NATURE NOTES. 
58 
when one only is present — indeed, though two pairs came regularly to their meals 
one only would be on the stump at the same time, each politely retiring in turn. 
But, to repeal my question, where are they now, and where are the tits ? Not 
one of either kind has appeared this year, and the great stump is deserted, though 
all the delicacies of the season — lard, suet, even butter — is provided in ample 
quantity. X 
Late Singing of Thrushes (p. 17).— One'of your correspondents speaks of 
having heard a thrush as late as November 4. I was still more favoured, for the 
first Christmas carol I heard was from the throat of a thrush (not a missel) 
singing with vigour, though not quite in full song, on the morning of December 
24, a short distance from my door, the temperature being 50'’. And it may 
perhaps be worth mention that on the 26th, a meat fly (not half dormant) was 
buzzing about my open window — sounds, both of them (buzzing and singing), 
that one hardly expects to hear in old England at Christmas time. 
Caerleon, Monmouth. C. E. C. 
The Chaffinch. — I should be glad if any readers who happen to have observed 
and recorded the exact date of the beginning of the chaffinch’s song this year, 
would kindly send me a note of their record, mentioning also, if possible, the 
character of the weather at the time. My experience in Oxford has been peculiar 
so far. I caught the song first on January 20, a very warm, soft day, and the 
earliest date by ten days of which I have any record here. Then came sudden 
cold, which has lasted w’ith varying intensity up to the present date, February 4. 
This severe weather put an end to the song, but not to the pairing, of which I saw 
something among the chaffinches as well as other birds almost every morning. 
To-day the chaffinches have begun to sing again, in spite of an intensely cold east 
wind ; but I have as yet only heard them at one spot, which is always a favourite 
of the birds in winter. I may add that on January 20, a brimstone butterfly 
came out of its chrysalis in the garden of a friend here, making a very serious 
mistake, which has no doubt cost it its life. 
W. Warde Fowler. 
A Fight in the Air. — Some years ago in the month of June, while on a 
visit to Keswick, my wife, son, and I went by rail to Bassenthwaite. The 
weather was perfect, and though the lake is not nearly so pretty as Derwentwater, 
nor its surroundings so grand, we found several pleasant walks, one especially, 
through a beautiful wood, which led to the higher ground, and thus gave us a 
glorious view up the valley towards Cockermouth. Very soon we noticed a 
sparrow-hawk poised in mid-air ; suddenly he swept down to a tree, but evidently 
failed to strike his intended victim. He then took up his original position and 
made two further attempts to secure his midday repast, but in each case was 
unsuccessful, so he flew away to the wood. 
Later on my son and I started to walk round the head of the lake. We had 
not gone far before we became aware of a great combat in the air between two 
lapwings and a sparrow hawk (probably the one we had seen previously); in an 
instant we were keenly interested and almost excited. The three birds were about 
150 or 200 yards from the ground, and the order of battle seemed something like 
this — one lapwing to keep flying a few yards above the hawk, the other a similar 
distance below him ; suddenly the one above would descend and strike the hawk 
on its back with all his force of beak, body, wings, and feet ; before he could 
recover from this blow the other bird flew up and gave the hawk a great stroke on 
one side ; this was repeated several times. Then the mode of attack changed, and 
both lapwings struck the hawk at the same instant — one from above, the other 
from below. The effect of this manoeuvre was quite clear — the hawk was baffled 
and stunned by the concussion, and visibly sunk several yards before he regained 
the power of flight, and almost instantly the two birds attacked him as at first, but 
more rapidly and viciously, for now they screamed wildly, but kept on buffeting 
the hawk without a moment’s rest, only that both the lapwings took a wider flight, 
the result being to bring more force, as each blow seemed to drive the hawk several 
yards out of his position. These tactics continued for some time ; then, as if with a 
