300 PRACTICAL ORNITHOLOGY. 



diffusible stimulus, which putting " life and mettle in our 

 heels,'' we wished our kind host and his amiable consort good 

 night, and sallying forth in the dark, ascended the hill by a 

 short cut, and in due time regained our station by the fire of 

 Mr. Adam's parlour, where we sat talking until after twelve. 



On Thursday the snow continued, but the roads having been 

 cleared, we returned by the coach, congratulating ourselves on 

 having obtained a full view of a diversified country clad with 

 its wintry mantle, and on having ascertained that during snow 

 storms comparatively few birds are to be seen in the inland 

 parts. The smaller granivorous species can have no difficulty 

 in procuring subsistence from the corn stacks ; and some of 

 the insectivorous, as the Thrushes, find a sufficiently nourishing 

 food in haws and other berries ; while the Waders and Ducks 

 chiefly resort to the sea shore. 



But now the snow, which has covered the face of the 

 country for several days, is beginning to dissolve under the in- 

 fluence of the sun and a change of temperature. The sports- 

 men are abroad ; you see them scattered along these meadows, 

 on which are several pools of water, and many patches of green 

 grass, where you observe large flocks of Thrushes, which, half- 

 famished, are almost heedless of the dangers that surround 

 them. Several shots are fired, and they fly off in a loose body 

 to settle in another place ; but while they are on the way, 

 they are assailed by a volley ; some of their number fall to the 

 ground ; and the rest, wheeling about, betake themselves to a 

 clump of tall trees, where they have scarcely had time to 

 perch, when a person running up disperses them by a distant 

 and random shot. No rest can the persecuted birds find ; yet 

 hunger prevents them from leaving the tempting spot in which 

 alone they can hope to obtain the means of satisfying their 

 wants. Fieldfares, Redwings, and Thrushes intermingled are 

 dispersed in parties over the plain ; while along the hedges, 

 keenly searching for snails and worms, are here and there seen 

 the Blackbirds, which do not mingle with their brethren, nor 

 trust themselves to the open fields. Among those turnips you 

 observe a large flock of Wood Pigeons, greedily filling their 

 crops with the blades that project through the snow ; and on 



