98 A SPRINO RAMBLE. 



with its survey; soon to "hovei-" again, and, if more successful, precipitate 

 itself to the earth, and bear off the fruits of its persevering search. In this 

 case, after hovering and dashing downwards, but stopping before it reached 

 the earth, several times, it made one final and apparently successfnl stoop, 

 and flew off in the direction of the fine old woods of Refley. The Kestril is 

 our most common Hawk, and is more numerous still in winter. I can bear 

 testimony to the accuracy of Mr. Morris's statement, that the Kestril often 

 hovers at a much greater elevation than forty feet from the ground. (Brit. 

 Birds, vol. i., p. 125.) 



We had now quite left the road, and were passing at the back of a lai-ge 

 sand hill, when an exclamation from my friend drew my attention to the 

 first Sand Martin wc had seen this spring, and soon after another flew past 

 us ; these were the only two seen by us during our walk. A small liver, well 

 stocked with Trout, one of which my companion tried in vain to " tickle," 

 soon crossed our path ; but after proceeding along its bank some distance, 

 we found a shallow part, at which we forded, and directed our steps towards 

 a long high hill which forms Grimstone warren. In the enclosed grounds at 

 the foot of this hill, a great many Lapwings were brooding. On ascending 

 the hill, the scene was desolate in the extreme ; the only signs of life were 

 the Wheatears, which flitted from stone to stone, and the white tails of the 

 Rabbits, seen for a moment as they dived into their subterranean abodes. 

 We stood in a little hollow, the view in the only direction in which any sign 

 of cultivation would present itself being intercepted ; and the whole scene 

 was so wild and dreary that one might almost fancy it never had been 

 disturbed by the presence of man. There is something very remarkable, 

 too, in the stillness of a heath : here the solemn silence was broken only by 

 the "wee-weep" of the Lapwings, which still followed us, — one of those 

 " sounds " so well described by Cowper, which — 



"inharmonious in themselves and harsh, 

 Yet heard in scenes where peace for ever reigns, 

 And only there, please highly for their sake." 



On the very highest aud most exposed part of the hill, the warrener had 

 consti'ucted a hut of stones and sods ; we went into this rude edifice, and 

 on the rough stone which formed the hearth lay a poor little Mouse — dead. 

 A very fine wliite sand is dug from the side of this hill, and sent in large 

 quantities to Lynn ; whence it is conveyed by the colliers, in the form of 

 ballast, to Sunderland and Newcastle, and disposed of to the glass works 

 there. 



The termination of the hill, which in summer is covered with Pteris aqui- 

 lina, is rather abrupt ; and at the foot lies Roydon fen, in which we were 

 soon plunging. Here we found the Cranberry {Vacdnium Oxycoccos) in 

 abundance, spreading itself over the soft mounds of Sphagnum, some of the 



