As my principal object was to discover the place of their
roosting, I took care to wait on them before they retired to rest, and
was much pleased to find that, for several evenings together, just at
a quarter past five in the afternoon, they all scudded away in great
haste towards the south-east, and darted down among the low
shrubs above the cottages at the end of the hill. This spot in many
respects seems to be well calculated for their winter residence: for
in many parts it is as steep as the roof of any house, and therefore
secure from the annoyances of water; and it is moreover clothed
with beechen shrubs, which, being stunted and bitten by sheep,
make the thickest covert imaginable; and are so entangled as to be
impervious to the smallest spaniel: besides, it is the nature of
underwood beech never to cast its leaf all the winter; so that, with
the leaves on the ground and those on the twigs, no shelter can be
more complete. I watched them on to the thirteenth and fourteenth
of October, and found their evening retreat was exact and uniform;
but after this they made no regular appearance.
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