WILD LIFE AT HOME, AND ABROAD. 203 



water Forget-me-not, or other water flowers, plants, and insects; 

 let me see the striped Perch at home, and the silver dappled 

 Roach and Dace, and the big mouthed Pike, or the wriggling 

 Eel; then take me to see the Cornish Chough, and leave me 

 to sit and watch the ever murmuring waves which play upon 

 the rugged Cornish Coast I 



Traversing inland again, let me go to the * old spot ' in early 

 Spring, and watch and listen for the call of " Cuckoo " from 

 that well known belt of woodland; and may I linger until dewy 

 eve for the first heard strains of England's sweet-voiced Night- 

 ingale? Stay with me to watch and listen to the ventriloquial 

 Landrail, as he runs through the waving corn ; go with me to 

 the pool and see the Swallows and Martins skimming along the 

 surface; notice the Spotted Flycatcher on the pliant branches 

 of the weeping willow; observe the sooty Moorhen and the 

 crooing Coot! May I go to some snug retreat in July, and 

 feast in Nature's own Strawberry garden, and watch, day by 

 day, the changing tints, and then the Autumn dresses, the golden 

 and bronze, the completion of a season of Nature's handiwork. 



Cannot I find interest and amusement in watching the snow 

 flakes fall at one season, and the June sunset at another ? Cannot 

 I in Winter follow the industrious Titmice in all their clever and 

 useful habits and watch the whistling Nuthatch ; at this so-called 

 barren season, too, cannot I the better study the network of 

 the trees, and at my very garden door listen to the song of 

 the Redbreast, the cheery matin of a Wren, or the warbling 

 of a Hedge Sparrow? 



To Spring again let us betake our thoughts, let us watch 

 daily the shooting corn. Carefully may we observe the unfold- 

 ing of the delicate green leaves of early Spring, how glad all 

 Nature seems at her new lease of life. Notice the gradual 

 resurrection of insect, and bird, and animal life ; then, later in 

 the year, do not let us pass unheeded the massive snow-white 

 Cherry and Fruit Orchards, and, a few months afterwards, let 

 us pluck the luscious fruit, and give the birds their share, for 

 surely every labourer is worthy of his hire. 



Think again how interesting it is to watch for the unfolding of 

 the first Snow-drop or Crocus, then go to the harvest field and 

 spend an hour among the reapers and the gleanersl 



