Across ihc Chauncl. in 



X oi a pleasant experience! However, I stumbled up and 

 dragged an oil sheet over myself, and waited until 1 could 

 slumber again. Little worries like that are common enough 

 just now. and no one bothers. It's all in the day's work, so 

 let's carry on with the birds. Of course rooks and crows are 

 nuich in evidence, and can be seen picking up their food in the 

 fields while their grey-headed relative, the jackdaw, abounds 

 also. ( )f the game birds there are numerous partridges about. 

 almost always in couples, and evidently paired off for the breed- 

 ing season, the cock's voice being heard calling vociferously. 

 About the end of April I saw the first swallows, rather late this 

 year, but always welcome as harbingers of spring, their forked 

 tails and graceful bodies speeding through the air as they sought 

 their insect food. Martins, the white on the rump and under- 

 parts rendering them conspicuous. ap])eared in the early part 

 of May. and they soon got to work building their nests when 

 they found a suitable spot. Kestrel hawks are not uncommon, 

 and I have often observed them hovering overhead in their 

 characteristic style. The ubiquitotis sparrow, and the familiar 

 robin with his scarlet vest, were everywhere. Larks sang their 

 glorious p:-.ean of song as they rose higher and ever higher and 

 thrilled one with the sudden thought : — 



" Hark, hark, the lark at Heaven s gate sings, '^ 

 heedless of the roar of the guns not far away where grim war 

 is making hell in the fair land of France. Just here I saw an- 

 other kind of bird — a (German aeroplane — come to earth! 

 hiving high it was struck by an anti-aircraft shell and came 

 toppling down, turning over and over in its descent, and taking 

 a long time on the journey, because of its great height from 

 the earth when struck. 



Then again, we received orders to shift to fresh quar- 

 ters. For a fortnight we passed through villages unspoilt by 

 the Hun. staying for odd days at farm houses on the way. Our 

 march lay principally through glorious woods, dressed in dif- 

 ferent shades of green, cool and inviting, bathed in sunshine, 

 making a picture such as only Nature herself can print. How 

 glad everything seemed! Never a sound of guns or warfare: 

 onh' the carolling of birds. Every step of the way, unlike the 

 war-blasted area, was lined with blossom, apple and pear, &c. 



