114 A LONG! DAY WITH, TEEY BIRDS 
passed in rapid succession, but always gaining 
in the race. A large balloon floated almost 
motionless over the Thames. The rooks and 
starlings that had been feeding on the flats 
during the day had left. Only sparrows were 
to be seen, communities of them, chirping 
noisily as is their manner in the evening when 
they go to their roosting nooks. How thank- 
ful, I thought, we ought to be that these 
homely little birds grace our roofs and chim- 
neys. What would they be without them ! 
Some high chalk cuttings stood out clearly 
in the evening light, and down on the river- 
side the clean, newly-born lambs snugging 
round their dams quietly browsing the short 
grass were plainly visible, whilst their smoke- 
begrimed mothers were almost lost to view 
in the twilight. Some fleecy clouds overhead 
had gathered into the shape known as the 
mackerel sky, giving a promise, as is generally 
believed, of a fine day on the morrow, and 
we inwardly wished that we could spend yet 
one more day amongst the beautiful hills of 
Kent intent upon our birds and nests. And 
