THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER = 191 
den, and shooting them as they come in from 
the flooded lower levels. As you arrive you 
cast a glance along the mud and ooze, and see- 
ing nothing, turn away. Just then a slight 
motion catches your eye and what had seemed 
a small lump of mud suddenly changes into a 
very lively little bird, bobbing and bowing at 
you very politely and not more than twenty 
yards away. Now he extends his wings up- 
ward to their full spread and jets his tail as he 
runs nimbly along, then one downward stroke 
of his pinions and he rises lightly from the 
ground and skims away just above the surface 
of the pool. Perhaps he is a young bird or has 
been but little disturbed and so knows not the 
danger of his situation, in which case he may go 
ten yards and alight again to gaze with curi- 
ous eyes. There is scarcely another bird which 
flies with so little apparent effort. His strokes 
are slow and regular, a short sailing between 
each motion, but he moves very fast. Let him 
be alarmed and he will quicken his speed until 
he seems only a black streak in the air, and as 
he rises to top the surrounding trees it needs 
good and quick work with the gun to stop him. 
Start him up suddenly and he dashes from the 
