BIRD-LIFE IN APRIL 225 



A Jay dips across the wood in front of us, and 

 frightens every living creature within sound of 

 its shrieking alarm cry, and a startled Pheasant 

 glides into the woodland glade for seclusion. 



There are two Finches which are often over- 

 looked in the country, probably because they 

 are somewhat unattractive birds both in their 

 general appearance and in the nature of their vocal 

 powers. These are the Greenfinch and the Haw- 

 finch. True, the former in his green livery is a 

 fine fellow, but the stout beaks and stiffness of 

 both birds accounts in a measure, I think, for the 

 inattention paid to them. 



The Common Partridges are love-calling now, 

 and never was a better time presented than at this 

 season for watching the industrious Titmice at 

 their patient and persevering work of destroying 

 the lurking insects and their larvae. 



The Great Titmouse is perhaps the most common 

 in our district — he is certainly the noisiest Tit 

 with which we are acquainted — but the Coal Tit, 

 Long-tailed Tit, and Blue Tit are by no means 

 uncommon. The Skylark hardly seems in such 

 full song as heretofore; they are mostly paired 

 now, hence the love-songs are not nearly so con- 

 tinuous. The same remarks apply to the Hedge 

 Sparrow. 



There is a busy scene at the Rookery just 



310W, and the " croos," and " crooks," and other 



p 



