HABITS OF TEE GREAT PLOVER. 467 



September 30th. — About 3 p.m. walked to the bank and noted 

 Plovers assembled in heather as usual. Could count thirty-three. 



In the evening, walking along road skirting moor, many flew 

 over it and on over the fields and cultivated lands. These — and 

 perhaps the immediate shores of the river, mud, &c. — are, I have 

 no doubt, their feeding-grounds during the night. 



October 1st. — 6.50 a.m. — Pigeon comes down on plateau and 

 soon flies away. 



One Peewit flew by at 6.55 a.m. 



Some Great Plovers standing about on outer edge amongst 

 the black (withered or burnt) heather, but no Peewits. 



7 a.m.— Hawk flies by, pursued, or accompanied for a little, 

 by a Starling. 



First hear cooing of Wood-Pigeons. 



Left house at 5 a.m., but am too late for the Great Plovers, 

 who have evidently all returned. I did not see one flying, but 

 noted them in the heather through glasses as soon as light 

 enough to use them. 



7.5. — Flock of Peewits go by flying fast and high. 



6 p.m. — Great Plovers fly over road skirting moor, the greater 

 number crossing river and keeping right on towards the higher 

 lands on the other side. These are cultivated to some extent. 

 Some few birds did not fly in this direction, but kept over the fields 

 on this side of the river, and some must have come down in a 

 ploughed field adjoining the road, as I heard their note there from 

 behind the hedge. I was this evening nearer to the river when 

 the birds began to fly, so probably met those that flew across it. 

 Yesterday, when further from it, and nearer to the birds' resort, 

 those I saw seemed to fly over the fields, keeping parallel to and 

 on this side of the river. Probably, therefore, they fly off in 

 all directions, like the spokes of a wheel from the nave to the 

 circumference, and return in the same way, only reversed — 

 which might account for my seeing so few from any one point— 

 for both at morning and evening there is the gloom to contend 

 with. These birds seemed like wild spirits flying out on a 

 stormy sky, and their wailing note was all in unison. They flew 

 high and strongly, and made one wish to be one of them, and 

 have done with human pettinesses. 



October Uh.— Going out at 4.30, when it was still dark, 



