30 BIRD LIFE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 



tively few which remain are still more to be pitied 

 as day by day passes and the frost still holds. 

 True the snow vanishes from southern slopes in 

 slowly trickling streams which are turned to ice 

 again each night. It is sad to see the Lapwings, 

 miserably tame, on the frozen meadows, listening 

 in vain for upward movement of earthworm responsive 

 to their tread. In the woods, where evergreens 

 have kept off much of the snow, the Redwings, 

 weak and dejected, hop about under shelter of the 

 thick holly clumps, feebly searching for food amongst 

 the dead leaves. On the lake Coots and other wild 

 fowl by constant movement manage to keep open a 

 hole in the ice. The gamekeeper almost tires of 

 shooting the Jays which come to the pheasants' corn. 

 But the turnips are now the last resort of the destitute ; 

 rooks, jackdaws and wood-pigeons peck holes in the 

 bulbs ; fieldfares, thrushes and blackbirds follow 

 or betake themselves to the folds where the sheep are 

 hand-fed and where, consequently, fragments of turnip 

 may be picked up. Upon the coast many thrushes 

 frequent the rocks which are uncovered at low tide 

 and feed upon shell-fish, breaking their hard shells 

 with difficulty. Soon want does its woeful work and 

 we begin to pick up dead birds — redwings are likely 

 to be the first. Birds have however, such a habit of 

 getting away into holes and crevices to die, that the 

 real rate of mortality is never known. 



