THE POLEGATE WOODS. 103 



and bees themselves. A German observer has recorded that, in preying 

 upon these insects, it seizes them crosswise in its beak and nips off the sting 

 end of the body, which it allows to fall to the ground. ... In attacking 

 bees and wasps and their nests, it tears up the earth and comb very much 

 as a hen scratches for its food. In this method of attack the bird is well 

 provided by nature with defensive armour in the shape of its peculiarly 

 thick plumage, especially about the head and throat. ... It spends a 

 good deal of its time on the ground, and when thus seen moves very like 

 a Raven, with upstretched neck and ruffled neck-feathers." 



The Corvidas are, of course, common in such a locality, and hardly a 

 season passes without eggs of the Magpie, Jay, and Carrion-Crow being 

 brought to me for inspection ; while, beside the Wood-Pigeon, the Turtle- 

 Dove is to be found in most of the glades. 



It was in these woods that I first made the acquaintance of the Tree- 

 Pipit as a breeding species. It nests sparingly in the neighbourhood, the 

 railway bank near Hellingly being, perhaps, its best known haunt. Distin- 

 guishable in the hand from the Meadow-Pipit by its curved hind claw, it is 

 an easy bird to identify in spring time as it soars aloft and pours forth its 

 song, which, though not beautiful, is sure to attract the attention of a 

 passer-by. True, the Meadow-Pipit also sings while in the air, but he darts 

 up and descends, somewhat after the manner of a Warbler. The Tree- 

 Pipit, while singing, hovers more like a Kestrel ; its wings look larger as 

 it does so, and it hangs its legs and feet in such a way that they present 

 the appearance of an inverted " T." The eggs, which, generally speaking, 

 are redder than those of the Titlark, are very beautiful, when they happen 

 to belong to the blotched variety, and the nest is not infrequently placed 

 amongst the roots of a tree. By casual observers this Pipit is often confused 

 with the Woodlark, which accounts for several reported occurrences of 

 the latter bird. The Woodlark, however, is, as far as I can discover, quite 

 a rarity in the district, and Mr. Bates tells me that he has very seldom had 

 it brought to him. It should be distinguishable on the wing by its much 

 shorter tail, and in the hand by the long and straight hind claw. 



Far more beautiful and attractive than the Tree-Pipit, the Green 

 Woodpecker, despite incessant persecution I have often seen nooses hanging 

 round its holes still manages to maintain its numbers undiminished ; and 

 I have seldom made the journey to Polegate without seeing, or at all events 

 hearing, one or more of these interesting birds. The fact is, the eggs are 

 distinctly difficult to secure, and I have never known a boy actually get one. 

 I hear every year of " new Woodpecker's holes certain to have eggs within 



