THE GREAT MIGRATION 



43 



a favourite wild pet of English gardens. He is a song-bird 

 who hardly ever sings ; his few quiet song notes are more 

 rarely heard than even the song of the butcher-bird. They 

 are glad days when the summer birds return, and sing in 

 soft spring weather ; the birds busy themselves in their 

 old garden haunts with a desultory activity that is still 

 relief from the long journey, and pure recreation compared 

 with the hard work of feeding the young a month or two 



SPOTTED FLYCATCHER 



later. The thought of their wonderful journeys enhances 

 the pleasure of their return. The flycatcher long ago knew 

 the sources of the Nile; and the swallow that seems glad 

 to see our home again is fresh from lands of wonder that few 

 of us are likely ever to see. 



The following list of the summer visitors gives approxi- 

 mately the order in which they arrive in England : — 



Wheatear. 

 Chiffchaff. 

 Ring-Ouzel. 



Garden-Warbler. 



Nightingale. 



Sedge-Warbler. 



