56 
NATURE NOTES. 
the moorhen was shot near Felmersham Grange. A female specimen of the great 
buzzard hawk, four feet two inches in expanse of wing, was trapped in Melch- 
bourne Wood ; while a fine specimen of the peregrine falcon was shot in the 
same locality, both birds being rare in England. Two Norwegian short ear owls 
have been killed at Thurleigh, and upwards of a dozen beautiful green wood- 
peckers have also been captured. The remains of these birds have been sent to 
Bedford for preservation.” — Standard^ February 20. 
The Rixton (Warrington) people are equally enlightened ; we are glad “one 
man ” has something whereby to remember his exploit. “Whilst some men were 
employed on the canal at Rixton, they noticed a bird of unusual size hovering 
about. A gun was procured, and one of the men was fortunate enough to shoot 
it. A rush was immediately made for it, and whilst one man was in the act of 
picking it up, the bird implanted its claws in his leg, and great difficulty was 
experienced in extficating them. The bird was eventually killed, and proved to 
be a buzzard. It has since been stuffed.” 
Cats and Birds (Nature Notes, 1895, P- i 97 )-— -I see that M. C. B. 
inquires how to break cats not to touch birds. First obtain a kitten from a good 
hunting strain — a male for preference, as females of all classes are inclined to be 
changeable. The more game the kitten is, the better the chance of training him. 
If possible, when quite young, keep him in a room full of birds (of course, in cages); 
turn him in when just able to walk. In a short time he will get to know the birds 
and they him. Of course, he will want checking as he grows older if he shows 
too great an interest in the birds ; it should be done gently, but firmly, without 
cruelty. I have a cat now, trained in this way, and I can with safety turn him 
into the bird room and leave him there all night ; the room contains canaries, 
bullfinches, linnets, siskins, &c., &c. He will not touch a bird, but woe betide any 
rat or mouse that comes into the room. He will sometimes catch a sparrow, but 
very rarely. My birds seem to know my cat from any other animal, as they show 
signs of fright if a dog goes into the room, but when the cat is there they take no 
notice of him. I have even seen a canary feeding her young when the cat has 
been asleep not a foot from the cage. 
J. \V. H. 
A Rook Query. — What foundation is there for the statement that it is 
absolutely necessary to shoot a certain number of rooks every year, in order to 
preserve a rookery at all ? I am told that rooks are in the habit of slaughtering 
their own young, as soon as they cease to be quite dependent, hence the necessity 
of killing off the parent birds, just at that time. 
A. P. 
Feather Pictures. — I have seen “ Pictures of Birds done w iih real Feathers ” 
— as the notice says. The pictures are not painted but “feathered,” if I may say 
so. The birds are, apparently, drawn in outline and then a number of small 
feathers of various colours are gummed or pasted one upon the other. The effect, 
no doubt, is pleasing to those people who do not give one thought as to how or 
from whence the feathers came ; but to those who reflect how this effect was 
attained, it seems a most cruel way of pourtraying birds. If this way of picturing 
birds is to become common, we may, in a short time, look for the extermination of 
other species besides these which are demanded for ornament and decoration. 
Hampstead. B. W. .M. 
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES AND QUERIES. 
London Birds. — When speaking (p. 31) of the gulls on the Thames Mr. 
Maepher-son says nothing of the lesser blackback. This gull may be seen quite as 
often as the common gull or kittiwake, and 1 have watched it with great pleasure 
on many occasions off Blackfriars and Lambeth. The great blackback I have 
never had the good fortune to catch sight of, although since Mr. Maepherson 
mentioned having seen it in 1894 I have kept a most diligent outlook ; but it still 
remains a treat in store. Battersea Park I now consider to be a better hunting 
