4 CHARADEIID.E. 



worse than a wild-goose chase — for we are very likely, if unwary, to attempt the 

 one, and the other we should not. 



" See those shallow cup-shaped depressions near those old thistles. They 

 are cocks' nests. He begins the game by ' scrabbing ' several of them. I have 

 counted five such made by one bird. Some here, you see, are lined with pulled 

 grass ; but they are nothing. She builds the real nest, and that is why the 

 fenmen are more delighted when they see her on the ground ; for they know 

 that when he is on the ground alone he is only pretending with his ' cock's nests.' 

 But you see the cock-bird has gone too, since he could not take us in. Biit no 

 doubt we shall flush more birds on tliis marsh, for they are sensible birds, and 

 often build in company with each other, and snipe and red-legs too build near 

 them on suitable marshes ; but this one is too dry for them. But some couples 

 are unsociable and drive off all socially-inclined couples. 



" Look, there is an old cock standing by yonder fork left standing in a heap 

 of litter ; the hen has flown silently away wliilst we have been talking. There 

 are eggs thereabouts, for he is watching them, as the cock always does when the 

 hen leaves the nest. But see, he is up and coming towards us, crying the usual 

 cry — hovering close over our heads, as if eager to pierce our caps. There must 

 be young ; he is so excited. Had we a dog with us, he would dart down almost 

 within a yard of it. Let us search here amongst these thistles and rushes, and 

 be careful you do not tread on the nest, for it is very easy to pass it over a dozen 

 times. But see, here it is, just by this thistle-stalk, with one helpless but pretty 

 little chick, two of the eggs ' sprung ' and the fourth egg sound, but bright, 

 smooth, and warm to the touch, as all hard-set eggs are. The eggs are lying in 

 the grass-lined cup on a slant, their small ends pointing inwards, and that is their 

 usual position, though the hen turns them round every day, as, indeed, T think 

 most birds do, so that they may be evenly warmed into life. The pretty little 

 fellow is evidently only just born, or he would be out of the nest, crouching in 

 the print of a cow's or horse's hoof, and the eyes of Argus alone would find him. 

 Once only did I find a youngster out of his nest, and that was on a bare mountain 

 in Perthshire : tliere was no cover. This youngster here, had he been old 

 enough, would have run out of the nest, and, once having left his cradle, nothing 

 would have induced him to return. But he is only just hatched : for had the 

 four chicks been bom, both old birds would have stayed to defend their young ; 

 by that sign shall you know whether there be young. 



" But let us lie behind this heap of stuff over here and watch the first hen we 

 flushed ; she ought to be returning soon, for T have seldom known them leave 

 their eggs more than twenty minutes, if there be more than one egg. But she is 



