A SUMMER AT HOME. 207 



winked, but, crouching in the angle of a worm fence, I 

 had for ray pains a good view of His Carefulness, as he 

 approached. " As he approached," did I say ? Well, 

 he stopped as if shot when ten paces off, and stared ; 

 it may be five seconds, it may be ten, and then, without 

 my distinguishing a movement, the mink was gone. 



Til is ended my sight-seeing for the day — for the 

 month. As the melancholy thrush rounded off the 

 remnant of the day with song, I turned my steps home- 

 ward ; but oh ! so reluctantly ; for however kindly nat- 

 ure might lengthen out these closing hours of June days, 

 there could come no surfeit of their sweetness. 



July 1. — Fireflies, this evening, were unusually abun- 

 dant, and of two very differest species. The little yel- 

 low flash-light was that one common everywhere, and 

 now seen dotted over the upland fields. In the mead- 

 ows were streaky blue-lights that rose up from the 

 rank grass, and sailed away over the bushes, like ceru- 

 lean comets. 



The glittering fireflies gild the gathering gloom very 

 fitfully, and it would appearr that, unless the atmosphere 

 is moist, they crawl upon the leaves of low bushes, rather 

 than fly much. This, at least, is true of the " blue-lights " 

 in the meadow, a species which I have never yet seen 

 on the upland fields. 



The purpose of this flash-light, whether short and 

 dazzling, or prolonged and less illuminative, is still a 

 matter of doubt. It has been suggested that it was to 

 assist it to see in the dark, to enable it to find its com- 

 panions, or to frighten off its nocturnal enemies. None 



