


KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
207 

some friends were engaged fishing. Our 
bags had been left at the coach-house. 
These gentlemen pointed out to us a path 
leading thereto, near to which I caught a 
glimpse of the veteran Naturalist, mounted | 
on some high mvuveable steps, shearing a 
thick holly hedge; thus contributing, with 
early rising, and water drinking, to his 
sound health. I requested a little informa- 
tion on the natural history of Walton. To 
this he replied, —“‘ With the greatest pleasure. | 
You see me occupied in preparing suitable 
sheltering places for my birds. I find the 
holly, yew, and other evergreens the best 
adapted for such purposes; giving not only 
shade and shelter, but food into the bargain. 
Their berries afford an admirable provision 
for our winter residents, when other sources | 
fail. I always trim these hedges myself, 
and I am repaid for my toil, in music, the | 
year round.” 
I remarked, that one could almost fancy 
the birds were conscious of the food, shelter 
and protection afforded them; and that they 
evinced, in a confiding, grateful manner, 
their sense of security. 
Before we had been many minutes in the 
grounds, we heard cries, evidently of the 
hawk and owl tribes (unusual anywhere in 
these slaughtering times, but especially near 
a gentleman’s seat, and in the vicinity of 
game preserves). Soon afterwards, we dis- 
tinguished several young hawks, and even 
the old birds; perched on or hovering about 
the tall fir-grove, close to the pleasure- 
grounds. Near to the same place, the hand - 
some tiny gold crested wren, and the bullfinch 
abounded ; and a kingfisher was seen to dart 
like an azure gem over the reedy stream. 
Now, all these birds, rare with us, would 
be chased with a hue and cry to destruction. 
They would be snared for the cage, or shot 
for the museum! The bullfinch, like the 
nightingale and goldfinch, would be sought 
out for its capabilities of voice—the others, 
for their beauty and rarity ; with the addi- 
tional stimulus to destruction in the case of 
the hawk and owls,—the deadly prejudice of 
all game protectors! What kinds of the 
hawk family may now be met with here? 
Those seen by us presented a little difficulty 
to persons rarely accustomed to the cries, 
and forms, particularly of young hawks. 
We thought one was the sparrow hawk, 
and were sure of the kestrel; and, speaking 
of this bird, in the scrap entitled the May 
Snow-storm, enclosed in my letter to him- 
self, I have given his opinion as cited in 
OUR OWN JOURNAL, against the charge of 
the kestrel destroying game. 
He replied,‘ What you saw would be 
kestrels and sparrow hawks; all that are left 
to us of that family. The kestrel does not 
destroy game; andif ever it takes small birds, 


it will be driven to it bya rarenecessity. It 
is of use in destroying mice and other vermin. 
We have a few owls, too, remaining. ‘These 
birds, as you suppose, certainly enjoy their 
state of security here; but my protecting 
them is of little use when they get beyond 
the boundary wall. My neighbors’ game- 
keepers shoot them down as fast as they come 
within shot.” 
I observed, that it was unfortunate that his 
good example was not followed to a greater 
extent by others. The diminution of rare 
birds might be checked materially in any 
given district, by the proprietors of neighbor- 
ing estates—admirers, in some degree, of the 
interesting objects around them, acting more 
in concert with each other for their preser- 
vation. It was surprising that his views were 
not more carried out in this part,—his late in- 
timate neighbor being a lover of the fine arts, 
and the next landed proprietor being fond 
of natural history, as evinced by the choice 
specimens in his possession. 
His difficulty, he remarks, is with the game- 
keepers, who would shoot not only hawks, 
but jays and magpies, for the sale of the 
skins. ‘‘ Mine would do the same,” observed 
he, “if not forbidden, but no gun is heard in 
these grounds; and as to those in my neigh- 
bors’ employ, they would stop at nothing. 
Some time back, I missed a fine cormorant 
from the lake. Soon after, I saw one of these 
fellows coming down, with something dangling 
over his shoulder. It proved to be my bird, 
brought me asarare specimen! I dismissed 
him with a sharp rebuke, to the effect that he 
would shoot his nearest relative for the sale 
of the skin.” 
I was here led to make an inquiry about 
the water birds; observing that the wetness 
of the forenoon, and lack of time, had caused 
us to forego the pleasure of a ramble about 
the lake; though tempted thereto by the 
views of it from the Hall, and the numerous 
waterfowl thereon. I also stated—that, on 
former visits, | had been gratified by viewing ~ 
the numbers of wild ducks, coots, water hens, 
and many species then unknown to me—par- 
ticularly in the more retired parts, where the 
lake winds in a narrowing course among the 
woods, near the old tree from which, he told 
me, he used to watch the kingfisher, and other 
aquatic visitants. I was desirous to know 
what other waterfowl frequented the grounds, 
either as residents or stragglers. 
“Tn addition to those you have named,”’ 
said my host, ‘ which are in great abundance, 
here are the heron, in such numbers as to 
have established a heronry in the neighboring 
trees; the Canada, Bernade, and wild goose, 
the water rail, the widgeon, the teal, the little 
grebe, the cormorant; and occasionally the 
tufted duck, the shoveller, the golden eye, 
and the dun diver.” 
