Bow Church spire.[1] Mr. Harting, in his 'Birds of Middlesex,' states that in 1845 there were two nests in this tree. I have no record of this circumstance. The same author states that, in 1838, a pair of Rooks made their nest on the crown which surmounted the vane of St. Olave's Church, Crutched Friars.
I know of no Rookeries further East in London,—that is, "London proper,"—for we must exclude the outlying districts from our limits.
[There used to be some Rooks' nests in the burial-ground of St. Dunstan's in the East, in Tower Street; and in 1876 a pair of Rooks took up their quarters and built their nest in Bermondsey Churchyard.—Ed.]
ON THE REPORTED OCCURRENCE OF A GARE-FOWL
IN THE FÆROES.
By H.W. Feilden, F.G.S., C.M.Z.S.
When on a visit to the Færoe Islands in 1872, I heard that an uncommon bird had been killed more than a year previously in the neighbourhood of Porkere, in the island of Suderoe. After talking the matter over with Herr H.C. Müller in Thorshavn, he gave his opinion that the description which had reached him of
- ↑ During the rough weather of November last the dragon-vane of Bow Church was so bent and damaged by the wind that it not only ceased to work properly, but became positively dangerous. This being the case, it was determined to take it down for repairs; and the work was entrusted to Messrs. A. Proctor & Co., engineers and lightning-conductor makers. The height of the spire is 220 feet (some eighteen feet more than the Monument on Fish Street Hilll and the length of the vane is eight feet six inches. Ladders were placed close against the building and secured by a spike at the top; the second ladder being then hoisted from the first with a block and rope, the foot being well secured to the top of the other, and the second made fast as before, and so on until reaching the top. Three ladders were used to get to the vane from the top balcony of the church. Mr. Proctor and his men were assisted by one John Ives, of Huddersfield, who has had many years' experience, and who climbed twenty feet of the naked spire, there being no holdfasts or anything to assist him, and drew the ladder up after him. A stage was then erected about three feet below the ball, upon which a derrick was placed to lift the dragon from the spindle. After everything was ready there was a delay of several days owing to the violent winds making it dangerous to attempt the work of removal. This, however, was safely accomplished on the 23rd November, and about three weeks afterwards the dragon and ball, having been repaired and re-gilt, and the spire itself re-pointed, they were successfully replaced by the same means as had been employed for their removal.—Ed.
