v WOODS AND FIELDS 173 



England is concerned, the larger forest 

 animals have vanished almost as completely. 

 The Elk and Bear, the Boar and Wolf have 

 gone, the Stag has nearly disappeared, and 

 but a scanty remnant of the original wild 

 Cattle linger on at Chillingham. Still the 

 woods teem with life ; the Fox and Badger, 

 Stoat and Weasel, Hare and Rabbit, and 

 Hedgehog, 



The tawny squirrel vaulting through the boughs, 

 Hawk, buzzard, jay, the mavis and the merle, 1 



the Owls and Nightjar, the Woodpecker, Nut- 

 hatch, Magpie, Doves, and a hundred more. 



In early spring the woods are bright with 

 the feathery catkins of the Willow, followed 

 by the soft green of the Beech, the white or 

 pink flowers of the Thorn, the pyramids of the 

 Horse-chestnut, festoons of the Laburnum and 

 Acacia, and the Oak slowly wakes from its 

 winter sleep, while the Ash leaves long linger 

 in their black buds. 



Under foot is a carpet of flowers Anem- 

 ones, Cowslips, Primroses, Bluebells, and 



1 Tennyson. 



