INCREASE AND DECREASE OF BIRDS. 105 
ON THE INCREASE AND DECREASE OF CERTAIN 
BIRDS. 
O M E T II I N G has been written lately in Nature Notes 
about kingfishers — in Oxfordshire especially. I think 
^ ie numerical strength or weakness of this species 
is mainly a question of seasons. A certain number of 
kingfishers are doubtless killed by loafing gunners, and the 
owners of fish hatcheries, and those who preserve trout 
streams are answerable for the death of a good many. But 
I am inclined to think that loafing gunners are less numerous 
than they used to be. The gun licenses are better looked up, 
and more people take care of the shooting rights over their 
land, upon which the presence of the loafing gunner is conse- 
quently objected to. Nevertheless, the kingfisher is still a 
persecuted bird, and I know of two people who actually take 
a pleasure in seeing how many specimens of their own shooting 
they can get together ! This part of the country— North Ox- 
fordshire — with its numerous streams, having often high earthy 
banks in which breeding places may be found, is so suitable for 
kingfishers that they could certainly hold their own, and even 
make headway against the persecution they are here subjected 
to, were it not for the periodical recurrence of severe winters. 
A realty hard winter, with a long frost sharp enough to freeze 
the streams is fatal to the kingfishers. The three cold winters, 
culminating in the snow-storm and frost of January, 1881, re- 
duced their numbers terribly, but in the years that followed 
they recovered strength, and steadily increased until they were 
again cut off by the great frost of 1890-91. Last summer (1890) 
kingfishers were realty quite numerous in this neighbourhood. 
One could not walk far along any of our streams just before 
autumn without seeing one or more, and on a stretch of the 
Swere, where I am often fishing, two pairs bred in peace in 
one meadow. But all this is changed now, and I do not think 
I have seen a single bird since the frost. It will take some 
years for them to reach their former numbers again, but with 
fairly mild winters there is no doubt that they will recover from 
the effects of the late fatal frost. 
I am inclined to think that the Wild Birds Preservation Acts 
have done some good. The goldfinch, which a dozen years ago 
was realty a rare bird here in the breeding season, is so no 
longer. It has perhaps suffered a little from the past winter, 
for I do not think I have noticed as many as usual this spring, 
but last summer their pretty twittering song was to be heard 
commonly about the apple trees in gardens and orchards in and 
about this and the neighbouring villages. The green wood- 
pecker is another bird which has certainty been increasing ; but 
it is heavily handicapped by hard winters. The increase of 
these two species should I think be, partly at all events, 
