Section 205 The Two Schoolboys, or Eyes and No Eyes. V.
Tutor.—Probably his nest was there, for herons build upon the loftiest tree they can find, and sometimes in society together, like rooks. Formerly, when these birds were valued for the amusement of hawking1, many gentlemen had their heronries2, and a few are still remaining.
William.—I think (S. 64, N. 11) they are the largest wild birds we have.
Tutor.—They are of great length and spread of wing3, but their bodies are comparatively small.
William.—I then turned homeward, across the meadows, where I stopped awhile, to look at4 a large flock of starlings, which kept flying about at no great distance. I could not tell at first what to make of them5, for they rose altogether from the ground as thick as a swarm of bees, and formed themselves into a kind6 of black cloud, hovering over the field. After taking a short round7, they settled again, but presently rose in the same manner. I dare say8 there were hundreds of them.
Tutor.—Perhaps so9; for in the fenny counties their flocks are so numerous10 as to break down whole acres of reeds, by settling on them11. This disposition12 of starlings to fly in close swarms was remarked even by Homer, who compares the foe (S. 48, N. 6) flying from one of his heroes to a cloud of starlings retiring dismayed at the approach of the hawk.
William.—After I had left the meadows, I crossed13 the corn-fields in the way to our house, and passed close by a deep marl-pit. Looking into it, I saw, on one of the sides, a cluster of what14 I took to be shells; and upon going down, I picked up a clod of marl15, which was quite full of them; but how sea-shells can get there, I cannot imagine.
Tutor.—I do not wonder at your surprise, since many philosophers have been much perplexed to account for the same appearance16. It is not uncommon to find17 great quantities of shells and relics of marine animals, even in the bowels of high mountains, very remote from the sea.
William.—I got18 to the high field next to our house just as the sun was setting, and I stood looking at it till it was quite lost19. What a glorious sight! The clouds were tinged with purple, crimson, and yellow of all shades and hues, and the clear sky varied from blue to a fine green at the horizon. But how large the sun appears just as it sets! I think it seems twice as big as when it is over-head.
Notes
1 for — hawking = on account of the amusement which they afforded through hawking (die Falkenjagd).
2 Reiherstand, m.
3 They — wing = They have very large, long wings.
4 = to observe; to keep flying about, umherfliegen; at — distance, in nur geringer Entfernung von mir.
5 = I could not recognise them at first. ‘To rise’, here sich in die Luft emporschwingen; thick, dicht.
6 a kind, gleichsam; hovering — field, als sie über dem Felde hin und her schwebten.
7 = After they had been flying about for a short time.
8 ‘I dare say’ may be briefly rendered by the adv. gewiß. Read S. 104, N. 19.
9 Das ist leicht möglich.
10 = they exist (vorhanden sein) in such masses; as to = that they.
11 = when they settle upon the same (to agree with ‘reeds’).
12 = peculiarity.
13 = I went through the corn-fields home again.
14 a — what, eine zusammengeballte Masse, welche.
15 Nom. ein Klumpen (m.) Mergel; of them = of shells.
16 since — appearance, da schon viele Naturforscher sich über die Erklärung dieser Erscheinung den Kopf zerbrochen haben.
17 = that one finds.
18 gelangen; to, auf; high field, Anhöhe, f.
19 = till it had entirely disappeared at the (am) horizon.