THE FAMILY OF WADERS. 257 



yelper is their feathered sentinel. Whether he acts 

 the part exclusively for their benefit, or for him- 

 self alone, the fact remains, he rouses them all 

 thoroughly. This I have proved to my cost many 

 a time. 



When the tide is up, all is level on the flats ; even 

 the blite is covered until the tide goes down. To 

 all appearance the blite is left dry ; but this is not 

 the case, for thousands of small pools are left at 

 the roots of the blite shrubs. These cannot be 

 seen, because the thick grey -green leaves cover 

 them. Most of the fowl feed in the numerous 

 gullies that run through this salt vegetation. Some 

 of the smaller kinds feed in the pools under 

 it. If any web -footed fowl are about, they are 

 sure to pitch in one or other of the gripes and 

 gullies. 



One morning early I was out with a trusty fowling 

 companion, when, from our hiding-place behind 

 the sea-wall, we saw some widgeon pitch in a gripe, 

 followed by a couple of curlews. The gripes, as a 

 rule, were about two feet in depth, and completely 

 overhung by the blite, so they were concealed from 

 us and we from them. My companion looked 



R 



