BIRD-LIFE ON THE MOORS IN EARLY SPRING. 27 



held bent beneath them, and pointing stiffly downwards. 

 The young Herons are now nearly half grown ; the Rooks 

 "chipping," and Corbies {C. corone) beginning to sit. 

 The latter breed in nearl}' every scattered clump of pines, 

 often far out on the moors. Reed-Buntings have appeared 

 in full summer plumage, and the pine-woods swarm with 

 Goldcrests. 



April VBtJi. — Started this morning early to fish some 

 streams on the extreme Border — a long drive. The weather 

 bitterly cold, snow falling as we started, and at intervals all 

 day. There is but little sign yet of the return of spring, 

 either in the weather or the vegetation, in this wild 

 country. The trees remain bare and naked, and the moors 

 barren, bleak, and wintr}' — none of those bright hues which 



REDSHANK IN APRIL. 



in autumn adorn the flowes and mosses ; nor any leaf as yet 

 on birch or alder, though the birch-woods at all times show 

 a warm purplish gloss on their dark masses, like the bloom 

 of a ripe grape. This effect is produced by the deep claret- 

 hue of their twigs, and not by the rising sap. 



The snow lay in great ominous patches along the heights 

 of the Carter and adjoining fells, and several times during 

 the day furious snowstorms swept down the dale, driving 

 before a north-easterly wind ; yet the trout rose freely and 

 well to the fly, and we creeled 41 dozen nice fish (2 rods), 

 though it was frequently impossible to keep sight of the flies 



