34 Bonasa Umbellus, Rex. 



he came near them, for even if he had 

 not cared to disturb the little ones, such a 

 boy may accidentally tread directly upon 

 angels if he does not see them, and to 

 lead him away the mother fluttered and 

 limped along the ground, pretending to be 

 lame and unable to fly. The boy knew 

 well this trick of the bird, but she pre- 

 tended to be so really in distress this time 

 that he floundered after her through the 

 briers. When he was far enough away, 

 however, she took to her wings as usual, 

 and circled by a long route back to the 

 brood again. One cluck was sufficient to 

 cause the ground to spring into life about 

 her, and the chickens were all safe. 



A hooded adder that was sunning him- 

 self in the dry sheep-path one day sudden- 

 ly awoke and found a chicken quite near 

 him, and although the little thing was too 

 much frightened to run very fast it never- 

 theless got out of the dangerous vicinity 

 in time, and the adder had to console him- 

 self with a fat cricket. What luck for the 

 chicken that it was a slow adder instead 

 of a black racer, for the latter would have 



