144 A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



hues. The sunlight just reaching one corner has a charming 

 effect, and shows off to perfection the glories of light and shade. 

 Perchance the nests of the Sedge and Reed Warbler may here 

 be found, illustrations of both of which are given on the previous 

 page. The Reed Warbler's nest is much deeper than that of 

 its relation and is wonderfully secured between the stems of 

 reeds, while the Sedge Warbler that inimitable English Mocking 

 Bird builds by no means a wonderful structure, yet it is tidy 

 and neat. 



The Pied Wagtail should here be seen disporting itself, and 

 often very unlooked-for varieties pay a visit to the brink of the 

 pool to quench their thirst, preparatory to taking part again 

 in the great orchestra of Nature. A Linnet may look in from 

 the commons, or even a Nuthatch may come down from his 

 perch on the tree tops, then back again, and proceed to call 

 his mate by his peculiar whistle. Passing on, the scene grows 

 more beautiful : the clean crisp fir balls and the old needles 

 of the firs and pines, shed upon the ground, make a smoothly 

 carpeted way. 



The blue sky is just discernible through the trees, and the 

 rays of the sun peeping through here and there throw light 

 upon the shining leaves of Holly or Nut Hazel. A startled 

 Jay darts through the sunbeams; a Rabbit runs almost within 

 touch; Bees buzz by in their gorgeous belts of blue, Butterflies 

 of dazzling hue flit hither and thither. Many times have I 

 witnessed such a scene in beauteous Bedfordshire, and stood 

 meditating as to how long it would last. The handsome Goldfinch 

 still exists in sufficient numbers to take up the chorus of welcome, 

 and the Chaffinch is frequently conspicuous, but the other 

 Finch Bully is not so often met with. Why it should be I 

 cannot say, unless it is that he is captured in large numbers 

 for the sake of his well-known powers of imitation, but if not 

 brought up from the nest no good results are likely to be 

 obtained. The beautiful root and twig nest of this Finch, with 

 occasionally a sparing lining of black hair, is well worth 

 illustrating and Mr. Newman has supplied us with excellent 

 materials for reproduction, as will be seen. 



Having reached the outskirts of the wood, we come to the 

 open country. Running right up to the hedgerow is a corn- 



