BIRD-NOTES FROM THE HUMBER DISTRICT. 
JOHN CORDEAUX, J.P., F.R.G.S., M.B.0.U., 
Great Cotes House, R.S.O., ae ph a ie mee the Yorkshire and Loleoleshive 
ists’ Un 
(Continued from ‘The Naturalist’ for February 1899, p. 35.) 
Pugnacity of Redbreast. Recently, when writing, I observed 
two cock Robins on the lawn desperately fighting, their feet 
locked and rolling about. When I next looked one ha 
flown, the other remained, a little puffed-out ball of phen 
on the grass. I found it was quite dead; smoothing its 
feathers, I placed it in quite a natural position on some moss 
of a rockery near the window, intending to instruct my 
little granddaughter in the art of putting salt on a bird’s 
tail. The dead Robin, however, had not been long in 
this position before it was furiously attacked by another, 
presumably the victor; feathers were struck from its head 
and the body thrown to the ground, and the determined 
small assailant executing a sort of war dance in the air 
or flutter above the body. We are so accustomed to 
associate the ‘messenger of calm-decay’ with Christmas 
cards and ‘peace on earth,’ that this exhibition of vindic- _ 
tiveness towards a possible rival was a proof that there is 
more than one side to the Redbreast’s character. 
Coccothraustes vulgaris Pallas. Hawfinch.  Pyrrhula 
europea Vieillot. Bullfinch. On 28th January I saw 
a Hawfinch and Bullfinch on the same curved shoot of the 
wild rose regaling themselves with hips. 
On 11th February, when rabbit-shooting with Mr. Haigh 
in one of his covers, I noticed during the day scores of 
Bullfinches, also several Hawfinches; the latter were 
quickly on ‘the wing, collecting near the top of some high 
ash, otherwise they did not seem greatly disturbed by the 
noise. e cover was just such a haunt as the Hawfinch 
loves, old hawthorns and much thick blackthorn and 
gorse, with here and there a solitary forest tree. 
Grey Geese. 1oth and rith February. Mr. Haigh says the 
_ coastguard of North Cotes saw many pass over at this date. | 
renags vulgaris L. Starling. 12th March. A very warm, 
' summer-like day, There were about a score of Starlings 
on the wing over the house from 12.30 to 2 p.m. taking 
flies. The air was full of these insects, which appeared to 
_ be about the size of the hawthorn = 
Sea serene em 
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