vii LETTERS TO MARCO 45 



the scene of destruction. They generally fly 

 round and round, just out of range, above the 

 nests, uttering the most unmistakable cries 

 of misery as they see one after another of 

 their offspring fall fluttering to the ground 

 through the branches of the elms. It is this 

 protracted torture to the parent birds which 

 imparts to the sport its special feature of 

 cruelty ; the fact that many of the young 

 birds lodge wounded amongst the branches 

 in lingering pain adds as well to the grue- 

 someness of this kind of slaughter. The 

 demoralising effect on the crowd of bumpkin 

 urchins who look on should also be taken 

 into account. 



Yesterday I found a thrush's nest, which I 

 had been watching for some time, abandoned, 

 with three half-fledged young in it, evidently 

 killed by the cold rain, and my neighbour's 

 son rescued a young rook that was flapping 

 in the river. 



I heard to-day, for the first time this year, 

 the sedge-warbler in the shrubbery keeping 



