A WREN'S SUN-BATH 327 



soil and select a spot where the bed sloped towards the 

 sun, and then wriggle about in the earth with immense 

 enjoyment. Dusting himself, he would look like a 

 miniature partridge with a round body not much 

 bigger than a walnut. After dusting would come the 

 luxurious sun-bath, when, with feathers raised and 

 minute wings spread out and beak gaping, the little 

 thing would lie motionless and panting ; but at intervals 

 of three or four seconds a joyful fit of shivering would 

 seize him, and at last, the heat becoming too great, he 

 would shake himself and skip away, looking like a 

 brown young field vole scuttling into cover. 



This bright and beautiful period came to an end on 

 August 22, and we then had unsettled weather with 

 many sudden changes until September 3 cloudy 

 oppressive days, violent winds, thunderstorms, and 

 days of rain and sunshine, and morning and evening 

 rainbows ; it was a mixture of April, midsummer, and 

 October. 



This changeful period over, there was fine settled 

 weather ; it was the golden time of the year, and it con- 

 tinued till our departure on the last day of September. 



The fruit season was late this year nearly a fort- 

 night later than in most years ; and when the earliest, 

 the wild arum, began to ripen, the birds thrushes and 

 chaffinches were detected fell upon and devoured all 

 the berries, regardless of their poisonous character, 

 almost before their light-green had changed to vivid 

 scarlet. Then came the deep crimson fruit of the 



