ELMS IN FLOWER 



much overlooked. Reds, yellows, and browns of a 

 hundred hues we associate with autumn ; blues and 

 greys with the woods of winter and the far horizons. 

 The spring is praised for its greens. Yet spring, 

 when one looks into the woods and landscapes, is 

 warmed with red and umber shades, not so boldly 

 splashed about the foliage as those of autumn, not 

 bitten out so intensely, but subtly beautiful. The 

 red of the common elms in March Wych elm, 

 now a-flower, is not so attractive in colour the red 

 of the oaks in May, the browns and yellows of the 

 elms in April, these are among the choicest but 

 least noticed of spring colours. 



The Oxeye's Vocabulary 



The irresolute rooks swoop and waver about 

 their nest-trees, though the elm to-day is more 

 forward than is commonly the case by the time 

 many of the nests have been touched up, relined 

 even. Their notes are growing far less harsh. A 

 rook can caw softly ; he has a touch of melody 

 in March. But no birds at this time are so re- 

 markable for the additions they make to their calls 

 and conversation as one or two of the titmice. The 

 marsh titmouse is said to utter the largest variety 

 of sounds. He may ; but watching and listening 

 to four titmice lately cole, marsh, blue, and great 

 I have found the great tit far the best performer. 



The great tit's vocabulary is surprisingly large 



53 



