A PINE- WOOD STUDY. 181 



pine forest seems to centre about it the life of 

 the district. In it the corbie crow builds, and 

 on its confines may be heard daily the hoarse 

 croak of the Raven. There is no tinge of super- 

 stition in the fact that this sable saulie in his 

 overflow of animal spirits may be heard to 

 laugh, as he goes dallying round and round 

 some dead Herdwick. Upon his steel-blue legs 

 he whets his formidable bill, and then, by cut 

 and tierce, digs at lip, palate, brain, or nostril. 

 And the " majestic " Eagle, monarch of the 

 glen and foul feeder at once, hastens to enjoy 

 the meal. This is hard fact, and the bird-king 

 at times is but a great " carrion " crow. 



In spring, the rare Dotterel comes to the hills 

 above the pine zone, and breeds far up among 

 the mists. The Buzzard still remains, and a 

 few pairs of Peregrines nest among the rocks 

 of the crags. There is lesser life in the 

 pine forests themselves, both bird and insect; 

 this abounds mostly in winter. The Coletit 

 searches the pine-needles for cocoons of insects, 

 and flocks of Goldcrests and Siskins together 

 range the woods. When the. weather is hard, 

 and the pines snow-plumed, a flock of restless 

 chattering Crossbills sometimes makes its ap- 



