IN THE HEMLOCKS. 73 



I pause to observe him. If I sit down, he 

 pauses to observe me, and extends his pretty 

 ramblings on all sides, apparently very much 

 engrossed with his own affairs, but never 

 losing sight of me. But few of the birds 

 are walkers, most being hoppers, like the 

 robin. 



Satisfied that I have no hostile intentions, 

 the pretty pedestrian mounts a limb a few 

 feet from the ground, and gives me the 

 benefit of one of his musical performances, 

 a sort of accelerating chant. Commencing 

 in a very low key, which makes him seem at 

 a very uncertain distance, he grows louder 

 and louder, till his body quakes and his 

 chant runs into a shriek, ringing in my ear 

 with a peculiar sharpness. This lay may 

 be represented thus: "Teacher, teacher, 

 TEACHER, TEACHER, TEA CHER ! " 

 the accent on the first syllable and each 

 word uttered with increased force and shrill- 

 ness. No writer with whom I am acquainted 

 gives him credit for more musical ability 

 than is displayed in this strain. Yet in this 

 the half is not told. He has a far rarer 

 song, which he reserves for some nymph 

 whom he meets in the air. Mounting by 

 easy flights to the top of the tallest tree, 



