NOTES ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. 79 



amongst the most racy and amusing narratives of the kind we 

 have ever read : — 



" When Old Sol arose on the morning of the 2nd of May, he found myself, 

 my youngest son, and old ' Fino,' enjoying a substantial breakfast ; discussing 

 thereat the probable pleasures ol a day which we had devoted, in our mind's eye, 

 to a merry ramble. It was agreed that my companion should look after water- 

 beetles, and that whilst he was so engaged, I should secure any other stray beetle 

 or butterfly, &c., &c, that might cross my path — 'Fino' keeping order among 

 the rabbits. Well, our various instruments de chasse being ready, off we started, 

 about five o'clock a.m. Our route lay direct to the ' Seven Sisters, and thence to 

 the Tottenham Station, which we crossed ; and on to the Ferry House. It certainly 

 was a glorious morning, although there was a cool easterly wind stirring, and we 

 did not regret having put in practice an idea (which we at one moment enter- 

 tained) of going sans veste. Passing forwards, we reached Walthamstow, and 

 here the beams of the sun began to be felt. This refreshed us, and thus accom- 

 panied, a most lovely walk we had. Onward still further, and we came to the 

 Woodford Road, which runs through part of the Forest. Here it was decidedly 

 warm. Turning to our left, we followed up the road, meeting now and then a 

 brood of pretty little goslings, which seemed much to interest' Fino,' but the old 

 fellow was desperately alarmed when the fond mother flew at him, with 

 outstretched neck and wings, hissing close to his very nose. He took all this, 

 however, as he generally does everything else, very good-temperedly, and after a 

 time, made tolerable friends with Mrs. Goose and her happy family. He was 

 not so successful, however, with an old hen further on. She would listen to no 

 accommodation, and to avoid a row, ' Fino' made a bolt of it. In good time we 

 reached the turnpike, and in a few minutes more the ' Bald Face Stag ' (an old 

 acquaintance of ours). We can indeed recollect the said ' Bald Face ' for some 

 few years ! Here we were ushered into a room we knew full well ; and looking 

 at our watch, found it half-past seven o'clock. We rested near a good fire, just 

 half an hour— pour rafraichir la memoire — and having requested dinner to be 

 ready at half-past two, we started again, neither knowing nor caring which way 

 we went, so long as we kept within scent of the 'Bald Face Stag.' We now 

 struck off to the left, and ' Fmo ' soon spied some rabbits. Literally mad with 

 delight, nothing could stop him — off he went like a greyhound. But it was all of 

 no use, the little rabbits only laughed at him, and this made him still more mad. 

 We rambled for some time, just where fancy or ' Fino ' led — now in a swamp or 

 a bog, now fishing in little ponds searching under stones or the bark of trees, 

 &c, &c, until our hearts weie gladdened by the sound of ' Cuckoo, Cuckoo ! ' 

 the first time we had heard it this year. It was just eleven o'clock. Suddenly, 

 a peculiar bark was heard from old ' Fino, 5 and looking round, we saw his tail 

 wagging at an unusually brisk rate. On nearing the spot we found him contem- 

 plating a snake some four feet long. At our approach it slipped into its hole, and 

 then, good-bye ! After this we broke into a singular field or rather opening in 

 the forest, where an aged bird-catcher was plying his vocation. ' Good morning, 

 old gentleman ! ' — "Good morning, sirs!' and we soon entered into a familiar chat 

 with our ornithological acquaintance. More than three-score years and ten had 

 evidently passed over his grey head, whilst his manners and language betokened 

 him to be a man who had seen better days. Not that he was to be pitied ! By 

 no means ! Yet did he seem a man of gentler birth than bird-catchers generally 

 are. We learned from him that his early life had been spent near Liverpool, and 



