194 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



their lives, but remain in gay bachelorhood or curious 

 maidenhood. 



As he flew lazily over the marshes, he put up a pair of 

 redlegs, who, mistaking him for a buzzard perhaps, attacked 

 him right boldly, driving him in haste over their domain of 

 marsh to a distant gate-post, where he alighted lazily and sat 

 ruminating an hour by the clock sans intermission. After his 

 dinner was thoroughly digested, he flew lazily back towards 

 the mere, going to windward till he reached the bright ex- 

 panse of water, when he turned, and, sweeping steadily down, 

 hovered some forty yards above the water in the manner of 

 a kestrel, suddenly darting down and gripping a fish in his 

 talons, which he carried off to his post, whence I started him, 

 driving him off in great dudgeon, for he flew excitedly, 

 screaming wildly once or twice as he followed a silver stream 

 away into the grey distance. 



But what a shambles was the gate-post ! The decaying 

 old log was smeared with blood, entrails, and scales from 

 top to bottom, and the marsh beneath was one stinking 

 charnel-house of the remains of rudd all were rudd : 

 decaying heads, tails, scales, entrails, and clots of blood 

 and flesh lying scattered in profusion a sight to make one 

 sick ; and yet there was the osprey's gory dining-room. In 

 truth, two fresh fish lay there with their heads partly eaten 

 off. And then I saw why he likes our broads, for the rudd 

 are plentiful there ; and since they love the fly, and rise freely 

 in warm weather to take them, they would, from being so 

 close to the surface and intent upon their dinner, form an 

 easier prey for his dinner ; and this he knew right well, so 

 he never caught any but bronze, gold-mailed, red-tinged 

 rudd, and they are food fit only for him and his kind ; but 

 the fish-eating bird should improve his table manners. 



