80 BIRD LIFE IN A WESTERN VALLEY 



I often climbed this rugged road only that I 

 might look on the glorious landscape and enjoy 

 the fresh, cool breezes always playing about the 

 hill. Then, during my winter expeditions with 

 gun and spaniel, I explored the course of the 

 brook, and my delight was unbounded as I 

 wandered through dingles and gorges where 

 every turn in the path revealed a change of 

 scenery, and I was promised opportunity for 

 lonely summer studies of wild creatures amid 

 conditions of life apparently unchanged through 

 many peaceful years. 



There were several reasons for the unusual 

 variety of animal life in this valley. Among 

 the silent, romantic gorges cultivation had 

 never been attempted. So steep were the de- 

 clivities that the burning of the gorse would 

 have meant at least the destruction of the trees 

 along the slopes ; and frequent trimming with 

 bill-hook and " prong " would have been both 

 tedious and unremunerative. 



Each narrow gorge was an almost perfect 

 sanctuary for wild creatures. High pinnacles of 

 rock caused the water from the hillside springs to 

 divide and trickle into numerous tiny fountains 

 along the edge of the cultivated uplands beyond. 

 Whenever a gorge opened out into low-lying 

 pastures, a tangled swamp was to be found on 

 each side of the brook, so frequently had its ill- 



