98 
NATURE NOTES. 
It will be noticed that two or three familiar birds are not mentioned, such as 
the goldcrest, white-throat, red-backed shrike, yellow bunting, and lesser redpoll ; 
they all breed in the parish, but have not yet been observed from the window. 
Of magpies we have absolutely none, and though I am pretty sure I have seen 
one if not both species of crow, I am not certain. The most interesting bird 
mentioned in my list is the whimbrel, which I recognised when passing over on 
July 30, 1890; it was travelling from north to south, and calling repeatedly. I 
knew the whimbrel well, having seen it frequently, and shot it several times, both 
on the Norfolk and Suffolk coast. 
Last year my brother compiled and printed for private circulation, a catalogue 
of the birds which have occurred in this parish, the total area of which is under 
one thousand acres. His list contained exactly one hundred species, to which I 
have since been able to add the reed-warbler. There are, of course, in this 
country, hundreds of villages, each a Selborne in itself, containing a variety of 
plants, insects, and birds, the existence of which is unknown to, and uncared for, 
by the vast majority of the human population. 
Tostock Rectory, Bury S. Edmunds. Julian G. Tuck. 
Bird Sanctuaries in London (p. 23).— The interest of such enclosures 
would to all be very great, but more especially perhaps to some of the many 
thousands of people who live in London, and never see a bit of real country or of 
natural woodland. Not a small benefit of such a protected piece of ground would be 
its health-giving tendency. One of the two joys conferred by a bit of wild wood is 
its fragrance. All the year round all sorts of sweet scents seem to reside in it ; it is 
not only the fragrant blossom of hawthorn, honeysuckle, and wild hyacinth, that 
perfume the air, but the moss, the ferns, the very soil itself — all these give out 
wholesome influences. It is beautifully said that in spring it is as if the old earth 
were renewing itself ; the scent of the flowers being most conducive to health. 
Hence the “bird sanctuaries” might become, by and by, small ozone factories 
for the great metropolis. Nor does it seem reasonable to object to the pro- 
posal as “too large an order.” As to the outlay, it would be at the beginning 
mostly, and that in making the necessarily high fences both light and strong ; 
the after keeping up of the enclosures could not entail much cost. Besides, 
perhaps some of the money now lavished on “bedding-out” plants could be 
spared. These borders are most pleasing to the eye from their variety and 
brilliancy of colour ; still, they lack, owing to their artificialness, the ineffable 
charm and spontaneity— the unconsciousness of the natural wild wood. 
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES AND QUERIES. 
A Strange Sitter. — During the high winds which prevailed for some days 
in December last, a workman who was doing some repairs to the parish church 
brought me a fine barn owl, which, being disturbed from its ancient abode in the 
church, had attempted a flight by daylight, but being confused by the light, and 
unable to fly against the very strong wind then blowing, it came to the ground and 
was caught without difficulty. Its captor transferred it to his dinner basket, and, 
I suppose, considered what he should do with it ; I am afraid that his decision 
was not exactly favourable to the captive, for when I inquired upon that point 
his captor said he “ thought he should have him stuffed.” This I am sorry to say 
seems the desire of most people in the country with regard to every beautiful and 
unusual bird that happens to come into their hands. I suggested as an alternative 
that I should like to purchase it, and in the evening allow it to fly away. Its 
captor thought it “ seemed a pity to do that,” but he eventually handed his fluffy 
captive over to me for the modest sum of sixpence — although I may say that in 
this part the traditional price of an owl is ninepence — so the owl was transferred, 
with much flapping of wings, to a large wicker basket, and on looking at it a few 
minutes afterwards I was surprised to see that it was apparently fast asleep, 
leaning against the side of the basket and breathing heavily. It looked so quiet 
and tame that it occurred to me that it might be possible to take a photograph of 
