222 NUTS AND NUTSHELLS ON DOWN. [PART II. 
blind to these failings, and great must be the 
provocation which would induce me to lift my 
hand against them. 
One, a year or two ago, happening to find a hole 
just large enough to admit him in the window 
of our apple-loft, and probably smelling apples, 
managed by the help of a convenient vine to effect 
an entrance, and constantly repeating his visits, 
used to bring out apples, pears, or anything else 
which he happened to fancy there, and which he 
could squeeze through the aperture, until his de- 
predations became so extensive that the gardener 
thought it was time to interfere, and called in the 
aid of the glazier. 
Great quantities of nut-shells, which have been 
opened and emptied of their contents (evidently 
by Mice) are to be found scattered over the face 
of a down, nearly surrounded by coverts, in our 
neighbourhood, many at a distance of perhaps a 
hundred and fifty or two hundred yards from the 
nearest covert; the greater proportion appearing 
to be left, I think, in the vicinity of rabbit-holes, 
but where I looked in vain for any signs of a 
colony of mice. Late in the autumn many 
full and good nuts may be found similarly scat- 
tered over the down, as if they had been brought 
