BIRD NOTES AND NEWS. 



23 



for their nests. Although we pass and repass 

 many times every day not a single nest was deserted, 

 and the families of young birds were safely reared 

 in every case. A very fine privet hedge planted at 

 the time we purchased the house was also utilised 

 by the hedge sparrows and thrushes, while the ivy 

 (with which the house is being rapidly covered) 

 was the residence of numerous households of 

 sparrows. Owing, however, to the innate careless- 

 ness of the house-sparrows a large number of their 

 progeny untimely died, the discovery of an unfledged 

 body on the path being a frequent occurrence. It 

 would be interesting to know why this bird is so 

 indifferent a nest builder, as it is no uncommon 

 thing to find their huge unsightly nests fallen bodily 

 to the ground. 



We have been disappointed at not being able to 

 induce the house-martin to make his dwelling 

 under our eaves, but we think this is because our 

 gables possess deep-barge boards. In no instance 

 that we have met with have nests been found 

 under these. They prevent the sun from reaching 

 the angles, and thus hinder the drying of the mud 

 domiciles; while the nests would be quite out of 

 sight and difficult to locate by the flying birds. 

 The starling, although a frequent visitor to our 

 lawns, does not nest with us. This is undoubtedly 

 a tribute to the builder's thoroughness, there being 

 no orifice under the tiles where he can find a home. 

 We think, next spring, of fixing up a couple of 

 nesting-boxes with the hope of attracting our smart 

 but noisy friend to dwell therein. 



We have perhaps laid some stress on the pro- 

 vision of nesting-places for the birds of our 

 vicinity, and while this is doubtless essential, we 

 wish to emphasize the point that we destroy 

 practically nothing that has life and thus preserve 

 the balance of nature. The wasp, the ant, the 

 snail, all find a sanctuary with us, and the 

 infinitesimal injury they do is more than counter- 

 balanced by their utility. Besides, you cannot 

 attract birds if you destroy all their natural food ; 

 and if you provide artificial food (save in severe 

 weather) you prevent the birds from seeking their 

 natural provision— -in point of fact, you pauperise 

 them. 



In conclusion, although providing a small number 

 of our feathered friends with shelter, natural food, 

 and drink, we do not appear to make much apparent 

 ai 1\ ance in securing thcirfriendships. True, the robin 

 from autumn to spring hops within a couple of feet 

 of the digger or weeder, and frequently flies in at the 

 open window ; the larger birds, too, feed upon the 



lawn in close proximity to our chairs in the summer, 

 and while nesting the birds allow us to approach 

 and peer into their dwellings, but on the whole 

 they treat our advances with nervous alarm. They 

 have learned by bitter experience, through the 

 ages, to look upon the human race with fear ; and 

 even did we succeed in taming them, on our 

 departure from this sphere new owners might 

 speedily compass their destruction, so perhaps it 

 is as well that they retain their shyness. 



Apart from this we have good reason to be 

 satisfied with our attempts to attract the bird life 

 of the district, and it is with the hope that others 

 may do likewise that I have prepared this brief 

 account of our experience. 



THE " SPORTSMAN " IN ITALY. 



Complaints frequently reach the Society from 

 Italy of the ruthless destruction of small birds in 

 that country ; the following letter which appeared 

 in a leading Italian journal — Tlie Fiermosca, on 

 May nth, 1906, goes to show that the best Italian 

 opinion is against this destruction, and we can but 

 hope that attention will continue to be drawn to 

 the matter until the state of affairs now existing is 

 remedied and a better general public opinion is 

 created. 



Sir, — Allow an old subscriber to relate some very 

 disgraceful things which it will be necessary to put 

 a stop to in the future. Quite lately I called on an 

 old friend. While I was with him there came in 

 triumphant and laden with prey a son of his who 

 considered himself a valiant sportsman, but who 

 is nothing but a miserable ignoramus and a common 

 (vulgar) criminal. 



He immediately emptied his game bag and 

 deposited on the table with the air of a triumphant 

 Caesar — two Woodcocks (Bccaccie), a Lapwing 

 (Fifa\ and other so-called marsh birds which are 

 nowcrossing Italyon their migration, and which may 

 be killed without breaking the law. But mixed up 

 with these birds were two Larks (AlloJole), one 

 Chaffinch (Fringuello), three Goldfinches, (Carde- 

 riui), two Greenfinches (Calenzuoli), and (horrible 

 to relate !) 37 Swallows, most useful little creatures 

 which, as both ancient and modern scientists assure 

 us, search out and destroy insects that are injurious 

 to plants and to men, guests who are most welcome 

 and most respected in the East, and which were 

 respected till these last years in the West, and by 

 us. 



At such a sight both I and my friend, who in his 

 prime was a true and honest sportsman, were both 

 of us shocked and distressed. We together 

 addressed bitter reproaches to this false Nimrod, 

 pointing out to him that we were in the last days 

 of April, that the law allows, as is well-known, the 

 chase of aquatic creatures, but not of others, that the 



