308



A Day in a Hampshire Garden.



each night calling in exactly the same spot, one apparently about

twenty paces from the tennis court in some long grass, I decided to

track him down. Again a lovely warm moonlight night and the rail

in full voice, when I ventured forth through the high grass, stopping

every few paces to play a few notes on my comb, making slowly

towards the spot where I thought the bird would be.


When I eventually found my little friend I discovered that

he was just one hundred and fifty yards away from where I started,

and not twenty as I had judged. When I got within two paces of

him, and he was still calling, I was surprised to hear what a

tremendously loud voice he had. What I think the sound was

most like is that made by one of those old-fashioned wooden

burglar alarms or police rattles. It was quite overwhelming in its

loudness and intensity. Suddenly he stopped and the most utter

silence prevailed for perhaps several minutes : when I could stand

the suspense and the midges no longer and took one step nearer,

up got the rail, fluttering away a few yards to drop out of sight

again in the long grass. By the time I had reached the house again

“ crek-crek ” was ringing out, still apparently only twenty yards

away.


Another summer visitor who has stopped to nest in the

garden this year is the Lesser White-throat, Mr. Hudson’s “ better”

white-throat. One spring morning he was there, singing from sun¬

rise to sundown, up and down the hedge, hunting for insects and

singing at the same time.


Eventually the pair nested low down in the hedge among

some brambles ; the cock ceasing to sing when the hen commenced

to sit. In due time six little Lesser Whitethroats were successfully

hatched out and the parents were kept busy finding insects to feed

them with. All went well until a few days of the time when the

young would be able to leave the nest, when, on going to pay them

my usual morning visit, lo ! the nest and young were gone and the

bush pulled about.


It was a dreadful blow ! I felt I had lost some dear friends ;

having watched the birds daily, during their courtship, building the

nest, pairing, feeding and guarding their young, and all to end in



