178 WILD-FOWL AND SEA-FOWL OF GREAT BRITAIN 



of them — of hills and hollows in whose placing there 

 seems to be no order. The white scuts of the 

 rabbits show continually, as they dot about from 

 bent-tufts and thorn-scrub. Eagles in immature 

 plumage, generally Sea-eagles, visit the dunes and 

 prey on the rabbits that swarm here when they are 

 on flight. So do also the Falcons (Peregrines these 

 are, rarely a Gyr-F"alcon) and the larger Hawks, with 

 the Owls to help them. If the Raptores were to 

 stay for a year without being checked, they would 

 only slightly thin off some of the pinwire sea-weed 

 munchers. But this they are not permitted to do 

 without some interruption, as they are themselves 

 worth far more as specimens for collections than the 

 rabbits they feed on. However, all of them do not 

 get shot, far from it. If it is the sea-breeze that 

 gives them extra ideas on the interesting subject of 

 self-preservation to add to their usual keen ones I 

 do not know ; but they are very difficult to get at. 

 This difficulty may be owing to the Cobs, which are 

 continually on the beat over these sand-hills, always 

 keeping out of harm's way themselves, and giving 

 the alarm to all whom they perceive to be gettinor 

 near danger. When the Cob beats to and fro over 

 the dunes well up out of shot, you may crouch and 

 hide, but his keen eyes will be sure to see you, and 

 he will cackle loudly just to let all the other birds 

 know he has seen something. The worst of it is 

 they all believe in him. 



Catch a Cob asleep, if you can. One of my 

 fowling friends once thought he had got one of these 



