142 Among the Bij'ds in Northern Shires. 



of refuge for all birds irrespective of their ill-deeds, 

 their bad or shady characters. No gun was ever 

 fired within the sacred fences, and the birds could 

 live their happy lives in peace. Small wonder 

 then that the Jay took kindly to such a haven of 

 safety and seclusion; and it was always a source of 

 delight to watch the troops of young birds and their 

 parents, that in summer-time used to troop about 

 the underwood, patches of gaudy colour amongst 

 the green, and noisy and impudent as is ever their 

 wont. In the earlier years of our experience an odd 

 Pheasant or two dwelt in this spot and added to its 

 interest; their disappearance was a sign of that 

 coming change that was to find its culmination in 

 the more or less complete banishment of bird-life 

 from this chosen spot. 



Sherwood Forest, especially in the Dukeries and 

 round about Edwinstowe, was also another favourite 

 woodland haunt of ours. Here, however, the con- 

 ditions were somewhat different. Game reigned 

 supreme ; the deity of the woods was the Pheasant, 

 and less favoured birds were harassed and perse- 

 cuted by the keepers. Notwithstanding this there 

 is a good deal of bird-life in the forest of surpassing 

 interest to the ornithologist. For instance, one of 

 the most interesting colonies of Jackdaws in our 

 islands is established there. The birds have taken 

 possession of the hollow and ancient oak-trees — 



