THK llOOl'KU. 
22i.» 
;is early as the end of Fehniary, hut the usual time is during 
the niontlis of IMarch and April. Tlie Hocks which arrive in 
spring are much smaller than those which pass southwards in 
autunm, even on the homeward flight. I have seen very large 
Hocks, numbering from fifty to seventy birds. I have observed 
that in spring they often fly near the ground, sometimes within 
easy stone’s throw. This is most natural, seeing that in spring 
the greater number arrive late in the evening, or very early in 
the morning, when tliere is but little stirring below ; whereas 
in autumn they most frequently pass over in broad daylight, 
vdien the ]:>eople are gathering in their harvest. This difference 
as to time seems to imply a certain definite range in their 
migi'ations. During flight they utter a soft, rather melan- 
choly cry, resembling the words who, %vho, who, repeated many 
times in succession. On a calm spring evening, about twilight, 
or, as the Shetlanders say, '' in the dim,” these sounds have a 
strange — one might almost say, solemn effect. 
The flight is performed with great swiftness, although, to all 
appearance, rather laboriously ; indeed, the poor birds seem to 
be always ready to remain for a night upon the lochs. Strange 
stories are oftentold of the supposed perfect order of their 
flight, and of the regular system of relief which is said to be 
observed among the leaders. My own experience is compara- 
tively small, but, so far as I have been able to ascertain, the 
flock really does occasionally assume the precise form of a 
wedge ;* far more frequently, however, it has the appearance 
of a long irregular line. 1 never saw any other than a white, 
and therefore adult bird taking the lead. Every now and then, 
sometimes as often as twice or thrice in a minute, another 
])asses to the front and becomes the leader; but this seems to 
be more a matter of fancy than of obedience to any fixed plan. 
Sometimes Hoopers commit the mistake of venturing upon the 
small frozen lochs in the hills, in which case, being not very 
well able to rise from the slippery surface, they have been 
* Which after all merely ini])lie.s two lines following one leader, each bird 
‘keeping a clear look-out ahead of him. — E d. 
