Alexander Goodman More. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



THE BIRD-DISTRIBUTION INQUIRY. 



[1861.] 



"On, what a plague you are ! You know, my dear More, I 

 like the birds awfully ; but unless someone would come 

 and put away my other occupations, I can't stick to them. 

 Just listen ! " began a correspondent, who, after grum- 

 bling through a sheet or two of notepaper, fell to answer- 

 ing the following series of interrogatories founded upon 

 his county list : 



Hobby. From what you say I incline to mark " occ." Do you see 

 them mostly in midsummer ? Was it a woody place or among rocks 

 you found the nest ? 



Buzzard. Is it on cliffs or in woods ? 



Marsh Harrier. Does it nest now every year ? 



Hen Harrier. Does this deserve to be called a regular nester ? 



Montagu's Harrier. Does this breed regularly, do you think, at 

 ? Can you say is it a summer visitor ? 



Honey Buzzard. Was the nest taken ? And the birds made quite 

 sure of ? How many times has it bred, at a guess ? 



Red-back Shrike. Said to be rare in ; is this the case with 



you ? Does it nest regularly ? 



Pied Flycatcher. Do I understand you to say you took the eggs 

 with your own hands ? 



Dipper is marked as breeding only occasionally in (adjacent dis- 

 trict). Can it be regular with you ? Rare, of course ? 



Whinchat. Is not this bird rare ? 



Grasshopper Warbler. Do you consider it safely " reg " ? 



Reed Warbler. Is this bird scarce or local with you ? Have you 

 taken the nest ? 



Nightingale. Is this scarce ? 



Lesser Whitethroat. Is it "reg"? and is it local? Have you 

 obtained the eggs ? 



Gray Wagtail. Do you mean it is a common bird throughout the 

 county during summer ? Or is it local, along hilly streams ? 



