I9I7.] 



Birds in the Ancre Valley. 



527 



a very open nature, there being few hedges and trees except 

 in the villages. Aveluy Wood, which is about one square 

 mile in extent, was disappointing from an ornithological 

 point of view, although comparatively free from shelling. 

 Thiepval Wood is no longer worthy of the name, being a 

 mere collection of blasted and broken stumps. 



Text-figure 4. 



Sketch-map of the valley of the Ancre. The position of the German 

 front line in September 1916 is shown in the heavy dark line. 



The notes from which this paper has been written were 

 made before and during our advance up the valley of the 

 Ancre between the beginning of October 1916 and the end 

 of March 1917. The sixty-pounder battery to which I 

 then belonged Avas in position successively near Martinsart, 

 Hamel, St. Pierre Divion, Grandcourt, Miraumont, Bihu- 

 court, and Behagnies. Between St. Pierre Divion and 

 Miraumont the countryside had been wrecked by our guns 



