NATURE NEAR LONDON 251^ 



Whether they wheeled round in circles, or 

 whether they dived, or simply sailed onward in the 

 air, they did it in pairs. As one was sweeping 

 round another came to him. As one sailed straight 

 on a second closely followed. After one had 

 dived the other soon followed, or waited till he had 

 come up and rejoined him. They danced and 

 played in couples as if they were paired already. 

 Some left the main body and steered right away 

 from their friends, but turned and came back, and 

 in about half an hour they all descended and 

 settled in the oak from which they had risen. A 

 loud cawing and jack-juck-jucking accompanied 

 this sally. 



The same day it could be noticed how the 

 shadows of the elms cast by the bright sunshine on 

 the grass, which is singularly fresh and green this 

 autumn, had a velvety appearance. The dark 

 shadow on the fresh green looked soft as velvet. 

 The waters of the brook had become darker now ; 

 they flowed smooth, and at the brink reflected a 

 yellow spray of horse-chestnut. The sunshine 

 made the greenfinches call, the chaffinches utter 

 their notes, and a few thrushes sing ; but the latter 

 were soon silenced by frosts in the early morning, 

 which turned the fern to so deep a reddish brown 

 as to approach copper. 



At the beginning of October a herd of cows and 



