224 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



hard," and " the other was too highly coloured ; " 

 " it was a great pity I did not give my mind to 

 other things and let" birds alone." There was no 

 call for this. I was at that time physically delicate, 

 and a sensitive youngster ; however, I had my way, 

 being determined to have it. 



But I am forgetting myself, the quail has led me 

 to do this ; for as I write I am once more in that 

 rough field, thick with thistles, burdocks, dock, 

 sorrel, ox-eye daisies, kixes, hawkweed, and many 

 other plants, the whole under-surface being covered 

 with tussocks and bent tufts. 



Here it was that I listened to the simple call of 

 the quail, and here I got my bird. That field is 

 now fine pasture-land. I hear the corncrake and 

 the partridge, but " Wet, my weet wet, my weet," 

 we never expect to hear again, the quails' feeding- 

 grounds having been improved away. The quails 

 imported into this country in the quail season are 

 larger and better marked, I think, than those found 

 wild here. Quite recently I compared some sky- 

 larks from the Continent with some of our English 

 field-larks, and noticed the same difference. This 

 may be caused by a warmer climate, and possibly 



