338 THE MAGAZINE OF HORTICULTURE. 



break in the early part of summer. The drowsiness we feel 

 on rising from our beds is gradually dispelled by the clear and 

 healthful breezes of early day, and we soon experience an 

 unusual amount of vigor and elasticity. Nature has so or- 

 dered her bounties and her blessings, as to cause the hour 

 which is consecrated to health to be attended with the great- 

 est amount of charms for all the senses ; and to make all 

 hearts enamored of the morning, she has environed it with 

 everything in heaven and on earth, that is charming to the 

 eye or to the ear, or capable of inspiring some agreeable sen- 

 timent. 



During the night the stillness of all things is the circum- 

 stance that most powerfully attracts our notice, rendering one 

 peculiarly sensitive to every accidental sound that meets the 

 ear. In the morning, on the contrary, at this time of year, 

 we are overwhelmed by the vocal and multitudinous chorus 

 of the feathered tribe. If you would hear the commence- 

 ment of this grand anthem of nature, you must rise on the 

 very first appearance of dawn, before the twilight has formed 

 a complete circle above the eastern porch of heaven. The 

 first note that proceeds from the little warbling host is the 

 shrill chirp of the hair-bird, which is occasionally heard at 

 all hours, on a warm summer night. This strain, which is 

 a continued trilling sound, is repeated with diminishing in- 

 tervals, until it becomes almost incessant. But the hair-bird 

 has not uttered many notes before some one robin begins to 

 warble from a neighboring orchard, being soon followed by 

 others increasing in numbers, until, by the time the eastern 

 sky has attained a crimson hue, every male robin in the coun- 

 try round is singing with fervor. 



It would be difficult to note the exact order in which the 

 different birds successively commence their parts in this per- 

 formance ; but the blue-bird, whose song is only a short mel- 

 low warble, is heard nearly at the same time with the robin, 

 and the song-sparrow joins them soon after with his brief, 

 but finely modulated strain. The different species follow 

 rapidly, one after another, in the chorus, until the whole 

 welkin rings with their matin hymn of gladness. I have 



