LETTERS TO MARCO 231 



with a stork's nest on its thatched roof, with 

 the old storks and four young ones ; the birds 

 showing very conspicuously against the sky. 

 The cottages, which are like my sketch, are 

 very large ; the barn, or storehouse, and the 

 dwelling-places being all included under one 

 large roof, on the top of which the storks 

 build. 



The peasant dwells with his family below, 

 where are also his stables, whilst in large lofts 

 above are stored the hay, etc. The walls are 

 whitewashed, and the doors and window- 

 frames are kept brightly painted with green ; 

 the whole looking very like the toy houses 

 we get from Germany. 



The enterprising Bremeners have lately 

 made a ship-canal, to take the place of the 

 tortuous windings of the river Weser. The 

 old bed of this in places is now almost dry, 

 and one such place was close to where I was 

 staying. It was all alive with birds of every 

 sort : hooded crows, storks, gulls, plovers, 

 terns, sandpipers, etc. These birds were very 



