242 BIRDS AND MAN 



But his memory, like his strength, was failing ; he 

 seemed, indeed, but the ruin of a man, although 

 still of a very noble presence. What he called 

 the vicarage gardens, where we strolled about 

 among the trees, was a place without walks, all 

 overgrown with grass and wildings ; for roses 

 and dahUas he showed me fennel, goat's-beard, 

 henbane, and common hound's-tongue ; and when 

 speaking of their nature he stroked their leaves 

 and stems caressingly. He loved these better 

 than the gardener's blooms, and so did I ; but I 

 wanted to hear about the vanished birds of the 

 district, particularly the furze wren, which had 

 survived all the others that were gone. 



His dim eyes brightened for a moment with 

 old pleasant memories of days spent in observing 

 these birds ; and leading me to a spot among the 

 trees, from which there was a view of the open 

 country beyond, he pointed to a great green down, 

 a couple of miles away, and told me that on the 

 other side I would come on a large patch of furze, 

 and that by sitting quietly there for half an hour 

 or so I might see a dozen furze wrens. Then 

 he added : " A dozen did I say ? Why, I saw 

 not fewer than forty or fifty flitting about the 



