84 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



stirs the gorgeous yellow irises in the green dikes, and 

 never a reed tosses its rich black tassel beneath the hot 

 blue sky. 



Listen, and you may every half-hour, sure as the castle- 

 watchman's call, hear him burst into song for a short period, 

 and cease again to hawk for flies until his watch is up, and 

 the song is given forth again ; or you may hear him calling 

 e^yp, egyp, as he feeds his brood, be it the first or second 

 family, for he builds twice if robbed. 



In sooth, the voices of the buntings, whitethroats, and fly- 

 catchers may be called the voices of the summer-tide, for 

 when they grow silent we know that chill autumn and dreary 

 winter are nigh — know that the iris seed-cases are bursting 

 in the dikes, and the pike seeks the deep water. And go 

 if you can, with the fly-catcher to some sunny clime, w^here, 

 in the thick hot noontide, you may there hear his sweet 

 little song, and forget that it is winter anywhere. 



