BRITISH BIRDS 



parties or mix with birds that are not breeding. When the young are hatched, 

 however, both parents care for them, the male being rather more shy than the hen. 

 It is easy to tell the cock from the hen while running about ; he carries himself 

 much higher and seems to have a bigger head ; when shot, this difference vanishes. 

 The males breed in their first year, as two that I shot were in partly spotted 

 plumage. Nevertheless, many do not breed at all, as I saw flocks of some fifteen 

 to forty birds, while others had eggs or small young. In flocks they were very 

 wild, and reminded one generally of Lapwings ; they skim a great deal with out- 

 stretched, motionless wings. Their note is a low qua qua when they have young." 



The food consists chiefly of grasshoppers and other insects. 



In colour the sexes are alike. 



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