Behaviour of Birds 



the bush stood was under fire from both sides, 

 and actually served as a sanctuary for the 

 birds (Times, n.vi.i6). 



Round the caricature of St. Martin's Cathe- 

 dral at Ypres a faithful remnant of civic 

 PIGEONS still, in 1917, told of ancient peace 

 (Observer, I2.i.io). 



A fair-sized orchard, directly between our 

 lines and the enemy's and frequently swept by 

 both rifle and artillery fire, seemed the favour- 

 ite promenade for COCK PHEASANTS (Bird 

 Notes and News, vol. vi. p. 88). The familiar 

 "chuk-up, chuc-chuc-cup " of a COCK PHEA- 

 SANT going to roost could be heard nightly 

 in June 1918 in a clump of willows which 

 lay about 50 yards to the rear of the support 

 trenches at Ypres. This clump was daily 

 plastered with a few shells in the vain hope 

 of finding some i8-pounders. Each day, it 

 was expected, would prove the PHEASANT'S 

 last; but no sooner or later in the evening 

 the Germans would get the same sound 

 advice, "Shuck-up " (Observer, 5.1.19). In 

 many places PHEASANTS were conspicuous 

 by their absence ; possibly this was due to 



128 



