1 88 Wild Life in a Southern County 



from a distance, the leaves of this tree twinkle as the breeze 

 , bends the graceful hanging spray. 



The pheasants, that wander away from the preserves 

 and covers up under the hills far down in the meadows as 

 the acorns ripen, roost at night here in the copse; and 

 should a storm arise, after every flash of lightning gleam- 

 ing over the downs the cocks among them crow. So, too, 

 in the daytime, after every distant mutter of thunder the 

 pheasant cocks crow in the preserves, and some declare 

 they can see the flash, even though invisible to human eyes, 

 at noon-day. 



Clustering cones hang from the firs, fringing the copse 

 on one side — first green, and then a pale buff, and falling 

 at last hard and brown to strew the earth beneath. In the 

 thick foliage of this belt of firs the starlings love to roost. 

 If you should be passing along any road — east, north, west, 

 or south — a mile or two distant, as the sun is sinking and 

 evening approaching, suddenly there will come a rushing 

 sound in the air overhead : it is a flock of starlings flying 

 in their determined manner straight for the distant copse. 

 From every direction these flocks converge upon it : some 

 large, some composed only of a dozen birds, but all with the 

 same intent. If the country chances to be open, the hedges 

 low, and the spectator on a rise so as to see over some dis- 

 tance, he may observe several such flights at the same time. 

 Eooks, in returning to roost, fly in long streams, starlings 

 in numerous separate divisions. This is especially notice- 

 able in summer, when the divisions are composed of fewer 

 birds : in winter the starlings congregate in larger bodies. 



It would appear that after the young birds are able to 

 fly they flock together in parties by themselves, the old 

 birds clubbing together also, but all meeting at night. 

 The parties of young birds are easily distinguished by their 



