MAGPIE FIELDS 151 



It was the lesser broom rape, and hardly a clover 

 plant escaped this parasitic growth. By carefully re- 

 moving the earth with a pocket-knife the two could be 

 dug up together. From the roots of the clover a slender 

 filament passes underground to the somewhat bulbous 

 root of the broom rape, so that although they stand apart 

 and appear separate plants, they are connected under the 

 surface. The stalk of the broom rape is clammy to 

 touch, and is an unwholesome greenish yellow, a dull 

 undecided colour; if cut, it is nearly the same texture 

 throughout. There are numerous dull purplish flowers 

 at the top, but it has no leaves. It is not a pleasant- 

 looking plant a strange and unusual growth. 



One particular field was completely covered with it, 

 and scarcely a clover field in the neighbourhood was 

 perfectly free. But though drawing the sap from the 

 clover plants the latter grew so vigorously that little 

 damage was apparent. After a while the broom rape 

 disappeared, but the clover shot up and afforded good 

 forage. So late as the beginning of October a few 

 poppies flowered in it, their bright scarlet contrasting 

 vividly with the green around, and the foliage above 

 fast turning brown. 



The flight of the jay much resembles that of the 

 magpie, the same jaunty, uncertain style, so that at a 

 distance from the flight alone it would be difficult to 

 distinguish them, though in fact the magpie's longer tail 

 and white and black colours always mark him. One 

 morning in July, standing for a moment in the shade 

 beside a birch copse which borders the same road, a 

 jay flew up into the tree immediately overhead, so near 

 that the peculiar shape of the head and bill and all the 

 plumage was visible. He looked down twice, and then 

 flew. Another morning there was a jay on the ground, 



