CORRESPONDENCE 193 



when many of them, if left to themselves, would 

 breed and become an ornament to the country ; 

 they sorely need all the help that Bird Protection 

 Societies and Acts of Parliament can give them. 

 As a matter of course it gave my father the greatest 

 satisfaction whenever he heard of the increase of any 

 of the more uncommon kinds of birds, although 

 such news came rather after the manner of angels' 

 visits, the reports sent to him being for the most 

 part of the contrary telling. It can be imagined, 

 therefore, with what pleasure he received such an 

 account as was sent him in 1881 by his friend, Mr. 

 A. F. Astley, which he had from an acquaintance 

 who owned a good part of Achill Island, in the west 

 of Ireland, and was a great protector of the birds 

 in that region. His facts are such interesting 

 ones that I venture to quote some of them. He 

 writes : 



" I am glad to say that the Choughs are increasing 

 here. I saw two large flocks of from twenty-five to 

 thirty-five last week. They are very susceptible of 

 cold, and appear to suffer in a severe winter. Achill 

 is in the direct line of the Gulf Stream, and the 

 winters are warmer by several degrees than any 

 part of Europe except the south of Spain and Italy. 

 To this fact I attribute the large number of Choughs 

 we have. ... I have had several of them as pets 

 which were taken from an old castle in which they 

 had built for many years. I have had one now for 

 the last five years. He flies about the place during 

 the day, but always comes in to sleep in the kitchen 



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