

MAGPIE FIELDS 



in crowds for the acorns; wood-pigeons are even 

 more fond of them, and from their crops quite a 

 handful may sometimes be taken when shot in the 

 trees. 



They will carry off at once as many acorns as 

 old-fashioned economical farmers used to walk 

 about with in their pockets, " chucking " them one- 

 two, or three at a time to the pigs in the stye as a 

 bonne bouche and an encouragement to fatten well. 

 Never was there such a bird to eat as the wood- 

 pigeon. Pheasants roam out from the preserves 

 after the same fruit, and no arts can retain them 

 at acorn time. Swine are let run out about the 

 hegderows to help themselves. Mice pick up the 

 acorns that fall, and hide them for winter use, and 

 squirrels select the best. 



If there is a decaying bough, or, more particu- 

 larly, one that has been sawn off, it slowly decays 

 into a hollow, and will remain in that state for years, 

 the resort of endless woodlice, snapped up by insect- 

 eating birds. Down from the branches in spring 

 there descend long, slender threads, like gossamer, 

 with a caterpillar at the end of each the insect- 

 eating birds decimate these. So that in various 

 ways the oaks give more food to the birds than 

 any other tree. Where there are oaks there are 

 sure to be plenty of birds. Beeches come next. 

 Is it possible that the severe frosts we sometimes 

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