28 The Gamekeeper at Home. 



is not practised now, at least not in the south. She 

 has had snakes' skins, or more properly sloughs, for 

 the curious. It is very difficult to get one entire ; 

 they are fragile, and so twisted in the grass where the 

 snake leaves them as to be generally broken. Some 

 country folk put them in their hats to cure headache, 

 which is a very old superstition ; but more in sport 

 than earnest. There are no deer now in the park. 

 There used to be a hundred years ago, and her hus- 

 band has found several cast antlers in the wood. The 

 best are up at the great house, but there is one on her 

 staircase. Will I take a few chestnuts? It is 

 winter — the proper time — and these are remarkably 

 fine. No tree is apparently so capricious in its yield 

 as the chestnut in English woods : the fruit of many 

 is so small as to be worthless, or else it does not reach 

 maturity. But these large ones are from a tree which 

 bears a fine nut : her husband has them saved every 

 year. Here also are half-a-dozen truffles if I will 

 accept them : most that are found go up to the great 

 house ; but of late years they have not been sought 

 for so carefully, because coming in quantities from 

 abroad. These truffles are found, she believes, in the 

 woods where the soil is chalky. She used to gather 

 many native herbs ; but tastes have changed, and new 

 seasonings and sauces have come into fashion. 



