

FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 195 



The landrail is at no times difficult to shoot on the wing, and a 

 tired landrail which is resting preparatory to crossing the 

 Channel is a particularly easy victim. (W.P.C.) E.S.R. 

 notes that this bird is almost extinct round Chard. 



Caccdbis rufa (The Spanish Redlegged or French 

 Partridge). Major Farquharson, Langton Herring, 

 Dorchester, writes : " The 1st Redlegged or French Part- 

 ridge I knew in Dorset was caught in a rabbit trap, in the 

 year 1871, on the Blandford Downs during a heavy snow 

 storm. They have been put down about Lulworth, I believe. 

 When I came here in 1907 there were but few, but these dry 

 summers have helped them to increase very much, and the 

 English Partridge has decreased. One or two days I have 

 not shot a single English Partridge, all French. I am sorry, 

 as I like the native." (With this latter remark I agree, either 

 on the table or in the fields our native bird is preferable, j 

 believe the increase of Caccdbis rufa to be attributable in part 

 to its wildness, which keeps it out of the way of the gun ; in 

 part its wariness, which enables it to escape the fox ; and in 

 part its pugnacity, for it always succeeds in driving Perdrix 

 cinerea from the immediate vicinity of its nest. ED.) 



E.S.R. notes that " it was a poor woodcock year in the 

 South of England ; that young starlings were nearly fledged 

 on the 25th January, 1913 ; that the dawn choruses in March 

 and up to the 10th April were very short, five to ten minutes 

 only ; the killing East and South wind and bitter cold 

 effectually preventing, and generally that song was short and 

 weak. On March 28th birds were in full dawn chorus for 15 

 minutes only, but up to May 12th, owing to cold and wet 

 weather, I have heard the Nightingale and Spring migrants 

 very little as yet. 



Partridges (Perdrix cinerea) were scarce and wild. Red- 

 legged Partridges (Caccabis rufa) are increasing in West 

 Dorset and East Somersetshire. 



After 41 years' observations I am of opinion that the 

 Nightingales and Turtle Doves have been gradually coming 

 Westward, and are more plentiful here." 



