32 WILD NATURE'S WAYS. 



HIDING TENT LUVtRED WiTH HEATHER. 



alert for every sight and sound, there is for me 

 a splendid charm about what many people would 

 call the solitary places of the earth. One day, 

 when wandering by a babbling heather-fringed 

 mountain beckside, my attention was suddenly 

 arrested by a familiar kek, kek, kcking note over- 

 head, and, looking up, I beheld a bold little 

 merlin flying across the ghyll with business-like 

 directness. I watched him go down into some 

 deep heather, and making careful mental notes 

 of the landmarks lying between us, walked straight 

 towards the place. He rose when I arrived 

 within forty yards of the spot where he alighted, 

 but, taking no notice of him, I pursued my 

 course until his mate darted out of the heather 

 close to my feet, and revealed the whereabouts 

 of her eggs. 



