400 Finches Mohhing a Haivk. By Miss Warrender. 



off afterwards till they became almost bare, but recovered 

 after being cut well back. Laurels were very badly destroyed, 

 and required to be cat down to the ground. 



Several plants of Cupressus Nutkaensis (Thujopsis borealis), 

 never much injured before, were badly cut, but on the north 

 side only. 



Thujopsis dolohrata, several plants uninjured. 



Cryptomeria elegans badly browned. 



Junipers and Retinosporas were not quite so much damaged 

 as the Cupressuses. 



There were not many hard wood trees blown down, owing 

 to the leaves having fallen. 



Finches Mohhing a Hawk. By Miss Warrender, 

 Marchmont. 



On the afternoon of Monday, 22nd August 1893, a friend 

 and I drove to the top of Kyles Hill, and were sitting on 

 the heuch above the quarry, when our attention was attracted 

 by a hawk, which was slowly wheeling round and round in 

 the air a little way from us, followed by five or six finches. 

 We watched the bird, expecting to see it suddenly swoop 

 down on its prey ; instead of which, as we looked, we saw 

 more little birds appearing from all directions, until the hawk 

 seemed to be quite mobbed and closely pursued by them 

 every time he turned. Our interest was much excited as we 

 wondered what could possibly have collected together such 

 a flock of finches, when suddenly the hawk ceased circling 

 round and flew straight away over the Hule Moss, and then 

 we perceived that all the little birds had bravely combined 

 together to drive away their dangerous enemy. I never saw 

 such an occurrence before, but I have heard that, although 

 swallows are often seen to combine thus, it would appear to 

 be comparatively rare for finches to do the same. 



[The hawk was probably a Kestrel, which does not usually 

 prey on birds. It is more frequently Sparrow Hawks that 

 are mobbed by small birds, particularly when they hunt 

 among hedges ; but I have seen Kestrels and even Peregrines 

 attacked by combinations of them, and chased a good distance. 

 Recently I witnessed a Hen Harrier, sitting on a telegraph 

 wire, harassed by a crowd, and not paying the least attention 

 to them. J.H.] 



