370 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
however, remain and fly round and round in small 
flocks till the mud reappears. I have watched whole 
flocks of them trying to pitch on the first little bit of 
mud they can see, forty or fifty trying to stand on a 
place that will not hold more than three or four, the 
outsiders always being pushed into the water till they 
are out of their depth, when they are obliged to fly; 
however, they generally contrive to pitch again in the 
middle and shove others into the water; and this 
goes on till the water has receded far enough to 
allow space for the whole on the mud. 
In Kent the fishermen and mud-diggers appear 
to have a curious method of enticing the Curlews 
within shot, and as it illustrates rather an odd habit 
in the birds, I have copied the following account of 
their method from the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1866 (Second 
Series, p. 124):—‘ They take a trained dog, as much 
like a fox as possible: after hiding in a dyke they 
send the dog out on the mud-fiats left bare by 
the receding tide: as soon as the Curlews see the 
animal they almost invariably attack it, flying round 
and round, uttering loud yells and occasionally 
making a pounce at it: the dog, who understands 
his business well, beats a retreat towards the spot 
where his master lies hidden. ‘The Curlews follow 
up their success with vigour, but to their confusion ; 
for as soon as they are well within range the man 
shoots one, and reloading does the same again: so 
engaged are they with the dog that sometimes as 
