122 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



THE YELLOW-HAMMER. 



What pleasant thoughts of happy schoolboy days are 

 brought to mind as the YELLOW-HAMMER 

 (Emberiza citrinelld) family, Emberi- 

 zidce flits before us from bush to bush, 

 or utters its monotonous song from the 

 top branch of a furze-bush, all golden 

 with its blossoms ! What visions of 

 HEAD OF THE YELLOW- purple - streaked eggs and hair-lined 

 HAMMER. nest ^ SQ art f u iiy concealed at the foot 



of a bush or tussock of grass by the side of a bank ! 



" What tender memories are bound 

 To this familiar hedgerow sound ! 



The creature's homely glee 

 Associates me with the hours 

 When, so pure childhood willed, all showers 



Were sunshine showers to me." 



Its well-known, monotonous song has been compared with 

 the words 



" A little bit of bread and no che-e-ese." 

 In Scotland it has another signification 



" Whetel-te, whetel-te, whee ! 

 Harry my nest and the de'il tak ye." 



It is called the Devil's Bird in Scotland, from a curious 

 notion that it drinks three drops of the devil's blood every 

 May morning, which is alluded to in the curious Scotch 

 rhyme : 



" Half a puddock, half a toad, 



Haifa yellow yorling, 

 Drinks a drap o' the de'il's bluid 

 Every May morning." 



The bird is called the Yellow Yorling in many parts of 

 Scotland, and it is strange that the same superstition pre- 

 vails in Bohemia. The bird is persecuted in that country 

 because it always drinks some of the devil's blood on the 

 1st of May. 



In Shropshite this bird is sometimes called the Writing- 



