12 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



call him, lie covered with only the eyes to be seen, 

 and then rise suddenly bolt-upright on them hind- 

 feet o' his. Swallows, too, like bees, and all the 

 large moths, the hawk tribe particularly, will force 

 an entrance into the hive, if possible, to feed on the 

 honey. You can tell by the commotion amongst 

 the bees when they are inside. 



Night has come, the humming-bird hawk-moth 

 has paid his visits in the heat of the day ; the hotter 

 it is the better he likes it. We take a small bull's- 

 eye lantern and walk quietly round the hives. A 

 hum ; another and another. In front of the lilies 

 something shines before you like moving emeralds. 

 They are the eyes of the privet hawk-moth. By 

 gently moving the light you can see his long trunk 

 at work. 



We will have no net banging about. Here is 

 a bit of bark that has been ripped from the stem 

 of a fir the very thing for us. Procuring a cup 

 of honey from our good old landlady, we coax a 

 mug of that most extra cider beyond compare 

 from the master. We mix some of it with the 

 honey, smear it on the bark, and leave this near 

 the hives. The master grins, and asks, " What 



