THE WOODLAND IN APRIL 289 



iflock and served his fellow men and women as a 

 good and zealous citizen — ^had often expressed a 

 wish to accompany me on one of my Natural 

 History rambles, and thus it came to pass that 

 on a fine warm Spring day we found ourselves 

 w^andering through the woodland. 



"Hark! do you hear that? " said I. "There, 

 in the tall Oak to the right of us, is the Chiif Chaff, 

 one of the earliest heralds of the Spring." 



To the untrained ear and eye sights and sounds 

 of the countryside are often unseen or unheard; 

 iDut after a while my friend had little difficulty in 

 hearing the notes of our Summer visitor from the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, and, indeed, through- 

 out our ramble my companion was so eager and 

 attentive that identification was a comparatively 

 easy matter. One may take into the country an 

 indifferent observer, and it is no light task to 

 interest and amuse him; given an intelligent 

 companion, half the battle is won. 



" Come, take your staff in your hand," said I, 

 '^^ and we will explore this bit of woodland, through 

 which I have rambled during the past Winter in 

 all weathers, and watched, week by week. Nature's 

 slow but sure progress." 



" What a collection of plants there are in this 

 tangled hedgerow. Tell me, please, what are their 

 .names," said my friend. 



" Well, that golden flower is the Lesser Celan- 



