ON BOSTON COMMON. 15 



with even more than their customary measure 

 of incivility, till the poor wayfarers have liter- 

 ally no rest for the soles of their feet. They 

 breed by choice in just such miniature meet- 

 ing-houses as our city fathers have provided so 

 plentifully for their foreign proteges ; and prob- 

 ably the latter, being aware of this, feel it nec- 

 essary to discourage at the outset any idea 

 which these blue-coated American interlopers 

 may have begun to entertain of settling in Bos- 

 ton for the summer. 



The robins may be said to be abundant with 

 us for more than half the year ; but they are 

 especially numerous for a month or two early 

 in the season. I have counted more than thirty 

 feeding at once in the lower half of the parade 

 ground, and at nightfall have seen forty at 

 roost in one tree, with half as many more in 

 the tree adjoining. They grow extremely noisy 

 about sunset, filling the air with songs, cackles, 

 and screams, till even the most stolid citizen 

 pauses a moment to look up at the authors of. so 

 much clamor. 



By the middle of March the song sparrows 

 begin to appear, and for a month after this they 

 furnish delightful music daily. I have heard 

 them caroling with all cheerfulness in the midst 

 of a driving snow-storm. The dear little opti- 

 mists ! They never doubt that the sun is on 



