From Fox's Earth 



piece of land. The barren place was the cheaper. 

 From the rabbit borings, it had probably the 

 lighter soil. Whin and heather, those best of 

 natural hazards, abounded ; a ditch or old 

 quarry lent variety. A burn ran through, which 

 might be crossed more than once. The stretch 

 was leased : some green-keeper of note was 

 summoned, to tell how it might best be laid out. 

 The rough parts, where the wader nested beside 

 the grouse, were tamed. The moist places, where 

 the mallard raised her brood near the water-hen, 

 were drained. 



And so it came about that the coast birds 

 arrived in March or April to find the secret 

 avenues among the glowing whins invaded by 

 men running after balls. The curlew rose higher 

 in the air, or took a wider sweep to spy the land, 

 and find where next to place its great dim eggs. 

 The new-comers were as much at a loss as where 

 they came from. 



Only last night, I heard the pipe of a redshank 

 mingling with the scream of a lapwing. For want 

 of a better place, it was nesting on the pasture 

 land, among the feet of the grazing sheep. A 

 rustic sat by the stream watching the restless 

 flight. Even to his bucolic wit, it seemed away 

 from home. The bird would not light while the 

 man was there. The man's work being over for 

 the day and his dull curiosity awakened, he was 

 in no hurry. I left them to their trial of patience. 



