WINTER SHIFTS. 235 



visited the tide, whilst the first he had shot was 

 a real wild whooper. 



To return to the herd of Bewick swans I saw pass 

 over, there is nothing uncommon in sea-birds flying 

 over woodland districts ; and they will frequently 

 settle to rest there, if an open bit of water catches 

 their keen eyes. The force of circumstances some- 

 times compels them to take routes that they would 

 scrupulously avoid if they had any choice in the 

 matter. The razor-bill auk, to my own knowledge, 

 has been picked up in a ploughed field thirty miles 

 from salt water, where he was sitting up like a rabbit 

 in one of the furrows, no doubt lost in wonder as to 

 where he had got to. Close to the woods this was. 

 One of the plough-boys went to see what curious 

 creature was there. The auk returned his look 

 freely. Then the boy made a grab at the razor-bill, 

 which by no means belied its name, for it bit its 

 would-be captor, not once but twice, severely. For 

 this the poor auk got such a kick from the toe of 

 a very heavy boot as killed him. 



I had remarked to my wife that the sight of swans 

 moving was not reassuring ; and the next morning 

 my fears were justified, the country being ice-bound, 



