IN PAIRING TIME 135 



the hen, hopping through the hedge, escaped along 

 the lane, leaving her would-be wooers to contend for 

 a barren victory. 



The Yellowhammer is another of our stay-at-homes 

 that early separate into pairs. Although singing is 

 seldom heard until the second week in February, 

 already at the end of January the birds may be seen 

 sitting and flitting together in couples, clinking out 

 their short vibrant notes, or tripping one behind the 

 other in their search for food at the foot of the 

 hedgerow. But during February, bands of these 

 birds move up from the south, and the still black haw- 

 thorn hedges are studded, as it were, with golden fruit. 

 For at this time the birds are in brilliant plumage. 



Then the scene becomes one of unusual animation 

 considering the lethargic character of the Yellow- 

 hammer, one bird chasing another along and across 

 the hedgerow with lightning speed, and with a flash 

 of chestnut backs and a flicker of white-edged tails 

 as they double and turn. Then the male, having 

 settled near the object of his pursuit, will utter his 

 strange song : ' ( JV Yan - riyan - riyan - riyan -riyan- 

 riyan-kee ! " and if he is a singer of finer quality, 

 will add a third, thin, long note to the ordinary 

 phrase, as though he were spent for breath and 

 added this less usual note while replenishing his 

 lungs. Thus the birds will continue to sit, uttering 

 their simple notes, the one vibrant, the other like the 

 tinkling drip of water, and fanning their tails 

 incessantly to show the white. For white is ever 

 your marriage colour with birds ; and if a bird has 

 white in his plumage he will not fail to show it 

 during courtship. 



