Page:VCH Hertfordshire 1.djvu/244

A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE well kept down where game preserving is carried on to any extent. In 1882 there appears to have been an unusually large im- migration of this bird into the county. 81. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). This bird is unfortunately in most parts of Hertfordshire a thing of the past, and it is only in those districts where there is little or no game preserving that one is likely to find this handsome species still resident. 82. Jackdaw. Con/us monedula. Linn. The jackdaw is so common in some parts of the county as to be a positive nuisance on account of its depredations. This bird prefers parks with old trees and church towers for its nesting haunts, though I think sometimes it must condescend to take possession of old rooks' nests, as I have seen them round a rookery where there could be no other nesting- place for them. Mr. Arthur Lewis informed the late Mr. Littleboy that he observed a milk-white jackdaw in Gorhambury Park. This bird I believe remained there some years. 83. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. This bird is unfortunately one of those that is quite a thing of the past so far as Hertford- shire is concerned. Formerly it no doubt was a fairly plentiful breeding species in the county, but it has now completely vanished. At present I am only able to mention two places where it formerly nested, although there are probably several others. The first one is mentioned in the catalogue of the Booth Museum at Brighton, the late E. T. Booth having been shown a tree in Brocket Hall Park by Mr. Norman Thrale, in which a pair of ravens had nested up to 1846. Mr. Thrale himself had two specimens of the bird in his collection, which had been obtained there. With regard to the other nesting-place, which was at Beechwood Park, I have only the statement of a man who was formerly on the Woburn estate, and who heard a former Duke of Bedford, speaking in reference to the raven's nest then existing at Woburn, state that the nearest nest to his knowledge was at Beech- wood. Of late years this bird has occasionally visited the county, six occurrences being re- corded in the Transactions since 1880. In 1 88 1 a raven was seen on the outskirts of Mimms Wood on February 25th by Miss Selby and several gentlemen while out hunting. The next record is one seen in 1884 near Royston by Mr. Percy F. Fordham, and two more were seen at Church Hill Farm near that place on November igth, 1885. In 1890 a raven is reported to have been shot in Hertfordshire in January, and in October, 1 894, one was knocked off a tree with a stone by a boy at Tring ; while on December 26th a dead bird was picked up at the same place. With regard to the bird knocked down by the boy, it would seem curious that the raven, which is usually so wary should allow itself to be so easily approached, unless it was an escaped bird ; but Mr. Hartert, who reported the occurrence, stated that he could see no signs of captivity about it. In addition to the above examples there is at Munden in the small collection of local birds belonging to the Hon. A. Holland-Hibbert a bird which was obtained in the neighbourhood, probably be- tween 1840 and 1850. 84. Carrion-Crow. Corvus corone, Linn. This is a species which is sadly on the decrease in Hertfordshire, and is hardly to be found in any part of the county during the nesting season, except along the southern border, where there is much less game pre- serving. In other districts it is only usually seen as a wanderer. At Munden there is a stuffed bird of this species of a creamy-white colour with black tips to the wings which was shot in that neighbourhood some years ago. 85. Grey or Hooded Crow. Corvus comix, Linn. This bird is a regular winter visitor to the county, arriving in October and leaving again in March. Large numbers appear at Ash- ridge after there has been a shooting party there. One of the names of this bird is the Royston crow, which is probably taken from the town of that name, which was formerly in Cambridgeshire, but is now in this county. 86. Rook. Corvus frugi/egus, Linn. This species is plentiful all over the county. Lord Verulam informed Mr. Lewis in 1884 that there were in Gorhambury Park several more or less white rooks, including one quite white. A black and white rook also was shot at Watford by Mr. Michael Ryder in 1893. Mr. Silvester informed me that in March, 1896, his ploughman saw some rooks attack three jackdaws, two of which they killed. 87. Sky-Lark. Alauda arvensis. Linn. This is a common resident, whose numbers are at times greatly increased by immigration. Albino and colour varieties of this species have on several occasions been obtained in the county. 88. Wood-Lark. Alauda arborea, Linn. During the month of March, 1878, and again in 1879, this species was observed in a 204