132 WILD LIFE IN THE TREE TOPS 



of trees ran towards the German trenches ; one could see the Une of trees plainly- 

 enough through the left-hand loop-hole, though the wood itself was just too 

 far back to be visible. For the first time during my military career my ' bird 

 interest ' was really awakened. What feelings that song would have aroused 

 had it been heard in the peaceful woods at home ! 



Since things were quiet, we decided to try to reach the wood without 

 being seen by the enemy, for my companion, although not having the least 

 interest in birds, was quite enthusiastic at the idea, and we accordingly set out 

 OH our journey. 



It was, first of all, necessary to return to the pond, whence we could 

 crawl along some old French trenches to the left, and behind a high hedge which 

 led to a pool in the corner of a field behind the wood, from where we could 

 enter the wood without the risk of being seen. 



Half an hour later found us creeping through the tall oaks and under- 

 growth of the wood towards the Golden Oriole, who still continued to pour out 

 his disconnected, though very beautiful, little song. 



As we crept forward a nightingale was singing on our left, and a dove 

 noisily left her flimsy nest of twigs, through which two eggs could be seen- 

 Whilst a jay, more perturbed by our presence than by shell-fire, flew shrieking 

 ahead of us. And the Oriole meanwhile sang serenely on. 



Yet this wood was shelled every day by the enemy. Several dead cows were 

 lying in the track through it, whilst many of the trees were smashed by the 

 explosions, their branches lying everywhere — ^torn from the trunk as though by 

 some giant hand ; and every now and then a rifle bullet would crack through the 

 branches above. 



For a while, though, we had forgotten the war, for our eyes were straining to 

 catch sight of the Oriole's yellow breast, which harmonizes so weU with the 

 oak's sunlit foliage. 



And at last we saw him — a glorious bird with bright yellow breast, perched 

 on the topmost branch of one of the oaks — and within 10 feet of him the 

 nest — over the edge of which the female's tail was protruding ! 



Photography of this nest was somewhat awkward, as the tree which had 

 to be cUmbed in order to get a proper view was not at all conveniently shaped — 

 and for part of the journey to its upper branches would be in view of the 

 German lines. 



However things might have been a very great deal worse, particularly as, 

 just as we were crawling back to our cow-shed, the Germans started a bombard- 

 ment of the wood. 



We quite frequently encountered various forms of wild life on these expedi- 

 tions. One day, as we were crawling stealthily along a hedge, a female Sparrow 

 Hawk, in hot pursuit of a thrush, almost dashed into us. Whilst on another 

 occasion we came upon a partridge that had been hit by a stray German bullet 



