HISTORY OF BRITISH BIRDS 79 



no bird whose voice, though monotonous, is more 

 cheerful and exhilarating in connection with return- 

 ing spring. It begins its merry 'oxeye, oxeye, 

 oxeye/ which bears a strong resemblance to the 

 filing of a saw, about the beginning of March, and 

 continues it to the middle of May." 



Or, again, for the note of the congener of the bird 

 just alluded to the Long-Tailed Tit he has a word 

 of appreciative admiration when he says : " That 

 which Shakespeare truly describes as so pleasing in 

 a woman, a ' small voice/ goes to the heart of the 

 naturalist when uttered by the tiny bird before us. 

 It is the very embodiment of gentleness, weakness, 

 and tenderness. I have but lately been listening to 

 it in the woods of Swinhope, in company with the 

 Rev. R. P. Alington, my friend of the l joyous days 

 of old/ in whom, as in myself, the love of nature 

 is inborn, inbred, and inwrought, so as that no 

 time nor circumstances can eradicate it. It has, 

 however, a second note a louder twitter, and a 

 third chirp still hoarser. This is heard in the 

 spring." 



If there was one bird-song which thrilled him 

 more than another, one which never failed to catch 

 his ear and make him stay and linger on to listen, 

 it was that well-known, but still matchless, voice 

 of the Throstle. I cannot refrain from quoting his 

 words in speaking of strains which gave him so 

 much pleasure to listen to. He remarks : 



"As for the note, that man can have no music 

 in his soul that does not love the song of the 



