THE AURA OF MAY 



contribution to the aura of the May day. But these 

 are the first days in the season, when, under the oaks, 

 or on the sandy banks where the foxgloves, countless 

 thousands of them, are beginning to leaf strongly, we 

 can lie on the open ground, without the slightest fear 

 of taking cold, and steep ourselves in the glory of it 

 all. We feel we must enjoy to the full a few hours 

 thus before setting to work to make anything like 

 a close and curious inventory of Nature. We are as 

 one who has just come into an immense property. 

 First of all, we must revel in the astonishing joy of 

 it later, take careful stock of our possessions in 

 detail. 



Trapping the Bird Traveller 



During the last few days the bird population of 

 England has been greatly increased it may have 

 been doubled. Swallows, swifts, martins house and 

 sand blackcaps, garden warblers, wood wrens, and 

 turtle-doves have come crowding in, hundreds of 

 thousands of them. Less than a fortnight ago, most 

 of these species were but thinly sprinkled through 

 the country. A week of May goodness has made 

 the difference. Blackcaps abound where they were 

 scarce ten days ago. Early May was almost swallow- 

 less. There are not even now half enough swallows. 

 But it is no longer weather which holds them back. 

 I fear that the swallow grows scarcer as an English 

 bird, possibly through the way in which it is netted 

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