w^ DX. v:Bffrav.^B-''S^i of\x r ^'ifyh^kl" /-^ ^. ?. LCL-yt.eJ^iL^^^t^ -^^h^'UL.i^o^it^A^ ^ /GOlSr LORD LILFORD ON BIRDS V \S. \ ORD LILFORD^ =^-^ L ON BIRDS BEING A COLLECTION OF INFORMAL AND UNPUBLISHED WRITINGS BY THE LATE PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' 1 UNION . WITH CONTRIBUTED PAPERS UPON FALCONRY AND OTTER HUNTING, HIS FAVOURITE SPORTS EDITED BY AUBYN TREVOR-BATTYE M.A., F.L.S., ETC. MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION AND ILLUSTRATED BY ARCHIBALD THORBURN London: HUTCHINSON & CO Paternoster Row -*> '•> ^9^3 PRINTED BV HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEV, LD. LONDON AND AYLESBURY. PREFACE Ornithologically this book falls into three natural divisions, each with its own particular appeal. The Mediterranean Journals with their lists of birds obtained or seen would be valuable, if only as models of careful work ; but beyond this, such a companion as their recorder must surely add delightful interest to any voyage in the narrow sea. None of the natural history has been left out ; the Editor has only ventured to remove (as not in any way material to the record) the greater part of the weather log, with purely personal or social references. Although the systematic position and the scientific names of some of the birds have changed since the diaries were written, they are easily recognisable by an ornithologist as they stand : it has therefore seemed well in the great majority of instances to leave them unaltered. The letters on his own countryside are, it is true, vi PREFACE almost entirely concerned with the small occurrences of every day ; but all our knowledge of the ways of living creatures has grown from careful records such as these, and the subject is one of unfailing interest ; if it begins with Gilbert White, it ends—where ? The same thought applies to the Aviary Notes ; how sure a welcome awaits these—the record at first ' hand of a master ' aviarist — is sufficiently brought home to us by the reflection that a periodical has been successfully run for years in this country, devoted to nothing else than an interchange of experiences among those who keep living birds. All the letters, unless it is otherwise stated, were written from Lilford Hall. They are not always given under order of dates ; it has often seemed better to group them about the leading subjects with which they are concerned. An opinion entitled to great respect was expressed to the Editor, that otter hunting and falconry. Lord Lilford's favourite sports, might need some introduction to the general reader ; that otter hunting is not, like fox-hunting, ' everybody's ' sport ; and that, indeed, the idea not uncommonly obtains that the otter is still barbarously despatched with the spear. Falconry, it was pointed out, was a still more restricted pursuit. The Editor has therefore ventured himself to write a short account of otter hunting, and has been fortunate in obtaining a PREFACE vii description of falconry from the pen of the Rev. Gage Earle Freeman.^ Nearly all of the pictures which illustrate this volume are studies of individual birds in the collection at Lilford. Our thanks are rendered to Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo for his help in reading through the proof-sheets, and his kind interest in the preparation of the book. 1 Author of Falconry: its History, Claims, and Practice. We have much pleasure in quoting in this connection a passage we find in a letter written by Lord Lilford to Mr. Freeman in 1895 :— " You have done more to keep English falconers in the right way than any man now living. No such practical work as yours has been written on falconry this century." Lord Lilford's F.wourite Flower. — — LORD LILFORD'S PUBLISHED WORKS. Coloured Figures of the British Birds. The First Edition of this work, which was issued in parts by subscription, commenced in October, 1885, and the second in April, 1891. 'Edition' is really a misnomer; for when in 189 1 it was decided to admit a further set of subscribers (at rather a higher rate of subscription) only some eighteen (or so) of the plates had yet appeared. These were retouched and, in the opinion of many good judges, actually improved. Thenceforward the First and Second Editions were identical, running together and ending simultaneously. Notes 071 tlu Birds of Northamptonshire and Neighbourhood. This book was published in 1895. Some parts of it had already appeared in the form of communicated papers (see below) and some had been printed for private circulation. But besides these books Lord Lilford's literary labours include a variety of articles in the Zoologist, the Ibis, and elsewhere. Certain chance notes e.g., in the Field—are omitted, otherwise the following list is believed to be complete : In the Ibis. Under the name of the Hon. Thomas L. Powys. i860. Notes on birds observed in the Ionian Islands, and the provinces of Albania proper, Epirus, Acarnania, and Montenegro. Pages i-io, 133-140, 228-239. X LORD LILFORHS PUBLISHED WORKS Under the name of Lord Lilford. 