124 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



get anything out of it ; the worms and other things 

 have gone low down where they can find moisture. 

 I have seen them all through the summer, driven 

 by hunger, throw off their natural caution and come 

 boldly into the gardens of the populous town for the 

 fruit and vegetables. They would pull the half-ripe 

 cherries off the trees in bunches, within a few yards 

 of one. As for the new potatoes, they would have 

 dug them all up if they had not been shot at all day 

 long. They hunted over low-lying water-meadows, 

 and water-courses, and rubbish-heaps for what they 

 could pick up. Many of the birds had only just 

 enough life in them to flap along. When things 

 were at the worst a change set in for the better, and 

 warm rain fell in the neighbourhood at intervals during 

 twenty-four hours. 



Close to the rookery is a recreation-ground, like a 

 small common, and used for grazing purposes. It is 

 covered with fine turf. Upon this is my house, and 

 close to it is the rookery. When the rain was falling 

 their manifestations of delight were great ; they 

 perched thick on the bare branches of the dead trees, 

 and cawed and cackled to their hearts' content, 

 shaking the water off their feathers like half-mad 

 things. The rain brought the worms out of their 

 holes in thousands all over the burnt-up surface, 



