178 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



of them — of hills and hollows in whose placing there 



seems to be no order. The white scuts of the 



rabbits show continually, as they dot about from 



bent-tufts and thorn-scrub. Eagles in immature 



plumage, generally Sea-eagles, visit the dunes and 



prey on the rabbits that swarm here when they are 



on flight. So do also the Falcons (Peregrines these 



are, rarely a Gyr-Falcon) and the larger Hawks, with 



the Owls to help them. If the Raptores were to 



stay for a year without being checked, they would 



only slightly thin off some of the pinwire sea-weed 



munchers. But this they are not permitted to do 



without some interruption, as they are themselves 



worth far more as specimens for collections than the 



rabbits they feed on. However, all of them do not 



get shot, far from it. If it is the sea-breeze that 



gives them extra ideas on the interesting subject of 



self-preservation to add to their usual keen ones I 



do not know ; but they are very difficult to get at. 



This difficulty may be owing to the Cobs, which are 



continually on the beat over these sand-hills, always 



keeping out of harm's way themselves, and giving 



the alarm to all whom they perceive to be getting 



near danofer. When the Cob beats to and fro over 



the dunes well up out of shot, you may crouch and 



hide, but his keen eyes will be sure to see you, and 



he will cackle loudly just to let all the other birds 



know he has seen something. The worst of it is 



they all believe in him. 



Catch a Cob asleep, if you can. One of my 

 fowling friends once thought he had got one of these 



