As illustrative of the above observation, the writer may state what he himself observed in the garden above described. The day on which the water was let into the pond, he was surprised to observe a number of small creatures, such as he had seen in old ponds, darting from place to place, deep in the water; and, while closely observing their movements, and wondering how they could possibly be there so soon, one of them came to the surface and flew off; and, shortly after, another, borne on airy wing, took the water, and went to the bottom. This amphibious insect is of the beetle species, its wings being encased in a dark horny substance. The cave mentioned in the foregoing account was one of the most difficult parts to construct in all the rockery, in consequence of the large hanging blocks required, several of which took half a dozen strong men to lay; but, now it is completed, the effect is good. The entrance, which is confused and rugged, is 12 ft. high, and the cave runs back, 15 ft. deep, into a mound of earth. Six or eight persons can be seated inside unobserved. The dots denoting the covered walks in the plan (fig. 13.) will appear to be pretty numerous; and to have had all these walks of arched rocks would have been difficult and expensive. On this account, most of them are constructed with strong branches of oak, with the bark taken off, the thickness of a man's waist, closely put together, and covered with mossy turf, two or three turfs thick. In this soil the rowan tree (the mountain ash) thrives, as do some kinds of shrubs. These banks the writer raised when he could not conveniently lay the rocks higher; and they produce a good effect, and shut out the neighbouring houses. The bridge, or rather viaduct, at the drawingroom, leads to the rockery, by throwing open a window, from the second story. Most of the scenery is seen from this window, in consequence of pruning off the side branches of the surrounding trees to near the top; when the effect, through the small trunks, which rise like so many tiny columns, is good, the foliage assuming much the shape of a Gothic arch. It is often amusing to hear visitors exclaim, when taken to this window from the street door, "What in all the world are we noo!" - St. Clairtown, Dec.1838.
