28 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



Speak, is largely developed, he rarely suffers from 

 gun-shots. In fact the bird is credited by the 

 country folks with sleeping open-eyed. 



One thing is certain, if those who have to look 

 after covers at night hear the feeding Plovers ex- 

 change their contented murmured " weet-weet-e-e- 

 weets," for the alarm note of " pewit-pewit-weet," 

 they know that mischief is on foot somewhere or 

 other. I have known keepers shoot a great many 

 birds, but do not recollect a Pewit ever being one 

 of them. So far as I know, there is never an 

 instance of keepers shooting one of their natural 

 night guards. 



The great numbers of Pewits that are found in 

 the markets are netted Plovers, and as netting is 

 only practised by a limited number, so much the 

 better for the Plovers. That model of suspicion, 

 the Curlew, is also netted when he is required to 

 be perfectly free from injury ; to put in aviaries, for 

 example. Rooks and Pewits may frequently be 

 seen in company, large numbers of them feeding in 

 the same field or fields ; not that the Pewits have 

 cause to love the Rooks over much, for in the 

 breeding season the latter birds hunt for the eggs 

 of the Pewits in the most persistent manner, as a 

 delicate article of diet. Hooded Crows are never 

 seen in some districts, so the blame is off their 

 shoulders. If once Rooks get well acquainted with 

 such delicacies, in spite of all the raps and buffet- 

 ings the breeding birds may give them, they will 

 get them if they can. So much were the depreda- 



