296 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



disposition they exhibit; but, speaking of the bird- 

 life of the meadows and shore, they have this in 

 common, that they all appear to take a certain pleasure 

 in each other's company. I notice, for instance, that 

 if a pair of pewits are in a meadow and a flock of 

 starlings appear, after wheeling about as if undecided 

 for a few moments, they almost invariably drop down 

 where the pewits are and feed in their company. 

 If rooks or fieldfares come they too join the others. 

 Even where there are only large birds on the spot, 

 geese or sheldrakes, for example, any small birds that 

 come to the place — starlings, thrushes, larks — will 

 alight among or alongside of them. They will appear 

 to know each other, and if no relations they are friends 

 and intimates — geese, ducks, rooks, daws, crows, 

 pewits, thrushes of all kinds, larks, pipits, and 

 wagtails; also curlews, redshanks and other small 

 shore birds during the intervals when they leave the 

 sea. On these meadows herons and gulls are also 

 included in the company. You cannot watch one of 

 these gatherings for long without witnessing many 

 little incidents that have nothing to do with the 

 business in hand — the search for small seeds hidden 

 on the surface and for grubs beneath it lying among 

 the fibrous roots of grass. It is an important matter, 

 and it takes a long time to get a satisfactory meal 

 when each morsel or half-mouthful has to be searched 

 for in a separate place; but it does not take up their 

 whole attention; there is always some sort of byplay 

 going on, encounters friendly or hostile between two 

 birds, mischievous pranks and ebullitions of fun. 



