196 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



like, and before I have the chance to do so he will probably have 

 made good his escape. So soon as he observes you, dob goes his 

 head, and before one has time to realise what has happened he is 

 cuiled up, and no power on earth can shift him. At night it strikes 

 me that he runs about the garden, but during the day he sleeps the 

 sleep of the righteous. The black seeds of the Wild Hyacinth are 

 very prominent in the woods now; also in the marshy situations 

 the very tall Thistles and Grasses cannot escape attention. The 

 Helleborine is heading up, and in a few days should be in flower. 

 The Snowberry is still in flower, and the leaves of the Silver Weed 

 are very noticeable. Lime still in flower. Rhododendrons in flower 

 even now. Keys on the Maple still prominent. Saw a Stoat run 

 across the road not a hundred yards from the keeper's gibbet I 



A great many Moths about, probably owing to the dry weather. 

 The Humming-bird Hawk Moth is plentiful again this Summer. 

 Green berries of the Holly to be seen. The Nuts are very noticeable 

 now, and ; the Oats look quite ripe. The harvest is at hand. 



23rd. Very hot and oppressive Harvest started in this district 

 to-day, many acres of Oats being cut and shocked by evening. 



24th. 114 degrees in the sun at 8 a.m. Hedge Sparrow singing. 



25th. 116 degrees in the sun at 8 a.m. Great Tit appeared on 

 the garden fence. House Sparrows very noisy. 



26th. Nice breezes, but still well over 100 degrees in the sun. 

 Skylark singing. We want rain very badly now. 



27th. Bright and warm, but not nearly so hot and oppressive as 

 it has been. Skylark singing. The golden of the Corn and the 

 lighter straw colour of the Oats very prominent now. Sunflowers and 

 Carnations blooming in the garden. Swifts seen. I hunted high 

 and low for my Hedgehog to-day, but he must have made good his 

 escape I They have a knack of getting out of a garden, even if a 

 high brick wall is situated all round. I hope he may turn up again, 

 but for the present at least we mourn his loss. 



The long-looked-for storm arrived this afternoon. Such heavy 

 thunder and vivid lightning I do not remember before. The welcome 

 rain descended and gave quite a refreshing Spring-like appearance 

 to the thirsty earth, for it is over three weeks since we had any rain 

 to speak of. The storm continued for some hours, but in the midst 

 of it all a courageous Lark was suspended in mid-air, and a cheery 

 Hedge Sparrow uttered a song of praise. 



