Eggs. 150 



over that and the road outside, would strike another 

 great hedge which, were it not for the intervention 

 of the garden, would be a continuation of the first. 

 The finches, after spending a little time in the apple 

 and damson trees, fl^' over the wall and road to this 

 second hedge, and follow it down for nearly half a 

 mile to a little enclosed meadow, which, like the 

 orchard, is a speciall}' favorite resort. The fondness 

 of birds for this route is very striking ; they are con- 

 stantly passing up or down it. There is another 

 such a fiivorite route at some distance, running 

 beside a brook and likewise leading to the same en- 

 closed meadow — of which more presently. I think 

 I could make a map of these fields, showing the routes 

 and resorts of furred and feathered creatures. 



Near the ha-ha wall, where the great meadow- 

 hedge comes up to the orchard, is a summer-house, 

 with a conical thatched roof and circular window. It 

 is hung all round under the ceiling with festoons of 

 eggs taken by the boys of the farmstead, cordially 

 assisted b}' the carters' lads when not at work. There 

 may be perhaps fort}' varieties, arranged so as to in- 

 crease in size from the tiny tomtits up to the large 

 wood-pigeons, the peewits, corn-crake, and crow ; 

 some milk-white, others splotched with dark brown 

 spots and veins, others again blue. These eggs, 

 when taken and the yolk blown out, were strung on 

 a bennet and so carried home. The lads like to get 

 them as soon after laid as possible, because they blow 

 best then ; if hard set the shell may break. 



In the circular window they have left a nest of the 

 long-tailed tit, or ' tit-mouse,' built exactly in the 

 shape of a hut with roof and tiny doorwaj', and al- 



