88 A HUNT FOR THE NIGHTINGALE. 



moan their loss and to take counsel together, the 

 male breaks forth with a new song, and the female 

 begins to construct a new nest. The poets, therefore, 

 in depicting the bird on such occasions as bewailing 

 the lost brood, are wide of the mark ; he is invoking 

 and celebrating a new brood. 



As it was mid-afternoon, I could only compose 

 myself till night-fall. I accompanied the farmer to 

 the hay-field and saw the working of his mowing- 

 machine, a rare implement in England, as most of 

 the grass is still cut by hand, and raked by hand 

 also. The disturbed sky-larks were hovering above 

 the falling grass, full of anxiety for their nests, as 

 one may note the bobolinks on like occasions at 

 home. The weather is so uncertain in England, and 

 it is so impossible to predict its complexion, not only 

 from day to day but from hour to hour, that the 

 farmers appear to consider it a suitable time to cut 

 grass when it is not actually raining. They slash 

 away without reference to the aspects of the sky, 

 and when the field is down trust to luck to be able 

 to cure the hay, or get it ready to " carry " between 

 the showers. The clouds were lowering and the air 

 was damp now, and it was Saturday afternoon ; but 

 the farmer said they would never get their hay if 

 they minded such things. The farm had seen better 

 days ; so had the farmer ; both were slightly down 

 at the heel. Too high rent and too much hard cider 

 were working their effects upon both. The farm 

 had been in the family many generations, but it was 



