THE PAGEANT OF SUMMER 



Up in the corner a fragment of white fur 

 and marks of scratching show where a doe 

 has been preparing for a litter. Some well 

 trodden runs lead from mound to mound; 

 they are sandy near the hedge where the 

 particles have been carried out adhering 

 to the rabbits' feet and fur. A crow rises 

 lazily from the upper end of the field, and 

 perches in the chestnut. His presence, 

 too, was unsuspected. He is there by far 

 too frequently. At this season the crows 

 are always in the mowing grass, searching 

 about, stalking in winding tracks from 

 furrow to furrow, picking up an egg here 

 and a foolish fledgling that has wandered 

 from the mound yonder. Very likely there 

 may be a moorhen or two slipping about 

 under cover of the long grass, thus hidden 

 they can leave the shelter of the flags and 

 wander a distance from the brook. So 

 that beneath the surface of the grass and 

 under the screen of the leaves there are 

 ten times more birds than are seen. 



Besides the singing and calling, there 



