160 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



DICKCISSEL, 



By Isaac E. Hess. 

 * 



f 



In the waste-field, garden, meadow, tangled brake and weedy pasture, 



Everywhere we find Dickeissel ; everywhere his nest of sedge ; 

 Safely sheltered in the thorny arms of berry-bush and briar, 



Gently swaying with the branches of the osage-orange hedge ; 

 Hidden on the ground in meadow in the midst of clover blossoms. 



Snugly nestling in the bosom of the prickly thistle copse; 

 Sometimes firmly fastened to the stronger branches of a weed-stalk, 



Oftimes loosely placed in swamp grass near its treacherous waving tops. 



In the most unlooked for places little Dick constructs his nest; 

 Often most unwisely chosen is the spot he thinks the best. 



When the mower cuts wide swaths and sweeps great paths adown the meadow 



And the sickle blades strew thistles and tall weeds along the way. 

 There is sorrow and misfortune with the legions of Dickeissel, 



But his mourning hours are short; 'tis but the mourning of a day; 

 For reverses do not mar his joy of living and loving; 



Reconstruction promptly follows the destruction of his nest. 

 So persistently he sings to her, she cannot help adoring 



Her brave lover of the jet-black tie and handsome yellow vest. 



-:- 



His is last of all the evening songs ; at day-break his is first. 



And through daylight hours he sings until it seems his throat will burst. 



»}• When the sun beats down so fiercely that all nature seems a dying 

 •J* 



And the morning birds are hushed and stilled beneath its burning rays, 



•5- When the Meadowlarks and Bobolinks their recesses are taking. 

 •$* 



Are surrend'ring to the lethargy of hot mid-summer days. 

 *5* 



* When the gray and dustv country roads seem spiritless — forbidding — 



'l- No alleviating sounds revive and hurry us along — 



-I- . „ " V 



- : - When the out-door life we love so well has seemingly departed, 



Then we hear a sprightly roundelay: an animated song; 



' . t 



And this happy fervent welcome brings relief and cheer to me; 



Blessings on the loyal songster with his Dick! Dick! chee-chee-chee ! 



Philo, 111. 



* f 



V 



