CHAPTER IV. Birds of the Field 



IT seems the most natural course to regard the 

 fields as constituting one of the great feeding 

 grounds of bird kind, for the species that 

 build their nests in them are few, compared 

 with those that resort thither to obtain a large 

 proportion of their food, while in winter they are 

 the rendezvous of those vast assemblages of birds 

 which then form the most noticeable feature of 

 bird-life. This tendency to flock together strikes 

 us as being unreasonable at a time when food is 

 naturally scarce, until we reflect that it is also just 

 the time when their enemies are most active, and 

 realise that it is a defensive measure. 



Everyone must have watched the huge coveys 

 of Starlings noisily quartering the fields in search 

 of grubs, working as if life itself depended on 

 their haste, jostling each other, squabbling out of 

 jealousy, hopping into the air and sparring at each 

 other, and then, as if suddenly remembering that 

 life is too short to quarrel, resuming the all- 

 important task of bread-winning with increased 

 vigour. 



The Rooks pursue a similar object in a much 

 more dignified way. Though even more gregari- 

 ous than the Starlings, they believe in giving each 

 other plenty of elbow-room, and extend in open 

 order all over the field ; each bird stalking 



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