Xll. INTRODUCTION. 



indeed the Government Agricultural Returns show that about one 

 fifteenth of the whole area of the county is still woodland. Besides 

 this, the county abounds in orchards and parks, small woods and 

 copses ; fine hedgerows and single trees are plentiful : game- 

 preserving is carried on very strictly in many places ; birds find 

 covert and shelter of all kinds, and their numbers are kept up 

 accordingly. The woods and meadows teem with bird life. Their 

 cheerful voices and songs are to be heard everywhere ; and the 

 lover of birds is rejoiced by the great variety of notes he hears, 

 and finds continual interest and pleasure in distinguishing between 

 them. 



Water-birds have many favourable haunts here. The Wye, 

 our beautiful river, meanders through the county for many miles, 

 doubling and winding between wooded hills, and joined on its way 

 by the Lugg, w^hich itself receives the Arrow, the Pinsley, and 

 many smaller streams, as well as the Frome. On the north and 

 east the Teme skirts the county for many miles, and on the 

 south-west the Monnow, both receiving many tributaries that pass 

 through solitary valleys and wind among hills. These streams 

 attract aquatic birds at all times ; and especially in hard winters, 

 when the smaller streams remain open and unfrozen, many Water- 

 fowl flock in to these favoured nooks. Very often, even sea-birds, 

 driven inland in hard weather, or during severe storms, visit our 

 rivers and ponds ; and thus the number and variety of our 

 feathered visitors are very largely increased. 



Modern improvements, such as the draining of marshes, as at 

 Shobdon and Berrington, have driven away some of our rarer 

 kinds : and the gamekeeper is still very destructive to all the 

 larger and more interesting sorts, such as the Hawk, the Owl, the 

 Raven, the Heron, and such other rare visitants as are of sufficient 

 size to attract his attention. It is a happy thing, however, that 

 large landed proprietors are much more merciful than of old. 

 They encourage the presence of their interesting bird visitors, and 

 are training a more intelligent and observant race of gamekeepers. 

 Surely the loss of a few chickens, or even Partridges and 



