Frocei'iUufjs. 31 



wonders how so tiny a throat can send forth such a volume 

 of sound. A Blackcap was singing in the laurel just over 

 the fence ; we now and then caught sight of its jet-black 

 crown ; its voice rivals the Nightingale's. The hen bird, 

 with the ruddy crown, was most likely sitting on a shallow, 

 slightly-built nest of dry grass, in some bush in the private 

 grounds. Her mate will take his turn at sitting by-and-bye. 



As we went up the hill towards Wray Common we left the 

 sand behind and came to the clay. We noticed as we 

 ascended that the oak-trees on the clay are more stunted 

 than those upon the sand. 



Wray Common is comparatively unproductive ground, so, 

 after pausing to admire the prospect, we hurried across it and 

 turned up Wray Lane, leading up the shoulder of the hill, 

 towards the Suspension Bridge. The lower part of Wray 

 Lane is shut in by high banks and hedges, producing a few 

 wild strawberries, and here and there some plants of Wood- 

 ruff. When dried the Woodruff is very fragrant, like hay of 

 the best quality. The hedges are tangled with wild Clematis 

 and the two Bryonies, all of them south-country plants, not 

 found wild in Scotland and scarce in the North of England. 

 The Black Bryony belongs to the Yam tribe, all its near 

 kinsmen being tropical plants, and one of them, the Yam, 

 being as important an article of food in the tropics as potatoes 

 are in England. 



The White Bryony has leaves the shape of melon leaves, 

 and belongs to the Gourd tribe. The berries of both Bryonies 

 are hurtful. 



Before reaching the edge of Gatton Wood, an old ash-tree 

 in the right-hand hedgerow attracted attention. There are 

 several hkely-looking holes in it, and one of them has been 

 occupied by a pair of Nuthatches. About three weeks 

 previously a friend of mine climbed up to it. The mouth of 

 the hole had been newly plastered with hard, sandy clay, 

 leaving a round entrance just large enough to let the old bird 

 through, but too small for a man's hand to go through. On 

 breaking away some of the clay he found that the hen 

 Nuthatch was on her nest, which consisted of a few broken 



