192 ADVENTURES AMONG BIRDS 



Ireland is an exception, to judge from the transla- 

 tions of the very early Irish poetry made by Professor 

 Kuno Meyer. Here, one is glad to find, are no old 

 imported bird myths and conventions, but a native 

 bird life and a feeling for birds which amaze us in 

 those remote and barbarous times. Many species are 

 mentioned in these poems, from the largest — eagle 

 and raven and wild goose — down to the little kitty 

 wren, but the blackbird is first on account of its lovely 

 voice — " sweet and soft and peaceful is his note," one 

 has it. 



There is one blackbird poem in the collection which 

 might have been written by a poet of to-day. For we 

 are apt to think that to love birds as we love them, not 

 merely as feathered angels, beautiful to see and hear, 

 but with human tenderness and sympathy as beings 

 that are kin to us, is a feeling peculiar to our own times. 

 The poet laments the bird's loss when it has seen its 

 nest and fledglings destroyed or taken by ruthless cow- 

 boy lads. He can understand the bird's grief " for 

 the ruin of its home," because a like calamity has been 

 his : his wife and little ones are dead, and though their 

 taking off was bloodless it is terrible to him as slaughter 

 by the sword. He cries out against the injustice of 

 heaven, for even as that one nest was singled out among 

 many for destruction so were his home and loved ones : 



O Thou, the Shaper of the world ! 



Uneven hands Thou layest on us ; 

 Our fellows at our side are spared, 



Their wives and children are alive. 



