XX. 



NOTES ON BIRDS FREQUENTING THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF 



HERONSGATE, HERTS. 



By A. Sainsbuet Veeey, Memb. Brit. Ornitliologists' Union. 



Mead at Watford, 26th March, 1895. 



The -ways of birds are in many respects our ways. Acted upon 

 by the same external influences, swayed by the like impulses and 

 emotions, belittled by frailties in common with ourselves, no sooner 

 do we set foot within the borders of Birdland than we feel ourselves 

 irresistibly attracted to the observation of its inhabitants. 



Troubles are to be met with in Birdland, yet how transient are 

 they ! Hard enough are the times when fro.st and snow usurp the 

 sway, but they are short, and when winter gives place to spring 

 the only hard time for our birds is at an end. 



Frailties exist in Birdland. AVhat coidd better exemplify this 

 fact than the behaviour of a missel-thrush who came flying in hot 

 haste to the tree under which I was standing one evening last 

 summer, and then coursed madly round it, screaming to his utmost 

 bent ? It was diflicult at first to discover what his trouble was, 

 but soon an explanation was afforded, for shortly another bird 

 appeared, making her way towards him, slowly and wearily. No 

 rest for her, however, for, seeing her, he at once resumed his 

 journey, leaving her to follow him as best she could. And the 

 explanation seemed to be that they had been spending the day 

 far from their usual resting-place and still had some distance to 

 go, and that she, tired as she was, did not make sufiicient haste 

 to please him. 



And again, I can almost hear even now the querulous screeching 

 of an ill-conditioned barn-owl who flew across the path which 

 I was pursuing in the dusk of evening, also last summer, making 

 the air resonant with his cries. I stopped to watch him as he took 

 his flight towards some hilly ground, crested by a wood. But he 

 had not gone far when an answering cry came from the direction of 

 the wood, and soon another owl appeared in sight ; then he abruptly 

 turned round, and, still screaming as loudly as ever, retraced his 

 flight, taking good care, however, to keep some considerable dis- 

 tance from his partner. It seemed evident that something had 

 gone wrong in the house of the owls, and the distempered bird had 

 come out to put it right. It could not have been a matter of 

 Selecting a mate, for it was too late in the season. 



Deeds of empiise are performed in l^irdland. Observe the 

 sparrows as they fight promiscuously, fluttering about on the 

 ground. It might appear that they are only engaged in a game 

 of "peck who peck can," but there is method in the mad conflict, 

 for they are obeying one of the laws of Nature. Of course there 

 is a lady in the case, and now, in a momentary cessation of hos- 

 tilities, she creeps towards the one most favoured in the combat, 



