148 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



in merit, and pace Dr. A. R. Wallace, there is such a 

 thing as genius in nature, but I think the one which 

 most impressed me was just an ordinary blackbird. I 

 was staying at a farmhouse in the New Forest, and on 

 the side of the house where I slept there was a large 

 arbor vitse in which a blackbird roosted every night on 

 a level with my window. Now, every morning at half- 

 past three this bird would begin to sing and go on 

 repeating his song at short intervals for about half an 

 hour. It was very silent at that time; I could hear no 

 other bird ; and the sound coming in at the open window 

 from a distance of but five yards had such a marvellous 

 beauty that I could have wished for no more blessed 

 existence than to lie there, head on pillow, with the 

 pale early light and the perfume of night-flowers in the 

 room, listening to that divine sound. 



