Country Walks of a Naturalist with His Children   By: W. (William) Houghton (1828-1895)

COUNTRY WALKS OF A NATURALIST

WITH

HIS CHILDREN.

BY

REV. W. HOUGHTON, M.A., F.L.S., RECTOR OF PRESTON ON THE WILD MOORS, SHROPSHIRE.

ILLUSTRATED WITH EIGHT COLOURED PLATES AND NUMEROUS WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

SECOND EDITION.

LONDON: GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS, 5, PATERNOSTER ROW.

MDCCCLXX.

PREFACE.

In this little book my desire has been, not so much to impart knowledge to young people, as to induce them to acquire it for themselves. I have endeavoured to show that Country Walks may be full of interest and instruction to all who care to make good use of their eyes. If I have failed, the fault rests with me for the way in which I have treated the subject. I am aware that I have occasionally used words and phrases which may puzzle young brains, but I hope that nearly all will be intelligible to boys and girls of nine or ten years old, with a little explanation from parents or teachers.

The chief, if not the sole merit of this little book consists in the illustrations which adorn it; and I must express my sincere gratitude to Mr. Gould, the eminent ornithologist, for his kind permission to copy some of the magnificent drawings in his work on 'The Birds of Great Britain.' To Mr. R. S. Chattock, of Solihull, I am also deeply indebted, for the pains he has taken in reproducing, on a reduced scale, Mr. Gould's drawings, and for the drawings of the sticklebacks and the frontispiece. My generous friend and neighbour, Mr. Eyton, of Eyton, has furnished another instance of his numerous acts of kindness, in allowing me the use of Mr. Gould's work and of various woodcuts. To two lady friends I also express my best thanks; and last, though not least, to the publishers, Messrs. Groombridge, for the care they have taken to present the volume to the public in a very attractive form.

CONTENTS.

PAGE

WALK I. APRIL 1

On the Moors Swallows Water voles Peewits Marsh Marigold Water primrose Moles Herons Kingfishers Moschatelle Water scorpion.

WALK II. APRIL 17

Ophrydium Reed Sparrow Whirligig Beetles Fresh water Mussels Zebra Mussel Titmice Thrushes cracking Snail shells Dabbling in a Pond Dyticus, or Great Water beetle Corethra Larva Weasels.

WALK III. MAY 36

Searching for Sticklebacks' Nests Nest making Fish Snail Leeches Other Leeches Cuckoo Flowers Blue Speedwell Stitchwort Tadpoles Frogs Frog and Cat.

WALK IV. MAY 50

The Melicerta or Tubicolous Wheel animalcule Water crowfoot or Buttercup Sedge warbler Reed warbler's Nest Cuckoos Horsetail Hydræ.

WALK V. MAY 69

Drive to Shawbury Trout Fishing Parasite on Trout Curious habit of a Two winged Fly Ephemeræ, or May flies Willy hooking out Dace Another fish Parasite Globe Flower Dragon flies Quotation from Thomson's 'Seasons.'

WALK VI. JUNE 84

In the Fields St. George's Mushroom Tree creepers A handful of Grasses Nettles and Dead Nettles Butterfly Larvæ feeding on Nettle Leaves Fresh water Polyzoa Eggs of Newts Development of Newts Donacia Beetles Planarian Worms.

WALK VII. JUNE 103

Hedgehog and young ones Hedgehogs, injurious or not? On the Moors again Great Tomtit Shrikes or Butcher Birds Lady bird Beetles Swifts Coots Water hens Grebes Convolvulus.

WALK VIII. JULY 119