A GARDEN POND 271 



discover how popular and populous the garden is ; or, 

 perhaps, its- popularity has suddenly increased. In any 

 case the reason for the discovery or the increase is the 

 same. A year ago a shallow pond was made on the 

 little lawn ; and the news of the welcome water on a 

 hill top appears to have been broadcast. A rough record 

 of the visitors seen at the pond during this summer and 

 autumn is &quot; a thing imagination boggles at.&quot; 



Not all the visitors are English, and therein is a mys 

 tery. A tortoise was observed to be drinking. When 

 sated it toddled off and was followed across the little 

 lawn, under the trees of a small orchard, across a bit of 

 wood and a lawn beyond it, and then over a daffodil 

 meadow to a hedge by a roadside, where all traces were 

 lost. The distance was rather more than 200 yards, &quot; as 

 the crow flies/* which, bating the speed, is very much 

 the same as &quot; how the tortoise walks.&quot; How did the 

 tortoise, wherever it sprang from, discover the pond at 

 such a distance from its putative home ? Another and 

 more frequent visitor is a hedgehog, who has not yet 

 gone into winter quarters. Perhaps the pond will help a 

 question that some unorthodox naturalists have begun to 

 ask : &quot; How far do hedgehogs relapse into winter sleep ? &quot; 



Now, a friend has been imparting to me the tale of 

 another hedgehog, the very first for he does not pretend 

 to be a naturalist whose intimate acquaintance he has 

 made. This friendly creature discovered that the kitchen 

 is a place where food abounds ; and adopted the habit 

 of coming to call every night. Its semi-natural instinct 

 prevented a daytime call, and when there was not always 

 anyone in attendance at night it signified its presence by 

 knocking at the scullery door. Its call has now become 

 regular ; and at 9.45 p.m. each night it appears, and is 

 admitted, and as a rule regaled with bread and milk on 



