Workers in Woodcraft. 269 



the corn and stubble ; and rabbits pop in and 

 out everywhere. Hares haunt the meadows and 

 upland fields, and snipe go away from the 

 marshes. Woodcock come to the wet woods, 

 and a host of sea-haunting creatures feed along 

 the bay. There is a heronry in the wood, and 

 pigeons build in the larches. Of the habits ol 

 these creatures the keeper is full ; and if he is 

 garrulous he is always instructive. By observing, 

 he has found that animals and birds have stated 

 times and well-defined routes. Exactly at the 

 same hour, according to the sun, the partridges 

 and pheasants resort to the same spots. Hares 

 follow the tracks day by day, and rooks fly 

 morning and evening along the same valleys. 

 Nightly, herons stalk the pools and the otter 

 traces the mountain burns to their source. At 

 noon a sparrow-hawk speeds by the covert, and 

 at evening a kestrel hangs over the rickyard. In 

 the afternoon, regularly, weasels run along the 

 old wall ; and as these things the flowers in their 

 times of opening and closing are not less con- 

 stant. 



The keeper's domain encloses a park in which 

 are red deer and fallow. Sometimes he has to 

 shoot a fawn for the " great house." This he 

 singles out, hitting it if possible just behind the 

 shoulder. In season he must provide a certain 

 "head" of game. Twice weekly he procures 

 this, and takes it to the hall. For its proper 



