IOS BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



imposing. During the breeding season the bird 

 is much more local than throughout the rest of 

 the year; but so far as our experience goes, this 

 species prefers wet land and uncultivated marsh for 

 nesting purposes rather than dry open fallows, as 

 is so often the case in the North of England. The 

 Lapwing is most in evidence in my own particular 

 district during summer. Here, especially after 

 snowstorms y higher up the country, the birds 

 sometimes congregate upon the wet meadows 

 and marshy grounds, where snow rarely remains 

 long, in large compact flocks, Rooks, Starlings, and 

 Gulls mingling with them. These large flocks 

 seldom remain after the weather moderates. 

 Another bird fond of marshy ground is the 

 Starling. Vast flocks of these birds congregate 

 in the wet meadows, and are also partial to 

 roosting in reed and osier beds. The Starling's 

 regularity of movement is most interesting. 

 Several winters ago a flock of perhaps a 

 hundred birds used to roost in an osier bed 

 close to my residence, and for many weeks in 

 succession this company of Starlings passed by 

 with scarcely a minute's variation evening after 

 evening to the accustomed sleeping place. We 



