Birds on the Western Front 
heard singing on the Somme whenever there 
was a lull in the almost incessant fire (Times, 
II.vi.16). 
In April 1917 a flock of a few score LIN- 
NETS was always on or about a derelict clump 
of telegraph wires at Epéhy, where shells fell 
not infrequently (Lis, 1919, p. 61). 
STARLINGS never had such opportunity for 
unmolested housekeeping as in the remains 
of the poor battered churches (Bird Notes and 
News, vol. vii. p. 14). Flocks would sweep 
out in a semicircle from some _ building 
which had been struck by a shell, and then 
swing back to it and settle almost before the 
brick dust had completely cleared away 
(Scotsman, 25.11.16). 
On one occasion a pair of MAGPIES went on 
building their nest in a wood when the battle 
was at its fiercest. Suddenly a shell struck 
the foot of the tree, sending tree and nest 
high into the air (Scottish Naturalist, 1917, 
p. 139). A MAGPIE was seen to fly to a 
crater, made by a shell a few seconds pre- 
viously, and begin to feed on the grubs 
among the freshly scattered earth (Jb1s, 1917, 
121 
