BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 343 
causes much annoyance to shooters from its habits of flying up 
on the least alarm and warning all the other less wary fowl 
with its shrill ‘‘tui too too.” 
During the nesting season this bird becomes very noisy, 
and if the nesting site be approached, especially after the 
young are hatched, they fly round the intruder or sit on some 
bank, calling out vigorously all the time. It is a most interest- 
ing sight to take a sporting dog near the young birds and 
watch the way in which time after time the parents will decoy 
the dog away by fluttering under his very nose until they have 
led him to what they consider a safe distance, when they will 
spring in the air and with a cheery note return to their brood. 
This habit is common to many species of ground-nesting 
birds, but unless we take a keen hunting dog with us we 
shall fail to realise what an excellent device it is for safeguard- 
ing the young from mammalian vermin. The food and habits 
of this species call for no special comment, as it does not 
greatly differ from its congeners. 
In winter the adult is greyish brown on the back; second- 
aries nearly white; rump and under parts white, with a few 
dark streaks on the neck and breast. Bill reddish with a black 
tip; legs red. 
In summer the upper parts are yellowish brown barred and 
spotted with blackish, the under parts white, profusely streaked 
on the neck and sides of the breast with ash-brown, the flanks 
being barred with the same colour. Length about 11 in. ; 
bill 1°8 in. ; wing 6°25 in. 
The female resembles the male, and the young may be 
recognised by the feathers of the mantle having buff spots 
and the legs being yellow. 
The white secondaries are very conspicuous in flight. 
