314 MY COUNTRY WANDERINGS 



over and over again as a slight recompense for her 

 diligent and praiseworthy labours, but all to no 

 purpose. Immediately a fresh sitting of eggs 

 was given her, however, she settled down upon 

 them and brought off successfully another valu- 

 able brood. 



It is interesting to notice that young Pheasants 

 — unlike many birds — are born with their eyes 

 open, and are able to run about within an hour 

 or two of being born. The foster-mother — the 

 appliance called by that name, not the fowl — 

 saves many a young life, and I have seen a number 

 of young Pheasants helped from their shelly home 

 head first which have been at once put into 

 the warm foster-mother (heated by means of an 

 oil-stove) and very successfully reared. Once in 

 there, the keeper's mind is at rest, for his precious 

 chicks are comparatively safe. 



There were several nice companies of Swallows 

 and House and Sand Martins during 1906, and 

 when the meadows are one sheet of flaring yellow it 

 is always a fascinating sight to watch the Swallows 

 especially cleverly swinging over the top of the 

 Crowfoot with unerring flight, and uttering ever 

 and anon their shrill alarm note, which is much 

 like that of the Pied Wagtail. I consider the 

 Swallow the best bird on the wing of the three 

 species mentioned, and I once noticed one in a 

 very long building which had a great number of 



