1168 The Zoologist — April, 1868. 



quarters on the hill to seek food and shelter about the close hedges in 

 the neighbourhood. 



June 19. Swifts, swallows and martins following the mowers, and 

 catching the insects as they left the cut grass. They skimmed the 

 standing grass next the mowers, and were all flying and hawking alike. 

 I never saw the swifts keep such close company with the swallows 

 and martins. 



June 27. Saw a splendid redbacked shrike at a distance through 

 the glass ; very light and mealy about the head, black through the 

 eye, a fine red back; a gay beautiful bird, probably the same I saw 

 on the 1st of June, now in mature nuptial plumage. It was hawking 

 after some prey in the long herbs and grass of the ditches. It is in 

 these level fields on the north of the road from Lee to Eltham that I 

 have always met with the redbacked shrike. 



June 29. Resting in the outskirts of Eltham and studying the chief 

 characteristics of the flight of the Hirundinidae, all hawking before 

 me ; the belter to assist me in distinguishing one from the other I 

 fancied— the swift darts; the swallow swims ; the house martin dives; 

 the sand martin flutters. Thus musing I was suddenly assailed by an 

 overpowering, sickening odour I could not account for : on looking 

 around I discovered I was about three hundred yards to the leeward 

 of a bastard spire, "the monument" of draining science, at the east 

 end of Eltham : and as the old Kent spire at the west end points to 

 the regions above, this is connected with the regions below, and 

 brings up through miles of pipes from the very depths of Deptford to 

 pour into the soft delicate air, which so sweetly recommends itself 

 unto Eltham, a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. Having 

 once been poisoned by this concentrated sulphuretted hydrogen I lost 

 no time in getting to the windward of the abominable essence of 

 drains, and hastened to get a deep draught of the delicious water of 

 Eltham pump, where I hoped I had at last found the cup of Hebe, 

 but, alas ! she proves, like the other goddesses, fickle, false, frail. It 

 must be ozone, high above the impurities close to the surface of the 

 earth, that supports the endurance of the birds ever on the wing ; they 

 breathe it in its purity, hence their thoroughly oxydized rich blood. 

 I sadly fear this horrid ventilator may again drive my favourite 

 swallows and martins out of Eltham. 



July 16. The swift in Vanbro' fields was out hawking over the N.E. 

 corner of the heath. He could scarcely face the strong gale, which 

 so twisted his wings I thought they would have been broken. At last 



