CH. XXXI. NOTES OF ALARM. 175 



who has suddenly while passing over my head dis- 

 covered my hiding-place, caused a flock of geese or 

 other wild-fowl to take wing instantaneously, as if 

 they themselves had seen me ; and many a shot 

 have I lost by the cries of peewits and other birds. 



I have often been led to think that, when different 

 kinds of wild-fowl were feeding in a quiet place, the 

 mallards and widgeon have taken no heed to their 

 own security as long as there were either curlews 

 or redshanks feeding near them ; being apparently 

 quite satisfied that these vigilant and noisy birds? 

 were sufficiently watchful sentinels to warn them 

 on the first approach of danger. 



A stag takes warning from the alarm-note of the 

 grouse or plover as quickly as if he had himself 

 seen an enemy, and from the manner of the bird's 

 flight he knows pretty accurately where the danger 

 lies. 



In getting up to deer it has more than once hap- 

 pened that I have had either to lie motionless for a 

 long time, or to make a considerable circuit, in 

 order to avoid putting up a cock-grouse, who, eye- 

 ing my serpentine movements with suspicion, has 

 been ready to rise with his loud cry of alarm had I 

 approached a yard nearer to him. In fact there is 

 a language of signs and observation carried on be- 

 tween animals of different kinds, which is as per- 



