94 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



much as it was one hundred years ago ; and 

 some of the people are really, so far as their 

 ideas run on certain subjects, which it is not 

 quite expedient to mention, very like their fore- 

 fathers. 



Snipes and woodcocks nest round here as 

 they have always done ; but it was not to see 

 these long-billed bog-runners that we roamed 

 there lately from morning to night for they 

 breed close to my own home but to watch, so 

 far as it was possible to do it, the grey-backed, 

 rufous-breasted Dartford warbler. 



Entomologists would have rare finds in this 

 district, for the fuz- wrens were busy ; but the 

 cover was, as one of the natives observed, "too 

 rank tu git in." I quite agreed with him on 

 that point. Natter-jack toads are to be seen 

 travelling along at a rare rate ; in fact, you 

 might say at a run. There is as much difference 

 between the movements of this striped natter- 

 jack and those of the common toad as there is 

 between the paces of a cart-horse and a trotter. 



Red vipers are too numerous here, if the 

 truth must be told the largest not more than 

 fifteen inches long, and some only ten. You 

 can take their measure when you have killed 

 them, but you certainly will not do so before. 



