33



that of weight. This summer we have had three such broods:

the first, a small one of four, appearing several weeks before the

last. No sooner did the last lot come out than they became the

objedt of assault by the first four, and eventually only two

survivors were left out of a family of nine. In this case the

aggressors were of the same species, and thus the example

differs from the preceding ones.


Again, some years ago we kept some Water Hens and Bald

Coots on the pool. Both reared families, the Coots being the

earlier, and the young Water Hens were not left undisturbed for

an hour, and before many hours they all succumbed to the

unremitting attacks of the young Coots. An old Swan, with no

family of his own to care for, proved a veritable demon among

the young life on the pond, and was ultimately converted into a

specimen for the Museum in consequence.


The habit of the Wagtail has already been mentioned by

another contributor, and I can confirm his experience by the

following stories. The first I ever had was a wild Grey Wagtail

that was brought to me by a birdcatcher, and was put at once in

the British bird section. Next day the same man brought me

another, which was added to the collection. But the first never

gave it a chance to show itself or time to peck a mouthful of

food, and drove it to death in a few hours. The aggressor turned

out to be a hen, for next spring she mated with a Pied Wagtail

and hatched, but failed to rear, two young ones. Bast summer

we had an old cock Pied Wagtail in our pool aviary, the only

specimen of his family for a while. Bater in the year we

procured a pair with their three young ones about three parts

grown, and these were all put into the aviary together. All went

merry as a marriage bell, the young ones were well cared for and

throve, until the first touch of frosty weather, when the original

old cock turned awkward and murdered the whole family, him¬

self falling a victim later to the rats which found entrance into

the pool.


It is a widespread belief that the young Robins of the year

systematically kill off the old ones. I cannot affirm or deny this,

but I think it improbable; possibly other members of the Society

may have knowledge of the subject. That they are notoriously

pugnacious in disposition and difficult to keep with other birds,

is well known to aviculturists. A few weeks ago I came upon

two Sparrows fighting to the death in the street. I approached

close enough to be able to touch them with my stick before they

observed me, and then they flew into an adjoining garden and

resumed the combat with the same fury. An old man standing



