Introductory. 7 



As the good host who reserved his choicest " bin " to 

 the close of the feast, so I have kept back my best and 

 greatest favourites the birds. Of these, the now too 

 rare and stately heron cranes its long neck, and projects 

 its bayonet-like beak over the afore-mentioned fish-ponds 

 on the look-out for a speckled trout, or, it may be, a 

 slippery eel ; while the kingfisher darts past like an 

 arrow, showing its back of turquoise blue, the food of its 

 selection being the smaller fry of minnows and bull- 

 heads. 



In the same water the pretty moor-hen disports her- 

 self, and with coquettish strut makes frequent prome- 

 nades upon my lawn, fearlessly coming on over the 

 carriage- sweep, and up to the steps of the door-porch* 

 Nor has she the smooth turf all to herself, for the ring- 

 dove, or cushat (Columba palumbus) also alights upon it, 

 to look after beech-mast and acorns, occasionally accom- 

 panied by its near congener, the stock-dove (G. cenas) ; 

 while the more slender turtle (G. turtur) flies past, keeping 

 farther a- field. All three have their nests near, and their 

 cooing sounds pleasant to my ears, telling me aught but 



a " sorrowful tale/' 



On the same verdant sward the noisy jay shows itself, 

 coming so close to the drawing-room windows that an 

 artist seated in one of them might take the portrait of 

 this beautiful bird ; not with the dim, damaged lustre of 

 a stuffed specimen or caged captive, but in all the radi- 

 ant hues of life, liberty, and action. Quite as often the 

 green woodpecker (Picus viridis) a bird of such brilliant 

 plumage as to have obtained the title of " English 

 parrot " drops down upon the lawn, to do me an essen- 

 tial service by delving its long beak into the ant-hills 

 which infest the sward, and destroying thousands of 



