Chirps and 
Chatter. 
(97) THE BIRD WORLD. 
The Little Peter. 
The yellow-clustered flowers of the 
samphire growing on the rocks at the 
cliff’s foot suggested a train of ideas to 
the French fishermen of former days. 
To them the tiny web-footed bird that 
came before the autumn gales and 
seemed to tread upon the water, like 
St. Peter walking on the lake, became 
known as Petrel, or Little Peter. The 
names thus given have lingered on and 
become familiarised with use. Petrel 
is still the Stormy Petrel. San Pierre 
gradually got abbreviated into Sampier, 
and then Samphire. There is no more 
interesting study than the derivation of 
words, and most particularly of names, 
for it gives an insight into the spirit of 
the times that could see in what was 
simplest and commonest connections 
such as these. 
A Tragedy. 
A nest of the Pied Flycatcher 
( Muscicapa. articapilla ) containing four 
eggs was found at Glendoune, Girvan, 
recently. This species has not been 
recorded in the district before, although 
its congener, the Spotted Flycatcher, is 
fairly common; but some four or five 
years ago a nest of the former was found 
in the same locality, and the young were 
successfully reared. This year’s nest 
was situated in the hollow of a fine 
rugged old acacia, and was composed 
of moss and withered grass, and lined 
with shreds from the bark of an adjoin¬ 
ing tree (Wellingtmia gigantica), with a 
few hairs and feathers. For some time 
all went well, but the other morning it 
was noticed that quite a quantity of the 
same bark which lined the nest had been 
piled on the top of it, smothering the 
two youngsters which had just hatched. 
A careful watch revealed the startling 
fact that this had been done by the 
parent birds themselves, due, no doubt, 
to the fact that they had thought too 
much attention was being paid to their 
little home and its contents. Instances 
are numerous of the affection displayed 
by some animals for their young, but 
rarely such a monstrous perversion of 
rature as was displayed in this case. 
Eagle Preservation. 
As in the case of the Ravens, perse¬ 
cution has driven the Eagles from their 
ancient nesting-places high up in trees, 
to precipitous cliffs in (still) isolated 
parts of Highland glens, or along the 
north-west seaboard. But it is not so 
many years since Eagles found safe 
nesting-places in protected woodlands; 
and the most recent record is associated 
with an incident that must still further 
endear the memory of the late Queen 
Victoria to the people of this country. 
Queen Victoria’s Kind Thought. 
In the autumn of 1895 Mr. Michie, 
who had some forestry appointment on 
the Balmoral estate, contributed to the 
natural history columns of the “York¬ 
shire Weekly Post ” an interesting 
account of his discovery of a Golden 
Eagle’s nest high up on a Scotch fir tree 
in a woodland glade a few miles from 
the castle. Her Majesty was informed 
of the extraordinary occurrence (for Mr. 
Michie had never known these birds to 
build in any part of the district before, 
and he had lived on the estate all his 
life), and gave prompt orders that the 
birds were in no way to be disturbed; 
and it is unnecessary to say that these 
were faithfully obeyed. A few days 
after the discovery the Queen visited the 
locality, and had the pleasure of seeing 
the birds. Nidification and the rearing 
of a pair of Eaglets were successfully 
carried out, but, strange to say, the 
Eagles never returned. Probably they 
were killed by some vandal gamekeeper 
or “ rare-bird ” collector strolling around 
to shoot any rarity that chanced to cross 
his path. 
Seagulls as Messengers. 
M. Demarque, a French professor 
who has made a series of successful ex¬ 
periments with trained Seagulls at 
Toulon, states that these birds are far 
superior to Homing Pigeons for taking 
messages across the sea. The Seagull 
is more intelligent, and will face the 
most terrific hurricane, whereas Homing 
Pigeons do not rise in stormy weather. 
