Notes from 
an Old Diary. 
(89) THE BIRD WORLD. 
Notes from an Old Diary. 
By T. H. KINCH. 
(Continued from Page 47.) 
What a lesson can be learnt from 
Nature if one will only study it. After 
I grew up an accident, through a fork 
being stuck into my knee-joint, caused 
me to be unable to get about without 
crutches, so for amusement and to pass 
the time away I was always on the look¬ 
out for something to amuse myself, and 
many a lesson have I learnt from the 
wild birds, which have been my hobby 
from boyhood. I can now say that if 
I had not had them to occupy my mind 
I cannot imagine what I should have 
done. Read I could not when in pain, 
neither could I stay indoors if fine. If 
I could only get out then I could have 
plenty to relieve my pain and cause me 
excitement, especially in the spring, by 
watching the birds building their nests, 
laying their eggs, and rearing their 
young. I carefully noted all these for 
further reference, recorded the first nests 
and eggs each year, also the arrival and 
departure of our spring and autumn 
visitors. Many a time have I passed a 
joke with our shepherd, who was one of 
the old school (in fact, he is alive now, 
and over 90 years of age), by saying I 
had heard the Cuckoo in January or 
February if the weather was mild; but 
he always capped me by saying he had 
heard it a week ago. 
A Senseless Practice. 
This man, to my knowledge, has cut 
some dozens of birds’ tongues to make 
them talk, but I do think that I was the 
means of stopping this cruel practice by 
speaking to the police about it, and they 
cautioned him. I believe the practice 
is still carried on, for only last year I 
stopped a magpie’s tongue being cut oy 
a neighbour of mine and a friend, but, 
friend or no friend, I told him if he did 
have it cut I should proceed against 
him. This firmness frightened him, but 
-severed our friendship. Now I am on 
this subject I may say that he used to 
use a piece of silver (as he said), but I 
quite believe it was a piece of tin, and 1 
cut under the tongue. At first I know 
he used a pair of scissors and cut the 
point of the tongue off. A jackdaw 
was once brought to me nearly dead by 
two of the daughters of a lord, who 
asked me to save it. They said the 
tongue had been cut, and I asked them 
by whom. They said the butler, who 
understood birds (well, he did, in his 
way, for he had a pair of Canaries for 
about a twelve-month). I told them. 
that I should like to serve him the same. 
My great love for the birds would pre¬ 
vent me, if possible, causing them suffer¬ 
ing, even if I lose my friends. 
The Birds’ Doctor. 
I wonder how many birds I have had 
brought to me to be doctored in my time. 
I have saved the greater portion of 
them; some were, of course, too far- 
gone. Many are the thanks I have re¬ 
ceived for the same. I will perhaps, 
contribute an article on my experience 
of doctoring birds on some further occa¬ 
sion, with the editor’s permission. 
The Colouration of Eggs. 
Quite one of the curios in my ex¬ 
perience was a white egg in a hedge- 
sparrow’s nest—four blue eggs and one 
white. Now there is a problem to think 
out. I have thought this over many a- 
time, but as yet cannot solve it. I was - , 
not able to learn if that egg was laid 
first or last. I am quite sure that the- 
cock bird does have some influence over 
the markings of the eggs, i.e., judging' 
from my experience by Canaries’ eggs; 
one cock would cause the markings on> 
some eggs to be quite different to others; 
then, when I reversed the cocks, they 
became quite natural. I do find that I 
have much to learn yet over the egg: 
