CH. V. WILD- CAT. 75 



were. The cat, too, belonging to Eoss, the keeper 

 at Tongue, had peculiar wildness and antipathy to 

 strangers, not suffering himself to be caressed, or 

 indeed scarcely to be looked at, by any one except- 

 ing the keeper's wife, for whom the animal showed 

 great attachment. When I entered the house he 

 bolted out, and it was with difficulty that Mrs. 

 Eoss caught him ; and when she brought him in 

 again in her arms, the animal showed the greatest 

 fear of and animosity to me, and was constantly 

 endeavouring to escape. 



It was delightful to hear in the plantations at 

 Tongue the coo of the wood-pigeon and the songs 

 of thrush, siskin, etc. etc. The trees seemed to be 

 full of birds, most of which, to reach these woods, 

 must have wandered over many miles of ground 

 very uncongenial to their habits and tastes. In- 

 deed it is difficult to understand how many of the 

 birds, such as the golden-crested wren, the little 

 blue titmouse, etc., could ever have found their 

 way here. The landrails too seemed to be num- 

 berless ; in every patch of corn they were calling 

 and answering each other in such quantities, that 

 it was impossible to tell how many were croaking 

 at once. I also heard two or three goatsuckers 

 (Caprimulgus) making their whirring noise about 

 the stone walls and belts of plantations. All 



