178 MILITARY STARLING 



plumage and scarlet breast. On the approach of 

 winter it would appear all over the plains, not travel- 

 ling in the manner of other migrants, speeding 

 through the air, but feeding on the ground, probing 

 the turf as starlings do, the whole flock drifting 

 northwards at the same time. The flock, often 

 numbering many hundreds of birds, would spread 

 itself out, showing a long front line of scarlet breasts 

 all turned one way, while the birds furthest in the 

 rear would be continually flying on to drop down 

 in advance of those at the front, so that every two 

 or three minutes a new front line would be formed, 

 and in this way the entire body, or army, would be 

 slowly but continuously progressing. 



How pleasant it was in those vanished years of 

 an abundant bird life, when riding over the plain in 

 winter, to encounter those loose, far-spread flocks with 

 their long lines of red breasts showing so beauti- 

 fully on the green sward! My memories of this bird 

 alone would fill a chapter. 



The autumnal migration, which was always a more 

 impressive spectacle than that of the spring, began 

 in February when the weather was still hot, and con- 

 tinued for three long months ; for after the departure 

 of all our own birds, the south Patagonian species 

 that wintered with us or passed on their way to 

 districts further north would begin to come in. 

 During all these three long months the sight and 

 sound of passage birds was a thing of every day, 

 of every hour, so long as the light lasted, and after 

 dark from time to time the cries of the night-travellers 



