Calling for Landrails.--Landrail Shamming Death.--
Yellow Under-wing Moth and Wasp.--Dragon-Fly and Butterfly.--
Stink-horn Fungus.--Sundew.
On a stile under the shade of a chestnut Frank sat, calling for
landrails. Every now and then he rubbed an instrument on his thigh,
which made a noise so like the cry of the corncrake that one could not
have distinguished it. This instrument was very simple, and he had made
it himself. It was a piece of hard wood, with a stock to it like the
letter _y_. Between the prongs of the _y_ was a wooden wheel, with its
circumference cut into cogs. A slip of wood was screwed to the stock,
and pressed against the cogs. When the wheel was turned by being pressed
against the leg, a grating noise was produced, which answered the
purpose admirably. Frank sat with his gun upon his lap and called away
most patiently, but not hurriedly. A landrail was answering him from the
further side of the field, and was approaching nearer. At last, just as
its note seemed further off, he caught sight of its long neck and head
peering above the grass, which, although it was only the aftermath, had
grown a good height. Frank gave another creak, and the bird ran on a few
yards nearer. Frank raised his gun to his shoulder and took aim, and as
the bird took fright and began to run away a report rang through the
summer stillness. The corncrake ran on with one wing trailing. The
distance had been too great, or Frank would not have done so little
damage. Just as it seemed that the bird would get away, Dick and Jimmy
appeared over the opposite hedge. The corncrake seeing them, immediately
fell down and lay apparently dead. They picked it up and brought it to
Frank, who laid it on the ground by his side, and went on with his
calling, while the others lay on the grass and talked.
A heap of hay had been left by the side of the hedge, and Dick lazily
stirred it with his foot. A large yellow under-winged moth (a moth with
grey upper-wings and bright yellow under-wings bordered with black and
very common in our hay-fields) arose, and Dick ran after it with his
hat. Another entomologist, however, was before him. A wasp pounced upon
the moth, and the two fell fluttering to the ground, and Dick caught
them both, and afterwards mounted them in the attitude in which he
caught them.
"It was a pity to kill the wasp," said Jimmy. "It was doing just the
same as Frank here. I dare say that corncrake would like to see him
killed."
[Illustration: DRAGON-FLY.]
"It is the law of nature," said Frank; "and see, there is a dragon-fly
following the wasp's example."
A large dragon-fly had seized a white butterfly, and then as it flew in
the air, it was depriving it of its wings, which fell fluttering to the
ground.
Jimmy happening to cast his eyes upon the corncrake, saw it cautiously
lift its head, then gather itself together, looking about, and evidently
preparing for flight.
"Look, Frank," he said, "the corncrake was only shamming death!" The
corncrake was on its legs and running away by this time, but Frank fired
and killed it.
"I would have let it go for its cunning," he said, "but it would only
die with a broken wing. It could not live the winter here, and of course
it could not migrate. I have known the water-hen sham death in the same
way, and many insects do it. I wonder if that is instinct or reason. How
does it know that if it seems dead you will not touch it, and therefore
it may get an opportunity to escape?"
"It is very wonderful," said Jimmy; "but you will get no more birds
to-day after two shots. They will be too wary. Come with me, and I will
show you something equally wonderful."
"What is it?"
"I will not tell you. Wait and see."
They followed him to the shrubbery of Mr. Meredith's garden, and he led
them to a laurel-bush, and pointed out to them an upright fungus, creamy
white in colour, but not by any means handsome. Dick and Frank bent
forward to examine it, when suddenly they clasped their noses between
their fingers, and ran away, followed by Jimmy exulting.
"How terrible," said Dick, blowing his nose.
"That is the vilest smell I have ever smelt," said Frank, doing
likewise. "What is it?"
"The common stink-horn fungus," answered Jimmy; "I thought you would
like to see it."
"We might have liked to see it, but not to smell it. Have not you a
nose, Jimmy?"
"Yes; but I wanted you to share my pleasure."
"It was uncommonly kind of you, I must say."
Mr. Meredith came up smiling and said,
"Now, if you will come with me, I will show you a plant much more
interesting, and a plant which is like Dick, in that it catches flies."
In a small marsh near the end of the garden were some plants of the
sundew. It is some years since I gathered one, and I have not one before
me to describe, so I quote from a little book called _Old English Wild
Flowers_:--
"Of all the interesting plants which grow on marsh-lands, the most
singular is the sundew. Those who have never seen its white blossoms
growing, can form but little idea of its singular appearance. Round the
root it has a circle of leaves, and each leaf has a number of red hairs
tipped with pellucid glands which exude a clear liquid, giving the
leaves a dew-besprinkled appearance as it glistens in the sunshine.
These have proved a fatal trap to numbers of insects. The foliage and
stem are much tinted with crimson, and the plant is small."