BIRD-LIFE OF THE WOODS AND GROVES. 1/3 



other parts of the country, especially in some of the 

 eastern counties. In many localities the birds are 

 left much to themselves ; there is little or no artificial 

 breeding, no big shoots, and, fortunately, few game- 

 keepers animated with a spirit of destructiveness 

 bent on exterminating every winged thing on their 

 domain. Curiously enough, the localities where 

 Pheasants are most numerous in this immediate 

 neighbourhood are those where Jays and Magpies 

 and Kestrels are commonest! Only the other day 

 we flushed a brace of splendid cock Pheasants from 

 the corner of a field where, a little farther on, half-a- 

 dozen Magpies rose up together, and Jays in plenty 

 were calling not a quarter of a mile away below 

 them in the orchards in the valley. Surely these 

 things speak for themselves and cast a strong light 

 upon the crass ignorance that has inspired the 

 extermination of so many of our interesting and 

 most useful birds. Too often, as we know by 

 experience, have harmless "vermin" been held 

 responsible for a short supply of game, where- 

 as in reality dishonest keepers and dealers are 

 alone the cause. It may be worthy of remark 

 that many of the Pheasants seen here want the 

 white ring, and may possibly be pure-bred colchicus. 



