146 WOODLAND, MOOR, AND STREAM 



they are not wanted. Just now, although I am living 

 in the heart of the country, surrounded by woods 

 and fields, I am not able to procure mice for one of 

 my pets, although I have offered to pay a penny a 

 head for them. The men that thrash the stacks out 

 with their thrashing-machines have been enlisted in 

 this service, but to no purpose. I went to one lately, 

 as a forlorn hope, but he said : * I ain't had no luck, 

 master ; I wishes I had, for 'tis a rare price to offer for 

 'em, an* our job is a dusty one, so a drop o' beer 

 comes oncommon handy to the likes o' us, I can 

 tell ye. No, we ain't had no luck at all ; you'd 

 hardly believe it, but the last lot o' stacks as we 

 thrashed lately, there warn't a mouse or a rat in 

 them. As to traps, they ain't no good this time o' 

 year.' 



I have proved that, and not to my satisfaction in 

 this case, for I want mice badly. 



What the kestrel does at certain times is to take 

 toll from the large flocks of birds that congregate in 

 the fields late in the autumn, when the acorns are 

 falling, and the beech-mast lies thick on the ground, 

 The woodpigeons come then in flocks for their pro- 

 vender; the outskirts of the woods bordering on 

 the bare fields are their favourite feeding-grounds. 

 They are good birds for the table where their feed is 



