250 ANIMALS AT WORK AND PLA Y 



utmost certainty to those whose business it is to 

 watch the forest, and could be predicted for any 

 month in the year ; and though the Scotch deer 

 move considerable distances, owing to the bad 

 weather and want of food on the mountains, a fat 

 Exmoor stag remains in the same haunt, and goes 

 through the comfortable round of eating, sleeping, 

 and occasionally bathing, as regularly as its tame 

 relations in Richmond Park. Change, excitement, 

 or even the desire to visit another part of the 

 forest does not seem to come within their notion 

 of what constitutes happiness in the wild life. 

 Comfort seems to be its aim, though this secured 

 by natural means, bestows what in the case of 

 human beings it often withdraws, the condition of 

 perfect health. The adventurous life, if it is found 

 anywhere among wild creatures, belongs to the 

 carnivorous animals. Yet most of these only wander 

 just so far as is necessary to find their prey, and 

 then prefer to kill some creature that will pro- 

 vide a meal for more than one day. They are 

 naturally indolent, and active only from necessity. 

 Even the peregrine falcon, the fastest and boldest 

 of English birds, lives * in a groove ' when it can. 

 Those in the Culver cliffs not only remain there 

 during the whole year, but at no time during the 

 day are they absent for more than an hour from 



