164 EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOKS. CH. XXXI. 



CHAPTEE XXXI. 



Instinct of Birds The Woodcock carrying her young Herons 

 Water-ousel Nest of Golden-eye Duck ; Habits of Birds 

 Talons of Falcons and Hawks Stuffed Birds Plumage, 

 etc., of Owls The Osprey and Sea Swallow Manner of 

 Fishing Carrion -feeding Birds Manner of finding their 

 Food The Eagle Sense of Smell in Birds In Ducks and 

 Geese Power of communicating with each other Notes of 

 alarm A few words respecting destroying Hawks, etc. 

 Colour of Birds adapted to concealment Instinct of Birds 

 finding Food Red-deer Tame Roebuck. 



MANY people doubt the fact of the woodcock carry- 

 ing her young from the wood to the swamp in 

 her feet, and certainly the claws of a woodcock 

 appear to be little adapted to grasping and carrying 

 a heavy substance ; yet such is most undoubtedly 

 the case. Eegularly as the evening comes on, 

 many woodcocks carry their young ones down to 

 the soft feeding-grounds, and bring them back again 

 to the shelter of the woods before daylight, where 

 they remain during the whole day. I myself have 

 never happened to see the woodcocks in the act of 

 returning, but I have often seen them going down 

 to the swamps in the evening, carrying their young 

 with them. Indeed it is quite evident that they 



