222 NUTS AND NUTSHELLS ON DOWN. [PART IT. 



blind to these failings, and great must be the 

 provocation which would induce me to lift my 

 hand against them. 



One, a year or two ago, happening to find a hole 

 just large enough to admit him in the window 

 of our apple-loft, and probably smelling apples, 

 managed by the help of a convenient vine to effect 

 an entrance, and constantly repeating his visits, 

 used to bring out apples, pears, or anything else 

 which he happened to fancy there, and which he 

 could squeeze through the aperture, until his de- 

 predations became so extensive that the gardener 

 thought it was time to interfere, and called in the 

 aid of the glazier. 



Great quantities of nut-shells, which have been 

 opened and emptied of their contents (evidently 

 by Mice) are to be found scattered over the face 

 of a down, nearly surrounded by coverts, in our 

 neighbourhood, many at a distance of perhaps a 

 hundred and fifty or two hundred yards from the 

 nearest covert; the greater proportion appearing 

 to be left, I think, in the vicinity of rabbit-holes, 

 but where I looked in vain for any signs of a 

 colony of mice. Late in the autumn many 

 full and good nuts may be found similarly scat- 

 tered over the down, as if they had been brought 



