APRIL. THRUSHES — BLACKBIRDS BEAN-GEESE. 209 



that they bring them to the same place for many 

 successive years. 



In some of the woods the thrushes and blackbirds 

 carry the land-shells to certain fixed stones against 

 which they break them, in order to get at the snails. 

 In a wood of " Brodie" where the round yellow and 

 black-striped shell {Helix nemoralis) is abundant, 

 omng I conclude to the rocks under the surface being 

 limestone, I watched two thrushes bring several of 

 these shells in a very short space of time ; they 

 knocked them against the srone, and if that did not do, 

 they stuck the shell in a crevice and hammered away 

 at it until they extracted the snail, with which they 

 then flew away, probably to feed their young. When- 

 ever I passed through the wood I always visited the 

 thrushes' stone, and found an increasing heap o{ 

 broken shells. Most birds, if carefully watched, 

 would be found to have recourse to various most 

 surprising expedients in order to obtain food for 

 themselves and their young. 



In this country April is the best month for the 

 Bean-geese, yet many weary and often fruitless 

 miles I have walked in pursuit of them. There is 

 something in the wildness and wariness of this fine 

 bird that makes it a peculiarly attractive object of 

 pursuit ; but wild goose shooting is 



" Omnium rei'um iucertissima." 



