MAGPIE FIELDS, 169 



A short time afterwards, on the 17th of September, 

 looking over the gateway of an adjacent field whict 

 had been wheat, then only recently carried, a pheasant 

 suddenly appeared rising up out of the stubble ; and 

 then a second, and a third and fourth. So tall were 

 the weeds that, in a crouching posture, at the first 

 glance they were not visible ; then as they fed, 

 stretching their necks out, only the top of their backs 

 could be seen. Presently some more raised their 

 heads in another part of the field, then two more on 

 the left side, and one under an oak by the hedge, till 

 seventeen were counted. 



These seventeen pheasants were evidently all young 

 birds, which had wandered from covers, some distance, 

 too, for there is no preserve within a mile at least. 

 Seven or eight came near each other, forming a flock, 

 but just out of gunshot from the road. They were all 

 extremely busy feeding in the stubble. Next day 

 half a dozen or so still remained, but the rest had 

 scattered ; some had gone across to an acre of barley 

 yet standing in a comer ; some had followed the 

 dropping acorns along the hedge into another piece of 

 stubble ; others went into a breadth of turnips. 



Day by day their numbers diminished as they parted, 

 till only three or four could be seen. Such a sortie 

 from cover is the standing risk of the game-preserver. 

 Towards the end of September, on passing a barley- 

 field, still partly uncut, and with some spread, there 

 was a loud, confused, murmuring sound up in the 

 trees, like that caused by the immense flocks of star- 

 lings which collect in winter. The sound, however, 

 did not seem quite the same, and upon inves^ii^ation it 