1862. On the extinction in Europe of the common francolin {Fraticolinus vulgaris, Steph.). 352-356. 1865. Notes on the ornithology of Spain, 166-177, pi. V. {Ai/uila ncevioides). Ditto 1866, 173-187, 377-392, pi. X. (eggs of Aquila pennafa and Cyanopica cooki). 1873. Letter on Calandrella brachydactyla and Nidneiiiui hiidsoiiicus. 98. 1880. Letter on Lams aiidoui/ii s.nd other Spanish birds. 480-483. 1883. Letter on Otis tarda and other Spanish birds. 233. 1884. Rare birds in Andalucia. 124. 1887. Notes on Mediterranean ornithology, 261-283, pl- VIIL {Falco pji/iicus). 1888. Preface to Dr. F. H. H. Guillemard's "Ornithological notes of a tour in Cyprus," 1887. 94. 1889. -^ list of the birds of Cyprus. 305^350. 1892. Letter on Turnix nigricollis. 466. In the Zoologist. Under the name of the Hon. T. L. Powys. 1850. Occurrence of the smew {Mergiis albellus) in Northampton- shire. 2775. 1850. Nest and eggs of the rose-coloured pastor {Pastor roseus). 2968. 1851. Occurrence of the Caspian tern near Lausanne. 3209,3210. 1851. Note on birds entrapped at a magpie's nest. 3275. 185 1. Occurrence of black grouse and quails in Northamptonshire. 3278. 1852. Note on the kite and buzzard trapped at Blenheim. 3388. 1852. Occurrence of the black redstart near Oxford. 3476. LORD LILFORD'S PUBLISHED WORKS xi 1852. Occurrence of the ring dotterel {Charadrius hiaticula) near Oxford. 3476. 1852. Occurrence of the glossy ibis in Ireland. 3477- 1852. The shore lark {Alauda alpestris) breeding in Devonshire. 3707- 1852. Occurrence of the blue-throated warbler (Sylvia siiedai) in South Devon. 3709. 1852. Occurrence of the pratincole {Glareola forquata) in Devon- shire. 3710. 1854. Occurrence of various birds in Oxfordshire. 4165. 1854. Note on the late abundance of the spotted crake (Crex porrAina). 4165. 1855. Occurrence of the bittern and goosander in Northamptonshire, and of the red-throated diver in Plymouth Sound. 4762. 1855. Occurrence of Buonaparte's gull {Larus Buonapartii) on the Irish coast. 4762, 4809. 1861. Note on the alpine chough as observed in the Ionian Islands. 7352. (In Ibis II. 136.) Under the name of Lord Lilford. 1877 Purple gallinule in Northamptonshire. 252. 1879 Green shag in Northamptonshire. 426. 1879 Manx shearwater in Northamptonshire. 426. 1880 White-fronted goose in Northamptonshire. 66. 1880 Solitary snipe in Northamptonshire. 444. 1881 Ornithological notes from North Northamptonshire. 24, 61. i88r Roseate tern on the Norfolk coast. 26. 1882 Ornithological notes from Northamptonshire. 16, 392. 1883 26 1883 Note on the ornithology of Northamptonshire. 425-429, 466-468, 502. xii LORD LJLFORD'S PUBLISHED WORKS 1883. Common scoter inland. 495. 1884. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire. 192-194, 450-455- 1885. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire. 181-183. 1885. Hoopoe in Northamptonshire. 259. 1886. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood. 465-471. 1887. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood. 249-254, 452-457. 1887. A puffin in London. 263. 1888. Magpies attacking a weakly donkey. 184. 1888. Pallas's sand grouse in Spain. 301. 1888. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood. 456-466. 1889. Hawks devouring their prey on the wing. 185. 1889. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood. 422-430. 1890. Large race of great grey shrike. 108. 1891. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire. 41-53. 1892. „ „ „ „ „ „ 201-210. 1892. Variety of Grus cinerea in Spain. 265. 1893. Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood for 1892. 89-97. 1893. Purple gallinules in Norfolk and Sussex. 147. 1894, Notes on the ornithology of Northamptonshire and neighbour- hood for 1893. 2 10-22 1. 1894 Pheasant nesting in a tree. 266. Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1 881-1890. 1882. Exhibition of, and remarks upon, a skin of Emheriza ritstka, caught at Elstree reservoir. 721. 1888. Exhibition of a specimen of Aqitila rapax from Southern Spain. 248, LORD LILFORD'S PUBLISHED WORKS xiii Mammalia. In the Zoologist- 1884. Notes on Mammalia of Northamptonshire. 428. 1885. Dormouse in Northamptonshire. 257. 1886. Albino badgers. 363. 1887. A few words on European bats. 61-67. 1887. The bank vole in Northamptonshire. 463. 1890. Hedgehog v. rat. 453. 1891. The polecat in Northamptonshire. 342. 1892. The polecat in Northamptonshire. 20, 224. 1894. Barbastelle in Northamptonshire. 187. 1894. Barbastelle in Huntingdonshire. 395. For the above list the Editor is indebted to Dr. Paul Leverkiihn, C.M.Z.S., of the Scientific Library and Institution of H.R.H. The Prince of Bulgaria, Sophia. His compilation of Lord Lilford's papers was published in the Ornith.