Behaviour of Birds 
lines (Manchester Cree. 29.x1.17), feed- 
ing securely in this ‘‘ No-man’s-land”’; for 
no man from either side dare venture from 
his trench in pursuit, much less stop to pick 
up a bird he might chance to shoot, for fear 
of a sniper’s bullet (Daily Express, 23.11.17). 
Coots often indulged in a fight on their 
own account, and paid little attention to the 
Shells which were falling close to them 
(Scottish Naturalist, 1917, p. 139). 
MALLARD, resting on pools close to our 
lines, were not in the least disturbed by the 
boom of our guns firing over their heads. 
They flighted regularly to their feeding-ground 
somewhere within the German lines, and regu- 
larly returned in spite of the terrific roar 
and rattle of the artillery; nothing could 
make them forsake their resting-ground, 
although to reach it they had to cross two 
immense armies engaged in a deadly fight for 
a strip of ground (Land and\ Water, 14.1x.16). 
Ducks paid more heed to the odd rifle-shots 
of the sniper than they did to the far greater 
disturbance of the shells; but on one occa- 
sion, when a blazing balloon came down close 
126 
