golden Eagle is now slightly on the increase in Scotland. It is a -most interesting bird, the type of nobility and of valour. The -naturalist with whom I collaborated over the signature, “A Son of the -Marshes,” has told of two live Golden Eagles which were chained to -stands just inside the courtyard of the old coaching inn at -Sittingbourne, in Kent, when he was a boy, objects of wondering delight -to himself and of much daily curiosity to the passengers on the coaches. -They snatched up more than one cat that came too close to their stands -after the meat that was given to them.</p> - -<p>Many poets have sung of the Golden Eagle:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“On sounding pinion borne, he soars, and shrouds,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">His proud aspiring head among the clouds.”<br /></span> -<span style="margin-left: 4em;">. . . . . . . . . .</span><br /> -<span class="i3">“Soaring<br /></span> -<span class="i1">With upward pinions through the flood of day,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And, giving full bosom to the blaze, gain on the sun.”<br /></span> -<span style="margin-left: 4em;">. . . . . . . . . .</span><br /> -<span class="i0">“Trying his young against its rays,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To prove if they’re of generous breed, or base.”<br /></span> -<span style="margin-left: 4em;">. . . . . . . . . .</span><br /> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_335" id="page_335"></a>{335}</span></p> - -<p>Somerville, in “Field Sports,” gives some fine lines, descriptive of -this bird, untamed though we call it, as one of sport:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“In earlier times, monarchs of Eastern race<br /></span> -<span class="i1">In their full blaze of pride—a story tells—<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Trained up th’ imperial eagle, sacred bird.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Hooded, with jingling bells, she, perched on high,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Not, as when erst on golden wings she led<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The Roman legions o’er the conquered globe,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Mankind her quarry, but a docile slave,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Tamed to the lure and careful to attend<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Her master’s voice.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>This noble bird measures from 32 to 36 inches and the female is larger -than the male. In reality he is about the size of a goose but his mighty -wings and the breadth of tail make him seem far larger. The general -colour is dark brown, tawny about the head and nape, hence his name -golden. The tail has a greyish bar below, is mottled with dark grey in -the adults, but the basal half is white in the young. The legs are -feathered in front to the toes, thighs dark brown, toes yellow, claws -hooked and sharp. The beak is curved from the cere. The brown eye is -keen and strong as befits a bird who sights his quarry from afar. The -nest, or eyrie, which is placed on a crag in a mountainous district, but -often in a tree, is a large platform of sticks lined with softer -materials. The Eagle never uses dead branches but always breaks them -fresh off the tree. There are two and sometimes three dull greyish-white -eggs streaked and blotched with every shade of reddish-brown and lilac. -One of the eggs is generally addled. The young are covered with white -down. During incubation the Eagle keeps near to his eyrie.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_336" id="page_336"></a>{336}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 409px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_344_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_344_sml.jpg" width="409" height="295" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE RED KITE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_337" id="page_337"></a>{337}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Red Kite.</span><br /> -(<i>Milvus ictínus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> flight of this bird is very beautiful; it mounts in circles to a -great height, but swoops down quite near to the ground when pursuing its -prey. Its food consists of mice, lizards, adders, and unfledged birds; -but most of all it likes poultry, hens, ducks, geese. In this way it is -very hurtful. Fortunately, it is a cowardly bird, and a good clucking -hen can soon put it to flight.</p> - -<p>In the spring when the flocks of geese with their young ones are grazing -in the tender grass, the Red Kite will suddenly appear and cause great -consternation among young and old. The poor bare-footed guardians of the -geese, strive to drive the intruder away with shouts, or by waving rags, -and throwing stones; and though they generally succeed, the bird -occasionally gains the day. This bird is nowhere very common, and is in -any case only a summer visitor. Its cry is a shrill <i>whéw, heh-heh-heh</i>.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>This Kite was formerly known in Great Britain by its old Anglo-Saxon -name of Gled or Glead, which comes from its gliding flight, and is -styled Red Kite in order to distinguish it from its relatives. That it -was once common enough in the South of England, a proverb, still used in -the New Forest shows, “Yallow as a Kite’s claw” the folk say there in -describing one who has a jaundiced appearance. So common was it in the -streets of London up to 200 years ago, acting the part of a scavenger in -those days, that visitors from the Continent wrote of it. Some are now<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_338" id="page_338"></a>{338}</span> -living who knew it as fairly common in the wooded parts of Great -Britain—Ireland excepted—but the last nest in Lincolnshire, where it -once was abundant, was known in 1870. In Wales, where a few still breed, -the landowners are trying to protect what they consider an interesting -species. The use of its tail feathers for salmon-flies brings about the -bird’s destruction in Scotland, and the gamekeeper is its pronounced -enemy. In Ireland it has been seldom observed. Considering the adders, -rats, and enormous numbers of mice the Kite devours, the term hurtful, -as applied to it, ought perhaps to be modified.</p> - -<p>A naturalist, writing in 1839, tells how he once took away a young Kite -from a nest containing two; it became very tame and would sit on his -hand, never attempting to hurt him with its sharp talons. Sometimes he -let it stray away and it always came home, though it might be out for a -day or two; until it intruded on an old crone in her cottage. She -quickly killed it as an ill-favoured fowl. I have seen a tame Kite swoop -down during a circling flight and take a mouse from the hand of the late -Lord Lilford as he sat, as was his wont, in his wheeled chair among his -favourite birds.</p> - -<p>Macaulay, alluding to the Kite’s love for carrion writes:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The kites know well the long stern swell<br /></span> -<span class="i1">That bids the Romans close.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Wordsworth was familiar with it in his walks:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Near the midway cliff the silvered kite<br /></span> -<span class="i1">In many a whistling circle wheels her flight.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Robert Burns was not a friend of the bird, Quarles’ “brood-devouring -kite,” for he likened the “father of all evil” to it:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_339" id="page_339"></a>{339}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Here is Satan’s picture,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Pouncing poor Redcastle<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Like a blizzard gled,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Sprawlin’ like a taed.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">But Hurdis was more kind and just:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Mark but the soaring kite and she will read<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Brave rules for diet; teach thee how to feede;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">She flies aloft; she spreads her ayrie plumes<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Above the earth; above the nauseous fumes<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Of dang’rous earth; she makes herself a stranger<br /></span> -<span class="i1">T’ inferior things, and checks at every danger.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>We may perhaps be allowed, by the chariest of agriculturists, to say -that a species may be most undesirable in certain districts, but a -welcome and even useful bird in others; and this is specially true of -birds who devour carrion.</p> - -<p>The Kite is about 24 inches in length. The back is rusty-red, the -feathers there having dark shaft lines and edges. The tail is strongly -forked. The female is less brightly coloured than the male and the young -still less so. The thighs are clad with feathers, the legs bare, claws -moderately strong and sharp. The bill is sickle-shaped and has a yellow -cere at its base. The irides are yellowish-white. The Kite is a -keen-sighted bird of prey, and builds its nest for the most part on the -highest trees in the woods. It lays two or three eggs, more rarely four, -with dirty blotches, smears, and spots on a greenish-white ground.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_340" id="page_340"></a>{340}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 298px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_348_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_348_sml.jpg" width="298" height="287" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE RED-FOOTED FALCON.</p> - -<p>MALE AND FEMALE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_341" id="page_341"></a>{341}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Red-footed Falcon or Orange-legged Hobby.