'KITING' ON THE DOWNS 185 



nothing but large coveys in the morning, we might 

 have walked over some smaller lots. So we let the 

 setter range, which had hitherto walked at heel ; he 

 very soon stood, and five birds rose. Of these our 

 Etonian had a right and left, and I one, a fourth 

 going on and towering over a copse, where we lost 

 him. In the next field we rose two more coveys ; but 

 these were wilder, and we only had one bird. 



By this time we had descended below the ancient 

 " ridge-way," which marks the crest of the downs for 

 forty miles, and the wind greatly lessened in force, 

 so that the kite descended gently into a swede field on 

 the steepest part of the hill- side. Then occurred a 

 curious incident : one of the party went on to raise 

 the kite, and, laying down his gun, stooped to pick 

 up the mock falcon, while I took the string some forty 

 yards away and higher up the slope. But as he stooped 

 up bounced a covey all round him ; so close were 

 they, that he picked up his gun and shot the last 

 bird. 



It was evident that the kite had fallen right into 

 the middle of these birds. They, true to their instinct, 

 kept still. But when the wingless enemy, man, came 

 among them, they flew. Of course the birds are quite 

 right in their tactics. A peregrine is quite harmless 

 as long as they are on the ground ; and they seem to 

 know it. But the sparrow-hawk will attack birds when 

 running, if not when squatting. I witnessed this when 

 shooting in Suffolk with my brother, Mr. J. G. Cornish, 

 in severe winter weather. We were shooting red-legs 



