99 



been well tanned and sun-bunit, had assumed almost the colom* of a 

 mahogany table. Being ignorant of his real name, we distinguished 

 him by the appellation of " Copperface." He proved a good guide, 

 willing and obliging; was thoroughly acquainted with the "ins and 

 outs" of that quarter at least of the Fens ; and knew all the dykes and 

 ditches, which of them, by help of his long pole, were passable, and 

 which not. He had also a suflScient smattering of entomology (picked 

 up, no doubt, from previous visitors like ourselves) to talk about a 

 " swallow-tail," — I think, indeed, he said " Machaon," — and a " great 

 copper," the latter of which insects he averred he had seen on the 

 wing a short time before, in a spot to which he would presently intro- 

 duce us. The day, however, proved nearly sunless, with wind ; so 

 that it was out of the question to expect to see many insects on the 

 wing ; and we were not so fortunate as to meet with a great copper. 

 In the course of our ramble we surprised and killed a small viper, no 

 unusual occurrence in the Fens ; and I mention the circumstance only 

 to correct a vulgar error on the subject: Copperface, who of course 

 was well acquainted with the reptile, appeared to entertain very exag- 

 gerated notions as to its noxious qualities, and to fancy that even the 

 bare touch of the animal's body after death might (to use his own 

 words) " venom you." We met with but few birds in the Fens, except 

 here and there a dabchick or waterhen in the dykes ; and in one part 

 we started a large flight of snipes ; hence I conclude they breed there. 

 Whittlesea Mere is rather an awkward place to go to see; for, being 

 surrounded (as I need hardly say) to a large extent by a tract of per- 

 fectly flat fenny country, and screened, moreover, by a phalanx of tall 

 reeds* near the margin of the water, the nearer you approach the lake 

 itself, the less able are you to get a view of it. Indeed, we might have 

 rambled, I believe, the whole morning in the Fens without ever seeing 

 the Mere at all, had not our considerate guide directed us to a spot 

 where we could just get an imperfect peep at it. I much regret that 

 time and circumstances did not allow of our taking boat, and embark- 

 ing on this little fresh-water inland sea, so as to have enabled us to 

 see more*of it. A good distant view, however, of the Mere was ob- 

 tained from the top of the hill as we descended into Yaxley. 



* Reeds {Arumlo Phragmites) form a considerable article of trade in these parls. 

 They are cut at the proper season, and laid up in large stacks, like inamense corn or 

 hay-ricks, and used for the purpose of thatching, constructing screens, ike. The 

 starlings, congregating in vast flocks, roost, I am told, among the standing reeds, set- 

 tling upon them by thousands, so as to break them down, and do much injury. Thej 

 are in consequence regarded by the fen-men as pernicious birds. 



