72 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



flocks with loud caws flew overhead, or picked the bones 

 hah' hidden by the deep snow. 



22nd. An echpse of the sun from ii a.m. to i p.m. At 

 twelve it took the form of a crescent. The disk was not 

 perfect at three. 



23rd. Drove to Gravelotte, but it would be impossible 

 to see the whole field of battle in one day. In fact it was a 

 three days' engagement, reaching from Ars to St. Privat. 

 In every direction I could perceive graves ; some with 

 crosses, some without. On one I saw four helmets. Others 

 were the graves of horses and cattle. The latter had died 

 by hundreds ; the former were shot by thousands. The 

 recent heavy rains had washed away the mould, and I had 

 to give a wide berth to all carcases partially exposed. It is 

 a marvel they did not breed a pestilence, The deep ruts of 

 wheels could be seen in those heavy soils in every direction 

 where the field artillery had been dragged by the straining 

 horses ; and a piece of the army telegraph was still hanging 

 on a tree, which the fugitives had not tarried to cut down. 

 The peasants had gathered up the scabbards, etc., which 

 were now lying in heaps around the village, and the con- 

 querors had carried off the swords and guns, and everything 

 which could be used again, even to the brass tops of the 

 helmets which were lying on the road by hundreds ; but 

 many small articles were still lying about, some of which 

 I particularly remember, such as a silk handkerchief which 

 had been used to staunch a wound, a sleeve cut off at 

 the elbow, a nosebag, pegs of tents, and an empty mitrail- 

 leuse cartridge. The schoolmaster who, terrified out of his 

 life, had seen it all from the tower of the church, showed us 

 from the brow of the hill the wood which sheltered the 

 Prussian cavalry, and the place where the mitrailleuses had 

 stood which worked such fearful execution among them. 



24th. Visited Nouilly, Noiseville, St. Barbe, and Vremy. 

 It was a strange sight to see the people getting ready an 



