OTHERWISE ENGAGED. 35 



fashion hold it in his foot, but more frequently 

 under it, as a hawk holds a small bird when in 

 the act of devouring it, and quickly inserting his 

 bill between the scales, split them open by means 

 of that wonderful tool, and extract the seeds 

 with the greatest facility. Occasionally a cone 

 would fall to the ground just as it was snapped 

 off; but, in such a case, a fresh one was instantly 

 selected, no further notice being taken of the one 

 that had dropped. Their powers of climbing 

 appeared fully equal to that of the titmice, as 

 they swung about in all directions and in every 

 imaginable attitude, twisting and twirling, flutter- 

 ing and chattering, within a few yards of me, 

 and evidently quite unconscious of my presence. 

 This was too good to last. The loud cries of the 

 beaters, now rapidly approaching, had for some 

 time overpowered the notes of the crossbills, and 

 announced that the o/wssewas drawing to a close. 

 Either alarmed at this, or having completed their 

 selection of the most tempting cones in the fir- 

 tree over my head, some of the little birds were 

 evidently preparing for a move, when suddenly a 

 rushing sound behind me recalled me to con- 

 sciousness, and turning about, I had just time to 

 catch a glimpse of a fine roebuck, with a capital 

 head, dash across the vista within twelve yards of 



D 2 



