DISTRIBUTION OF BIRDS. 107 



48. Hooper (Cygnusferus) . \ Seen only in very hard win- 



49. Bewick's Swan (C.bewickii) J ters. 



50. Pintail Duck (Anas acuta) 



51. Wigeon (A. penelope) 



52. Pochar4 ( Fuligula ferina) 



53. Scaup Duck (F.marila) . 



Visit our streams and ditches 

 - occasionally in hard weather, 

 but not of regular occurrence. 



54. Tufted Duck (F. cristata) 



55. Smew (Mergus albellus) . 



56. Great Grey Shrike (Lanius } Now and then one killed 



excubitor) . . . j during the winter. 



57. Brambling (Fringilla mon- \ Appear at rather uncertain 



tifringilla) . . . intervals during the winter, and 



58. Siskin (Cardudis spinus) . V not every year> Siskins most 



59. Twite (Linota montium) . often geen in J anuary an d Feb- 



60. Lesser Redpole (L. linaria) J ruary. 



EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF BIRDS. 



THERE is, in this neighbourhood, an annual de- 

 struction of rooks and sparrows to a great extent 

 every year; yet I observe, as others have observed 

 before in similar cases,* that no apparent diminution 

 of their numbers takes place. The rookery at Bot- 

 tisham Hall is very large, and has existed from time 

 immemorial ; it appears to be the head-quarters, 

 whence many small colonies, which are now estab- 

 lished wherever there are a few tall trees in the sur- 

 rounding neighbourhood, originally emanated. And 

 to these head-quarters the inhabitants of the small 

 scattered colonies appear to return in winter, flocking 

 with the general mass, till the approach of the breed- 

 ing season. The number of young birds in this 

 rookery, either shot, or taken unfledged from the 



See Journal of a Naturalist (3rd edit.), p. 183, 



