226 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



a Spotted Flycatcher seems ever to sit on a spray 

 over the stream which runs down the bottom of 

 the field. In our " intack " a pair of Corncrakes 

 have taken up their abode, and give out their 

 " crake, crake," far into the night. As we stand 

 in the tall wet grass, the call seems to come from 

 the middle of the field, then far out yonder; 

 anon the bird runs nearly to our feet. We 

 always love to hear the call, however, as it be- 

 tokens summer, evening fishing, and long night 

 rambles. 



From the down and newly thrown earth the 

 rabbits must have begun to breed; soon we 

 shall see the young ones skipping about the 

 mouth of the burrow, and pricking up their 

 pinky ears when we endeavour to get a closer 

 view. There has been a heavy shower of 

 rain, and we meet a Hedgehog trotting off 

 through the long grass. She just stops, turns 

 up her coal-black eye, and reassuringly jogs 

 on, knowing from past experience we are 

 harmless. A pair of Partridges have made 

 tracks through the grass, and probably have 

 their oak-leaf nest under yonder clump of 

 gorse. Here, too, the Meadow-pipits and 

 Grasschats build, and life is everywhere. This 



