BIRDS AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS 121 



The oubara and florican, lesser varieties of the 

 bustard, are now somewhat rare. 



Climate, and the supply of such food as is 

 necessary for their maintenance, have, of course, 

 everything- to do with the variety of birds in a 

 district. The greater the variety of bird-food, 

 the greater will be the variety of birds which visit 

 or reside in the locality, always provided that 

 there are conveniences for their nesting, such 

 as are afforded by hedgerows, woods, trees, 

 gorse-coverts, and lastly, but by no means least, 

 a plentiful supply of water. Where all these con- 

 ditions are present, and the climate is moderate, 

 bird-life will be varied and plentiful. It may 

 be interesting to quote an instance of how birds 

 are affected by their surroundings. I have the 

 statement on the most reliable authority. ' In 

 the neighbourhood of Wilton Park, in Wiltshire, 

 the seat of the Earl of Pembroke, nightingales 

 are by no means infrequent visitors ; but in the 

 park itself, of all places perhaps the one appar- 

 ently most suitable for such birds, it is stated that 

 no nightingale is ever seen or heard.' 



