274 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



get for the first dozen of blotched eggs. But his heart is 

 gayer still when he sees both birds sitting about on the 

 warrens, and mayhap on the ploughed marshes as well as 

 the clear marshes, for he knows the beginning is near. He 

 saw them tumbling nearly a fortnight ago, and he knows 

 they generally lay three weeks after they begin tumbling, or 

 "pairing," as he calls it. But when he sees the cocks fly 

 up and cut at an old grey crow that has just flown over, 

 he is assured ''there be eggs," and he is right; we should 

 find eggs. 



But let us select our marshes, for we will not go to the 

 warrens, although the first eggs are sure to be found there ; 

 the soil is warmer there. We will go and look over a clear 

 marsh, a ploughed marsh, a grass marsh, or a new-lay, and 

 a few days after the first eggs have been found, for we wish 

 to see the birds busy at their great task. 



It is a beautiful dawn in early May, the da5dight sky 

 brightening to the nor'ard, as we start in the heavy dew up 

 the wall ; for daybreak is the time to find a duck's nest, and 

 soon after daybreak a peewit's cradle. We will go down 

 now across that dike into the marsh, where the cocks of 

 litter stand piled, ready to be poled to the big marsh-boat, 

 and carried to the farm. As we walk across the dike over 

 the old plank, all riddled with bolt-holes — for 'tis a footbridge 

 torn from some wreck salvaged from the Hasboro' sands — 

 I throw my cap into the air, and look ! See yon bird 

 silently and swiftly flying off across the water and away 

 over the reed-beds ? That is the hen. You must watch 

 ker, and her only, if you want to find eggs. But here 

 comes the cock tumbling, and excitedly calling, " Three bul- 

 locks a week — week arter week — week arter week." An 

 expert egger could tell you how many eggs she has by 

 her flight, for as her eggs increase her flight gets more 

 sluggish, and when she begins sitting, she is "a real old 

 lump" when she flies away, and indeed such is the case 

 with most birds. But the hen-peewit is exceptionally active 



