80 



THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 



Grouse Lord or Earl So-and-So bagged, 

 and before the end of the week the poul- 

 terer's shops are full of Grouse. The Eed 

 Grouse is found nowhere except on the 

 British Islands, and, like the Bald Eagle of 

 the United States, their national emblem, 

 so should be the Bed Grouse the national 

 emblem of Great Britain. 



"We found several Lapwing's nests, and 

 one nest of the English Snipe, but as we 

 had already taken several sets of both spe- 

 cieF, and our boxes were too crowded al- 

 ready, we did not take these. 



A half hour's walk brings ns to the place 

 where we hid the plover's eggs we collected 

 in the early part of the day, but it was 

 some time before we struck the exact spot. 

 "Oh, here they are!" my brother exclaimed, 

 but how shall we carry them, our boxes are 

 full, the only way left is to put them in our 

 hats, cover them with our handkercheifs, 

 and carry them on our heads. We now 

 leave the moors, and begin to descend into 

 the valley. The village is onby a mile off, 

 and on onr way through the valley we each 

 collect a large bouquet of wild-flowers, lil- 

 lies of the valley, primroses and forgetme- 

 nots, for the fair ones at h me. 



A pair of European Woodcocks usually 

 nest in this valley. Their nest is very slight, 

 seldom more than a hole in the ground 

 with bits of grass and moss for a lining. 

 The four eggs are very similar to those of 

 Bartram's Sandpiper. 



The sun is fast setting behind the Lanca- 

 shire Hills, and the birds are singing their 

 evening songs before going to rest. We 

 soon reach the village and make for the 

 New Inn, and, while supper is being pre- 

 pared, we throw off all encumbrances and 

 go in for a good, refreshing wash. After 

 our ravenous appetites are somewhat satis- 

 fied, we tramp to the station with burning 

 faces and light hearts. Jumping into the 

 eight o'clock train, we are soon rattling 



along on our way home to Leeds, having 

 spent a most enjoyable and exceedingly 

 profitable day. 



Five years ago the region I have just 

 tried to picture to my readers was unknown 

 except to a few artists, naturalists and ge- 

 ologists, but of late the railway companies 

 are waking up, and now, during the summer 

 months, excursion trains bring many peo- 

 ple from the large manufacturing towns of 

 Yorkshire and Lancashire, and before long 

 this district will become as popular as the 

 Scottish or Welsh scenery. 

 [finis.] 



CANADIAN SPABEOWS. 



BY WM. L. KELLS. 



THE SONG SPARROW. 



(Melospisa Faiciata.) 



II IS species is among the most common 

 and melodious of our song birds. In 

 the morning of the early summer time, 

 when the dew is heavy on the vegetation, 

 and the cool air is laden with the odor of 

 herbs and flowers, while the majority of the 

 human family are still wrapt in slumber 

 and a calm stillness pervades the atmos- 

 phere, long before the orb of day has made 

 its appearance in the eastern sky, and 

 while yet bu t few of the feathered tenants 

 of our woods and fields have begun to utter 

 their varied notes, it is then that the most 

 charming lays of the Song Sparrow seems 

 to greet the student of nature, as the singer, 

 occupying some elevated position near 

 where his companion has chosen her nest- 

 ing place, makes his best efforts to tell her 

 of his love and cheer her weary hours, or 

 greet the spring-day morning in tones of 

 joy and gladness. Soon, as the dawn pro- 

 gresses into day, a rivalry of song notes are 

 heard, and from all parts of the farm, the 

 orchard, and the deep, wild woods, other of 



