178 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



A social feeling seemed to me to be manifested in this 

 hunting scene — a sort of " Have you got one ? I have. That 

 bird over ^there's caught two!" idea. But this may be quite 

 imaginary. Isolated birds (comparatively alone) ran about in the 

 same way. Still, the whole scene with its various little incidents 

 gave me that idea. Gradually, as it became dark, the birds all 

 flew away, two or three or more together. It often seemed as if 

 a chase ended in a flight away, but this may not have been really 

 the case. It may have now become too dark for the birds to see 

 and chase (perhaps minute) insects, or to see them at all, though 

 they seem fairly nocturnal, and their visual powers are no doubt 

 in proportion to the very large eyes. 



One bird to-day was sitting right in a Rabbit-burrow. Though 

 looking down at it from where I was, I could only see its head, 

 shoulders, and upper part of the breast. The whole amphitheatre 

 is more or less a Rabbit-warren, and Rabbits and birds were 

 often extremely close together. Usually they seemed unaware of 

 each other's existence, but when a Rabbit — either pursued by or 

 pursuing another — ran with great speed, and seemed coming 

 right down on a bird, the latter would manifest anxiety, and run 

 a little to get out of its way. 



September 6th. — Arrived about 5.30. Fair number of birds 

 about, but not nearly so many as yesterday. Almost from time 

 of my arrival they were all in more or less constant motion, their 

 actions being exactly the same as before, excepting that the 

 waving of the wings and little jumps into the air (as described) 

 were, though not entirely absent, yet comparatively so. Just in 

 front of me the air was peopled with a number of minute insects 

 — gnats, flies, or small Hymenoptera — many hovering just above 

 the ground, upon which (on blades of grass, &c.) they often 

 settled. I make no doubt these, together with small moths, were 

 the game pursued. 



A large flock of Starlings came down upon the plateau, 

 spreading themselves over the greater part of it, and they behaved 

 just as the Plovers — running excitedly about in the same manner, 

 and evidently with the same object. What interested me especi- 

 ally was that they frequently rose into the air, pursuing and, as I 

 feel sure, often catching the game there (sometimes more than 

 one in the same rise, I believe), turning and twisting about like 



