72 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
flocks with loud caws flew overhead, or picked the bones 
half hidden by the deep snow. 
22nd. An eclipse of the sun from I11a.m.toIl pm. At 
twelve it took the form of acrescent. The disk was not 
perfect at three. 
23rd. Drove to Gravelotte, but it would be impossible 
to see the whole field of battle in one day. In fact it wasa 
three days’ engagement, reaching from Ars to St. Privat. 
In every direction I could perceive graves; some with 
crosses, some without. On one I saw four helmets. Others 
were the graves of horses and cattle. The latter had died 
by hundreds; the former were shot by thousands. The 
recent heavy rains had washed away the mould, and I had: 
to give a wide berth to all carcases partially exposed. It is 
a marvel they did not breed a pestilence, The deep ruts of 
wheels could be seen in those heavy soils in every direction 
where the field artillery had been dragged by the straining 
horses ; and a piece of the army telegraph was still hanging 
on a tree, which the fugitives had not tarried to cut down. 
The peasants had gathered up the scabbards, etc., which 
were now lying in heaps around the village, and the con- 
‘querors had carried off the swords and guns, and everything 
which could be used again, even to the brass tops of the 
helmets which were lying on the road by hundreds; but 
many small articles were still lying about, some of which 
I particularly remember, such as a silk handkerchief which 
had been used to staunch a wound, a sleeve cut off at 
the elbow, a nosebag, pegs of tents, and an empty mitrail- 
leuse cartridge. The schoolmaster who, terrified out of his 
life, had seen it all from the tower of the church, showed us 
from the brow of the hill the wood which sheltered the 
Prussian cavalry, and the place where the mitrailleuses had 
stood which worked such fearful execution among them. 
24th. Visited Nouilly, Noiseville, St. Barbe, and Vremy. 
It was a strange sight to see the people getting ready an 
