BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 343 



causes much annoyance to shooters from its habits of flying up 

 on the least alarm and warning all the other less wary fowl 

 with its shrill "tui too too." 



During the nesting season this bird becomes very noisy, 

 and if the nesting site be approached, especially after the 

 young are hatched, they fly round the intruder or sit on some 

 bank, calling out vigorously all the time. It is a most interest- 

 ing sight to take a sporting dog near the young birds and 

 watch the way in which time after time the parents will decoy 

 the dog away by fluttering under his very nose until they have 

 led him to what they consider a safe distance, when they will 

 spring in the air and with a cheery note return to their brood. 

 This habit is common to many species of ground-nesting 

 birds, but unless we take a keen hunting dog with us we 

 shall fail to realise what an excellent device it is for safeguard- 

 ing the young from mammalian vermin. The food and habits 

 of this species call for no special comment, as it does not 

 greatly diff'er from its congeners. 



In winter the adult is greyish brown on the back ; second- 

 aries nearly white ; rump and under parts white, with a few 

 dark streaks on the neck and breast. Bill reddish with a black 

 tip ; legs red. 



In summer the upper parts are yellowish brown barred and 

 spotted with blackish, the under parts white, profusely streaked 

 on the neck and sides of the breast with ash-brown, the flanks 

 being barred with the same colour. Length about 11 in. ; 

 bill I '8 in. ; wing 6-25 in. 



The female resembles the male, and the young may be 

 recognised by the feathers of the mantle having buff spots 

 and the legs being yellow. 



The white secondaries are very conspicuous in flight. 



