1 8 ON SURREY HILLS. 



evening when you see him sitting in the grass, con- 

 templating nothing in particular, step back and break 

 off a pliant twig ; then rustle it gently in the grass 

 behind him, in imitation of a snake crawling. He 

 will spring away, bleating in terror. When the brown 

 owl grips him, the frog is both hurt and frightened ; 

 happily the suffering is of short duration — owls make 

 quick work of their victims. Beetles these birds 

 pick up, as well as larger game, and the roads are 

 just the parts beetles disport themselves in, both by 

 day and night. 



The fern owl, or goatsucker, loves the roads, for 

 all kind of insects hover and settle about them : 

 after the sun has been on the bare ground all the 

 day, it becomes warm towards night. Let any one 

 watch on a midsummer's evening a row of fine elms 

 lining one of our country roads, if he would know 

 how insect -life is kept in check. Bats and goat- 

 suckers go to work with a will, even before the 

 swallows, swifts, and martins have quite ended their 

 labours of the day ; and from, the great bat down 

 to the little flutter-mouse, they continue for hours, 

 wheeling, twisting, and darting about in pursuit of 

 their insect prey. They have only one object in 



