WILD EXMOOR. 



but too far for a good view. To stalk them 

 it is necessary to go round the head, or 

 shallow upper end of the coombe (a mile is 

 nothing), and so get the wind to blow from 

 them. Their scent is so quick that to ap- 

 proach down the wind is useless ; they would 

 scent me and be up and away long before I 

 could get near. The hollow of the coombe 

 carries the wind somewhat aslant just there 

 from its general direction like a tube, else I 

 think they would have scented me as it is. 



As I start to go round the head of the 

 coombe, suddenly some one whistles loudly, 

 evidently as a signal to a friend, two loud 

 notes ; it is very annoying. The hinds will 

 be off alarmed ; I am surprised that they 

 remain quiet ; another whistle, and a bird, 

 like a large peewit, but with pointed wings, 

 crosses the coombe, rolling from side to side 

 as it flies. It is a curlew his whistle 

 exactly resembled that of a man, but the 