</span><br /> -(<i>Falco vespertinus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Unlike</span> all the rest of his congeners this beautiful Falcon lives -exclusively on insects. It is considered by the Mohammedan races as a -sacred bird, on account of the way in which it destroys grasshoppers. -Its flight is easy and bold, and the way in which he circles and floats -in the air is beautiful. The young ones are also fed on insects, and as -soon as they are fledged the little flock betake themselves to the -meadows or the seashore and there begin with zeal their work of insect -hunting. They settle on the meadows, on the freshly mown rows, and -destroy the grasshoppers, and when there is a plague of these insects -the Falcons are untiring in their work of extermination. It is one of -the most gentle of birds, and the young ones when caught become tame in -the course of a day. It can easily be seen from the expression of the -eyes that there is no savagery at all in its nature. How different from -the glance of the Sparrow-Hawk! It is a remarkable characteristic of -this bird that not only does it differ from others of its species in its -food, but also in regard to its nest. As a rule, it does not build a -nest, but occupies one, generally at the cost of a battle, belonging to -one of a colony of rooks. The fight for the nest is a fine spectacle, -for in it the bird exhibits to the full its fine art of flight. In -Hungary it is a regular migrant, and arrives in fairly large numbers.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Red-footed Falcon is only a rare wanderer to the British Islands on -its migratory flight, and chiefly to England. One was recorded as shot -in Scotland in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_342" id="page_342"></a>{342}</span> 1866—another, which is in the Dublin Museum, was taken -in County Wicklow in 1832. It is a pity that this useful species, living -as it chiefly does on insects and field mice, should only appear in our -country to be shot.</p> - -<p>On the steppes of Orenburg in Russia it has decreased during the last -fifty years, owing apparently to the immigration of great numbers of the -Lesser Kestrel, which used to be rare there. The flight of the -Red-footed Falcon is not nearly so dashing as that of the Kestrel; you -can note a difference in the expression of the eye and the shape of -forehead of the two birds.</p> - -<p>The clutch of eggs numbers five to six. They are of a yellowish-white -ground-colour, with spots and marblings, some darker, some lighter. The -nest structure is scanty, and is seldom built by the bird itself; it -appropriates the old nest of a Crow, Magpie or Rook. The male of this -species is for the most part slate-grey in colour, the thighs and under -side of the tail are bright chestnut-red. The iris and the feet are red. -The colouring of the female is more diversified. The mantle is -bluish-grey, with blackish stripes, like those on the tail; the sides of -the belly are light rusty-brown, throat and nape white. The forehead is -whitish; top of the head rust-coloured, legs and feet reddish. The claws -are nearly white.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_343" id="page_343"></a>{343}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Common Buzzard.</span><br /> -(<i>Búteo vulgáris.</i>)</h3> - -<p>This bird is equally at home in the plains and in the highlands. It goes -South in the winter, except in mild seasons. Like the Kite it soars to a -great height with a fine sweeping movement, crying “<i>keo-keo</i>.” It -descends and with an easy stroke hovers near the ground, from which it -seizes frogs, lizards, and even poisonous snakes; but besides marmots, -moles, rats, and leverets, its chief diet is mice, of which it requires -20 to 30 for one good meal. It usually perches on a hayrick, a post, or -a dry tree to watch for its prey, sitting motionless save for a movement -of its head from side to side, until a mouse emerges from its hole. Then -it raises its wings, darts downwards, and secures the booty. In years -when a superabundance of mice appear, the Buzzards also are numerous, -and fare plenteously. At such times, hundreds of tufts of mouse-hair are -found beneath the trees where the Buzzards spend the night.</p> - -<p>It would be a good thing if the farmer were to set up perching posts in -the places which are infested by mice, so that the Buzzards might settle -on them to watch the ground. Posts about the height of a man, and the -thickness of an arm, with a cross piece at the top, would perfectly -serve the purpose.</p> - -<p>The Buzzard, then, is useful; but it cannot be denied that it sometimes -does harm when it gets into a pheasant run, or places where partridges -and hares are preserved.</p> - -<p>The bird is still common in Hungary.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_344" id="page_344"></a>{344}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 332px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_352_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_352_sml.jpg" width="332" height="427" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE COMMON BUZZARD.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_345" id="page_345"></a>{345}</span></p> - -<p>The Buzzard may still be seen circling high in the air in some of our -own wilder wooded districts, uttering its mewing cry, especially in -Wales, but it is fast decreasing. A correspondent from South Devon wrote -me that it was not infrequently shot there. As Mr. Howard Saunders -wrote, “It used to breed in Norfolk and other counties abounding with -Partridges and ground game, without being considered incompatible with -their well-being; but now that Pheasant worship has increased, the doom -of that great devourer of field mice, moles, and other pests of the -farmer which has never been proved to be destructive to Partridges and -Pheasants is sealed. Still it might yet increase if fairly encouraged, -and it is an interesting sight, either soaring over head or resting in -its characteristic sluggish way on the branch of a tree. In the New -Forest this used to be a common enough sight, but the bark strippers -being at work just at the time of incubation, and knowing that they can -easily obtain five shillings for a good well-marked specimen—the -Buzzard has little chance now.</p> - -<p>I find in my note book, “My glass shows a great brown and grey bird -resting on a stumpy willow—what they call here a Mouse-Buzzard—that -species so useful to the grazier, which we drive away by persecution. -Presently it rises high to soar in fine circles over its hunting ground. -The farmers encourage it because of its wonderful stowage capacity for -voles, rats, and other small deer,—the game-preservers persecute it, -because when pressed by hunger it takes old hen pheasants and even -larger creatures. On our friend’s estate here it is encouraged; the -stomach of a dead Buzzard has been found to contain thirty mice. Also it -is a deadly foe to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_346" id="page_346"></a>{346}</span> the viper, although a bite from the latter has been -death to the Buzzard occasionally. A Buzzard was once found dead on its -nest with a viper lying under his body. The bird had carried it there to -devour. This is a gentle looking creature, yet when hard pressed by -hunger—madly ravenous, it has been known to attack an ox. Humans are -apt to become desperate under similar circumstances.</p> - -<p>Said Butler in “Hudibras”:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“He’d prove a buzzard is no fowl,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And that a lord may be an owl.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>There is a good deal of variation observable in the colouring of the -Buzzard, inclining sometimes to whitish, sometimes to brown or even to -blackish. With its thick-set body, this bird of prey exceeds the Raven -in size. Its constant distinguishing marks are these: The cere at the -base of the bill, and the legs, which are bare of feathers, are yellow; -the nostrils are oval; the iris grey or brown. The shafts of the -primaries and secondaries are white. The tail is crossed by seventeen -dark bands, and appears fore-shortened. The bill is curved and hooked. -The nest is built in the loftiest beeches and oaks. Three to four eggs -form the clutch. They are rarely white, more often clouded with -dirty-yellow on a lighter ground.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_347" id="page_347"></a>{347}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Sparrow-hawk.</span><br /> -(<i>Accipiter nisus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Though</span> the Sparrow-hawk, taken altogether, is a small bird, yet he is a -great thief, as may be gathered from his piercing eye. He is the terror -of all birds of the Starling size, which he seizes while on the wing. -Like a true robber, he watches for his booty in a secret kind of way; -having selected one from among a company of flying birds, he flies -below, among the furrows in the cornfield, along the hedges, and the -border of the woods, and on to a haystack. When he has seen his destined -prey he flutters sideways, rises into the air in circles, and when the -little birds fly up he sinks somewhat lower; when at the proper height -he claps his wings close to his body, and drops like a piece of lead on -to the chosen, fluttering victim, seizes it by the neck in its flight, -and strangles it with his sharp claws. He then flies slowly with it to a -bush or a grassy-mound and devours it.</p> - -<p>It winters in Hungary; it is not rare, but at the same time not very -common. Its cry sounds like “<i>Kirk, kirk, kirk</i>,” or a rapid “<i>ki, ki, -ki</i>,” or a long drawn-out “<i>kāk, kāk</i>.”</p> - -<p>This bird was the sporting Hawk of our forefathers, and the people of -the interior of Asia, and the Kurds, employ it for hunting at the -present day. Wherever it goes it carries devastation in its train, -especially among the domestic fowls. Its cry is loud and protracted. -“<i>Iwiā!</i>” it repeats quickly on seizing its prey. When<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_348" id="page_348"></a>{348}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 429px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_356_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_356_sml.jpg" width="429" height="251" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE SPARROW-HAWK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_349" id="page_349"></a>{349}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">pairing the note is <i>Gāck, gāck, gāck</i>,” and then more rapidly -“<i>Giā, giack, giack</i>.”</p> - -<p>The Sparrow-hawk is well known all over Great Britain and also in -Ireland, in all those districts which are well timbered. Its food -consists for the most part of small birds, from the Thrush to the Wren. -These are snapped up as the bird glides stealthily along the hedgerows -or on the outskirts of some wood. In our own country it has been trained -to take Partridges, Quails, etc. In India and Japan also it is used by -the native falconers. It is a bold daring raider of our woods and -fields. This bird has a history which reaches back into the far past. It -received its latin name, <i>Accipiter nisus</i>, because of a myth relating -to King Nisus of Megara, who, it is said, had one hair of red-gold -colour, on the preservation of which depended the conservation of his -kingdom. Scylla, the daughter of Nisus, being in love with Minos, King -of Crete, son of Jupiter and Europa, treacherously cut the golden hair -of her father Nisus, and therefore he and his country were easily -vanquished. The gods, angry with the unnatural daughter, changed her -into a Lark, and Nisus into a Sparrow-hawk, under which form the unhappy -father pursues his daughter unceasingly, in order to satisfy a thirst -for vengeance. The ancients had all sorts of mysterious ideas, in -connection with the Sparrow-hawk; they believed, for one thing, that he -was the primogenitor of the Cuckoo. There is always something -interesting in such old myths, in spite of their apparent absurdity.