24 



Our Bird Friends. 



fly off with it before its rightful owner has had time 

 to come near. 



It is wonderful to what an extent wild creatures 

 help each other to gain a livelihood. In some 

 American rivers large fish chase small ones, upon 

 which the}' prey until they make some of them leap 

 on to the low nuiddy banks in their frightened efforts 

 to escape. This is a true case of " out of the frying- 

 pan into the fire," for before they have time to 

 wriggle back into their own element the unfortunate 

 little creatures are devoured by birds lying in wait 

 for them. I suspect that a very similar fate often 

 awaits worms escaping from moles. Any little 

 vibration in the Gf round sends a number of worms to 

 the surface in a great state of fear, and from the way 

 I have tracked l^lackbirds and Thrushes hopping 

 after a mole throwing up bis little hillocks of mould 



SOME SXAIL;> THAT ];iuri>ii 



