1 82 Our Bird Friends. 



Warbler bad ceased to make itself beard. Tbe 

 competition between tbe Tbrnsb and Blackbird now 

 became keen, and I gix'w qnite excited. At twenty 

 minntes past nine tbe BLackbird stopped, and bis 

 rival retired live minntes later, tbe CiicixO') l^fcpinL: 

 on nntil jnst after ten o'clock. 



Some of tbese times of retirement arc no doubt. 

 subject to considerable vai'iatinn, for abboiiLjb 'be 

 Lark ceased to sing before tbe sun srt, iliis bird 

 liabitually sings after tbat time. 



At five nn'nntes ])ast two (/clork next morniui;" 

 a Wbeatear connnenced to salute ibf coniinL:- day. 

 and five minntes later a bark IxLian to sini;-. Tbe 

 Cuckoo started to tell bis name to all tlie bills 

 around at a ([uartor ])ast two o'cbick. and tbe Tlirusb 

 again beat bis ri\al tbe Ulacl^bird by piping t'ortb 

 at ibirty-two mimites past two. wbicb was exactly 

 tbree nn'nntes before bis sable fiieud. 



Tbe ('omtnou Wren awoke at tbree o'clock, tbe 

 (larden \\'arl>ler two mimites later, tbe .Nb'adow 

 Pipit at twenty minutes past tbree. ibe Willow 

 Waiiiler one minute later, and tbe Cbatiincb last 

 of all at twenty-tive mimites past tbree. 



Tbe mention of tbi'se early risers and of tbe 

 times at wbicb tiny saluted tbe dawn of a new dav, 

 suggests to me tbat my readers may be interested 

 in knowing tbe retiring and rising liours of some 

 of tbein at a coiTesponding periixl m winter. 



( )n tbe Ttb of |)ece:nber tbe sun sets at 

 jiondon, near wbicb m\" observations were made 



