94 BIRDS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE 



hens. One approaches the heronry as to a menagerie, 

 resounding with grunting, squeahng and barking notes 

 like those of seals. 



The great crested grebe resides on Penn Ponds 

 among the coots and mallards, though I have never 

 seen more than three pairs. There I have seen their 

 wonderful nuptial dances on the water, the shining 

 breasts conspicuous a quarter of a mile away. Nut- 

 hatches and greater spotted woodpeckers are not so 

 uncommon in the groves of old oaks as one would suppose. 

 In March I have heard the greater spotted woodpecker 

 drumming his love-song on the bark of an oak. It 

 is a rapid tattoo, a loud imperative summons, and 

 the bird (showing great excitement) takes pleasure in 

 varying the pauses of this instrumental music, the 

 blows being repeated in succession from half a dozen 

 to a score of times. The most extraordinary thing 

 I ever saw in Richmond Park (on October 25, 1920) 

 was a hooded crow. I would have rejected my identifi- 

 cation in favour of an aberrant carrion crow but for 

 the fact that I saw the bird at close quarters and 

 for two minutes' length of time. Nobody, of course, 

 will believe me. 



Wimbledon (I am told the kingfisher haunts the 

 Wandle, but I have never seen it there) and parks 

 in other districts of London I know too little to 

 give an adequate account of their birds, but I will 

 make a brief reference to a visit I paid to St. James's 

 Park in the June of 1919. The Government dragon 

 had spewed out its rubble over the greater part of 

 the charming lake — once a mistress " sweet and kind " 

 to water-birds — and had built itself a squat den on 

 top of it. Obviously this outrage was too much for 

 the dabchick, which nests there no longer. The lake 

 now is little bigger than the average heath-pond. 

 The less specialized water-hen, however, had stuck to 

 its quarters and conducted its young about among 

 the pelicans and ornamental water-fowl — the only 

 authentic wild bird of them all. The pelicans were 

 ludicrously disproportioned to their surroundings, look- 

 ing like eccentric angels on exhibition. Nature has 



