12 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



farms and cottages are below us, surrounded by the 

 woods that creep almost up to the top of the Downs 

 we are sauntering over ; if we did not see one vestige 

 of bird life, the view would repay us a thousand 

 times. It seems useless to attempt a description 

 of the South Downs ; those who wish to know what 

 the prospects from these are like must go there and 

 see for themselves. 



Stone Curlews have their habitat there now as 

 they had in Gilbert White's time. A few remain at 

 times, even in the winter ; but the cause of their 

 remaining we do not know. A few remained in our 

 own marshes, when I was a boy ; one that I tried 

 to paint was shot in winter-time. For weeks I have 

 known Down districts unvisited even by a shepherd : 

 it depended on what parts of the Downs the sheep 

 were feeding on. 



I have never known any bird that nested on the 

 ground coming to grief, when sitting, by being 

 trampled on by stock feeding there. Instances of 

 this kind may have taken place, but I have never 

 seen it. When a ground bird is sitting, its eyes and 

 ears are all alert, not even a tiny harvest mouse 

 could crawl over or up a bent stem without the birds 

 hearing or seeing it. You may stand within a yard 

 of some, and see their bright eyes fixed on you ; but 

 do not stop long, for even kindly human eyes disturb 

 them if the gaze is too persistent. Restless move- 

 ments of the shoulder feathers will show as the first 

 signs of uneasiness, then the bird will glide off and 

 away. A flock of sheep may be grazing round 



