268 Mr. W. II. Simpson^s Xanaiiir 



was engaged in securing some of these as specimens of the 

 Spilkraka's workmanship, when a loud trumpeting sound was 

 heard in the distance, announcing that a fresh excitement was in 

 store for us. This was caused by a pair of Cranes, who presently 

 came within sight, flying low across the opening, and right down 

 upon our position. All our party crouched; and my companion was 

 in great hopes of bagging the brace, which he would have done 

 but for a slight noise that caused the birds to swerve towards 

 the left, where they disappeared in the direction of the marsh. 

 We were following the line they had taken, but had not gone a 

 hundred yards from the birch-tree, when the male Black Wood- 

 pecker in his anxiety to see what had happened flew upon it, 

 and, after making two or three spirals round the trunk, slipped 

 into the hole. Unluckily for him he came out again, and clung 

 to the broken edge, in which position my companion, to my in- 

 tense annoyance, fired at and brought him down. However, as 

 there was no help for it, I took the bird and had it skinned. We 

 continued to follow the line of the Cranes until we arrived at the 

 edge of the marsh, but nobody was willing to accompany me 

 further, and I thought it unadvisable to proceed alone, as the 

 very first plunge took me up to the waist. 



We afterwards searched another part of the country in a 

 different direction, where the forest was of a more varied cha- 

 racter, one especial feature being the existence of occasional 

 groups of ancient oaks, which stand somewhat after the fashion 

 of ornamental timber in a park. They have been left when the 

 rest of the wood was cleared away, and are apparently doomed 

 to be the last of their race, as no young trees of the same spe- 

 cies are growing up to succeed them. These Oak-groves are full 

 of Starlings, Jackdaws, and Stockdoves ; besides which, the Green 

 Woodpecker, Roller, Creeper, and Nuthatch were also noticed. 

 The Harfogel {Upvpn epops) and the Gorktyta [Yun^ torquilld) 

 also occur, and are said to breed in these places regularly. Some 

 of the oak-groves are remarkably pretty spots, always refresh- 

 ing to the eye wearied with the sombre depths of the forest, as 

 it rests upon the green turf beneath the picturesque old trees 

 smiling in comparative sunshine, and generally studded with the 

 Wood Anemone amongst other flowers of the Northern spring. 



