SEPTEMBER 181 



breeding season upon Highland loch or Norwegian 

 fjord. 



But for a re-opening burst of song late in the month 

 from thrushes and skylarks, the songsters of September 

 are practically the same as those of August. Should 

 we not give a word of acknowledgment, however, to 

 the Pied Wagtail's sprightly ditty, heard as it runs 

 briskly on the roof hawking flies, often springing 

 into the air to come lightly down again ? In mild 

 and favoured districts of the West Country, one may 

 hear the Woodlark's flute-like notes, uttered as it flies 

 to-and-fro overhead, seemingly quite at random, 

 and often with a wavering bat-like flight, quite unlike 

 the pushful upward mounting to the accompaniment 

 of which the skylark trills. Robins chase one another 

 pugnaciously, warbling little snatches of song, for the 

 young birds begin to show their red breasts, a sign to 

 their elders that they had better go out into the world 

 to fend for themselves. No bird is more attached 

 than the robin to its own special haunt, where it 

 brooks no rival, hence the young hopefuls receive 

 forcible notice to quit, and to the disputes which thus 

 occur is due no doubt the common idea that the 

 young robins kill the old ones in autumn. 



Perhaps it is family discussions of the same nature 

 which cause the Brown Owls to be unusually noisy 

 at this time of year. The loud hooting of the old 

 birds, accompanied by the sharp " kee-wick " or 



