How Animals Talk 



wind when they take the ground), are some scores 

 of rudely painted decoys. As the day breaks you 

 see against the east a motion as of wings, and your 

 call rings out wild and clear, to be echoed on the 

 instant. In response to your whistle the distant 

 motion grows wildly fantastic; it begins to whirl 

 and eddy, as if a wisp of fog were rolling swiftly 

 down-wind; only in some mysterious fashion the 

 fog holds together, and in it are curious flickerings. 

 Those are plover, certainly; no other birds have 

 that perfect unity of movement; and now, since 

 they are looking for the source of the call they 

 have just heard, you throw your cap in the air or 

 wave a handkerchief to attract attention. There 

 is an answering flash of white from the under side 

 of their wings as the plover catch your signal and 

 turn all at once to meet it. Here they come, 

 driving in at terrific speed straight at you! 



It is better to stop calling now, because the 

 plover will soon see your decoys ; and these birds 

 when on the ground make no sound except a low, 

 pulsating whistle of welcome or recall. This is 

 uttered but seldom, and unless you can imitate it, 

 which is not likely, your whistling will do no good. 

 Besides, it could not possibly be heard. Listen to 

 that musical babel, and let your nerves dance to 

 it ! In all nature there is nothing to compare for 

 utter wildness with the fluting of incoming plover. 



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