CUCKOO AND ROBIN'S NEST 23 



there." The author expresses his amazement at 

 the callous indifference shown by the parent 

 robins to the fate of their own offspring, whilst 

 they continued to pamper the cuckoo. 



Here is something about a swallow and a 

 pike: 



" All at once fifty yards out from the margin 

 there was a great splash, as if a big stone had 

 been flung out into the lake, and then from the 

 falling spray and rocking water rose a swallow, 

 struggling laboriously up, its plumage drenched, 

 and flew slowly away. A big pike had dashed at 

 and tried to seize it, and the swallow had es- 

 caped as by a miracle." 



The same chapter provides the following pic- 

 turesque tragedy of the grasshopper and the 

 spider : 



" I saw a common green grasshopper leap 

 away and by chance land in a geometric web in 

 a small furze bush. Caught in the web, it began 

 kicking with its long legs, and would in three 

 seconds have made its escape. But mark what 

 happened. Directly over the web and above the 

 kicking grasshopper there was a small web-made 

 thimble-shaped shelter, mouth down, fastened 

 to a spray, and the spider was sitting in it. 

 Looking down, it must have seen and known 

 that the grasshopper was far too big and strong 

 to be held in that frailest snare, that it would be 

 gone in a moment, and the net torn to pieces. 

 It also must have seen that it was no wasp nor 

 dangerous insect of any kind, and so, instantly, 



