62 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



which the Wheatear or the Whinchat may be seen. The Beetles 

 are about now, Cowslips will be out towards the end of the 

 month, the Wild Hyacinths are coming forward post-haste, and 

 the flowers of the Cuckoo Pint are fast approaching maturity. 



Passing down a drive, we see that the Rhododendrons are 

 budded, and the Wild Currant is in bloom ; through the tall 

 trees comes the bell-ringing notes of the Great Tit, and the 

 notes of the Coal, Marsh, Blue and Long Tailed varieties. We 

 meet the cowman who tells his dog to a fetch 'em up," and 

 the animal instinctively obeys him. In the orchards the fruit 

 trees are in blossom and, nestling underneath, giant Daffodils 

 are still blooming. In the hedgerow we notice the run of a 

 Hare, and see that the Moles have been busy burrowing and 

 casting up. On that old Privet hedge the Bullfinch may be 

 seen ; he is very fond of the berries. Wallflowers are blooming, 

 and the flower of the Lilac may be seen. 



The Rooks still carry a stray stick to their homesteads. Some 

 of the birds are seen on the ploughed land ; they may be after 

 the wireworm or the newly-sown seed. The man from the 

 crowded city goes by and observes to his companion, " What a 

 lot of Crows there are in the Rookery!" The Hedge Sparrow 

 enlivens us with his pretty little warble, and the Wren is singing 

 for all he is worth. 



The Oats and Barley are well through early in the month, 

 and by the old sand-pit we have pleasure in noticing the first 

 Sand Martins a little later on. 



How sweet the aroma from the White Violets, and how glad 

 Nature seems at her new lease of life. We write this early, 

 but before the month is out the plaintive call of " Cuckoo " 

 will be heard, the Tree Pipit will be pouring out its joyous 

 notes, the two Whitethroats will be seen and heard, and the 

 Swallow skimming over the pool, or across the golden-spangled 

 meadows. The Blackcap will enliven the rambler with his 

 rapturous song, and many more Warblers will have arrived, 

 together with the Stone Curlew, Turtle Dove, Corncrake, and 

 others. The bird-lover's months of waiting and watching are 

 well rewarded in April, and fresh sights and sounds meet him 

 at every turn. Rambling on we see in the hedgerows the 

 wonderfully woven nest of a Field Mouse, but nobody was at 



