19 



On 4th August, 1903, I noticed a very dark and very light- 

 coloured Pied Wagtail on " The Cedars' " lawn, old and young 

 one I suppose, but the dark one declined to feed the light one. 

 They were the same size. 



They nest every year over "The Cedars' " drawing-room 

 window. On 5th May, 1895, we found a very young one 

 strolling about on " The Cedars' " lawn, so, for fear of cats, put 

 him in a cage on a branch, and his parents fed him through 

 the bars. 



24. — Pied Flycatcher {Muscicapa Atricapilla). 



I have only seen this bird once in my life, and that was at 

 " The Cedars," 6th May, 1888. It has so striking an appearance 

 (like a small Magpie in fact) that I first noticed it from our 

 drawing-room window, at a distance of fully 200 yards. Creeping 

 quietly up through the woods I got a good view of it, and its 

 habits appeared to be similar to M. Grisola. 



25. — Spotted Flycatcher {Muscicapa Grisola). 



Another summer visitor, generally arriving on " The 

 Cedars' " lawn with the Wagtails. They love to perch on the 

 backs of the numerous benches and chairs dotted all about, from 

 which points of vantage they make small raids on the insects 

 around. 



On 3rd June, 1903, I came across a nest in the fork of a 

 silver birch at "The Cedars'" pond, with four eggs. They 

 hatched off all right. 



26. — Swallow (Hirundo Rustica) 



During the twenty-five years I have lived at " West Lodge," 

 only once did the swallows take possession of the eaves, and 

 build round the house. Unfortunately, the reception they met 

 with from the overwhelming mass of useless sparrows that live 

 luxuriously on the good things provided for fowls, pheasants, 

 pigeons, &c, was evidently too much for them. 



Every spring that I am at kt West Lodge " I welcome and 

 write down their arrival, i.e., the first I happen to see myself, 

 and I think the earliest is 14th April, ] 900. Every year they 

 build in kk The Cedars' " stables, under the bridge at the pond, 

 and in our cowshed at tk West Lodge," to the last of which I 

 have often watched them carrying small pieces of mud. 



