THROUGH THE YEAR 31 



jerking round, and uttering its " tuk, tuk " note of 

 alarm or vexation, I notice this odd thing its head 

 appears to be set absolutely on its shoulders ; it 

 is neckless. It reminds one of a bird on the ground 

 crouching and ready for a spring upward. 



The redshanks are nesting in the wetter parts 

 of the common, where half the ground is under 

 water now ; and here, among the gorse and sallow 

 scrub and tufts of half-submerged heath and ling, 

 the air is redolent of the orange and red flowers of 

 sweet gale. I scarcely know of a wild plant sight 

 more beautiful than sweet gale in patches, burning 

 with colour, in the snipe-haunted hollows. Side 

 by side with it is the midget of the willow tribe, 

 hardly stouter sometimes than- euphrasia, little 

 eyebright of our dry chalk downs. This willow, 

 salix repens, that reaches not higher than the ankles, 

 is covered with neatest globes of yellow pollen. 



In scent dwarf willow is the honey of the swamp, 

 and sweet gale the incense. 



BEECHES OF MARK ASH 



Trees to some people who live among them, take 

 on personality. Not long ago, there died a New 

 Forest owner who felt for trees. It was said, and is 

 still told of this man, that he suffered with them 

 in a hard storm. " Poor things, how they suffer ! " 

 is a saying recorded of him. The same sympathy 

 with trees might be attributed more or less to other 

 men. It is natural that trees of a great size and 

 adumbrage should appeal strongly to some natures. 



