THE CROWS 99 



the supposed resemblance of its song to that of other 

 birds. 



It is a song of a particularly monotonous character. 

 It is distinguishable immediately, and if the bird 

 happens to nest near a house, is often disliked on 

 account of the loud iteration. Perhaps those who first 

 gave it the name of the mocking-bird were not well 

 acquainted with the notes of the birds which they 

 fancied it to mock. To mistake it for the nightingale, 

 some of whose tones it is said to imitate, would be 

 like confounding the clash of cymbals with the soft 

 sound of a flute. 



Linnets come to the furze, and occasionally magpies, 

 but these latter only in winter. Then, too, golden- 

 crested wrens may be seen searching in the furze 

 bushes, and creeping round and about the thorns and 

 brambles. There is a roadside pond close to the furze, 

 the delight of horses and cattle driven along the dusty 

 way in summer. Along the shelving sandy shore the 

 wagtails run, both the pied and the yellow, but few 

 birds come here to wash; for that purpose they prefer 

 a running stream if it be accessible. 



Upon the willow trees which border it, a reed- 

 sparrow or blackheaded bunting may often be observed. 

 One bright March morning, as I came up the road, 

 just as the surface of the pond became visible it pre- 

 sented a scene of dazzling beauty. At that distance 

 only the tops of the ripples were seen, reflecting the 

 light at a very low angle. The result was that the eye 

 saw nothing of the water or the wavelet, but caught 

 only the brilliant glow. Instead of a succession of 

 sparkles there seemed to be a golden liquid floating on 

 the surface as oil floats a golden liquid two or three 

 inches thick, which flowed before the wind. 



