Warrens. 51 
expected a couple of ‘crownds’ at least for it ; nothing 
could convince him that, although not often found 
just in that district, in others they were numerous. 
The ‘crownd’ is still the unit, the favourite coin of 
the labourers, especially the elder folk. They use the 
word something in the same sense as the dollar, and 
look with regret upon the gradual disappearance of 
the broad silver disc with the figure of ‘St. Gaarge’ 
conquering the dragon. 
Everywhere across the hills traces of the old 
rabbit-warrens may be found in the names of places. 
Warren Farms, Warren Houses, &c., are common ; 
and the term is often added to the names of the 
villages to distinguish an outlying part of the parish. 
From the earthwork the sites of four such warrens, 
now cultivated, can be seen within the radius of as 
many miles. Rabbits must have swarmed on the 
downs in the olden times. In the season when the 
couch and weeds are collected in heaps and burned, 
the downs—were it not for the silence—might seem 
the scene of a mighty conflict, the smoke of the 
battle rolling along the slopes and hanging over the 
plains, rising up from the hollows in dusky clouds. 
But the cannon of the shadowy army give forth no 
thunderous roar. These smouldering fires are not, of 
course, peculiar to the hills, but the smoke shows so 
much more at that elevation. 
At evening, if you watch the sunset from the top 
of the rampart, as the red disc sinks to the horizon 
E2 
