THE BED OF THE SWIFTS 



and bird-joy. The rector of Mottisfont is convinced 

 this is the case the swift's bed is in the blue deeps 

 has not the bird even been seen coming down to 

 earth early in the morning ? Certainly, the sight of 

 such a bird soaring upwards, or almost stationary at 

 a great height, with apparently no wing exertion to 

 keep it up, might give the idea that sleep on the 

 wing would in some aerial conditions be comfortable, 

 even easy, a little reflex action serving to keep the 

 sleeper aloft. But I have seen swifts rushing to 

 roost under the eaves at the close of a summer 

 evening, and cannot doubt that this, not the upper 

 air, is always their bed. 



The Wood Sylph 



For lightness and grace of flight the white ad- 

 miral is first of the English butterflies the sylph of 

 the July woods. It is worth walking many miles 

 through the heat and burthen of the day just to 

 watch for a few hours this lovely thing in the chequer 

 of sun and shade among the oak and hazel under- 

 woods. One turns at length from the distressful 

 highway, with those parched, grey-dusted hedges, 

 into some cooler branch road ; presently, with added 

 relief, to change this for the real woodland ride. 

 The grassy winding tunnel through the green of 

 high underwoods of ten to fourteen years' growth 

 once we have known this delicious place when wild 

 oat and cleavers are scorched and withered on the road 



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