</p> - -<p>Somerville, in “Field Sports,” takes only the falconer’s view of the -Sparrow-hawk, when he says:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_350" id="page_350"></a>{350}</span></p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i5">“Enough for me<br /></span> -<span class="i0">To boast the gentle spar-hawk on my fist,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Or fly the partridge o’er the bristly field,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Retrieve the covey with my busy train,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Or with my soaring hobby, dare the lark.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The male Sparrow-hawk is about 12 inches long, the female often 15 -inches. It has a long tail; its legs are slender, long and bare of -feathers. The claws are sharp as needles. The toes are strong and the -middle one is very long and slender. The bill is abruptly curved from -the base, with a greenish-yellow cere. The plumage is bluish-grey above; -while beneath, on the belly, it is crossed with wavy lines on a light -ground. The tail has five dark ribbon-like bands across it. The -Sparrow-hawk nests by preference in spruce plantations at a height of -from 12 to 15 feet; it also makes use of deserted crows’ nests. The -clutch consists of four or five, occasionally six, and still more rarely -seven eggs, chalky-white or greenish in colour, with drab-coloured -spots.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 149px;"> -<a href="images/i_358_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_358_sml.jpg" width="149" height="79" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Too often a victim.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_351" id="page_351"></a>{351}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Goshawk.</span><br /> -(<i>Astur palumbárius.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Goshawk is bold in attack, and powerful in thrust. It is -comparatively easy to tame, or at all events shows a certain -tractability. Its aspect is cunning and cruel, and its claws must be -carefully avoided. It is the terror of the poultry-yard and the -dove-cote. When pursuing its prey nothing can divert its attention. It -will even penetrate into the interior of a house. It will steal any -warm-blooded animal that it can overcome, even an old hare. It seizes -little Siskins, Goldfinches, Weasels, squirrels, and even mice. It lives -in a constant state of warfare with the Crows. The latter birds fall -upon it in flocks, pull and touzle it, when they catch it, but the Hawk -usually carries the day. With a mighty thrust he seizes his prey from -among the black mass, and gets away from his pursuers. It likes best -districts where wood and field alternate, but it also settles in the -neighbourhood of villages where it causes great damage among the -poultry.</p> - -<p>Next to the Lanner—<i>falco lanarius</i>—the Goshawk was the favourite -among sportsmen in the olden days as indeed it still is among the -nomadic tribes of Asia.</p> - -<p>The Goshawk—Goosehawk—comes to Great Britain as an occasional visitor -only, in autumn, winter, and now and again in the spring. There used to -be some eyries in old fir-woods in the valley of the Spey a century ago, -but in Scotland the Peregrine Falcon is called the Goshawk. In some old -Scottish works on Falconry it is stated that the best Goshawks came from -Ireland.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_352" id="page_352"></a>{352}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 362px;"> -<a href="images/i_360_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_360_sml.jpg" width="362" height="427" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHIEFLY HURTFUL.</p> - -<p>THE GOSHAWK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_353" id="page_353"></a>{353}</span></p> - -<p>I know a place in Southern Germany, a sandy, raised piece of ground, in -the middle of a wood, near the point of a peninsula, where only high -fir-trees are; and there the bold Goshawk has his bulky nest which he -uses year after year. On a clearing close to the Goshawk’s nest there -lie innumerable remains of Starlings and young hares. The Starlings fear -him greatly; when he comes gliding low in pursuit of his quarry over the -marshy ground beyond his wood, they keep close to the Crows, which are -numerous on this peninsula. They feed with these birds whenever the -Goshawk is in their neighbourhood, knowing that the Crows will attack -him sturdily. During the skirmish with the Crows, the knowing Starlings -make away from the scene.</p> - -<p>The Goshawk punishes that bad but beautiful bird, the Jay, who does more -harm here than the Sparrow-Hawk and all the three species of -Butcher-birds put together. The Sparrow-Hawk attacks the Jay also; but -he only gets the better of him after a long struggle, whereas the -Goshawk punishes quickly.</p> - -<p>As I stood under the high fir-tree from which a pair of Goshawks took -flight on my approach, one of the sudden thunderstorms common to the -neighbourhood at this time of year broke overhead, and I had to shelter -long, so that I had time to marvel at the great quantity of creatures -these birds had taken to their family larder—hares, starlings, pigeons, -ducks, and poultry of all sizes. The farmer here dreads it more than he -does any other bird of prey, and we have no cause to regret its ceasing -to build in our midst. A male and a female bird were caught in a trap in -the forest of Bowland, Lancashire, about the year 1835; now only an -occasional bird is to be seen.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_354" id="page_354"></a>{354}</span></p> - -<p>A French writer says that the Goshawk is still used in Persia in hunting -the gazelle, and that it is trained to feed on that creature’s beautiful -eyes by placing its food in the empty eye-sockets of a stuffed gazelle, -so that when used in the hunt the Goshawk stops its victim by attacking -and tearing out its eyes—a horribly cruel form of sport.</p> - -<p>Keats writes:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“O Sorrow! why dost burrow<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The lustrous passion from a falcon-eye?”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">and Young:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Pride, like hooded hawks in darkness soars<br /></span> -<span class="i1">From blindness bold, and towering to the skies.”<br /></span> -</div><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Mark the gay squadron through the copse descending<br /></span> -<span class="i1">The greyhound with his silken leash contending<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Wreathed the lithe neck; and on the falconer’s hand<br /></span> -<span class="i1">With restless perch and pinions broad depending,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Each hooded goshawk kept her eager stand.”<br /></span> - -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">Burns says:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Swift as a gos drives on a wheeling hare.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>In the young bird the underpart is clay colour with narrow cross stripes -and large longitudinal flecks. The iris golden-yellow; feet sulphur -yellow. Claws strong and sharp. The adult has a narrow white line about -the ear coverts and the eye; upper parts ash-brown; four broad dark bars -on the tail; underparts white, thickly barred with ash-brown; cere, -iris, and legs yellow. Length of the male 20 inches; of the female 23 -inches.</p> - -<p>The large nest of the Goshawk is composed of hard twigs. The eggs, -usually four, are pale bluish-grey, but later they become dirty -greenish-yellow, and sometimes have a few rusty or olive markings.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_355" id="page_355"></a>{355}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hobby.</span><br /> -(<i>Falco subbuteo.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Called</span> in Germany the Tree Falcon.</p> - -<p>Of all the Hungarian falcons the Hobby has the swiftest flight; he even -pursues the Swallow with success. All the small birds scream with terror -when this bird appears. The Swallow dart in an agony of fear under their -eaves; the Larks and other small birds press themselves down on the -earth; the Quails and Partridges do the same. If a little bird happens -to be in flight it tries with all its strength to soar higher and -higher, so that the Falcon may remain beneath it, otherwise it is a lost -bird. If the Falcon gets above, it shoots like an arrow, with closed -wings, down on to the bird. The Hobby does not despise a grasshopper as -food, in the twilight a moth does not come amiss; indeed it has lately -been observed that it sometimes snaps at bees. But it does not eat -carrion.</p> - -<p>In the olden days the Hobby has also been used to hunt small birds.</p> - -<p>At the present day it is a great friend to the railway, where it circles -about the trains and drives away the small birds. It is by no means rare -in Hungary.</p> - -<p>In England the Hobby arrives about the latter part of May, and it may at -intervals be found breeding in most of the Southern counties, notably in -Hampshire. Once it nested in Essex pretty regularly, also to a certain -extent in Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk, rarely -in Yorkshire, sometimes in the Midlands, but in the West and in Wales it -is scarce. It has never been known to nest in Scotland, and very few -Hobbies have been seen in Ireland.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_356" id="page_356"></a>{356}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 220px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_364_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_364_sml.jpg" width="220" height="345" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HOBBY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_357" id="page_357"></a>{357}</span></p> - -<p>It will follow the sportsman and seize a Quail in front of him, -according to the late Howard Saunders, but Lord Lilford demurred to -this, and said a Hobby will wait on over ranging dogs, on the chance of -a young or moulting Skylark, but never attack game birds, as it could -not hold them. It is a terror to Larks as well as Swallows, but it does -some good in reducing the numbers of cockchafers and dragonflies, which -are favourite articles of its diet, with other small insects.