302 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



the first thing I noticed was the rarity of the crakes ; 

 I heard one or two at most, and that only for a short 

 time. Long before the grass was mown they were 

 gone doubtless northwards, having only called in 

 passing. I am told they call again in coming back, 

 and are occasionally shot in September. But the next 

 spring, chancing again to be in Surrey at that season, 

 though constantly about out of doors, I never heard 

 a crake but once one single call and even then was 

 not quite sure of it. I am told, again, that there are 

 parts of the county where they are more numerous : 

 they were certainly scarce those two seasons in that 

 locality. Now here we have an instance in direct 

 contradiction to the suggestion that the early state 

 of vegetation is attractive to our spring visitors. The 

 crakes appeared to come earlier, in larger numbers, and 

 to be more contented and make a longer stay in the 

 colder county than in the warm one. 



The packing of birds is very interesting, and no 

 thoroughly satisfactory explanation of it that I am 

 aware of has ever been discovered. It is one of the 

 most prominent facts in their history. It is not for 

 warmth, because they pack long before it is cold. This 

 summer I saw large flocks of starlings flying to their 

 favourite firs to roost on the evening of the igth of 

 June. The cuckoo was singing on the I7th, two days 

 before. 



It would be interesting to know, too, whether birds 

 are really as free in the choice of their mates in spring 

 as at first sight appears. They return to the same 



