The Swan and Her Crew
Page 24
CHAPTER XXII.
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 forlandrails. 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 nothave distinguished it. This instrument was very simple, and he had madeit himself. It was a piece of hard wood, with a stock to it like theletter _y_. Between the prongs of the _y_ was a wooden wheel, with itscircumference cut into cogs. A slip of wood was screwed to the stock,and pressed against the cogs. When the wheel was turned by being pressedagainst the leg, a grating noise was produced, which answered thepurpose admirably. Frank sat with his gun upon his lap and called awaymost patiently, but not hurriedly. A landrail was answering him from thefurther side of the field, and was approaching nearer. At last, just asits note seemed further off, he caught sight of its long neck and headpeering above the grass, which, although it was only the aftermath, hadgrown a good height. Frank gave another creak, and the bird ran on a fewyards nearer. Frank raised his gun to his shoulder and took aim, and asthe bird took fright and began to run away a report rang through thesummer stillness. The corncrake ran on with one wing trailing. Thedistance had been too great, or Frank would not have done so littledamage. Just as it seemed that the bird would get away, Dick and Jimmyappeared over the opposite hedge. The corncrake seeing them, immediatelyfell down and lay apparently dead. They picked it up and brought it toFrank, who laid it on the ground by his side, and went on with hiscalling, while the others lay on the grass and talked.
A heap of hay had been left by the side of the hedge, and Dick lazilystirred it with his foot. A large yellow under-winged moth (a moth withgrey upper-wings and bright yellow under-wings bordered with black andvery common in our hay-fields) arose, and Dick ran after it with hishat. Another entomologist, however, was before him. A wasp pounced uponthe moth, and the two fell fluttering to the ground, and Dick caughtthem both, and afterwards mounted them in the attitude in which hecaught them.
"It was a pity to kill the wasp," said Jimmy. "It was doing just thesame as Frank here. I dare say that corncrake would like to see himkilled."
DRAGON-FLY.]
"It is the law of nature," said Frank; "and see, there is a dragon-flyfollowing the wasp's example."
A large dragon-fly had seized a white butterfly, and then as it flew inthe air, it was depriving it of its wings, which fell fluttering to theground.
Jimmy happening to cast his eyes upon the corncrake, saw it cautiouslylift its head, then gather itself together, looking about, and evidentlypreparing for flight.
"Look, Frank," he said, "the corncrake was only shamming death!" Thecorncrake was on its legs and running away by this time, but Frank firedand killed it.
"I would have let it go for its cunning," he said, "but it would onlydie with a broken wing. It could not live the winter here, and of courseit could not migrate. I have known the water-hen sham death in the sameway, and many insects do it. I wonder if that is instinct or reason. Howdoes it know that if it seems dead you will not touch it, and thereforeit may get an opportunity to escape?"
"It is very wonderful," said Jimmy; "but you will get no more birdsto-day after two shots. They will be too wary. Come with me, and I willshow 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 ledthem to a laurel-bush, and pointed out to them an upright fungus, creamywhite in colour, but not by any means handsome. Dick and Frank bentforward to examine it, when suddenly they clasped their noses betweentheir 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, doinglikewise. "What is it?"
"The common stink-horn fungus," answered Jimmy; "I thought you wouldlike to see it."
"We might have liked to see it, but not to smell it. Have not you anose, 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 moreinteresting, 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 thesundew. It is some years since I gathered one, and I have not one beforeme to describe, so I quote from a little book called _Old English WildFlowers_:--
"Of all the interesting plants which grow on marsh-lands, the mostsingular is the sundew. Those who have never seen its white blossomsgrowing, can form but little idea of its singular appearance. Round theroot it has a circle of leaves, and each leaf has a number of red hairstipped with pellucid glands which exude a clear liquid, giving theleaves a dew-besprinkled appearance as it glistens in the sunshine.These have proved a fatal trap to numbers of insects. The foliage andstem are much tinted with crimson, and the plant is small."