OLIVER V. aplin: a visit to rainworth lodge. 



195 



over the fields in the dark afterwards. Before leaving the Lodge 

 I may mention an interesting instance of the same pair of birds 

 probably returning to a former nesting-place. In 1883 I saw hanging 

 from the roof of the garden porch an earthenware saucer, in which a 

 pair of Swallows had reared their young that year, and writing to me 

 early in May last, Mr. Whitaker says: — ' Yesterday afternoon the pair 

 of Swallows that have nested in the porch for three years came, and 

 at once flew in; no bird that had not nested there would ever know 

 the place, and this looks as if they paired for life, as last year the two 

 •came together.' The pond is well stocked with Trout, and recently 

 the American Sabno fo7itinaUs ds\^ some others have been introduced. 

 I saw here a very curious fish — an Albino Trout ; it was of a dull 

 white, and had a most unnatural appearance. It had been seen for 

 some time, but steadfastly refused to look at a fly, and has never 

 been landed. 



With regard to the country round, we have three principal 

 features : first, a long chain of ponds lying in a great hollow, partly 

 connected by a stream and various stretches of bog-land, and forming 

 roughly a circle of some three or four miles in circumference ; 

 secondly, stretches of woodland ; and thirdly, the open heathery 

 forest. There is also a large amount of cultivated ground, the fields 

 being ver)' large. If we follow up the trout stream from the head of 

 the Lodge pond we come to the Cave pond, and then entering the 

 wooded grounds of Fountain Dale, pass successively the Black, the 

 Middle, and Golden Hill ponds ; keeping straight on we reach 

 Harlow Wood, and beyond this cross the road to Thieves' Wood, 

 together covering 850 acres; turning to the right and passing through 

 the w^ood, after crossing some arable fields (noticing on our way a 

 monolith, where of old the Forest Rents were collected), we come to 

 the Triangular pond, the Red Bog and Bradder's Dam, and so into 

 the road again, a mile or so to the west of the Lodge. Starting again 

 from the house, immediately over the road, and separated only by 

 this from the home pond, is the Wash dyke, a small pool with very 

 thick beds of flags and rushes, and a very favourite breeding-haunt of 

 fowl ; this again is divided only by a bank from the ' L' pond, a large 

 sheet of water in the shape of the letter from which it takes its name, 

 this bending round has its end but a short distance from Bradder's 

 Dam, and almost completes the circle. How suitable this sort 

 •of country is for fowl may well be imagined. Mansfield Poorest 

 extends north and east for many miles, and is covered with wide 

 •stretches of heather, bracken, and gorse, interspersed with small 

 plantations ; latterly a large amount of ground has been planted with 

 larch, the trees being now from two to three feet high. Several ponds, 



July 1887. 



