4 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



Blackberry, the Hawthorn and the Furze, were covered with the 

 beautiful crystal flakes. From one of these bushes we startled 

 a small company of Titmice and several male Chaffinches; 

 how beautiful is the plumage of the latter at this season. 



The always welcome Robin showed off his breast of red, and 

 now and then piped a note; the Wren, that bird in whose 

 presence .there, seems to be a special friendliness, was to be 

 seeh e Hopping rfltnjbfy in the now destitute hedgerows, and a 

 ^Vopd..Pjgep ( p. or two e were sailing along over the tops of the 

 ia5j;F.fcs^ ivhtch sfcij^e* the light green tassels on the terminal 

 branches. A "hen "Greenfinch was greedily devouring the seeds 

 left on a Blackberry bush by the wayside and permitted me to 

 approach within a yard of it. I thought at first it was fatigued, 

 but it soon showed me it still possessed the power of flight, 

 winging its way across the waste where, at twilight, I have often 

 watched a passing, Barn Owl or heard the peculiarly jarr ng 

 warble of the Nightjar. I came across four or five Sheep-folds, 

 and listened with pleasure to the gentle lullaby produced by 

 the tinkling of the bells. 



The old shepherd was evidently too fully occupied to notice 

 the Meadow Pipits which hereabouts are to be found, and the 

 cheeky, inquisitive House Sparrow perched on the hurdles, did 

 not call forth any comment from the ruddy-faced old man. His 

 mind is fixed on the well-being of his flock, and when I saw 

 how diligently and assiduously he looked after them, the 

 question flitted through my mind as to whether all served their 

 masters as well as did the shepherd. 



Near one of the folds a Horse or two and half a dozen Cows 

 were whiling away the Winter hours, but there was little for them 

 to do excepting to eat the hay which had been strewn about 

 for them, and, when the sun came out, to bask their dappled 

 hides in the rays, and they evidently appreciated the warmth 

 afforded them. 



At this time of the year the noble park itself does not look 

 at its best, yet the stone lions at the entrance gates still 

 present a rigid stiffness, in spite of the local legend that 

 at times they may be seen coming down from their prominent 

 positions to feed. The lakes were frozen over, but the cold 

 ice and snow did not seem to make any difference to the 



