Bird Life in a Suburban Parish 



109 



LiTiLE Gkebe (Puditcps Jhivialilis) on FLoAiiNG Nest 

 IN St. James's Park. 



standing motionless, as if listening : then, stretching her 

 wings, running nim])ly in the opposite direction. Some- 

 times she will be almost hidden from sight in the furrows, 

 and lier movements can only be traced by lier erect crest. 

 Tlien perhaps she will Hy off to anotlier part of tlie field, 

 and repeat the whole performance over again. Xow and then 

 she will stand on some molehill or little elevation facing 

 your hiding-place ; then tlie snow-wliite breast and black 

 collar are very conspicuous against tlie grass. (This black 

 collar in the lien has a white patch in the centre.) Even when, 

 after endless deviations and precautions, she does eventually 

 reach the nest, she will run up and doMu and round and 

 round, as if nothing was there, many times before actually 

 settling on her eggs. 



