104 



SYLVIAD.E. 



clinging to the top of a juniper, where he fidgets about 

 uttering his twit-click-click, which you can easily imitate by 

 whistling once sharply and knocking two stones together 

 twice in rapid succession. The other is perched on the 

 top spine of a furze-bush they are aspiring birds and 

 must settle on the top of whatever they alight on, be it 

 only a dock. Now one dips down and is lost for a few 

 seconds, to appear again, however, directly on the summit 

 of another bush ; now they are OD our right hand, now 



THE STONECHAT. 



on our left; now before us, and then behind. Are they 

 describing a circle round their nest for a centre, or are they 

 trying to trick us into the belief that they are better worth 

 caring for than their young ones, and may be caught if we 

 will only be silly enough to chase them ? I do not know ; 

 but whatever their thoughts may be, we certainly are in 

 them, and as certainly they are not delighted at our 

 presence. We walk on, and suddenly they are gone ; but 

 presently we encounter another pair of the same birds, who 



