122 BIRD LIFE IN ENGLAND. 



nificent panorama, and we sank down on the moss to await 

 the rising of the sun. 



Soon my companion exclaimed, " Here he conies ! " as 

 a pink light flushed into the sky like the reflection of a 

 far-away conflagration. Quickly it rolled up till it reached 

 the purple sky right above us, deepening into crimson, and 

 bringing out with a touch of colour on each, that grew every 

 moment more vivid, squadrons of light fleecy clouds, of whose 

 presence we had hitherto been ignorant. Then the light 

 in the east streamed strongly up from the nether world, 

 catching the distant hill-tops, and spreading rapidly from 

 peak to peak, touching, as it went, each with gold, until 

 they stood out from the purple shadows like the jewelled 

 bosses of a shield ; while the wonderful refulgence ran down 

 the gullies, and, glancing from the high plateaus, passed, 

 above and below, through a hundred changing shades of 

 flame and orange. 



Finally, while we were still watching this shifting trans- 

 formation scene, before we knew it the sun himself shone 

 from the brilliant masses of clouds, and all the hillsides 

 woke to life. 



For some time longer we sat in silence, admiring the 

 beauty of the scene and the fresh, sweet air ; bub our 

 thoughts soon turned to the object of the expedition, and 

 being on likely ground, we at once proceeded in search of 

 sport. 



It has always appeared to me that the blackcock is a very 

 early bird ; to shoot him the start cannot be made too soon 

 after sunrise. He rarely rises so well or seems so active later 

 in the day, differing in this from the grouse ; and should the 

 sportsman wish to find the birds easily, and to see them on 

 the move in all directions, he must adapt himself to their 

 ideas of "catching the early worm." 



No sooner are we started, and the spaniels " hied " on, 

 than they begin, after a few casts to right and left, to draw 

 ahead, with tails swinging nervously, and noses sniffing the 



