70 Correspondence, 



Noithern France and Belgium. 



1 lia\c' not much to add to that, but here are a few more which 

 I hope may be of interest. 



One point which struck me most was that actually in the firing line 

 are to be found lairds which at home and in normal times would be con- 

 sidered naturally shy. and espet-ially " gun-shy." Only a few days ago 1- 

 saw ;♦ pair of Kestrels flying quite low between our own and the German 

 trenchtF- " ni man's land " Two days later, when crossing some fields just 

 before entering the trenches I saw a large bluish-grey bird of prey quartering 

 the ground, and quite unconscious of the noise of the guns. I took it to 

 be a Hen Harrier, but was not close enough to be sure. Tree Sparrows, 

 are exceedingly common and are met with in enormous flocks feeding in 

 what were once cultivated fields, There are afso quite a number of Part- 

 ridges both French and English (but more of the former), These too are 

 not in the least alarmed at the noise, I have also seen them in " no 

 man's land." Magpies were still very much in evidence a few days ago. 

 I counted twenty-three in the tops of some tall elms. They are very noisy 

 now. Later in the same evening I noticed a bird perched on the top 

 of a loop-hole. It appeared to be about the size of a Missel Thrush, but 

 with a Tnuch shorter tail, and more " cobby " in build. On my approach 

 it flew off and I had no doubt it was a species of Owl. The next day 

 I saw the same bird again, and it proved to be a Little Owl. Ft was 

 quite fearless and sat in the tree whilst I walked underneath, peering at 

 mo the whole time, 



The mild \veather (January 21st') has brought quite a number 

 nf liirds A Missel Thrush has for some days past been singing in some 

 poplars quite c!o^e to the trenches, 



January .^oth I s.tw a small party of Bramblefinches together with 

 a few CI r. ffitichcs just in front of my observation station in the trenches, 



February 12th, I saw a hen House Sparrow of a very pale cinna- 

 mon colour. It was very noticeable amongst its dingy companions. 



February 14th, saw a flock of small Finches feeding on some rough 

 ground. They flew off at my approach. 1 was unable to identify them. 

 They resembled Browry Linnets more than anything else, but they were 

 not quite as large nor were they Mealy or Lesser Redpolls. 



I am giving below a list of the species seen out here since the 

 12th September. 1915. I- rather hoped to have been able to record the 

 presence of some species other than British, but the unidentified species of 

 of Lark or Pipit is the only one. The following is the list : -Magpie, Jav, 

 Hooded Crow. Carrion Crow, Jackdaw. Rook, Starling Mi«,scl Thrush. 

 Song Thrush. Blackbird, Fieldfare, Robin. Hedge .A.ccentor, Common Wren, 

 C.roy Wagtail. Pir-d Wagtail. Yellow Wagtail. Skylark : unidentified species 

 of Lark or Pipit described in last notes'). Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Green- 

 finch. Chaffinch, P.ramblcfinch, Reed Bunting, Vello>¥ Bunting, Tree Sparrow, 

 House Sparrow. Great Tit, Blue Tit, Tree Creeper, Green Woodpecker, 

 Greater-spotted Wood-pecker, Swallow. House Martin, Sand Martin, Turtle 

 Dove, Wood Pigeon, Kestrel, Hen Harrier, Little Owl, .Xi^htjai, English 



