AMONG THE HILLS. 43 



All banks and dry-stone walls are favourite spots 

 for observing the mouse tribe. They thrive there 

 and play about in all directions. As I sit quiet on 

 the stile, a couple of woodmice run out, and very 

 soon they begin to feed on some tender grass shoots. 

 They resemble the dormouse in their colour, which 

 is a bright fawn, but their tails are not bushy. 

 Quite as large they are also ; and they, too, sit up 

 to eat. As I move to enter the wood they scamper 

 away quickly. 



Great trees stand all about me, some of them 

 covered half-way up with moss and lichens, and 

 their lower branches touch the ground, which is 

 covered with decayed leaves, giving a warm brown- 

 red tone, which brings out in strong relief the 

 moss-covered, grey-toned trunks. In many places 

 that rich leaf- mould is two feet deep and more. 

 The light falls on the tender bright -green leaves 

 and plays on the tree- trunks here and there, while 

 Cuckoo ! cuckoo ! is heard on all sides. In some 

 places you catch a sight of wild cherry and crabtree 

 in full blossom, mingled with the mountain - ash. 

 Close to you, singing with all his heart to cheer his 

 mate on her nest, is the flute-player of the woods, 



