JUNE 227 



This incident suggests that the intelligence of swallows, great 

 as it seems in many ways, must be curiously limited. Of course, 

 however well accustomed to the place it was, any bird might make 

 the mistake of flying into the house when suddenly awakened and 

 bewildered by a bright light ; but it is strange that, although it was 

 left in peace for three or four hours in the early morning, it should 

 not have been able to escape through the open window. When it 

 is in the porch it knows the difference between air and glass 

 perfectly, for the upper part of the hall-door is of glass, and it 

 never makes the mistake of flying against it. Also, it must have 

 seen the staircase window standing open on many occasions ; and 

 yet I believe, had it not been for my exertions, that the unhappy 

 little thing would have staived to death before it was able to find 

 its way through it, just because this window opens in its lower half 

 and not up against the ceiling. 



The result of this experience is that the swallows remain masters 

 of the situation, and anyone coming into or leaving the house after 

 nightfall has to do so by the garden door. 



June 9. — To-day at the Bench we tried one of the egg-stealing 

 cases which are always plentiful at this time of year. The defen- 

 dant, a 'marine dealer,' was accused of sending a box of 251 

 partridge eggs (' twenty dozen smalls, eleven reds,' i.e. French 

 partridge, according to his own invoice found in the box) to another 

 ' marine dealer ' in a neighbouring town. This second gentleman, 

 by the way, was recently fined 31/. 10.?., being \s. an egg, for 630 

 stolen eggs. The case against the defendant to-day was clear, and 

 he also was fined a shilling an egg and costs, with the alternative 

 of two months in prison. 



I know it is commonly said that magistrates are severe upon 

 this class of case, and very ready to convict upon slight evidence. 

 This is not at all my experience. On the contrary, the fact that 

 most of them are sportsmen tends to make them very careful, and 

 I have on several occasions seen poaching cases dismissed when 

 the evidence would have been thought sufficient to ensure convic- 



Q 2 



