ALDERS AND REEDS. 105 



over which they nod and sway, springing up there 

 for centuries, beautifying nature's wilds, where all 

 is self-sown. Also to watch the rails as they leave 

 their nests, to slip like rats through the great 

 masses of rich golden - orange kingcup blossoms 

 and green leaves ; and to see the moor-hens flit 

 hither and thither, decking and clucking, anxious 

 that their sooty little young ones should come to 

 no harm. To note the little red - polled linnets 

 clinging and climbing like so many titmice about 

 the twigs of the alders where they breed ; and to 

 see the kingfishers settle on the alder branches and 

 the bowed - down stems of the oat - grass. Gold- 

 finches fly twittering through the leaves ; coming 

 from the common just outside and settling down 

 for a few moments to drink on the edge of the 

 stream, then away again twittering as they fly. 

 These and many more things took me there, and 

 last, but not least, good trout. " Poaching," you 

 say. No, this was common land. 



If a man should be hindered from fishing in any 

 place such as the one I have been describing, even 

 where he had offered to pay for it, or the "Squire" 

 had given him permission, he might just as well 



