SANDPIPER AND SPARROW-HAWK. 49 



fringed on one side with low alders. On a spur 

 of peat and gravel a fine birch has managed to 

 plant itself, throwing faint lines of shadows on the 

 bright sand. All this we can see from behind the 

 screen of alders ; and we see something else, for 

 from the edge of the turf something runs on to 

 the sand, to the edge of the pure water, and some 

 small grey dots with it. It is a hen sandpiper. 

 As the birds run they look like grey stones moving 

 about, when they are reflected in the water ; so 

 closely do they fall in with their surroundings 

 that even with glass, at very short range, we are 

 barely able to follow them. 



As we watch, the grey dots vanish like a flash, 

 and the mother shoots over the pool, wheels round 

 rapidly, and joins her chicks somewhere. The 

 cause of their alarm soon shows itself, for the 

 broad wings and light breast of a heron are re- 

 flected in the still waters of the pool over which 

 he floats. 



If ever a bird deserved the title of feathered 

 freebooter the sparrow-hawk does. Of dauntless 

 courage, although he is small in size, nothing is 

 too much for him, apart from the question of 



