Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/502

468 walked to the crests of low hills forming boundary of one side of river valley. I soon heard the ground-note of the Great Plovers, who appeared to be spread about over the ploughed and stubble fields in all directions, where, no doubt, they had been feeding during the night. They must have flown back soon after my arrival. I heard the short wail, the latter part of the note divested of its preliminary trills and twitterings, which are uttered, as I think, only on the ground, and by 5.30, when it was only just daylight, all must have gone, for there was complete silence. I had seen none flying, so must have missed them in the gloom. None flew later, which would have been quite contrary to their custom.

October 5th.—Wishing to see the Plovers fly off for the night, I walked along the road skirting the heath a good deal further than I had done before, so that I was now on the other (not the river) side of their assembly ground. I sat down against a fir-tree. Did not note exact time, but heard their note, and they were soon in full cry. As dusk came on they began to fly, and in greater numbers than I have yet seen, not towards the river, as those I had hitherto seen had done, but towards me, and away from it (south, that is). I noticed, however, a tendency to curve gradually round, which may have brought them in time to the river. Forty-four flew away together (this was the greatest number); I could count them easily, as they were between me and that part of the sky which had the sunset glow in it. The flock of forty-four soon spread out into a long irregular line.

By 6.15 p.m. one hundred and fifty-seven had flown (or, more properly, I had counted this number), after which the cry ceased. Though I did not look at my watch, the probable time when I arrived was 5.40 or 5.45. So that the birds had taken half an hour to forty minutes to get off.

It would appear, therefore, that the majority of the birds fly not towards and across, but away from the river (south, more or less). I saw none fly in the former direction, but there I had not the light in the sky, and they would have been flying away from instead of towards me. These reasons would be fully sufficient, and I have no doubt that as many flew that way as upon other evenings.

October 6th.—Towards evening walked to the bracken-covered