198 THE BUNTINGS 



(no doubt the skylark is specially referred to), " living in the greatest 

 harmony with them, following them everywhere, and not willingly 

 leaving them." The second case is, or appears to be, more remark- 

 able, and concerns the yellow-hammer. Naumann states as follows : 

 "The very special affection which the yellow-hammer has for the 

 fieldfare a species to which it is quite unrelated is in the highest 

 degree remarkable. I have often observed, with pleasure, how, 

 whenever these birds made part of any general assemblage, in the 

 neighbourhood of my nets, yellow-hammers would soon be there too, 

 and, after hopping round about them, in the most joyous manner, 

 would often fly, with them, into captivity, though no decoy of their 

 own species had been set down to attract them." 1 Here, then, we 

 have a really interesting fact, for thus personally attested by such 

 an observer, not as happening on one or two occasions only, but 

 " often," 2 it has to be accepted as one. But why, then, do we hear 

 no more of it for I know of no further reference ? The question, 

 perhaps, arises Is it, or was it, a local phenomenon only ? yet this 

 seems extremely improbable. I have no theory to offer, so will 

 conform, in this instance, to an ideal which has often been commended 

 almost in so many words to " the mere field naturalist " facts only, 

 don't think. 3 Such is Naumann's statement, and I have recorded it, 

 possibly now for the first time in an English work of ornithology. 



1 Naturgeschichte der Vogel Mitteleuropas, vol. iii. 



2 As no special period or season is mentioned, it was probably a lifelong observation. 



3 The fact is, philosophical or even scientific field natural history is not wanted by some, 

 who, though not field naturalists, would yet have all the field to themselves. By such it is looked 

 upon as a hostile incursion into home territory, and so must run the gauntlet of a certain little 

 army where the men are all officers, and the battles reviews. In these there are certain laws 

 as to giving quarter to, or scalping, the enemy, who, through an ingenious ruse de guerre, 

 which allows him no tomahawk, can never know aught but defeat. Mere mild chirping and 

 chirruping over couronn6s facts the sort of thing known now as " nature-writing "may 

 procure him (said enemy) the patronising nod or " bene!" some bland pats on the back, a little 

 de haut en bus encouragement. But should he lay aside his pan-pipes and begin reasoning 

 starting a theory perhaps, which is like an advance on the capital the system is different. 

 Sneers without argument, or even the barest citation, a barren insistence on something he has 

 NOT observed or mentioned, without any reference to anything he has (however much he has), 

 a keen scent for errors, be they never so trivial, and plugged nose for anything else, mis- 

 statement, a flat-footed jest or two, and some personal rudeness these are then the tactics, 

 the weapons with which these " braves " fight. Rigid suppression of any reply is their shield 

 some grudge, or base hatred, their whetstone. [For the statements made in this note 

 Mr. E. Selous is solely responsible. ED.] 



