10 



JOURNAL OI' THE WILD BIRD IWKSTIGATIOX SOCIETY. 



her of individuals that are destroyed must be 

 enormoiis. Adams ^ records that in 1,124 

 ])eliels lie found remains of 2,407 rats and 

 mice. 



It is obvious that a bird of such t:^reat 

 lUiliU- siiould be verv stricll\' ]3rotecled, and 

 that very severe penalties should be exacted 

 in the case of their destruction or their e,^gs. 

 I'nfortunatelv, at present this is not so, and 

 in spite of statements to the contrary, num- 

 bers of tliese birds are killed annually and 

 their egi^s destroyed in larj^e numbers. 



in view of the enormous increase of farm 

 vermin during the past few years, it would 

 surelv be a wise decision if our different agri- 

 cultural societies and farmers' clubs were to 

 interest themselves in a subject so closely 

 related to their calling; and if our County 

 Councils were to exert themselves and see that 

 the Orders made under the provisions of the 

 Wild Bird Protection Acts were not permitted 

 to become obsolete. 



ijoiirn. N'ampt. N. H. Soc, 1913, p. 63. 



VARIATIONS 



IN THE DIET OF WILD 

 BIRDS. 



Bv GEORGE ABBEY, 



Peterstield, Hants. 



The following are some fads thai have come 

 under my notice, relating to birds associated 

 with horticulture, agriculture and aboricul- 

 lure in various counties, and the variations 

 from their normal diet. 



The .Starling a quarter of a centur\ ago was 

 not a fruit destroyer, now it has become one 

 of the worst, commencing with cherries it has 

 acc|uired a taste for plums, apples, pears, 

 damsons, gooseberries and elderberries, with 

 the addition of many farm crops. The Ja\-, 

 in some localities, besides destroAing eggs is 

 a glutton for peas. In Kent and .Sussex they 

 stripped man\- rows, but here in Hants, where 

 ihev are many limes as numerous, ihe\' have 

 so far left tlie peas alone. .\ neighbour 

 within a C|uarter of a mile complains that he 

 cannot keep a straw berr\- owin^ to the Jaws, 

 here they leave them alone. I consider the 

 Jav the greatest enemv of ihe Wood-Pigeon. 

 I ha\e proof that in one locaIit\' the increase 

 of this bird decimated the pigeons. .Magpies 

 are even more numerous, but from personal 

 obser\'ation and that of others, no damage has 

 been detected. 



During the absence of the keepers during 

 the past four years stoats and weasels have 

 enormoush' increased along the Chiltern 

 Hills, here with similar hills the}- have not 

 increased at all. Field mice are also a plague 

 in the former localit}-, where Kestrels used 

 to be \-ery plentiful. Tlie Barn-Owl and 

 Brown Owl are unequalled mousers. liut I 

 know where (^wls are very plentiful and mice 



tl lO. 



In .some localities Jackdaws are more de- 

 structive than Rooks, having a liking for 

 eggs, \oung birds, and numerous crops. On 

 one occasion they stripped two long rows of 

 peas, and followed successive crops from 



