278 CORRESPONDENCE. 



inmates were very fond of marching close up to the window in the snow 

 and cramming their beaks with the small bird's food, which they ate at 

 their leisure in a neighbouring tree. The first Rook's nest was begun 

 Feb. 29th, and the whole thirteen were completed by the end of March. 

 We are often visited by small flocks of the Black-headed Gull, (Larvs 

 ridibundus,) especially after heavy rains, as they are very fond of the 

 ploughed fields where water has stood. These Gulls breed by thousands 

 at a gullery in the north of the county and before and after the breed- 

 ing season spread themselves over the country in search of food. Our 

 only Cuckoo was first heard April 25th ; last, June 26th ; this bird 

 becomes more scarce every year. All birds of prey, as well as Magpies and 

 Jays, are almost extinct here, owing to the vigilance of the keepers. 

 One wood near is visited nearly every spring by a pair of Common 

 Buzzards, one or both of which are invariably shot or trapped. Small 

 birds are more plentiful than usual, especially Greenfinches. I had 

 been watching a nest containing four young ones from time to time, when 

 on approaching the nest one day in the absence of the old birds they all 

 flew out, evidently for the first time, but were strong enough to 

 fly some little distance across a brook. A Yellow Hammer's nest 

 contained two eggs May 6th. I was much interested in watching a White- 

 throat's nest, built in a piece of dead thorn, quite concealed by high grass ; 

 the five eggs were hatched June 9th, on the 16th the birds were nearly 

 fledged. A large black slug was on the edge of the nest, with every 

 intention of ensconcing itself among the young birds, so thinking this 

 cold visitor would be very unwelcome, I cautiously removed it, but not 

 before two of the fledglings had hopped out of the nest, and were lost to 

 view among the long grass. On visiting the nest next day, I looked 

 anxiously to see if the mother bird had recovered her lost ones, and was 

 glad to find one of them restored to the bosom of her family. On the 

 19th they all left the nest for good, but remained near it for a time, and 

 never left the garden all the summer. Ten days from the time of 

 hatching seems about the time the smaller birds leave the nest. A pair 

 of Blackbirds made their second nest on a ledge of a wooden fence, 

 against which a currant tree is trained on wire. The eggs were hatched 

 June 15th, the young birds' quills were grown by the 19th, and they left 

 the nest 24th or 25th. The male of this pair is slightly sprinkled with 

 white feathers. He was most attentive to the first brood, spending hours 

 every day in searching for worms for them. They left him no ppace, 

 but were for ever screaming after him, whilst he grew quite thin in hia 

 efforts to provide food for them during a somewhat dry time. We have 

 two pairs of swallows about the house. One returns every year to anest 

 against the inside of a pig-stye. Five or six young ones had their heads 

 hanging over the side June 21st. They were covered with grey down, 

 and otherwise looked very juvenile and helpless, so they could not 

 have been hatched long ; they were able to perch out of doors July 1st. 

 The other nest is on a wall plate inside the coal-house, access to which 

 is through a scullery, and not more than 6ft. from the ground. The 

 servants pass close to it every time they fetch coals. The young birda 

 were hatched about the same time as the others ; and both pairs have 

 had second broods. A pair of House Martins took up their abode under 

 the eave of a cottage for the first time this year. The inhabitants 

 objected to their feathered visitors, and some time after the nest was 

 finished knocked it down, when out fell several young ones nearly 

 fledged. Two or three survived the fall, aud were fed on the ground by 

 the old birds, who succeeded in rearing them. Swifts do not build here 

 that I know of, but we occasionally see a pair or two hawking for food. 

 They and the Martins have gone, but the Swallows are still here, Sept. 

 14th.— A.E.L, Hatton, 



