THE PAGEANT OF THE SEASONS 105 



little eyes peering through the oak leaves. Ceuff, 

 ceuff, and the squirrel jumps on to a thicker branch 

 near and " whisks " his tail violently from side to 

 side. He "barks" again, and jumps up about two 

 feet, and alights in the 

 same place, twists his 

 little head, and jumps 

 once more in playful 

 ardour, and approaches 

 still nearer. He evidently 

 cannot quite make out 

 what the strange big 

 creature among the 

 bracken is, for I keep per- 

 fectly motionless. Now 

 he looks at me, runs back 

 a few paces and returns, 

 still calling and moving 

 his tail. But he has no 

 more time to waste in 

 looking at any intruder, 

 for he is collecting winter 



stores. An acorn is picked, and sitting up, he 

 arranges it in his mouth with his front feet, and then 

 runs along and jumps like a puff of air from branch 

 to tree; and then taking an extra long jump he lands 

 with a crash in a holly bush below, but emerges safely 

 on the other side, deposits his acorn in his store place, 



BLUE-TIT. TASTING ! 



