Bird Notes and News 



dweller's acquaintance with birds must 

 be limited to the half-dozen commonest 

 species, Paris would come as a revelation. 

 Within my own observation, or on good 

 authority, I have recorded no less than 

 82 species. That all these do or have 

 occurred here in the wild state is certain ; 

 but I have no doubt that careful observa- 

 tion, particularly at the season of the 

 autumn migration, would add at least 

 a score more of nesting or visiting 

 species. Of the 82, 50 are regularly 

 breeding species, whether resident or 

 migratory ; seven are normal winter 

 migrants, while the rest are visitors. 

 Of these some are clearly mere accidental 

 stragglers, but others — e.g. the Wood- 

 peckers, which have once or twice been 

 found nesting in the Bois — may be regular 

 inhabitants who have eluded observation 

 by reason of their shyness. The Scops- 

 Owl is another example, the only record 

 of its occurrence being a female taken 

 on her nest in 1899 ; she lived for a long 

 time in the Jardin des Plantes. 



It is not at first easy to see what attracts 

 so large a number of species. It must 

 be borne in mind, however, that birds 

 are generally most abundant in localities 

 where man is either a very important or 

 else a totally negligible factor. In Paris 

 the birds form an attraction for the many, 

 who therefore combine to restrain the 

 depredations of the few. The Bois is 

 under the control of a Conservancy Board, 

 and their attitude towards the bird 

 population is that the bird is the property 

 of the State, and that therefore the in- 

 dividual has no right to interfere with it. 

 They go a step further and consider that 

 every bird which is not positively harmful 

 should be encouraged to multiply and 

 replenish the earth. To enforce these 

 views and to keep order generally there 

 are a number of " gardes," retired soldiers 

 for the most part, whose exclusive duty it 



is to look after the Bois ; they are unde 

 orders to prevent any killing of birds o 

 robbing of nests. They have the right, 

 however, of shooting such birds as are 

 labelled noxious by the authorities, a 

 right only exercised to the extent of 

 keeping down these creatures within 

 reasonable bounds. On this black list 

 are all the Corvidse, the Hawks, and such 

 birds as are likely to be injurious to the 

 fish in the lakes. The guardian w4io 

 has charge of the island on the Lower 

 Lake is also instructed to put up Nesting- 

 boxes ; a number of these are in suitable 

 positions at a considerable height from 

 the ground, and are largely patronised 

 by the birds. On the Upper and Lower 

 Lakes, and also to a less extent on the 

 Lac de St. James, ornamental water-fowl 

 are kept. These are regularly fed, and 

 part of the lake is kept clear of ice in 

 winter for their benefit ; it is to their 

 presence that Ave may directly attribute 

 the visits which occasional wild-fowl pay 

 us in winter. 



So much then for what is done by the 

 authorities. Unfortunately their excel- 

 lent regulations are frequently violated, 

 and nests placed in exposed situations 

 are often robbed. Man is the worst 

 enemy, nay, almost the only enemy, of 

 the birds, for the few stray cats, weasels, 

 and birds-of-prey do not constitute any 

 serious source of danger. The birds have, 

 however, largely learned to adapt them- 

 selves to circumstances. Very many 

 species — and they are the most flourishing 

 — habitually nest in holes which, either 

 by their length, narrowness, or altitude, 

 baffle the would-be robber. Among ; hese 

 are the Tits, Starling, Nuthatch, Tree- 

 creeper, Common and Black Redstarts, 

 Robin, House and Tree-Sparrows, all the 

 Owls, and the Hoopoe. Most of the other 

 species select the slender boughs at the 

 top of tall trees in exposed situations for 



