Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/493

Rh soon after rejoined the flock. Here, again, and in a higher degree, it did not seem as if a serious attack was made, or even meditated, by the Hawk, for surely he could have struck one out of so many birds all around and close to him if he had intended to. Was it sport, therefore, or bullying, or affecting to do something beyond his strength? Afterwards, when the Peewits were walking about, I observed amongst them a Hawk (which I have no doubt was the same one, a Kestrel) springing about over the ground in an awkward and encumbered manner, which I at first attributed to injury, but soon saw that it had something in its claws which, I suppose, it was overpowering. Unfortunately, where it last settled down with its prey, a slight sandy ridge hid it from my view. The Peewits, both those which happened to be nearest to the Hawk and the flock generally, seemed not in the least alarmed, but wholly indifferent. I waited till near ten. Quite a small band of Plovers, not rising from the amphitheatre, but coming from some other place (not noted), flew over the bracken in the direction of the heath, but no further flight took place—no grand one, such as I had seen yesterday, and had hoped to see again from the moment of rising.

September 25th.—Rose early, and walked to same place as yesterday.

Small flight of Peewits (i.e. for Peewits—forty or fifty perhaps) observed flying, amongst which was a small bird, I think a Starling. It flew with them from one part of the flock to another, making, or appearing to make, little dives at particular birds. After a minute or so this bird flew back towards where the Peewits had risen from, and where a good many Starlings and other small birds were also feeding. Midway it was joined by another bird (either its own species or one somewhat smaller), which made wide, curving swoops or flights at it, sheering off on point of meeting, and again approaching. It is not easy to say what was the feeling—the mental attitude of the Starling (for I am pretty sure it was one)—towards the Peewits. Was it one of hostility? Was it sympathy? Or was it a joyous or a kind of fussy participation in the affairs of the latter? I incline to one of the latter explanations, or, as I think probable, to that of a mixture of the two. The attitude of the Peewits seemed one of mere indifference.