MIXED CONGREGATIONS. 235 



pair of Creepers, and occasionally a Lesser Spotted 

 Woodpecker. All are bent on the same purpose 

 to search the nooks and crannies of the bark, 

 and the branches and twigs for insects. Up and 

 down the trees the merry little party go, twitter- 

 ing to each other, apparently to disclose their 

 whereabouts, and thus keep together. Rooks, 

 Starlings, Redwings, and Thrushes also often form 

 a dinner-party on the fields ; but the Thrushes 

 are only attracted by the food, the Rooks and 

 Starlings alone showing any desire to be sociable. 

 Many mixed congregations gather together on 

 the purple expanses of moorland in autumn. Birds 

 form here into flocks and parties, to feed upon 

 the sumptuous banquet of wild fruits, such as 

 bilberries, cranberries, and blackberries. All the 

 birds of the moor are fond of these berries, and 

 many different species may be seen devouring 

 them in company. I have a note to the effect 

 that on the south Yorkshire moors, in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Peak, a flock of Ring Ousels, 

 numbers of Red Grouse, several Missel-thrushes 

 and Stock Doves, besides numerous Meadow 

 Pipits, and a pair of Lapwings, were all flushed 

 from one small patch of bilberry and heather not 

 more than a couple of acres in extent. Again, it 

 is worthy of note how this propensity for be- 

 coming gregarious and sociable is entirely absent 

 from many species. None of the Warblers, 

 for instance, can be called gregarious or very 

 sociable. Rooks, Jackdaws, and Choughs are 



