148 NATURE NEAR LONDON 



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 

 corner; 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 starlings which collect in winter. The 

 sound, however, did not seem quite the same, and upon 

 investigation it turned out to be an incredible number of 

 sparrows, whose voices were audible across the field. 



They presently flew out from the hedge, and alighted 

 on one of the rows of cut barley, making it suddenly 

 brown from one end to the other. There must have been 

 thousands ; they continually flew up, swept round with a 

 whirring of wings, and settled, again darkening the spot 

 they chose. Now, as the sparrow eats from morning to 

 night without ceasing, say for about twelve hours, and 



