1/4 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



of the Red Backed Shrike, or Butcher Bird. What an extra- 

 ordinary bird this, a veritable murderer! 



A Wasp goes flying by, and later on a Privet Hawk or Ghost 

 Moth; but what pleases us most is to hear from the Game- 

 keeper who waits upon us that he shoots nothing but that 

 which he knows to be vermin. He has a good word for the 

 Sparrow Hawk and the Kestrel, the little Merlin and the Ring 

 Dove, and not a word has he to say against the Owls or the 

 Nightjar, neither the Cuckoo, nor any of the smaller birds. 



Those three saucy and mischievous members of the Crow tribe 

 the Jay, Magpie, and Jackdaw he does not hold in such 

 good repute, because of the Game eggs he misses, but, wise 

 man that he is, he realizes that these dainties are not to 

 be obtained all round the year, and he does not persecute 

 them to any great extent. 



He assures us that Kingfishers are plentiful here, and we are 

 delighted to observe one or more pairs of these exquisite crea- 

 tures ere we pluck the dewy grass towards evening to pack 

 the golden Perch, the silver Jack and speckled Trout. The 

 keeper is such an intelligent fellow that fishing loses its charm, 

 and we talk of the birds. We learn that his Lordship who 

 owns the estate is a bird protector, and woe betide anyone 

 who destroys anything except vermin here. We learn, too, 

 that on the estate of Lord Falmouth, in Cornwall, it is (or was) 

 instant dismissal to anyone who shoots or traps a Pere- 

 grine Falcon. These are the gentlemen we bird lovers appreci- 

 ate, for they have it in their power to carry out much lasting 

 good for the benefit of those birds which at the present time 

 need so much protection from the gunner and the nest robber. 

 Would that v/e could meet many more such "keepers" as the 

 one we met on this July day, he is surely a "keeper" in 

 every sense of the word. 



In a tall bush by the water side we find a Ring Dove's 

 frail nest, containing the usual two eggs only, of a delightful 

 white. It is rather late, but these birds are both early and late 

 breeders. 



In the old boat-house two Swallows' nests are found, each 

 containing four eggs, not yet sitting. The fledglings will pro- 

 bably be left to the tender mercies of Nature's own hand, as 



