THE CHILDHOOD OF BTB-NECK 31 



large, if not as wise, as their parents. During the latter 

 part of the summer many other birds, some larger and 

 some smaller than the plovers, began to appear on the 

 beaches. At night numbers of feathered forms appeared 

 to be flying southward overhead, and strange voices called 

 to each other out of the sky. 



Flocks of sandpipers, sanderlings and plovers contin- 

 ually stopped on the beaches to feed and rest before con- 

 tinuing their journey. They came at length in swarms, 

 and their numbers seemed to be without limit. Hun- 

 dreds, and sometimes thousands, would rise and whirl up 

 or down the beach with wonderful precision, all rising, 

 or dropping, or turning with the accuracy of perfectly 

 trained soldiers. 



All these sights seemed very new and wonderful to Bib- 

 neck, and yet the forefathers of these birds had been acting 

 in the same way for thousands of years. It seemed that no 

 bird wanted to be alone and all kept in flocks as far as 

 possible. Bib-neck began to imbibe some of the same 

 spirit, and once or twice when a flock of semi-palmated 

 plovers flew by, he joined, and fed with them for half a 

 day. But for the most part he staid by himself or in com- 

 pany with his parents and sisters. 



There were also thereabouts some tall yellow-legged 

 birds which had loud clear voices, and when they called 



