. Notes on the birds of Northamptonshire and neighbourhood . suffers more than any other from thecunning of the bird-catcher, and we have of lateyears been grieved to find several of these artistsplying their trade with limed twigs and call-birdsabout our highroads and lanes, but it is in theneighbourhood of our large towns and on oursouthern coasts that the principal havoc has beenWTought amongst these delightful little birds. Inthe fourth edition of Yarrells British Birds, vol. 118, will be found a quotation from the Zoolo-gist, in which the writer estimates the averageannual captures
. Notes on the birds of Northamptonshire and neighbourhood . suffers more than any other from thecunning of the bird-catcher, and we have of lateyears been grieved to find several of these artistsplying their trade with limed twigs and call-birdsabout our highroads and lanes, but it is in theneighbourhood of our large towns and on oursouthern coasts that the principal havoc has beenWTought amongst these delightful little birds. Inthe fourth edition of Yarrells British Birds, vol. 118, will be found a quotation from the Zoolo-gist, in which the writer estimates the averageannual captures of this species near Worthing atabout 1154 dozens, nearly all being cock birds, 192 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE This statement was published in 1860. The editorof the edition of Yarrells British Birds goes on,Jog. supra cit., to quote Mr. Swaysland, a well-knownbud-preserver at Brighton, who, in his evidencebefore the Select Committee on Wild Birds Pro-tection, printed July 23, 1873, states that formerly aboy could catch forty dozens of Goldfinches in a. A. Frickly Question. morning within ten miles of Brighton, whereas theyare now comparatively scarce, and not a hundredmay be seen even at the most favourable time ofyear. In April our flocks of Goldfinches break up,and leaving their favourite autumn and winterresorts in the rough pastures and the roadside fences,distribute themselves in pairs about our shrubberies AXD yEIGIIBOUEHOOD. 193 and gardens. We have usually at least tuo nests inthe flower-garden at Lilford quite close to the house,besides several more at a short distance. Theexquisitely neat little nest is by no means alwayseasy to discover, being often placed at the end of aleafy bough of oak, horse-chestnut, plane, or otherlarge-leaved tree, not unfrequently amongst the top-most twigs of a fruit-tree, and now and then near thetop of a tapering cypress or Irish yew. The eggsare generally five, and are probably too well knownto my readers to require description. The
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1895
