AN ARCADIAN CALENDAR 



quality of robins' songs varies much, and the feebler 

 songs are now credited to the hens; who, it is believed, 

 sing only in Winter, in challenge or in triumph after 

 battle. 



THE hedge-sparrow is the humblest of all song-birds. 



He is always demure, gentle, and homely, 

 Winter alike as to his song and his manner of life. 

 Cheer If he haunts a garden bird-table he rarely 



comes to the board, but is content to pick 

 up the crumbs that fall, and always offers up grace 

 before and after meat. Simply as he warbles his unpre- 

 tending lay we owe him a debt for this song of Winter 

 cheer he will sing though the land be buried in snow. 

 From this perhaps came one of his familiar names, 

 " Winter Fauvette " names all so much better than 

 his proper one, since he is no sparrow. Hedge-warbler 

 well suits him, if less distinctive than " Dunnock," or 

 " Shufflewing," from his habit of flirting his wings when 

 courting. Now and then he sings after dark. 



LEAST of the bird musicians of Winter is the corn- 

 bunting. He plays the triangle in the winter 

 The Clod band for the twenty other performers. His 

 Bird music (more in harmony with golden corn- 



fields than pale winter sunshine) is in 

 keeping with his lethargic appearance ; he is a veritable 

 clod-hopper among birds, and was well-named clod- 

 bird from his habit of perching on any little elevation of 

 a flat field. His monotonous song starts off like an 

 imitation of the yellow hammer's, but it lacks any musical 

 merit, and tumbles all to pieces, as soon as started, in a 

 confused jumble. 



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