66 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



wood was like an oasis in a hilly desert a charming 

 little retreat, just such a place that one would have 

 expected to find the kite had selected for a home. 



I was speaking to a gentleman who remembered 

 the time when kites were a fairly common species, 

 and he told me how he had watched one on several 

 occasions fly down to the river opposite his house 

 and take goslings from the water. Would that the 

 bird might once more become as common, without 

 wishing harm to the geese. There are, nevertheless, 

 plenty of farmers and landowners about who would 

 only be too willing to part with a few goslings if once 

 again this graceful bird could haunt their lands. 



It seems hopeless to look to Parliament to do any- 

 thing for our rarer breeding birds. If anything is 

 done it must be done by private effort. Why does 

 not someone with means come forward and offer to 

 protect a few of our rarest species? For an inconsider- 

 able sum of money it would be possible to protect 

 the kite. Each nest three at the very most would 

 require two watchers for a period of about seven 

 weeks. If anyone would supply funds I would under- 

 take to make all necessary arrangements. The kite 

 is not a migratory species ; it is only at very long 

 intervals that single birds are observed on the east 

 coast. These are evidently wanderers from the con- 

 tinent, but they are always shot before they can pass 

 westward. It is clear from this, that if the few last 



