Birds by Land and Sea 



from their roosting places, are the only sounds 

 which break up through the wild sea of the starlings' 

 cries, except when a pheasant, resenting the licence 

 of this intruding host, changes his perch with an 

 angry " Ork / ork ! " With the growing darkness 

 these sounds cease, and the general chorus of the 

 starlings, although unhushed, is tempered by the 

 stillness that has fallen upon all around. One might 

 have looked for it to cease altogether, but when it 

 had become no more than a gentle "zee "-ing, with 

 an occasional livelier click or hard bubbling note, a 

 sudden disturbance arose in one part of the flock, 

 and could be followed as it spread along the dark 

 tree-tops, until the birds nearest were heard to rise 

 with wings that scuffled through the branches, and 

 short, sharp cries that betokened action. Hearing 

 the sounds recede, as I thought, I hurried through 

 an open " ride " to the edge of the wood, and as I 

 came out I heard the sudden roar of the birds' 

 wings as the whole host swept past. I drew up 

 with a feeling that something strange was toward ; 

 for, there was no other sound. In a few seconds the 

 hollow roaring returned, and passed again. Thus 

 thrice it was heard, each time duller, and, as I 

 recognized, from an increasing altitude. Otherwise, 

 the marshalling horde gave no sign of its presence. 

 In the end, I remained straining my ear to catch 

 what I thought to be single cries from belated 

 members of the departed horde. For thus, in 

 the early night of the i6th April, something 



'34 



