194 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



has been found out. The reason simply is 

 gulls ; these greedy birds are prowling about 

 along the coasts in numbers everywhere, 

 and though they are not swift fliers and 

 cannot in the ordinary way catch an active 

 little bird as a hawk can, they are quite able 

 to snap one up if it is tired by a long flight 

 or a struggle against the wind, and they do 

 get many victims in this way when daylight 

 surprises the travelling birds. But most of 

 the pilgrims, by getting across the water 

 at night, escape these ravenous pirates, which 

 are then asleep on the cliffs or shore. 



Some birds seem to make little difference 

 between day and night, like wild ducks, which 

 fly about at any time, and feed either in the 

 daylight or dark ; indeed, where they are 

 likely to be persecuted they are often very 

 much of night-birds, and keep very quiet 

 during the day. But there is no reason to 

 suppose that ducks see particularly well at 

 night ; they do not need much light for grub- 

 bing for food in the mud with their peculiar 

 bills, which are so well suited for sifting out 

 of it any food it may contain. 



Woodcocks and snipes are also night- 



