82 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



pathway of tiny ripples right from shore 

 to shore ; and over to the right of this 

 golden path there is the old church on 

 the hill, surrounded with little cottages 

 and tall elms. You can imagine the 

 attractions such a spot has for birds, 

 and as all are strictly protected numerous 

 species nest there, and it is over this 

 scene that the Village Thrush sang. We 

 called him the Village Thrush because 

 he seemed to belong to it, and each 

 spring, as surely as we expected the burst- 

 ing leaves and the blossom, we expected 

 to hear his song. There was no mistak- 

 ing it ; there was not a Thrush for a 

 dozen miles round who could equal him 

 for variety of notes or loudness and 

 purity of song. I was listening to him 

 early one April morning ; the rising sun 

 was shining into my room, and it was 

 impossible to sleep with that bird not 

 far from my open window. I counted 

 twelve changes in his song, and many of 



