184 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



think, although when digging in the garden to-day about a foot or so 

 down it was quite dry. We want some nice bright weather now for a 

 week or two. 



3rd. Bright and warm, with some heavy showers. Skylark and 

 Hedge Sparrow singing. The Rose trees in the garden are throwing 

 some splendid blooms. The House Sparrows are still nesting in my 

 neighbour's roof. The reds and browns of the grasses very noticeable 

 now. 



Taking stock of a bird's nest to-day reminded me of that beautiful 

 verse by Hardis, as follows: 



"A bird's nest. Mark it well, within, without. 

 No tool had he that wrought, no knife to cut, 



No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, 

 No glue to join; his little beak was all. 

 And yet how neatly finish'd ! What nice hand, 

 With every implement and means of art, 

 And twenty years' apprenticeship to boot, 

 Could make me such another?" 



4th. Lovely bright morning, but we were not at all sure that 

 the weather would hold. For a wonder, it has done so; it has been 

 fine all day. The flowers of the Pinks are dying off in the garden, 

 but the Stocks and Phloxes and Nasturtiums are taking their place 

 rapidly. Hedge Sparrow singing within sound of my door 



5th. Dull, but fine and warm The 'flower of the Portugal 

 Laurel is out. How it smells, and how delicate the ochre centre 

 and the spikes. The Rabbits come right out into the fields to nibble 

 at the roots of the Docks an<l Dandelions; they are very fond of 

 these. The Pink Campion is still flowering freely, but the Wild 

 Arum has gone to seed. The bright green bunches of seeds look 

 very curious in the woods, the leaves having been shed. Heard two 

 Nightingales uttering what I took to be an alarm note, but deliciously 

 bubbling and sweet. 



A dull, cloudy fore-evening, then about eight o'clock a faint 

 orange light was thrown up from the West towards the trees in the 

 East. This light flickered for a while, finally bursting into a glorious 

 copper colour. It just caught the tops of the trees in the park, where 

 we happened to be strolling, and the effect was indeed charming and 

 magnificent, the more so because of the contrast between the black of 

 one moment and the shimmering gold of the next. Later on, towards 

 the North and North-west, there were delicate patches of light pearl 

 grey floating amongst dark grey. 



