101 
the ever-beating waves of the deep-mouthed sea to join the great 
band of winged musicians, who have come to play all the summer 
in our beautiful woods ! 
There is no doubt that there is a good deal of emulation even 
in the bird tribe. I have seen and heard a Thrush, after singing 
his solo, appear to listen to another on the other side of the river, 
and as soon as his rival was finished, straighten himself up, so to 
speak, and try to out-sing his neighbour over the way; and another, 
further down the wooded banks, would take up the strain, as if in 
rivalry. The Lark rising from its grassy couch, where it has laid all 
night, as it goes heavenward, seems, in the exuberance of its joy, to 
be keeping time by the motion of its wings, as it goes higher and 
higher into the ethereal blue of the sky; its song gets fainter and 
_ fainter as it soars upwards, and your eye fails to discover it as it 
gets lost in the silver lining of acloud. Still you hear its charming 
: notes a long way off, as if it were singing at heaven’s gate, as 
_ Shakespeare beautifully describes it. The Skylark adds to the 
_ harmony of the bird choir, his voice is the jocund and inspiring 
voice of a spring morning, as he goes skyward, pouring out his 
§ rapid and jubilant notes. It is this unique and unmistakeable 
character of the Lark’s song, and its fountain-like sparkle and 
copiousness, that constitutes its charm. 
to 
Many a time when lads have we gone squirrel hunting ; and, in 
after years, I have looked back with regret to think that one could 
be so wanton and cruel as to disturb those merry denizens of the 
woods ; not that we ever destroyed any, still, no doubt, what was 
sport for us, was not fun for them at the same time, while we were 
hunting. Ihave seen them sitting at the top of some tall tree and 
looking down at us with supreme contempt. What a merry life 
this animal leads! and many times have we watched its funny 
age Th egal Side pes 
& 
antics in the woods with pleasure, to see it squirming up the bole 
of some ancient denizen of the forest, and peering at you with its 
bright, sparkling eyes round the corner of some huge branch, as if 
it were playing at hide and seek, and then take its aerial jump 
from one tree to another. Very seldom it misses its foothold, 
although on several occasions I have seen it come to the ground ; 
