1888-89.] A Few Notes on Bird Life, &c. 271 



was kept from sailing away by being intertwined with the 

 thin twigs of an oak bough which hung into the water, the 

 upper overhanging branches of the tree forming a screen from 

 sun and rain. It was an ingenious structure, and well put 

 together. I have never before seen crested grebes in the 

 county, though I once shot a little grebe or dabchick {Podi- 

 ceps minor) in a tributary to the Avon, and have on several 

 occasions seen them in that river between Leamington and 

 Warwick. 



One Sunday afternoon we walked over for a ramble in 

 the Abbey Gardens, where flowers, fruit, and vegetables are 

 grown in the greatest perfection, the grapes almost rivalling 

 those at Clovenfords. On our way across the deer-park we 

 came upon a flock of more than fifty Canada geese ; and as 

 I always enjoy the sight of their rising in the air, we walked 

 towards them. They let us get very near, and then rose in 

 a body, uttering their strange, musical, clarion-like notes, so 

 different from the call of any other of the anser tribe, and 

 taking a long circuit round, settled on the pool. I noticed a 

 plant in the gardens which much interested me : it was by far 

 the finest specimen I have ever seen of the Japanese brier 

 {Rosa mc/osa). It must be ten or twelve feet high, and 

 covering a larger space in diameter, and had a great pro- 

 fusion of its large-petalled, handsome, single, crimson flowers. 

 These are followed by large, orange-coloured, globular fruit ; 

 and its glossy, rich green foliage, I think, surpasses that of any 

 other rose. I have often thought what beautiful hedges these 

 roses would make, and from their very thorny nature they 

 might perhaps be a good fence against sheep. Two years ago 

 a member of our Club sowed a row of the seeds for a hedge 

 across his garden, and I see the plants are now about eighteen 

 inches high, and making excellent growth. These seeds are 

 now articles of commerce, and are advertised for sale. 



We noticed one day a strange coincidence between animals 

 of very different natures. It was a very hot day, and we were 

 standing in the avenue admiring two fine heifers lying in the 

 shade, when I remarked how terribly they were tormented 

 with flies, which were in large clusters at the corners of their 

 eyes, and evidently causing the creatures much annoyance. 

 After a few minutes we saw two young cocks walk up from the 



