A GENERAL VIEW 15 



With her, like Burns at a later date, he would much 

 rather 



260 stray his gladsome way, 



And view the charms of nature, 

 The rustling corn, the fruited thorn, 

 And every happy creature. 



Thus far I have briefly considered Thomson's chief Thom- 

 general references to the mystery, and scenic and 

 social loveliness, of bird-life in our island. But he and 

 has numerous particular descriptions or flying sketches 

 of individual birds which are even more interesting 

 from the poetical standpoint, and are astonishingly 

 270 correct and minute in their scientific details. He 

 mentions by name at least thirty-five distinct and 

 separate varieties of birds song-birds, migratory 

 birds, wildfowl and domestic fowls, and birds of prey ; 

 and there are perhaps only two points on which 

 a modern naturalist, with the advantage of two cen- 

 turies of observation over the poet, would appreciably 

 differ from him the hibernation of the swallow and 

 the booming of the bittern. Even here he is by no 

 means dogmatic not more so than Gilbert White. 



EDITOR. 



NOTES 



LINE 4. Thomson's Seasons. A collection of four poems, 

 describing in blank verse the various appearances of nature in 

 Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter respectively ; first pub- 

 lished in 1730, the author, a Scottish poet born in Roxburgh- 

 shire, being then in his thirtieth year. The whole poem was, 

 however, written in England first Winter, then Summer, next 

 Spring, and Autumn (accompanied by a Hymn) last of all. 



