From Fox's Earth 



Mating has passed. August is the month of 

 families. Flocking has set in intermittently, and 

 for a purpose. It is joyous work this raiding 

 together, this dropping down from the deep 

 shade, this tinkling through the coloured autumn 

 sunlight toward the golden fields. The order is 

 not yet so close, but that a family will drop in a 

 corner by itself. They will gather in the morning 

 to spend the day together ; they will spend the 

 day in families to gather in the evening. So 

 these characteristic northern forms the finches 

 and the buntings pass their charming August 

 life, to fall again, it may be, into looser order 

 when the harvest is past, until the coming on of 

 the cold. 



More interesting to the man of sporting in- 

 stincts, as distinguished from the naturalist, is the 

 grouping of the grouse. The family is known as 

 a covey. August is the month of coveys. It is 

 the form that lends itself to sport. It dots the 

 heather all over a covey here and a covey there. 

 When many families pack move about in one 

 body and gather into one place much of the 

 heather is barren. During the period of family 

 life the mood is comparatively gentle. In pack- 

 ing, another order of instincts come into play. 

 Reports from the moors tell that the birds are 

 difficult of approach. The season is not neces- 

 sarily over, for, under changing conditions of 

 weather, they will pack and dissolve again. 



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