50 BIRD NOTES 



One very misty day I saw upon the sea, near 

 the horizon, a long dark line which might easily 

 have been taken for a sea-serpent, or some long 

 undulating sea beast, for it seemed in continual 

 motion. It did not, however, seem to progress at 

 all ; and soon I saw black specks rise from one 

 part of the line and settle down at another part ; 

 and I scarcely needed the sudden rising up of two 

 black divers nearer in shore to show me that it 

 was a very large flock of those birds. I never 

 saw a large congregation of them before, but a 

 fisherman to whom I spoke about it did not seem 

 to think it at all wonderful. 



April 16, 1882. 



A cold wind, and a hungry crowd of birds at 

 the window in consequence. The nuthatch has 

 a wonderful number of notes cries, rather. I 

 heard a fresh one to-day. I could not have be- 

 lieved that it proceeded from a nuthatch if I had 

 not seen it. The note was more like that of a 

 large mouse ; it was a squeak, nothing more nor 

 less, and appeared to be addressed to a companion 

 in the distance ; no doubt the note, though not 

 loud, was far-reaching. The bird has become 

 wonderfully tame, and will sometimes feed on the 

 sill as I stand by the open window. 



The song of the chaffinch is heard to-day, I 

 think for the first time ; I do not mean the chirp, 



