258 GRALL^E. CHARADRIAD^E. 



islands, and others annually perform a periodical 

 migration to the breeding-grounds, arriving there 

 with as much regularity as our summer visitors 

 from a distance."* Large downs, the sheep-walks 

 of an open unenclosed country, wild heaths, and 

 commons, boggy pastures, wet meadow-lands, and 

 marshes near lakes and rivers, are the favourite 

 resorts of these beautiful birds. In such situa- 

 tions immense numbers congregate at the breed- 

 ing-season, separating into pairs to assume the 

 parental joys and cares. " When incubation has 

 fairly commenced," observes Sir William Jardine, 

 " the common or moor often appears alive with 

 their active motions ; no stranger or intruder can 

 enter upon their haunts without an examination, 

 and both, or one of the pair, hover and fly around, 

 tumbling and darting at him, and all along utter- 

 ing their vehement cry of Peeswit. When incu- 

 bation is completed, the young and old assemble 

 together, and frequent the pastures and fallows ; 

 some particular fields being often chosen by them 

 in preference to others, probably on account of 

 the abundance of food ; and here they will as- 

 semble daily for some time, feeding chiefly in 

 twilight or clear nights, and resting during the 

 day. 



The clouds of birds that rise about sunset, to 

 seek their feeding-grounds, performing many 

 beautiful evolutions ere they go off, is incredible, 

 except to one who has witnessed it. In Holland, 

 where this bird is extremely abundant, and where 

 the view on all sides is bounded equally by a low 

 horizon, thousands may be seen on all sides at 

 once, gleaming in the setting sun, or appearing 



* Jardine. 



