Ritson: A Ramble in Norih-West Durham. 139 



and on setting - it free it ran among" the surrounding - heather, 

 every now and then stopping - as if in grateful acknowledgment 

 of my act. This, I think; was the most peculiar thing - I had 

 seen that day, and I shall long remember it. And now I had 

 reached Browney Burn, and one of the first things I saw was 

 a large Water Vole on the bank-side, which, on my approach, 

 dived from sight into the stream below. A little down stream 

 I saw an old willow and was attracted to it on account of the 

 numerous fungi protruding from it. Whilst, however, I was 

 looking at it, I saw a little bird leave the tree, and in a second 

 or two return and go into'a hole about six feet from the ground. 

 This bird, I thought, was the Marsh Tit. Whilst I was stand- 

 ing it passed in and out about ten times, never once ceasing 

 from its labours except to smooth a damaged feather or to take 

 some food itself. 



Passing through a small copse I disturbed some little Wood- 

 Mice, which seemed to be creeping all about the place, now and 

 again making their little squeaks of danger. I saw several 

 large Trout in the Burn, and on a small branch overhanging I 

 observed a Kingfisher, and after waiting for a considerable time 

 I was rewarded by seeing it carry on its fishing operations. 

 I also saw a family of Grey and Common Wagtails, sporting 

 amongst the stones at the brook side, and a little distance from 

 this I found a Mallard-Duck's nest, which was built of grass 

 and twigs, and lined with down taken from her own body ; it 

 contained fourteen eggs nearly incubated. And now I was fast 

 drawing near home again, the pine-woods far behind me were 

 looming out dark against the sky, the sun already was sinking 

 in the west, the only sounds to be heard were the cries of the 

 Curlews on the distant fell, the music of the Cuckoo in the 

 Beech-wood to my right, and the twittering of the Swallows as 

 they prepared to rest. The Sedge-W T arbler had not yet given 

 up song, and his merry notes were poured forth from a neigh- 

 bouring" hedge ; the Crows flying home to roost in the distant 

 Greencroft Woods, all these showing that evening was fast 

 approaching, and that my day's rambling in fell land, field, and 

 wood was fast drawing to a close. And so I returned, having 

 enjoyed this day with nature and nature's objects. My closing 

 thought was that of Wordsworth when lie wrote : 



One impulse from a vernal wood. 



May teach you more of man ; 

 Of moral evil and of g"ood, 



Than all the sagfes can. 



1900 May 1. 