</p> - -<p>In our country it never makes a nest for itself, but it takes possession -of one that has been built by a Crow, Magpie or other bird, in a tree. -The female has a curious habit of brooding on an empty nest or upon eggs -of the Kestrel before she lays her own. In autumn it leaves the -woodlands to take to the open country.</p> - -<p>Cowley wrote:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Like larks when they the tyrant hobby spy,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Some wonderstrook, stand fix’d, some fly.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">And Dryden:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Larks lie dar’d to shun the hobbies’ flight.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Hobby is as big as a small pigeon, but has a slenderer body. The tip -of the wing reaches to the end of the tail or even beyond it. Legs and -cere are yellow. The eyes are dark brown, with a keen expression. The -serrated bill is yellowish at its base, but black at the tip, which is -strongly curved. The back is slate-coloured, while breast and belly are -marked with black longitudinal stripes on a light ground. The Hobby -builds its nest in the tops of high trees in small woods. The eggs -number three or four, and are marked with thick rusty-brown spots and -streaks on a ground-colour of pale buff.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_358" id="page_358"></a>{358}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 237px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>USEFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_366_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_366_sml.jpg" width="237" height="323" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE KESTREL.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_359" id="page_359"></a>{359}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Kestrel.</span><br /> -(<i>Falco tinnúnculus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> Kestrel also has a beautiful flight; but it is not able to catch -small birds when on the wing. It is a master in the art of remaining in -one spot in the air, with a very slight apparent motion of the wings. It -stops suddenly in its flight at about the height of an ordinary church -tower, bends its spread tail stiffly downwards and beats rapidly with -its wings. It often poises itself in this way over meadows, cornfields -and moorlands, and marks with its brown, sharp eyes any mouse or marmot -that slips out of its hole. Sometimes it finds a brood of young birds, -and these it does not spare. Crickets, grasshoppers and lizards also -fall a prey to this hunter, but mice form its chief diet, and for this -reason the bird is useful. When it has caught sight of its prey from a -height in the air it suddenly closes its wings and drops, but when quite -near the ground it spreads them again, and thus picks up its victim. It -eats the smaller insects out of its claws while flying; but larger prey -it carries to a quiet spot. Its twittering cry is often heard; it sounds -like “<i>Klee, klee, klee</i>.” It leaves Hungary in severe winters. The -Kestrel is the most numerous of the birds of prey in that country, where -it is quite at home, even in the rush and noise of towns.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Kestrel is commonly known as the Wind-hover, on account of its habit -of hanging motionless in the air against the wind. It has a very -graceful flight. This Falcon is quite the commonest of the British birds -of prey, and we should have still more of these useful<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_360" id="page_360"></a>{360}</span> Falcons in our -country were it not for the prejudice and ignorant ideas of so many of -our gamekeepers and farmers. In Scotland the former are becoming much -more aware of the harmlessness and the usefulness of the Kestrel. -Considering the fact that the creatures forming its principal food are -mice, it is strange that our agriculturalists have not valued its -services sooner. The gracefulness of its flight makes it an interesting -point in a landscape. It is as well known to country children in our -Southern counties as is the Cuckoo. If their nest is robbed before the -full number of eggs is laid the pair will remove such eggs as are left -to the next suitable empty nest they can find and proceed with their -family duties there. The Kestrel is a pleasanter bird to keep as a pet -than others of his family; it is easily tamed, and afterwards can be -kept at liberty, as it will come to call or whistle if it is fed -regularly at the same time and place. The late Lord Lilford, who knew -more practically about Falcons than most ornithologists said: “I cannot -altogether acquit the Kestrel of an occasional bit of poaching; a small -Partridge or Pheasant astray in the grass is no doubt too tempting a -morsel to be resisted, but any petty larceny of this sort may well be -condoned on account of the great number of field-mice and voles -destroyed by these birds.” In Spain its food consists chiefly of -beetles.</p> - -<p>A great many of our Kestrels leave us at the approach of winter when the -food they like best is too hard to find.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Kestrel is about the same size as the Hobby, but is a slenderer -bird, and its tail is longer. The tail is of a beautiful grey colour and -extends far beyond the tips of the wings. Near its extremity it is -adorned with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_361" id="page_361"></a>{361}</span> a broad, dark, transverse bar; the tip itself, however, is -white. The back is reddish with dark, triangular markings; the flanks -light-coloured with black longitudinal marks. The bill is curved from -the base, and is short and strongly hooked. Cere and feet are yellow. -The tail of the female has several narrow transverse bars, with tip as -in the male. For nesting places the Kestrel chooses by preference ruins, -towers, and lofty crags, very seldom selecting a site in a tree. It lays -four or five eggs, rarely more than six. They are thickly spotted and -splashed with brownish-red on a light ground.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The Merlin or Stone-hawk (<i>Falco æsalon</i>) is the smallest bird of our -British Falcons. It breeds regularly on our moorlands, not in such -numbers in the South as beyond Derbyshire. In many parts of Wales too it -nests. It is fairly common too in the mountainous parts of Ireland. In -the autumn the dashing little fellow comes down to the coast and bays -where he can prey on Dunlins, Snipe and other waders. He has high -courage and will kill birds you would not think him capable of -mastering. The Merlin will kill the Skylark if pinched by hunger, but -both he and the Hobby prefer birds of the Finch family.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_362" id="page_362"></a>{362}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 313px;"> -<br /><div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL.</p></div><br /> - -<a href="images/i_370_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_370_sml.jpg" width="313" height="293" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE MARSH-HARRIER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_363" id="page_363"></a>{363}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Marsh-Harrier.</span><br /> -(<i>Circus œruginosus.</i>)</h3> - -<p>(Formerly known as the Moor-Buzzard.)</p> - -<p>The Marsh-Harrier is one of the shyest and most cunning of our birds of -prey. It immediately attracts attention by its size and its constant -activity; but it requires a good sportsman to get a shot at it. It is -most easily got at when feasting among the high grass at the edge of the -reedy marsh; it then forgets to be prudent and sometimes takes flight -only too late. Early and late it hovers over the borders of the marshes -and reed-beds, sweeping, circling without rest, now and then making a -swift descent into the rushes and the sedges and securing its prey. -There is no small creature of the marsh, the bog, the heath, or the moor -that this bird will not take; it works special destruction among the -singing birds which nest among the reeds and sedges. It does not wait -for the young birds to be hatched, but is very clever in breaking open -the eggs and devouring the contents, always bringing them on to dry land -for the purpose.</p> - -<p>The birds of the reed-land know this raider well, and as soon as the -first flap of his wing is heard the terrified Lapwings, Gulls, Terns, -and others, arise with loud cries and attack him tooth and nail. When -brooding it lives almost exclusively by egg stealing; later on the moor -hens afford provender for this insatiable thief. It leaves Hungary for -the winter, but returns in early spring. Its cry varies. In spring it is -“<i>kei, kei</i>,” in autumn it is like that of the Jay. The female utters a -loud “<i>pitz! pitz</i>.”</p> - -<p>This bird is common in the Hungarian marshes.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_364" id="page_364"></a>{364}</span></p> - -<p>The drainage of our Eastern fens and the reclaiming of marshland in -Yorkshire, Lancashire, Shropshire, Dorset, Somerset, and some other -counties once frequented by this bird has caused it to become scarce -where formerly it used to breed freely. Sometimes a pair having wandered -over from Holland will try to rear a brood in our Norfolk Broads -district, but the sportsman—sic—and the collector will not allow them -to succeed. In Ireland the bird was formerly common enough about Lough -Erne, along the Shannon valley, in Co. Cork, and other districts, but -during the last fifty years the gamekeepers have nearly exterminated it -by poison. It is known to be a great destroyer of the eggs and young of -Waterfowl, but during most of the year it feeds on small mammals, frogs, -and reptiles as well as birds.</p> - -<p>This is the Duck-Hawk of the marshmen. When the sun is glinting through -the mist he may be seen gliding hither and thither, low down over the -grey-green flats. At noon he is high up in the clear blue sky. The -tender young ducks—called “flappers” are his favourite diet.</p> - -<p>Jean Ingelow, in “The Four Bridges,” says:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“The bold Marsh-Harrier wets her tawny breast—<br /></span> -<span class="i1">We scared her oft in childhood from her prey.