THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 13 



heavenward, and in a spirit of utter abandon- 

 ment, he carols his simple strain. And sitting 

 thus amid the stark, silent trees, above the 

 wet, cold earth, with the chill of winter still 

 in the air, there is no fitter or sweeter 

 songster in the whole round year. It is in 

 keeping with the scene and the occasion. 

 How round and genuine the notes are, and 

 how eagerly our ears drink them in ! The 

 first utterance, and the spell of winter is 

 thoroughly broken, and the remembrance of 

 it afar off. 



Robin is one of the most native and dem- 

 ocratic of our birds ; he is one of the fam- 

 ily, and seems much nearer to us than those 

 rare, exotic visitants, as the orchard starling 

 or rose-breasted grossbeak, with their dis- 

 tant, high-bred ways. Hardy, noisy, frolic- 

 some, neighborly and domestic in his habits, 

 strong of wing and bold in spirit, he is the 

 pioneer of the thrush family, and well worthy 

 of the finer artists whose coming he heralds 

 and in a measure prepares us for. 



I could wish Robin less native and plebeian 

 in one respect, the building of his nest. 

 Its coarse material and rough masonry are 

 creditable neither to his skill as a workman 

 nor to his taste as an artist. I am the more 



