170 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



vision of emerald green and sapphire, gone all 

 too soon, and yet no sooner missed than it has 

 come and gone again. 



On the extreme top of a small alder-bush a 

 little brownish-coloured bird sits swinging to and 

 fro in the light summer breeze ; now and again it 

 flies off, quivers for an instant in the air, and, 

 before the eye can take it all in, is back again at 

 its post. If its flight is observed, it will be seen 

 to dart off at some passing insect, repeating the 

 performance until its mouth is crammed with 

 flies. As it turns its body the spots on its breast 

 become visible, and proclaim it to be the spotted 

 flycatcher. 



A clicking, cackling kind of chirp amongst 

 the willows, and a sedge warbler appears on 

 the scene, darting about amongst the willow - 

 rods, its body poised obliquely to the branch on 

 which it rests, now and again flitting into the 

 deeper cover, to reappear in the same spot, but in 

 such constant motion as to render observation 

 difficult. 



The flycatcher is now busily occupied making 

 quick and continuous darts at the water-flies 

 which, hatching out in numbers, are spinning up 

 from the surface of the stream ; but ere they 

 have had time to make the briefest survey of the 

 world around them, they are snapped up by the 

 swallows and martins which have assembled to 

 the feast, and are sweeping up and down on wings 

 which never seem to tire. Now a swallow skims 



