78 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



song, then down he comes, when his appointed course is 

 run, into the grassy marsh. 



Already it is building its compact little nest of coarse 

 grass, fine grass, and little pieces of rush, building it 

 securely in the moss on the marsh bottom in a sheltered 

 spot beneath a tussock of beaten-down grass or rush — that 

 serv^es it for a roof — a covering, however, which does not 

 protect it from the visits of the ubiquitous cuckoo, who is 

 already chasing, or being chased, by some of its tribe across 

 the grassy seas — such is the mysterious relationship between 

 these two birds. 



But let us find a nest, for there flies a bird, shutting his 

 wings and rising into the air and falling back again, re- 

 minding one of a swimmer cleaving the glassy waves of 

 the sea. 



There he goes across the wall into the soft marsh. Now 

 he hovers for a moment over a spot, and dips into the marsh 

 with something in his bill — he is feeding his mate, for 'tis 

 too early yet for young birds. 



Jumping the sleeping water in the dike, we beat about 

 the soft marsh, putting up a bright-eyed peacock-butterfly 

 (" King George " the fenmen call it), and several brown 

 and yellow moths, all of which flying creatures delight his 

 little palate, for he is a lover of dainties. Ah ! we have 

 put up the little pair ; let us follow them to the dike-side. 



Watch ! he has got a little worm, and they are walking 

 away up the dike beyond the kingcups. Let us follow; 

 but hold ! they are looking at us. On they go past that 

 patch of cuckoo-flowers — he is going to feed the hen. No ; 

 they move off again. Let us follow; they bid us follow 

 towards the mill. On we go past an old thistle-stalk ; the 

 saucy pair eye us askance, and still he holds the worm in 

 his bill. They stop and seem to confer, yet she eats nothing. 

 By jove ! they're fooling us, leading us away from the nest, 

 and the big fenman cracks his sides with laughter and 

 shouts, "The little warmin." Yes, they took us in, as they 



