Welhatwel, Apr, 11.—Bird life. in this pen. {insula is of supreme interest just at this time though I must confess that its appeal is greater to a so-called expert than to a casual observer: sao. WF commpacsifvely, seamen: (Wie, ceuaperien, being with Shanghai) because we have no Blackbirds and Bulbuls here, yet Buntings and Titmice keep chirping away' while the Greenfinch's purring notes—unknown to us in Shang-l—require a trained ear to appreciate them. 'There are little surprises to be found in the hills, such og a Crested Lark singing from a low' perch, or a Wagiail bursting into unexpected song as two males fight over a female. The mewing of the gulls gives a note of sad ness, while comedy ig provided by an occasional HIN' Partridge flying away like a scared hen yelling blue murder in the approved farmyard fashion, Birds of prey are here in amazing variety: Merlin, Sparrow-Hawk, Kestrel and Falcon are all hunting fairly close to the ground, while a pair of Kiles: seem to keep guard over each hill-range on the lookout for Unconsidered trifles: a bluish-looking Montagu's Harrier appears alone and (his not being the breeding season) does not give any exhibition fof the wonderful trick whereby one bird turns over in the alr to receive the prey from its mate, Only yesterday a huge Shantung Eagle Owl passed so close to me that the great head 3nd yellow-brown eyes were clearly seer as it jung through the air allen as a wind.blown Teaf. As T write these lines a gale is blowing outside and the sky is dark with clouds of "Gobi dust": and out of this welter there have just appeared two beautiful Hoopoes, diving into my ttle ravine for shelter. This place is, Indeed, full of surprises. The first Swallows got hereon April 10—three weeks after their Shanghai arrival, but the pair that build in my verandah are not yet here. There is as yet sign of the Cuckoos which I heard in Shanghat Sust before T left on the Gth: true "gowks" apparently travel slowly—e.8.W.
Weihaiwei, April 14—Down in the little cove next to my house many sea birds may be observed between halt and low tide. Small diving ducks scuttle in search of food beaten up by the waves as they surge round the rocks, while on the rocks themselves stand the Cormorante—great lazy fishermen who All their bullets so easily during the spring sh-migrations which crowd our waters with anything from prawns to yard-long flatfish, And Jon every rock where the Cormorants stand and preen themselves, for nine hours out of twelve It they want to, at least a couple of Herring-gulls come to join them: there seems to be Jsome queer kind of attraction "between these birds and I can only imagine that (ike most things in nature) it is based on food: Perhaps the Cormorants regurgitate something which the. gulls can eat—a disgusting but practical thought which I leave to others to follow up. By the way, I should mention that all these' Merring.gulls at present are the Yellow-legged variety, not the "Pink-legged" mentioned by Professor Herklots in his list of Weihaiwei birds. The Cormorants I see are of fat least two varieties which I cannot go" into for the present; 1 merely want to mention a few -of -thelr habits. Cormorants adopt something between half-to fully-upright stance when resting on the rocks, which often gives them an.appearance very much like that of a penguin; but they have a long neck on which the head is suddenly twisted, turned, outstretched or withdrawn in the most amusing man-nor: the birds are sitting in small rows and a Cormorant suddenly twists her head, ike a talkative Indy In a theatre, to tell the Indy behind her exactly what the'hero will do next.
have often described the manner in which the birds stand with both wings outstretched, making. them look like a Church lectern...but when they decide to dry one wing only, and the wing appears to encircle the bird on the left or right, It looks precisely like a bucolic couple contemplating matrimony in their own dull way without being certain of the correct motions. I often wonder if Anatole France did Jnot mean Cormorants when he wrote his famous book entitled "The Penguins."—rs.w.
Welhaiwet, Apr. 16—Since.I have" been watching the resting Magpies in this garden, have been wondering if there is possibly any racial difference between the Northern and [Southern birds: I have neither specimens nor books of reference here but I have the impression that these local birds are smaller. Such an impression ig probably due to the spacious view of hill and sea which tends to make all objects appear smaller.. for I must confess that even the nests here look about half the size of those in Shanghai. I am, how. lever, quite sure about certain peculiarities of the nest I am now seeing daily: at is dit. rerently: placed, and built on a slightly dit-{ferent "plan when compared with a Shanghat nest: this structure seems to have a semi-lapon space in the centre, between a solid cup [below and a solid roof above: I can see the movements of a parent bird inside the nest through this lightly constructed bané—a thing have never been able to do In the case of a [Shanghai nest. Then there is the question of [the foundation: in Shanghai it always rests in {the crotch of two or more branches, into which mud, bound together with fibres, etc, is pound. fed to make a solid base: here the nest is placed between three up-growing branches some fect Jabove the crotch so that there cannot be any mud foundations. On the other hand these [birds have shown considerable skill in weaving {twigs round the outside of the branches half way up the V, so to speak) in order to hold [their nest firmly in place. 1 started this note saying that I had been "watching the Magpies, but I think the boot is on the other beg:' I do my best not to disturb them. [but they are watching me Lke a suspected feriminal; if 1 walk on my verandah, the {two of them sit ona chimney-top and make rude remarks about me. And og to other Magpies... time was When they' could skim factes the garden and stop for a friendly chat among the fruit trees: now they must fly" al-mast level with the hilltops to cross my little domain in safety. Weihsiwel Maggie's ARP. unit is obviously a most efficient one—Es.w.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.