Plovers and Hawks 355 



whole flock, and send them back into the air, with much 

 chattering, and clamour, to seek somewhere else a safer 

 bivouac for the night. 



A flock of Plovers, feeding on a field, will, also, sometimes 

 allow a Kestrel to pass over them unheeded ; but let a 

 Sparrow-Hawk glide down one of the fences, j ust showing 

 herself for a moment, and the whole flock is instantly upon 

 the wing. The hawk is as well aware as we are of the alarm 

 her presence will cause, and is at considerable pains to 

 steal upon the birds from the least exposed part of the 

 field. If she succeeds in gaining the fence unobserved, 

 she will frequently alight to reconnoitre, before attempting 

 a final dash, and will sometimes remain there, awaiting 

 her opportunity, for quite a long time. When the psycho- 

 logical moment arrives, the attack is delivered almost with 

 the swiftness of an arrow, and how often with success is 

 testified by the numerous remains of Peewits left where the 

 victims have been carried to some convenient shelter to be 

 eaten. Where much harassed by a Hawk, Plovers become 

 extremely restless, and the rising of one party is sufficient 

 to send every flock, within half a mile's radius, wheeling 

 into the air. 



