MAGPIE FIELDS. 173 



One particular field was completely covered "with it 

 and scarcely a clover field in the neighbourhood was 

 perfectly free. But though drawing the sap from the 

 clover plants the latter grew so vigorously that little 

 damage was apparent. After a while the broom rape 

 disappeared, but the clover shot up and afforded good 

 forage. So late as the beginning of October a few 

 poppies flowered in it, their bright scarlet contrasting 

 •vividly with the green around, and the foliage above 

 fast turning brown. 



The flight of the jay much resembles that of the 

 magpie, the same jaunty, uncertain style, so that at 

 a distance from the flight alone it would be difficult to 

 distinguish them, though in fact the magpie's longer 

 tail and white and black colours always mark him. 

 One morning in July, standing for a moment in the 

 shade beside a birch copse which borders the same 

 road, a jay flew up into the tree immediately overhead, 

 so near that the peculiar shape of the head and bill 

 and all the plumage was visible. He looked down 

 twice, and then flew. Another morning there was a 

 jay on the ground, searching about, not five yards 

 from the road, nor twenty from a row of houses. It 

 was at the corner of a copse which adjoins them. 

 If not so constantly shot at the jay would be anything 

 but wild. 



Notwithstanding all these magpies and jays, the 

 partridges are numerous this year in the fields border- 

 ing the highway, and which are not watched by keepers. 

 Thinking of the partridges makes me notice the ant- 

 hills. There were comparatively few this season, 

 but on the 4th of August, which was a sunny day, I 



