76 EVERYDAY BIRDS 



flight he again pumped immediately upon coming 

 to the ground. This trick, which surprised me 

 not a little in view of the severe exertion required, 

 is perhaps akin to the habit of smaller birds, who 

 in seasons of excitement will very often break 

 into song at the moment of striking a perch. 



As we came down the track on our way back 

 to the station, three bitterns were in the air at 

 once, while a fourth was booming on the opposite 

 side of the road. One of the flying birds per- 

 sistently dangled his legs instead of drawing 

 them up in the usual fashion and letting the feet 

 stick out behind, parallel with the tail. Probably 

 he was " showing off," as is the custom of many 

 birds during the season of mating. 



Our bird across the road, by the bye, was not 

 pumping, but driving a stake. The middle sylla- 

 ble was truly a mighty whack with a mallet on 

 the head of a post, so that I could easily enough 

 credit Mr. Samuels's statement that he once fol- 

 lowed the sound for half a mile, expecting to 

 find a farmer setting a fence. 



In, the midst of the hurly-burly we saw a boy 

 coming toward us on the track. 



" Let 's ask him about it," said my companion. 



So, with an air of inquisitive ignorance, he 

 stopped the fellow, and inquired, " Do you know 

 what it is we hear making that curious noise off 

 there in the meadow ? " 



