SEPTEMBER. 235 



day Large White Butterflies have been coquetting ceaselessly together 

 over the surface of the looking-glass pool. Different varieties of Rud- 

 beckias in the garden making a brilliant show of yellow. Everything 

 looks fresh and green after the heavy rain of the first instant. 



4th. Bright, with a blue June sky. Starlings in flocks; could not 

 help noticing particularly to-day the very pretty twitter of the Swallow. 

 Small Willow Herb and Corn Sow Thistle still in flower, also Scarlet 

 Pimpernel. Came across quite a large number of spotless White 

 Turkeys in a park. A friend tells me he photographed a young Cuckoo 

 in a Reed Warbler's nest as late as last month. The moss-like bunches 

 on the Dog Rose are very prominent now. They call them locally 

 " pin-cushions.' Little Maggots cradled in cavities in the swollen wood 

 is the cause of this wondrous growth. Already sere leaves one by one 

 are strewing the ground. Autumn is upon us. 



5th. Bright and warm; most perfect weather. Betony, Wood- 

 sage, Water Mint, Orpine, Broad-leaved Plantain, Pink Campion, 

 Fleabane, Water Forget-me-not, Brooklime, Pink Persicaria, Silver 

 Weed, Hedge Stachys, Purple Loosestrife, and Devil's Bit Scabious 

 found in flower. Wren singing now and then; Robin almost 

 continually. Swallow's nest found in boathouse by a pool. The 

 parent birds in and out the whole day long. The Rooks seem more 

 noisy now than during any other period of the year. Whilst fishing 

 to-day there were in the surrounding fields thousands of these birds 

 and Jackdaws. About an hour after sunset (which took place about 

 6 p.m.), it was indeed a sight to see phalanx after phalanx come in 

 to the woods to roost. There must have been many thousands of 

 birds. Never have I seen so many Rooks or Jackdaws before. 

 Heard the Chiff Chaff uttering its Spring notes several times, and 

 saw two or three Reed Warblers. The music of the Rushes by the 

 water as they are blown by the wind is very curious. One of the 

 pleasantest of rural sounds now is the welcome noise of the threshing 

 machine. Many large Dragon flies flying about the pool to-day, 

 several Starlings observed on the lawns, and also Pied Wagtails. 

 How hard the ploughmen have to work! Autumn ploughing is now 

 taking place, and the Rooks know it. They come down on the 

 newly turned up land like a pack of Wolves, and have a royal feast 

 Has the reader ever looked through a pair of field glasses at a flock 

 of these birds on the wing? The sight is wonderful, that is if the 

 sun is shining and one sights them just as they rise from the ground. 

 The lullaby of the cow-bells distinctly pleasing to-day, also the laugh 

 of the Green Woodpecker. Several little companies of Wild Duck 



