BIRD LIFE IN THE BATTLE ZONE. [To roe Emros or
rat "Srroraxor.."]
Sot,—I have read a letter on "Bird Life in the Battle Zone" taken from your paper dated May 29th, and the following may interest you. On April 27th I was in a trench which was under a fairly heavy rifle and shell fire during the early morning. About fifteen yards to the right rear of the right flank traverse I noticed a thrashes' nest in a small tree. The nest was packed with four or five young ones about four days old, and although the mother bird flew backwards and forwards to the nest she did not feed them. I watched her movements as well as I could, and when the firing eased off a bit I was surprised to see her lift one young one in her mouth and fly away with it, returning almost immediately for the others, which were moved in the same way. Whether the old birds had built a new nest or not I cannot say, and I was quite willing to resume my duties without further investigating the subject, as business had started again.—I am, Sir, &c.,
H. R. WusoN,
Captain, 5th Dorham Light Infantry., British Expeditionary Force.
Previous page
