8 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



opment of its organisation. The bird well fulfils its appointed 

 mission ; with its long beak it procures worms and insects from 

 under the ground, and those delicate bunches of nerves at the 

 base of the beak enable it to feel them in the earth. 



Then again and especially at this season when the many- 

 shaded coat of sober brown matches with the surroundings it 

 frequents when crouching low in a thicket, it is almost an 

 impossibility to detect the bird, except for the large, dark 

 staring eyes. Butler notices this in the lines : 



For fools are known by looking wise, 

 As men find Woodcocks by their eyes.' 



Rustling in amongst the leaves, I found a delicious kind of 

 Fern now in its beauty, and, delicately treading on the many 

 varieties of Mosses here found, a Red-Legged Partridge or two 

 seemed to receive us as a matter of course, and yet these are 

 classed as "Game" birds and are shot at for " Sport!" 



This was the second occasion on which we encountered 

 these beautifully plumed birds on our ramble. I have known 

 them to place their nests on the top of a hay-stack and an 

 old shed, as well as in a bank, or field." 



The extract from our Note-book having finished, let us 

 discourse briefly on the general characteristics during January, 

 other than those included in the notes given above. 



A few Snowdrops are out, and some forward Crocuses peep 

 through the snow here and there, giving a most pleasing appear- 

 ance on the white ground-work. 



The Fieldfares and Redwings are with us, appearing in 

 flocks in the meadow lands. They find out the berry-bearing 

 trees, especially the Mountain Ash, of which fruit they are 

 very fond. 



The network of the trees is more easy to follow now that the 

 foliage is off. How delicately the twining branches overlap 

 each other; the tree looks bare and unfruitful in the distance, 

 but, examining closely, we find that the buds are forming and 

 formed, only waiting for the soft sunny weather, and April 

 showers, to throw out the green flush of Spring. 



Down underneath at a good depth, the Moles and the Worms 

 are secure from frost-bite ; now and then they may come above 



