76 EVERYDAY BIRDS 



flight he again pumped immediately upon coming 

 to the ground. This trick, which surprised me 

 not a little in view of the severe exertion required, 

 is perhaps akin to the habit o£ smaller birds, who 

 in seasons of excitement will very often break 

 into song at the moment of striking a perch. 



As we came down the track on our way back 

 to the station, three bitterns were in the air at 

 once, while a fourth was booming on the opposite 

 side of the road. One of the flying birds per- 

 sistently dangled his legs instead of drawing 

 them up in the usual fashion and letting the feet 

 stick out behind, parallel with the tail. Probably 

 he was " showing off," as is the custom of many 

 birds during the season of mating. 



Our bird across the road, by the bye, was not 

 pumping, but driving a stake. The middle sylla- 

 ble was truly a mighty whack with a mallet on 

 the head of a post, so that I could easily enough 

 credit Mr. Samuels's statement that he once fol- 

 lowed the sound for half a mile, expecting to 

 find a farmer setting a fence. 



In the midst of the hurly-burly we saw a boy 

 coming toward us on the track. 



" Let 's ask him about it," said my companion. 



So, with an air of inquisitive ignorance, he 

 stopped the fellow, and inquired, " Do you know 

 what it is we hear making that curious noise off 

 there in the meadow ? " 



