Two vast expeditionary Corps 



It is an assemblage of a hundred republics. We know 

 how free States indulge in speech with their parliaments 

 and congresses and senates, their public meetings, and so 

 forth : here are a hundred such nations, all with perfect 

 liberty of tongue, holding forth unsparingly, and in a 

 language which consists of two or three syllables inde- 

 finitely repeated. The din is wonderful — each republic as 

 its forces arrive adding to the noise, and for a long time 

 unable to settle upon their trees, but feeling compelled to 

 wheel around and discourse. In spring each tribe has its 

 special district, its own canton and city, in its own trees 

 away in the meadows. Later on they all meet here in the 

 evening. It is a full hour or more before the orations have 

 all been delivered, and even then small bands rush up into 

 the air still dissatisfied. 



This great stream of rooks passing over the hills meets 

 another great stream as it approaches the wood, crossing 

 up from the meadows. From the rampart there may be 

 seen, perhaps a mile and a half away, a dim black line 

 crossing at right angles — converging on the wood, which 

 itself stands on the edge of the table-land from which the 

 steeper downs arise. This second army is every whit as 

 numerous, as lengthy, and as regular in its route as the 

 first. 



Every morning, from the beech trees where they have 

 slept, safe at that elevation from all the dangers of the 

 night, there set out these two vast expeditionary corps. 

 Eegularly, the one flies steadily eastward over the downs ; 

 as regularly the other flies steadily northwards over the 

 vale and meadows. Doubtless in different country districts 

 their habits in this respect vary ; but here it is always east 

 and always north. If any leave the wood for the south or 

 the west, as probably they do, they go in small bodies and 



