20 Wild Life in a Southern County. 
The ‘land-springs’ breaking out by the sides of the 
fields have long since disappeared ; the true springs 
run feebly as the stores of water in the interior of the 
earth gradually grow less. Great cracks open in the 
clay of the meadows down below in the vale—rifts, 
wide and deep, into which you may thrust your 
walking stick to the handle. Up here on the hills 
the turf grows hard and inelastic; it loses that 
‘springy’ feel under the foot which makes it so 
pleasant to walk upon. The grass becomes dull in 
tint and touches like wire—all the sap dried from it, 
and nothing but fibre left. Beneath the chalk is 
moistureless, and nothing can grow on it. The by- 
roads and paths made with the chalk or ‘rubble’ 
glare in the sunlight, and the flints scattered so 
thickly about the ploughed fields seem to radiate 
heat. All things that should look green are brown 
and dusty ; even the leaves on the elms seem dusty. 
The wheat only flourishes, tall and strong—deep 
tinted yellow here, a ruddy, golden bronze yonder, 
with ears full and heavy, rich and glorious to gaze 
upon, Insects multiply and replenish the earth after 
their fashion exceedingly ; the spiders are busy as 
may be, not only those that watch from their webs 
lying in wait, but those that chase their prey through 
the grass as dogs do game. 
But under the beautiful sky and the glorious sun 
there rises up a pitiful cry the livelong day: it is the 
quavering bleat of the sheep as their strength slowly 
