228 Birds of the Forest. 



glecl, to a reddish bronze. The hawthorn leaves are 

 hght yellow, some touched with red, others almost 

 black. Maple bushes glow with gold. Here the 

 beeches show great spots of orange ; yonder the same 

 tree, from the highest branch to the lowest, has be- 

 come a rich brown. Brown too, and buff, are the 

 oaks : but the tints so shade into each other that it 

 is hard to separate and name them. 



It is not long before sounds and movements indi- 

 cate that the forest around is instinct wdth life. 

 Often it happens that more may be observed while 

 stationary in one spot than while traversing a mile 

 or two ; for many animals crouch or remain perfectlj^ 

 still, and consequently invisible, when the}' hear a 

 footstep. There is a slight tapping sound — it seems 

 quite near, but it is really some little way off; and 

 presently a woodpecker crosses the open, flying 

 with a wave-like motion, now dipping and now rising. 

 Soon afterwards a second passes : there are numbers 

 of them scattered about the forest. A clattering 

 noise comes from the trees on the left — it is a wood- 

 pigeon changing his perch ; he has settled again, for 

 now his hollow note is heard, and he always calls 

 while perching. A loud screeching and chattering 

 deeper in the forest tells that the restless jaj's are 

 there. A missel-thrush comes and perches on a 

 branch right overhead, uttering his harsh note, some- 

 thing like turning a small rattle. But he stays a 

 moment only : he is one of the most suspicious of 

 birds, and has instantl}' observed that there is some 

 one near. A magpie crosses the mead and disap- 

 pears. 



Something moving yonder in the grass catches the 



