SOARING OF BIRDS 33 



then take a very few little bits, look gratefully 

 into my face, and fly away till it was hungry again, 

 then da capo. The same robin hops in and out 

 now continually through the open window, and 

 takes what it pleases. 



I saw a strange sight lately in the garden of 

 the next house from an upper window of my own. 

 A young cuckoo had alighted on the top of a stake, 

 and was loudly and hoarsely cry ing for food. The 

 other birds seemed to be all flying away from it 

 in alarm ; but suddenly a very small one, a chiff- 

 chaff I think, flew straight to the cuckoo, and after 

 fluttering about its head like a moth, popped 

 something into its mouth, and then flew away for 

 more. The cuckoo looked large enough to swallow 

 its foster-parent, and was strong on the wing, and 

 apparently full-grown. 



I have been watching the soaring of the 

 martins, who seem to be obliged to attain a cer- 

 tain height before they can cross the Channel. 

 During the late prevalence of north-east winds 

 large flocks might be seen going across in a south- 

 westerly direction. One day, while I was watching 

 a flock crossing in this direction at a great height, 

 I was puzzled by seeing a number of them below 

 flying round and round, and about and over and 

 even below the trees with a general inclination of 

 flight in the opposite direction. At last I made 



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