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The Marsh-Harrier is smaller and noticeably slimmer in build than the -Buzzard. The tail is long, the legs are long, thin, and bare of -feathers, and the claws sharp. The Head has something about it that -suggests an Owl, for the facial disk is conspicuous and the eyes glance -forwards as well as to the side. The bird’s plumage is brown, very dark -in places: but the head is light-coloured, being whitish in males and -yellowish in females. Inhabiting reed-beds, the bird builds its nest -among reed-stems or bulrushes. The eggs, five or less frequently six in -number, are greenish-white in colour.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_365" id="page_365"></a>{365}</span></p> - -<h3><span class="smcap">The Hen-Harrier.</span><br /> -(<i>Circus cyaneus.</i>)</h3> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> nest of the Hen-Harrier is built of roots and plant stems, is soft -within and is often placed on the ground; if in heather, or dried up -marsh, it is often a foot high. From four to six bluish-white eggs, -sometimes yellowish-brown or rufous markings, are laid.</p> - -<p>This bird of prey has a light, sweeping flight. It leaves Hungary in -winter. It hunts alone and takes its food exclusively from the ground. -This consists of small mammals, especially mice, the bird is also -particularly fond of robbing the nests of such birds as build on the -ground; it sucks the eggs and devours the small downy creatures within -them. It also takes the little hares—in short, it is one of the most -destructive birds in the fields which it frequents and hunts over -untiringly. On the other hand, there comes a time when the number of -field mice has increased beyond measure. Then the Hen-Harrier joins the -other birds of prey and destroys enormous numbers of those enemies of -the farmer. For this reason the species should not be altogether -exterminated.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>Of late years the numbers of the Hen-Harrier have been greatly thinned -by game-preservers, and it only nests now on a few of our largest and -wildest moorlands and wastes. Even in Scotland it is fast decreasing so -far as nesting goes, whereas it was once plentiful there. Still there -are a fairly large number of young birds in the autumn, and then, too, -the adult birds come down from the higher-lying districts to the -lowlands. It used<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_366" id="page_366"></a>{366}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 308px;"> -<div class="caption"><p>HARMFUL</p></div> -<a href="images/i_374_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_374_sml.jpg" width="308" height="280" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE HEN-HARRIER.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_367" id="page_367"></a>{367}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">to breed in the Fen-lands of East Anglia until the reclaiming of marsh -lands drove it away. As to this I may be allowed to quote again here -from an old ballad written before the fens were drained, it gives the -feeling of the fen-dwellers of that day.</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Come brethren of the water, and let us all assemble,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To treat upon this matter which makes us quake and tremble;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">For we shall rue it, if it be true that fens be undertaken,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And where we feed on fen and reed, they’ll feed both beef and bacon.<br /></span> -<span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class="cspan">. . . . . . . .</span></span><br /> -<span class="i1">The feathered fowl have wings, to fly to other nations,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">But we have no such things to help our transportation;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">We must give place—oh, grievous case—to hornéd beast and cattle,<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Except that we can all agree to drive them out to battle.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>“As a gamekeeper once said to me,” says ‘A Son of the Marshes,’ “The -sooner them big ’uns is gone or done for the better; there’s nothin’ but -a chow-row from morning to night. Our head ’un says they must be knocked -over, and the guv’nor he’s got the same tale. They can’t git at ’em no -more than we. It ain’t so much what they ketches, tho’ they tries hard -at it, as what they frightens off the fields; it spiles the shootin’. -Them ’ere damned great things hovers an’ swishes after the birds till at -last the coveys makes for the hedgerows an’ you has to git ’em out as if -you was beatin’ for cocks. We ain’t had none o’ them ’ere blue an’ -ring-tailed hawks—harriers—’bout here lately.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_368" id="page_368"></a>{368}</span> They’re reg’lar -wussers; they kills ’em dead at one clip, an’ takes ’em out in the -middle o’ them big fields to eat ’em. They ain’t goin’ to let you get -near ’em, not they, an’ they wun’t fly over a place where you kin hide. -I’ve tried to git at ’em, but it all cum to nothin’. Them ’ere blue -hawks an’ ring-tails would circumvent the devil.”</p> - -<p>The adult male has the upper parts a slatey-grey tone of colour, the -rump white, throat and breast bluish-grey—under parts white. The female -is brown above, the neck rufous-brown streaked with white—there is a -distinct facial ruff, giving the head an owl-like appearance, suggesting -that this species might be the link between Owls and Hawks—tail brown, -having five darker bars, hence the old name of Ring-tail given to the -female of this bird; under parts buff-brown with darker stripes. Length -21 inches. The young resemble the female.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_369" id="page_369"></a>{369}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.<br /><br /> -<span class="smcap">Rational Bird Protection.</span></h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">Only</span> a savage, or an ignorant man, can harm or wish to get rid of a bird -before he has convinced himself that it is harmful. I have said already -that in the abstract there are no useful and harmful birds, as such. The -bird exists as a product of Nature, to fulfil, like everything else, the -tasks allotted to it by Nature and in Nature, which no other creature -can perform.</p> - -<p>It is man who makes the bird useful or hurtful to himself, when he tears -up the turf, and sows such seed as brings rich crops which serve the -bird for food; or when he plants an orchard or vineyard, where there was -none before. Therefore, for the good of the birds—and also of man—we -must carefully reflect what it is our duty to do and how we can best do -it.</p> - -<p>The Tits, Hedge Sparrows, Flycatchers and others whose industry know no -rest, do invaluable service to a sensible man; for while the most -observant and diligent gardener can only destroy those caterpillars’ -nests which meet his eye wholesale, these useful birds, hopping about, -darting and leaping, hanging and pecking, devour all the mischievous -pests, even when they are quite out of reach of man, and certainly out -of his sight.</p> - -<p>These services can even be estimated to a certain extent.</p> - -<p>The tiny Wren consumes in one year more than three million insects in -different forms, either as eggs,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_370" id="page_370"></a>{370}</span> chrysalis or perfect insects, which, -if they were allowed to propagate would result in countless numbers.</p> - -<p>The Blue Tit, not much larger, destroys six and a half million insects -in one year. If it bring up a family of 12 to 16 young ones, it means -that one family of Tits puts about twenty-four million destructive -insects out of the power of doing harm. Whoever, therefore, either from -cruelty or ignorance, catches or kills these useful little birds does a -great injury to the common weal.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 220px;"> -<a href="images/i_378_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_378_sml.jpg" width="220" height="219" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE RAIDING HAWK.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The insect world has great power everywhere, and where birds and other -insect-eating creatures are destroyed through ignorance there follows -the destruction resulting from the ascendancy of these pests which -appear, not in tens of thousands, but in millions. Twenty-one years ago -any person who had ventured on such an assertion would have been laughed -at, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_371" id="page_371"></a>{371}</span> it is now a well-known fact that some of the most renowned -vineyards have been entirely ruined by the Phylloxera, an insect which -can scarcely be seen by the naked eye.</p> - -<p>In former times, when a great deal of uncultivated land covered the -plain, in its natural state, the air rang with the song of birds. Woods, -meadows, thickets and pools were thronged with the feathered songsters. -In the course of time, however, things have greatly changed; in many -districts the woods are thinned or grubbed up, the plough has torn up -the meadows; every little scrap of thicket has been hewn down; whole -forests are being cut down by degrees to supply the paper mills; and so -the birds are losing their nesting places, and death and destruction -lurk in waiting for them on their migrations. Devastating storms which -overtake the immigrant flocks often destroy the feathered wanderers in -great numbers. This, however, is the course of Nature, against which we -are impotent.</p> - -<p>After all the birds’ worst enemy is man, with his ignorance, or, still -worse, his cupidity. He has plundered the nest and destroyed the brood; -he grudges every grain of corn which the bird has richly deserved by its -work throughout the year.</p> - -<p>Steamers and railroads make it possible for birds, which are caught by -millions, to be sent alive into the great cities as delicacies of the -table. So, from year to year, they are becoming rarer.</p> - -<p>So much the more are we bound,—for the good of heart and soul, as well -as for the blessing of the land and its workers—to protect the useful -birds as much as we conscientiously can so that they may increase in -numbers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_372" id="page_372"></a>{372}</span></p> - -<p>Once, while on a journey to the Northern Ocean, I travelled the whole -length of Denmark. Moor, bog and sandhills cover great stretches of -land. Coarse heath grows over the sandhills. Poverty-stricken huts are -scattered here and there in these districts, the tenants of which live -by turf cutting. There is neither wood nor coal, so that the dried bog -furnishes the sole fuel. A small spotted cow is usually seen tethered -with a long rope near the cottage. This animal provides milk for the -household. In front of the dwelling, at a distance of about fifteen -paces, a pole, from 13 to 20 feet in height, is set up, at the top of -which is fastened a nest-box for birds, and this is usually inhabited by -Starlings.