A TWO-MILE WALK. 
135 
the vexed question as to how this sound is produced, whether 
by the wings or tail feathers ; but I must own to not being 
yet converted to the theory that it proceeds from the feathers 
of the tail — though the mighty Darwin is in its favour. The 
sound is produced whilst the bird is making a downward swoop, 
and during this time the tail is expanded, and the wings are 
moved in an extraordinarily rapid manner. The moment the 
bird turns upward in its flight, the expansion of the tail and 
the peculiarly rapid beating of the wings cease, and the sound 
too, stops. If the sound were produced by a feather in the tail, 
which is simply extended to the air through which it is rapidly 
passing, would not the result be a continuous sound, and not 
intermittent — reminding one of the bleating of a lamb or kid ? 
In two different covers I could hear the greater spotted wood- 
pecker tapping his love note on some hollow tree, and one of 
his tiny first cousins, the “lesser spotted,” was kind enough to 
let me get within twenty yards of him before he took to flight. 
While in a clump of beeches their green relative laughed as if 
he was enjoying himself. One does not see these three birds 
every day. The peewits were much in evidence, but their 
numbers seem thinned by the severe winter. I could see some 
dozen wild ducks on a part of the stream which widens out into 
still water. A farm at the edge of the common produced a 
chorus of sparrows, a robin or two, some starlings ; one of which, 
by-the-bye, was imitating a peewit and a solitary kitty-wren. 
Above a sand-pit were a number of sand martins, no doubt 
discussing the question as to whether they dared go back to 
the hole they had made last year or not ; for I have noticed 
that the edge of a sand martin’s sanctuary is not unfrequently 
guarded by a legion of fleas, which are not particular as to 
whether they make for man, beast, or bird. I might add to this 
list blackbirds, thrushes, greenfinches, yellowhammers, common 
buntings, larks and tits, two kinds of wagtails, swallows, house 
martins, chiffchaffs, willow wrens ; but strange to say, neither 
whinchat nor furzechat. Just then my carriage caught me up, 
but not before I heard a “ cushey doo ” cooing in a cover close 
by. Perhaps the “ billing ” part of the business was going on at 
the same time, for they do say that sort of thing is much in vogue 
amongst most of God’s creatures this jolly time of year. 
I do not think one will often get a better lot of birds in a two- 
mile walk than this. A week or so later more spring birds would 
be on view. I almost forgot to say I heard the cuckoo more 
than once ; but 1 had to get close to the house before I could 
distinguish the wryneck. This year all the birds seem rather 
later than usual. 
Edmund Thos. Daubeny. 
