290 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



one of these beautiful, but zealously persecuted, birds. Yet so 

 lately as twenty or thirty years ago a few Magpies were not unfre- 

 quently seen about the heath, while Jays were fairly numerous. 

 For miles around, large game-preserving estates extend ; and the 

 havoc wrought by keepers among such creatures as the above 

 would hardly be believed by those who have not been obliged to 

 witness it. 



March, 1888. 



16th. Wind north, with sleet and snow. While feeding some 

 ducks this morning, two Great Tits, two Blue Tits, a Coal Tit, 

 and a Marsh Tit attended to receive their share of maize ; the 

 last-named little bird being decidedly the boldest, and the first 

 to seize and carry off a grain. A Kobin and a Hedgesparrow 

 also came ; the former went so far as to pick up a small grain of 

 maize, but dropped it directly. Tits of some of the above 

 species come regularly every morning, evidently looking upon the 

 call intended for the ducks as a summons to their own breakfast. 

 A pair of Marsh Tits are the most constant attendants, and, as I 

 have always found to be the case, are particularly bold and fear- 

 less, even surpassing in that respect the fussy Blue Tit. The 

 Great Tit is the most wary and distrustful of all, and cares less 

 for maize than the rest. The manner of proceeding with all four 

 species is to hang about the neighbouring trees and bushes, 

 gradually working their way towards the feeding-ground ; then, 

 watching for a favourable opportunity, they drop down, snatch 

 up a grain, and fly off to some bush close by, where they quickly 

 peck out and devour the middle part, and, letting fall the rest, 

 return for another grain. 



28th. Frog's spawn seen to-day for the first time. After the 

 long, cold winter, the Frogs here were very late in spawning, and 

 the same may be said of last season, when I first noticed spawn 

 in the ditches on the 22nd. The earliest date on which I have 

 seen Rana temjporaria in the water is February 23rd, having found 

 one in a pond at Blaxhall on that day, in the year 1882. In very 

 early seasons, when a continuance of warm sunshine tempts the 

 frogs into the water before their usual time, it sometimes happens 

 that a severe frost sets in after they have spawned, and the 

 shallow pools and ditches chosen for this purpose become frozen 

 completely through. On the other hand, in warm dry seasons 



