6o PONDS, PADDOCKS, AND AVIARIES 



the threads which wove into such interesting and valuable 

 results, the blue rock-thrush and the little Madeira 

 blackcap singing by his chair the while. 



"June 2i,th, 1887. 



" I am glad to hear that some buzzards have flown, 

 and hope that the Montagus * may do likewise. 



" I grieve to say that all the nests and young birds 

 in my aviaries with one or two worthless exceptions 

 came to grief this year. The Alpine chough hatched 

 three young, but after feeding them assiduously for 

 several days suddenly gave up all care of them, and 

 my man failed in his efforts to bring them up by hand. 

 The eagle owl's eggs were bad — went rotten as they do 

 with me three times out of four. The tawny owl ate 

 the only young one hatched. 



" I am much obliged for your offer of the young 

 eagle owls, but I have no room for them. I will try 

 to place them for you if you wish to dispose of 



them. I should think that the Duke of \V , who 



encourages eagles and almost all wild birds on his forest, 

 would like to try the experiment of turning out these 

 grand birds. 



* In reference to the nesting of the Common Buzzard {Buteo 

 vulgaris) and Montagu's Harrier {Circus cineraceus) in Hampshire. 

 Both these fine and interesting birds endeavoured, with varying 

 success, through many years to bring off their young. But in spite 

 of the most energetic efforts to protect them, it is found difficult to 

 evade the collector of BrHish-\.2ik^n eggs. 



