THE LOOM OF AUTUMN 1 99 



and robins eat husky, sour things, 

 while the grape arbour holds a single 

 tempting cluster? Even the jays are 

 not easily driven to acorn dieting. 



The last of September ! There was 

 a flutter of brown wings this morning, 

 then a halt upon some hemlocks lying 

 toward the south and a flock of birds 

 plume their damp feathers, A glint 

 of white, — so you have returned, merry 

 peabody-birds ! we wish all your brother 

 sparrows carried as certain marks of 

 identification as you wear on your white 

 throats. Have you travelled all night? 

 Is there frost and snow in the north ? 

 You have returned early! The great 

 crested flycatcher is here, and catbird 

 and other thrushes, and yesterday, by 

 the glint of the sun on a dry twig, a 

 golden-crowned kinglet might be 

 seen. 



A flock of plump birds settle where 



