56 MISADVENTURES OF BIED-WATCHING 



Twilight came over the valley, and I returned 

 home without having discovered the nest. 



Next evening I went again to the spot, creep- 

 ing stealthily beside the cover of the hedgerow 

 till I was able to kneel under the rose-bush. 

 The warblers were evidently unaware of my 

 presence ; no signal of alarm was heard though 

 the birds flitted about the copse and occasionally 

 perched on the bramble which apparently hung 

 over the nest, whence they peered into the 

 undergrowth as if to assure themselves that their 

 charges had not been molested. Just as it 

 appeared certain that the warblers would soon 

 betray their secret, a bull appeared close to the 

 hedgerow, right above the copse, and began to 

 rub his horns and neck against the trunk of an 

 oak. The birds, greatly agitated, tried to lure 

 the animal away, but, taking no notice of them, 

 he remained under the tree, and, leaning over 

 the low bank dividing the meadow from the 

 copse, browsed noisily on the rank herbage. In 

 desperation I retreated towards the river, and 

 endeavoured to drive the animal away by a 

 cannonade of sticks and stones. But this action 

 caused still greater alarm ; and that evening 

 like the first, passed fruitless so far as its main 

 object was concerned. 



An amusing adventure occurred on the third 

 occasion. Not a dozen yards from the nest a 