</p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 87px;"> -<a href="images/i_380_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_380_sml.jpg" width="87" height="274" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p>It was a pleasant sight, towards evening, that of the weary turf-cutter, -sitting on the little bench before his cottage, smoking his pipe, -bending down to talk to his child, and then, with heartfelt pleasure, -setting himself to watch the pair of Starlings chattering on the -nest-box, and enjoying life generally. In many districts nest-boxes are -fixed on fruit trees in gardens and in every other suitable place, and -in these dwell all the best and most industrious workers—Tits, -Flycatchers, Redstarts and others.</p> - -<p>There is a proverb which may be translated as follows: “Take nest and -eggs from brooding bird—no fruit is found, no song is heard.” Also in -the Bible we read:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_373" id="page_373"></a>{373}</span> “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the -way, in any tree or on the ground, whether they be young ones or eggs, -and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take -the dam with the young.”</p> - -<p>We must guard the nests from evilly disposed men and from roving -predatory animals as much as lies in our power. But the real problem is -this: The landowner uproots bushes, fells old trees, prevents the nest -building of our most useful birds and cannot give back to them what they -have lost. He prevents the possibility of their collecting again and -increasing, and consequently from performing their useful duties, which -are continually increasing. Where, however, bushes and trees have been -rooted up, new ones may be planted, and the birds encouraged to return, -although we cannot replace them at once—for hundreds of years may pass -before the trees grow tall enough, and we cannot wait so long. Then we -try to do by artificial means what we cannot do by nature; and we must -be careful to study nature in our operations or we shall not succeed.</p> - -<p>The Woodpecker, which lives in hollow trees, shows us how to build an -artificial nest.</p> - -<p>Table V., Fig. 1, gives a section of the nesting-hole of a Woodpecker -built by himself.</p> - -<p>Fig. 2 is a perfectly designed nest for Titmice.</p> - -<p>Fig. 3 shows the same nesting-box complete, provided with entrance hole -and cover.</p> - -<p>Fig. 4 shows an open nest-box for Flycatchers and a black Redstart.</p> - -<p>The most important is that shown in 2 and 3 as it is specially arranged -to suit Titmice.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_374" id="page_374"></a>{374}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 217px;"> -<a href="images/i_382_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_382_sml.jpg" width="217" height="445" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_375" id="page_375"></a>{375}</span></p> - -<p>Nest-boxes, and especially their holes, should, of course, be of -different sizes, according to the birds that are to inhabit them. The -opening is always round, and is of varying size according to the -species. Many directions as to these are given in a paper by Baron von -Berlepsch, “On the Protection of Birds Generally,” published by the -German Association for the Protection of the Bird World, and also by -publications of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Hanover -Square, London.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 306px;"> -<a href="images/i_383_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_383_sml.jpg" width="306" height="134" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Nesting Boxes on Poles.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The following are some approximate measurements for nest-boxes:—</p> - -<p>For Titmice:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td>height, 11½ inches;<br /> -depth from back to front, 4½ inches;<br /> -diameter of round opening, 1¼ inches.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>For birds of the size of a Starling:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td>height, 18½ inches;<br /> -depth back to front, 9 inches;<br /> -diameter of opening, 1¾ inches.</td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_376" id="page_376"></a>{376}</span></p> - -<p>For Green Woodpeckers:</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td> -height, 19¾ inches;<br /> -depth back to front, 9 inches;<br /> -diameter of opening, 2⅜ inches. -</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>The measurements for the Wild Pigeon are the same as these last, except -for the opening, which should be about 4½ inches wide.</p> - -<p>Flycatchers and Wagtails require a box as shown in Fig. 4. This is 9 -inches high, and has an opening about 4 inches square.</p> - -<p>The edge of the entrance to a nesting-box should be rounded off, as in -the hole of a tree, to make it more natural to the bird’s feet.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The nesting-boxes should be fixed in orchards, gardens, and houses on -the edge of a forest, on the trunks of trees and branches, also on -poles, and fastened by means of strong flexible wire, or, still better, -by screw-nails. They should be placed perpendicularly, slightly inclined -or crooked, but never inclined backwards as the rain gets in and the -Titmouse has sense enough to avoid such a nesting-box. They should be -fixed a little lower than the average height of a man, and so arranged -that the morning sun strikes the entrance hole if possible. The box is -an exact copy of the nest-hole of the small spotted Woodpecker, and -experience teaches us that the unoccupied nest-holes are frequently used -by the Titmouse. In spring the Titmice not only fight among themselves -for the possession of these nest-holes, but also with the hosts of House -Sparrows which strive to rob them of the holes. These Sparrows come in -crowds and make a great noise in the place. Being of a powerful build, -and provided with sharp beaks, the birds<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_377" id="page_377"></a>{377}</span> finally oust the Titmice. To -contravene the House Sparrow we must hang the nest-box somewhat low, -about one yard from the ground. The careful and suspicious bird dares -not trust himself in it. The Tree Sparrow, which does not come too near -the haunts of man, but hovers on the fringe of the villages or street -gardens, bushes and heaths, is a trusting bird, and not very heavy. It -likes nest-holes immensely, and attacks those which are placed low, -driving the Titmouse out. The Hedge Sparrow, again, lives on insects, -but he is not clean, and is no friend of the garden; therefore, when we -find him fighting with the Titmouse for possession of the nest-holes, we -help to oust the Hedge Sparrow in the interests of the garden and the -wood.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 313px;"> -<a href="images/i_385_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_385_sml.jpg" width="313" height="190" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SPARROWS HAVE OUSTED THE TITMOUSE.</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The following birds must be protected at nesting-time: The Great -Titmouse, the Blue Titmouse, the Coal<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_378" id="page_378"></a>{378}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 196px;"> -<a href="images/i_386_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_386_sml.jpg" width="196" height="396" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A PLEASANT MEAL ON THE SEEDS OF THE SUNFLOWER: THORNS -BELOW TO KEEP THE CAT AWAY.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_379" id="page_379"></a>{379}</span></p> - -<p>Titmouse, the Marsh Titmouse, and Crested Titmouse, because all these -birds are likely nesting-box dwellers. The method organised by Baron von -Berlepsch, and used in Hungary by Minister Darányi, with slight -alterations, is intended to bring the vanishing singing birds back -again. By the use of different sized nest-boxes it is possible to -collect different kinds of birds. I know by experience that by arranging -the bushes in close, twisted branches we can get the useful and singing -Whitethroats to build their nests.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>The importance of a rational study of this question of the protection of -birds, with particular regard to their economic significance in given -districts, has been demonstrated in Southern Victoria in a remarkable -manner, where great mistakes have been made by settlers who seem to have -been desirous of encouraging our own British birds about their -homesteads. To take steps which resulted in the nesting of a colony of -Fieldfares in a district where they had so far been unknown to breed, as -Baron von Berlepsch did, was most advantageous, since the Fieldfares -drove the murderous Shrike from the field. Again, by fixing up -artificial nesting-boxes, made according to this great naturalist’s -pattern—on stakes placed in certain districts of North Germany, ninety -per cent. of these became inhabited by Titmice, until that time -strangers to the region, where, however, their services were most -desirable.</p> - -<p>On the other hand, Greenfinches, which were introduced into Southern -Victoria by Australian settlers twenty-five years ago, took possession -of the pine trees, which were the only trees that afforded enough shade -and cover, and were the nearest approach there to their usual<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_380" id="page_380"></a>{380}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_388_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_388_sml.jpg" width="202" height="361" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A FEEDING-PLACE FOR WET WEATHER.</p> - -<p>As a rule only feed the birds when weather reasons prevent them -procuring their own food.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_381" id="page_381"></a>{381}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">nesting-places; and they drove away from the district the useful little -native Tits, which feed among these trees and have their own appointed -work on them. A correspondent of a Geelong paper writes again of the -charming sight of a number of English Blackbirds hopping about on a lawn -beneath the spraying water-hose, and busily feeding on the worms. Yet -this same bird is becoming a great nuisance to the fruit growers there. -This is also the case in New Zealand, where large prices are now being -offered for dead Blackbirds and their eggs. The Starling, again, which -is so useful in our own pasture lands, has been known to clear out a -vineyard in Southern Victoria in a single night. Thrushes are looked -upon there as suspects, but opinions are divided as to this bird.