270 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



will. Only when he is in the midst of the crowd, if, 

 in spite of their quick doublings, he succeeds in getting 

 there, do they instantly all fly apart and are like the 

 flying fragments of a violently shattered mass ; then, 

 if he has not already made his capture, he singles out 

 one bird to pursue. 



A still better spectacle is afforded by the fiery- 

 hearted little bird-hunter when, after the harvest, 

 he ranges over the fields ; when the village sparrows, 

 mixed with finches of several species, are out on the 

 stubble, often in immense congregations covering 

 half a large field from end to end. On such occasions 

 they like to feed near a hedge and are thickest on the 

 ground at a distance of three or four seconds' flight 

 from the thorny shelter. Suddenly the dreaded 

 enemy appears, topping the hedges at its far end, and 

 at the same instant, the whole vast gathering, extend- 

 ing the entire length of the field, is up in the air, their 

 innumerable, swiftly fluttering, translucent wings, 

 which produce a loud humming sound, giving them 

 the appearance of a dense silvery brown mist springing 

 up from the earth. In another instant they are safe 

 in the hedge and not a bird is visible. In some in- 

 stances the hawk is too intent on his prey to hurry on 

 to other fields hoping for better luck next time. No, 

 there are thousands here ; he will drive them out 

 and have one ! Then, heedless of your presence, he 

 ranges up and down the hedge, rising at intervals to a 

 height of thirty or forty feet and, pausing to hover a 

 few moments like a kestrel, dashes down as if to descend 



