LETTER XXII. 157 



there they obey only the eternal decree as given in the Book of 

 Job, and attend the beck of their deputed mistress, the Moon. 

 On this tract of land, which encircles our tight little island, 

 Nature spreads her table twice every day for a large class of her 

 children, especially her long-legged and flat-footed sons and 

 daughters, who revel on juicy molluscs and many an unctious 

 bait, saying shrill graces through their long beaks, till the air 

 rings again with as grateful music to the Giver of good things as 

 any " Non Nobis " that ever was chanted after turtle and venison. 

 This land of promise has inexhaustible attractions, too, for 

 creatures in a higher walk of life. Here the wary gunner, either 

 by land or on the water, may match his strategy against the Argus 

 eyes of game which is free of three elements ; or the more leisurely 

 and meditative polypus hunter may here pick up, Curlew-like, out 

 of the puddles, for that aquarium in his study at home, " all 

 things that are forked, and horned, and soft," and 



" All the dry, pied things that be 

 In the hueless mosses under the sea." 



The pale invalid, too, is here, sitting on a rock, pumping oxygen 

 and iodine into his lungs as fast as he can, while he is at the 

 same time busy sketching "low water, spring tide." Here all 

 comers are sure to find what they have come for ; wild game, sea 

 monsters, or the picturesque, be it what it may, all abound here. 

 Sport active, sport passive, and lots of fresh sea breeze for all. 



The Sclavonian Grebes visited us again, but three weeks later 

 than I observed them last year, being in this respect in keeping 

 with everything else this wet and tardy spring. They were in 

 full feather, and in about the same numbers as last year ; but the 