</p> - -<p>We have already written about the Quails, imported into the canefields -of Hawaii, to be in their turn exterminated by the mongoose, who had -been brought there to eat up the devastating rats.</p> - -<p>To sum up the whole matter, interference with the balance of Nature must -only be undertaken with knowledge and discretion; and those who -undertake it must study, and profit by the recorded experiences of our -accredited guides in this direction.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_382" id="page_382"></a>{382}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="IN_CONCLUSION" id="IN_CONCLUSION"></a>IN CONCLUSION.</h2> - -<p class="nind"><span class="smcap">The</span> scope and limits of the present work does not allow of the inclusion -of some of the chapters contained in the latest Hungarian edition, such -as those treating of the skeleton, the viscera, etc., nor can this be -taken as adequately representing the work of the Royal Hungarian Central -Bureau of Ornithology of which Mr. Herman is the Director. That work is -arranged on a regular scientific basis, and it includes that important -investigation with regard to the food of birds, which is carried on by a -fully qualified entomologist. The Bureau has its collection, which -contains dried ingluvies, <i>i.e.</i>, contents of the stomachs of nearly -9,000 different species of birds; skeletons, skins, eggs, nests and -insects.</p> - -<p>The Bureau has its meteorologist, its biologist, 267 corresponding -professional ornithologists, and as many as 326 foresters contributing -the results of their observations and experiences, besides a large -number of foreign correspondents. There is a huge collection of data for -the members of the regular staff to work from. These are written on -separate slips, on each of which is the name of the collector, his point -of observation, the character of the district in which this is carried -on, the scientific name of the species, and the date of observation. The -migration of birds is also made the subject of systematic observation.</p> - -<p>An important publication, “Aquila,” serve well in keeping together these -different workers in connection with the Central Bureau, and the whole -expenditure of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_383" id="page_383"></a>{383}</span> this office, including the publication of the journal is -now included in the Budget of the State.</p> - -<p> </p> - -<p>In order to prevent the abuses which might arise from a general -invitation to send in specimens of the different species of birds for -examination, the Hungarian Minister of Agriculture has issued various -decrees which are enforced by law, the non-observance of which is -punishable by fines. The taking alive or killing of protected species is -allowed only for scientific purposes, and with permission obtained from -the authorities, and any person found employed in this work must be -able, on demand, to produce an order in writing from some Hungarian -scientific institute, some expert, or known person who can prove that he -is engaged in Natural History research. This license is drawn up -according to a form legally provided. Another safeguard, provided by M. -Darányi against the abuse of such permission, is that the authorities -may only allow a license to the same individual for the capture of not -more than 10 animals, or the taking of not more than 10 birds, nests, or -eggs; and this maximum is only to be permitted in cases where there is -no danger of the extinction of the species.</p> - -<p>It may be added that, by a decree of the Minister of Agriculture, -protection is afforded to Bats of all kinds, and at all times; to Moles, -except in flower and kitchen gardens and nurseries, where it is -permitted to destroy them; to all kinds of Shrew-mice, except the Water -Shrew, which is injurious to fishing interests; and to Hedgehogs.</p> - -<p>Further, in view of the great amount of deforestation which is taking -place in Hungary, as in other countries, and the consequent destruction -of the natural nesting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_384" id="page_384"></a>{384}</span> places of birds, the Government provides -artificial nesting-holes, and ensures the clipping of shrubs in a -suitable manner for the encouragement of desirable bird-residents. These -nesting-boxes are placed at a certain distance round the foresters’ -houses and become the starting points for further extension. In these -places the birds are regularly fed when the winter is a severe one.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 316px;"> -<a href="images/i_392_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i_392_sml.jpg" width="316" height="108" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>A Winter Food Shelter.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_385" id="page_385"></a>{385}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="Index" id="Index"></a>Index.</h2> - -<p class="c"><a href="#B">B</a>, -<a href="#C">C</a>, -<a href="#D">D</a>, -<a href="#E">E</a>, -<a href="#F">F</a>, -<a href="#G">G</a>, -<a href="#H">H</a>, - -<a href="#J">J</a>, -<a href="#K">K</a>, -<a href="#L">L</a>, -<a href="#M">M</a>, -<a href="#N">N</a>, -<a href="#O">O</a>, -<a href="#P">P</a>, -<a href="#Q">Q</a>, -<a href="#R">R</a>, -<a href="#S">S</a>, -<a href="#T">T</a>, -<a href="#W">W</a>, -<a href="#Y">Y</a>, -<a href="#Z">Z</a></p> - -<p class="nind"> -<a name="B" id="B"></a>Bearded Reedling, <a href="#page_203">203-204</a><br /> - -Bills of Birds, <a href="#page_15">15-19</a><br /> - -Bittern, <a href="#page_302">302-305</a><br /> - -Blackbird, <a href="#page_245">245-249</a><br /> - -Blackcap, <a href="#page_162">162-164</a><br /> - -Blue-Tit, <a href="#page_209">209</a><br /> - -Bullfinch, <a href="#page_270">270-273</a><br /> - -Bunting:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Cirl, <a href="#page_278">278</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Yellow, <a href="#page_277">277</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Reed, <a href="#page_185">185</a></span><br /> - -Buzzard, Common, <a href="#page_343">343-346</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="C" id="C"></a>Chaffinch, <a href="#page_267">267-269</a><br /> - -Coal-Tit, <a href="#page_216">216</a><br /> - -Crossbill, <a href="#page_135">135-138</a><br /> - -Crow, Carrion, <a href="#page_64">64-67</a><br /> - -Crow, Hooded, <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_57">57</a><br /> - -Cuckoo, <a href="#page_142">142-145</a><br /> - -Curlew, Common, <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_287">287-290</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="D" id="D"></a>Dabchick, <a href="#page_329">329</a><br /> - -Dipper, <a href="#page_238">238-241</a><br /> - -Doves:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Ring, <a href="#page_281">281-282</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Turtle, <a href="#page_279">279-282</a></span><br /> - -Ducks:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Wild or Mallard, <a href="#page_316">316-319</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Pintailed, <a href="#page_320">320-322</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Shoveler, <a href="#page_323">323-326</a></span><br /> - -Duck-Hawk. See Harrier, Marsh<br /> - -<br /> -<a name="E" id="E"></a>Eagle, Golden, <a href="#page_332">332-335</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="F" id="F"></a>Falcon, Peregrine, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Red-footed, <a href="#page_340">340-342</a><br /> - -Feathers, <a href="#page_22">22-23</a><br /> - -Feeding of Birds, <a href="#page_378">378-380</a><br /> - -Feet of Birds, <a href="#page_19">19</a><br /> - -Fieldfares, <a href="#page_248">248</a><br /> - -Flycatcher, Spotted, <a href="#page_189">189-192</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Pied, <a href="#page_193">193-194</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="G" id="G"></a>Goatsucker. See Nightjar<br /> - -Goose, Bean, <a href="#page_313">313-315</a><br /> - -Goldfinch, <a href="#page_273">273</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br /> - -Goshawk, <a href="#page_351">351</a>, <a href="#page_352">352</a><br /> - -Grebe, Great-crested, <a href="#page_327">327-330</a><br /> - -Greenfinch, <a href="#page_274">274</a><br /> - -Gull, Blackheaded, <a href="#page_87">87-89</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="H" id="H"></a>Harriers:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Hen, <a href="#page_365">365-368</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Marsh,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_386" id="page_386"></a>{386}</span> <a href="#page_362">362-364</a> -</span><br /> - -Hawfinch, <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_262">262-266</a><br /> - -Herons:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Common, <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_300">300-301</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Night, <a href="#page_298">298-301</a></span><br /> - -Hobby, <a href="#page_355">355</a>, <a href="#page_358">358</a><br /> - -Hoopoe, <a href="#page_146">146-148</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="J" id="J"></a>Jackdaw, <a href="#page_72">72-77</a><br /> - -Jay, <a href="#page_83">83-86</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="K" id="K"></a>Kestrel, <a href="#page_358">358-361</a><br /> - -Kingfisher, <a href="#page_235">235-237</a><br /> - -Kite, <a href="#page_336">336-339</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="L" id="L"></a>Lapwing, <a href="#page_283">283-286</a><br /> - -Lark, <a href="#page_232">232</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="M" id="M"></a>Magpie, <a href="#page_78">78-82</a><br /> - -Mallard. See Duck, Wild<br /> - -Martin:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ House, <a href="#page_109">109-102</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Sand, <a href="#page_113">113-116</a></span><br /> - -Mavis. See Thrush<br /> - -Mauvis. See Redwing<br /> - -Merganser, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br /> - -Merlin, <a href="#page_361">361</a><br /> - -Moorhen, <a href="#page_307">307-309</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="N" id="N"></a>Nesting-boxes, <a href="#page_373">373-379</a><br /> - -Nettle-creeper. See Whitethroat<br /> - -Nightingale, <a href="#page_165">165-167</a><br /> - -Nightjar, <a href="#page_120">120-123</a><br /> - -Nuthatch, <a href="#page_133">133-134</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="O" id="O"></a>Oriole, <a href="#page_250">250-252</a><br /> - -Owls:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Barn, <a