22 JANUARY 1943, Page 11

LINCOLNSHIRE SKY THE birds in one-way traffic fly

spirals across the pale blue china sky, and August afternoon hangs bright with pinpoint sounds, with penetrating light. The rooks like small black ashes turn and drop abruptly to the gold and heady crop, while satellite sparrows, not as glib as those, follow with twittering wings the stony crows.

The circle falters as the wind strikes up till birds hang like used tea-leaves in a cup.

HEXBERT CORBY.