io6 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



mellowing in the west, and shone full on the 

 thistle and the birds. I had always thought 

 linnets beautiful, but never till then had I known 

 how beautiful they are. At that time of year 

 their plumage is at its very best, and the effect of 

 the sunlight falling on their crimson breasts is 

 beyond my power to describe. They seemed 

 all aglow with fire ; every spike of thistledown 

 glistened like the finest spun glass. It was a sight 

 I shall never forget. I doubt if the plumage 

 of some of our more soberly-dressed birds is 

 not, after all, more truly beautiful than that of 

 those of more brilliant hue. Even the sparrow is 

 a really handsome bird, the male especially so, a 

 fact of which I was never fully aware until, when 

 a boy, the picture of a group of sparrows in the 

 collection at Chatsworth attracted my attention. 

 The plumage of the tree-sparrow is still more strik- 

 ing. To many people a sparrow is but a common, 

 impertinent little brown bird, too common to be 

 worthy of notice, and unworthy of notice just 

 exactly because he is unnoticed ; and yet he is a 

 bird whose plumage is full of rich, warm colour- 

 ings, in which russets, browns, ash, and pearl 

 gray are exquisitely blended, these in the case 

 of the tree-sparrow being still further heightened 

 and relieved by white on the cheeks and ear- 

 coverts, in the centre of which is a triangular 

 black patch. He may at times be observed 

 mingling in the society of his relations, the 

 house-sparrows ; but, unlike the latter, he ever 