href="#page_24">24-28</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Brown or Tawny, <a href="#page_29">29-33</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Little, <a href="#page_42">42-44</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Long-eared, <a href="#page_34">34-37</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Short-eared, <a href="#page_38">38-41</a></span><br /> - -Oxeye. See Titmouse, Great<br /> - -<br /> -<a name="P" id="P"></a>Partridge, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br /> - -Peewit. See Lapwing<br /> - -Pigeon, Wood, <a href="#page_281">281-282</a><br /> - -Pipit, Tree, <a href="#page_173">173-175</a><br /> - -Plover, Green. See Lapwing<br /> - -Protection of Birds. <a href="#page_369">369-379</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="Q" id="Q"></a>Quail, <a href="#page_90">90-93</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="R" id="R"></a>Raven, <a href="#page_68">68-71</a><br /> - -Redbreast, <a href="#page_253">253</a><br /> - -Redshank, <a href="#page_291">291-294</a><br /> - -Redstarts:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Common, <a href="#page_168">168-170</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Black, <a href="#page_171">171-172</a></span><br /> - -Redwing, <a href="#page_248">248</a><br /> - -Reed Warbler, Great, <a href="#page_181">181-185</a><br /> - -Ringdove. See Pigeon, Wood<br /> - -Robin, <a href="#page_253">253-256</a><br /> - -Rook, <a href="#page_45">45-56</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="S" id="S"></a>Sandpiper, Green, <a href="#page_295">295-297</a><br /> - -Screecher. See Swift<br /> - -Shoveler, <a href="#page_323">323-326</a><br /> - -Shrikes:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Great Grey, <a href="#page_149">149-151</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Lesser Grey, <a href="#page_152">152-154</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Red-backed, <a href="#page_155">155-158</a></span><br /> - -Shuffle-wings. See Sparrow, Hedge<br /> - -Siskin, <a href="#page_171">171</a>, <a href="#page_351">351</a><br /> - -Skylark, <a href="#page_232">232-234</a><br /> - -Snake-bird. See Wryneck<br /> - -Sparrow-Hawk, <a href="#page_347">347-350</a><br /> - -Sparrows:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Hedge, <a href="#page_230">230-231</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ House, <a href="#page_224">224-227</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Tree, <a href="#page_228">228-229</a></span><br /> - -Starling, <a href="#page_94">94-98</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Rose,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_387" id="page_387"></a>{387}</span> <a href="#page_99">99-100</a><br /> - -Stonechat, <a href="#page_200">200-202</a><br /> - -Stormcock. See Thrush, Mistle<br /> - -Swallow, <a href="#page_104">104-108</a><br /> - -Swift, <a href="#page_116">116-119</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="T" id="T"></a>Tern, <a href="#page_310">310-312</a><br /> - -Thrush, <a href="#page_242">242-244</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Mistle, <a href="#page_248">248</a><br /> - -Titmouse:<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Bearded, <a href="#page_203">203-204</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Blue, <a href="#page_209">209-212</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Coal, <a href="#page_216">216-218</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Crested, <a href="#page_215">215-216</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Great, <a href="#page_205">205-208</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Long-tailed, <a href="#page_17">17</a>, <a href="#page_219">219-223</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">“ Marsh, <a href="#page_217">217</a></span><br /> - -Tree-Creeper, <a href="#page_131">131-133</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="W" id="W"></a>Wagtails, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Blue-headed, <a href="#page_178">178</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Pied, <a href="#page_180">180</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> White, <a href="#page_176">176-178</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Yellow, <a href="#page_179">179</a><br /> - -Water-hen, <a href="#page_307">307-309</a><br /> - -Waxwing, <a href="#page_101">101-103</a><br /> - -Wheatear, <a href="#page_194">194-199</a><br /> - -Whitethroat, Lesser, <a href="#page_159">159-161</a><br /> - -Willow Wren, <a href="#page_186">186-188</a><br /> - -Wings of Birds, <a href="#page_19">19-21</a><br /> - -Wind-hover. See Kestrel<br /> - -Woodcock, <a href="#page_17">17</a><br /> - -Woodpeckers, Green, <a href="#page_124">124-127</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Greater Spotted, <a href="#page_128">128-130</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Lesser Spotted, <a href="#page_127">127</a><br /> - -Wren, <a href="#page_257">257-261</a><br /> - -<span class="ditto">“</span> Gold-crested, <a href="#page_213">213-214</a><br /> - -Writing Lark. See Bunting, Yellow<br /> - -Wryneck, <a href="#page_139">139-141</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="Y" id="Y"></a>Yaffil. See Woodpecker, Green<br /> - -Yellow-Hammer, <a href="#page_275">275-278</a><br /> - -<br /> -<a name="Z" id="Z"></a>Zizi. See Bunting, Cirl<br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_388" id="page_388"></a>{388}</span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_389" id="page_389"></a>{389}</span> </p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c"> -JUST PUBLISHED.<br /> -<br /> -Demy 8vo. 510 pp. 6s. net.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="c"> -The Country<br /> -Month by Month<br /> -<br /> -BY<br /> -<br /> -J. A. OWEN<br /> -<br /> -(<i>Collaborator in all the work signed “A Son of the<br /> -Marshes”</i>) and<br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Prof.</span> G. S. BOULGER, F.L.S., F.G.S.<br /> -<br /> -A New Edition. Complete in One Volume. With<br /> -Notes by the late<br /> -<br /> -LORD LILFORD.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">London</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">Duckworth & Co.,<br /> -3, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, W.C.</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_390" id="page_390"></a>{390}</span></p> -<hr /> - -<p class="c"> -A FEW NOTICES OF THE BOOK.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“Well adapted to the purpose.”—<i>Times.</i></p> - -<p>“Interesting and brightly written.”—<i>Nature.</i></p> - -<p>“These are excellent.”—<i>Nature’s Notes.</i></p> - -<p>“Never to our knowledge were facts from Natural History and that -terrible subject Modern Botany more skilfully deployed before the -reader’s mind.”—<i>Daily Chronicle.</i></p> - -<p>“Contains more of the information we are likely to want under such -circumstances than any other periodical or book.”—<i>Land and Water.</i></p> - -<p>“Full of observant sympathy and special knowledge.”—<i>Scotsman.</i></p> - -<p>“It is altogether delightful reading.”—<i>School Board Chronicle.</i></p> - -<p>“Charming gossips—reminding us of Gilbert White and Richard -Jefferies.”—<i>Christian World.</i></p> - -<p>“Should delight the heart of the naturalist.”—<i>Glasgow Herald.</i></p> - -<p>“Literary in style, accurate in statement ... we know none which so well -deserves credit for being ‘up-to-date.’ ”—<i>Selborne Society’s “Nature -Notes.”</i></p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> See Beethoven’s song “The Call of the Quail.” One of -Antoinette Sterling’s favourites.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Mr. Wells Bladen, of Stone, wrote an interesting brochure -on this subject.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> “Birds in their Seasons.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> In “Home-Life of Marsh Birds,” Miss Emma Turner gives a -most interesting account of these lovely little birds, illustrated from -her own photographs.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> “A Son of the Marshes.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Noisy, coarse creatures.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> “A Son of the Marshes.”</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> “A Son of the Marshes.”</p></div> -</div> - -<p><a name="transcrib" id="transcrib"></a></p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="padding:2%;border:3px dotted gray;"> -<tr><th align="center">Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:</th></tr> -<tr><td align="center">particular sepcies=> particular species {pg 8}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">their oppresive enemy=> their oppressive enemy {pg 28}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">plunders and steal nests=> plunders and steals nests {pg 69}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">and feeds its young=> and feeds it young {pg 91}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">I was struck wtih=> I was struck with {pg 96}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">it finds it diet=> it finds its diet {pg 131}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">The clutch consits=> The clutch consists {pg 131}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">enlivens the neighbourheed=> enlivens the neighbourhood {pg 153}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">The German naturalist Linz=> The German naturalist Lenz {pg 157}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">and it a joy=> and it is a joy {pg 169}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">as would by comparison made=> as would by comparison make {pg 219}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">clear and joyonus=> clear and joyous {pg 251}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">in one of of our old hedgerows=> in one of our old hedgerows {pg 264}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">The gooseberry blossoms was=> The gooseberry blossom was {pg 272}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">superstitition has linked=> superstition has linked {pg 277}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">wiremorms, click-beetles=> wireworms, click-beetles {pg 285}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">a vistor only on its way=> a visitor only on its way {pg 287}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">covers up the eggs is order=> covers up the eggs in order {pg 313}</td></tr> -<tr><td align="center">Its aspect in cunning and cruel=> Its aspect is cunning and cruel {pg 351}</td></tr> -</table> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Birds useful and birds harmful, by -Ottó Herman and J. 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