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whom are not migrants, frequent the reeds only at partic 

 ular dates ? They are drawn in companies from North 

 and South and East into the reeds near the Merioneth 

 links by just the same mysterious seasonal attraction as 

 to the banks of the Ouse. The movement is subsequent 

 to the packing of the starlings, which begins very early 

 in the year, even before some of the young are strong on 

 the wing. Doubtless our home birds are increased by 

 hosts of immigrants ; but, so far as I know, no one has 

 decided whether these congregations in the reeds are of 

 native or alien origin. Local observers have watched 

 their mm ings and goings with analytic care ; and there is 

 some reason to suppose that the several bands keep their 

 cohesion, their individual habits, and depart into the 

 same pastures, or at least in the same direction, from 

 which they arrived. 



The country folk are not great naturalists as a rule, 

 but they know the common birds and mammals and even 

 insects and have given them good racy saxon names. 

 One of these is daddy-long-legs ; and in the dry years 

 these queer crane-flies spread themselves as completely 

 as young spiders on a day of gossamer. We know how 

 the fields are spread one still October morning with 

 &quot; samite, mystic wonderful/ 5 by the incredible hosts of 

 baby migrants. The daddy-long-legs, which are a good 

 deal more wonderful than mystic, have actually suggested 

 that picture. The sun has been reflected from their in 

 numerable wings continuously in front of your path as 

 you walked. The birds have behaved like trout in may 

 fly time ; and the daddy is a sort of land mayfly. He is 

 so clumsy, so easy a victim, so numerous, and so sudden 



