191 7'] Birds in the Ancre Valley. 535 



On 5 Novenil)er, near Miirtiusart, I watched a Kestrel 

 endeavouring to capture a meal from a company of Tree- 

 Sparrows, wliich eluded their pursuer hy taking refuge in 

 a barbed-wire entanglement. The Kestrel followed them 

 through its mazes with great agility, but, whenever he 

 seemed on the point of being successful, a Magpie^ which 

 was watching the proceedings, would fly up chattering 

 angrily and drive him off. The Magpie was aided and 

 abetted occasionally by a Rook from a Hock which was 

 feeding near by. Finally, the Kestrel gave up the chase in 

 disgust. 



Anas boschas. Mallard. 



During November and the early half of December the 

 Mallard was very numerous in the uuirshes near the Passe- 

 relle (le Magenta. When exploring the reed-beds in our 

 home-made punt it is no exaggeration to say that we some- 

 times flushed thousands of duck about this time. Tosvards 

 the end of December they had become much reduced in 

 numbers, and until the middle of February they remained 

 very scarce. I think this diminution in numbers was partly 

 due to the amount of sniping to which they were subjected, 

 and perhaps also to the weather, although the latter half of 

 December was very mild and wet. On 22 February they 

 suddenly returned, and there were hundreds in the marshes. 

 Above Hamel, in February and March, none were seen with 

 the exception of a few near Beaucuurt railway-station. 



Querquedula crecca. Common Teal. 



The first Teal I saw flew out of the rushes near the 

 Passerelle de Magenta, alarmed by a 4'2-inch shell which 

 had just burst near it, killing one man and wounding sevei'al 

 others. Some small parties frequented the marshes all 

 winter, but they disappeared during the frost in January. 



Nyroca fuligula. Tufted Duck. 



On the 17th of February, after it had been thawing for 

 some days, a flock of some ten birds appeared in the deep 

 w^ater below Thiepval. They had increased to sixteen on 

 the 22nd of February, after which they were not again seen. 



