THE PAGEANT OF SUMMER 



horizon, and then again sing till nearly 

 dusk. The yellowhammer is almost the 

 longest of all the singers ; he sits and sits 

 and has no inclination to move. In the 

 spring he sings, in the summer he sings, 

 and he continues when the last sheaves 

 are being carried from the wheat field. 

 The redstart yonder has given forth a few 

 notes, the whitethroat flings himself into 

 the air at short intervals and chatters, the 

 shrike calls sharp and determined, faint 

 but shrill calls descend from the swifts in 

 the air. These descend, but the twittering 

 notes of the swallows do not reach so far, 

 they are too high to-day. A cuckoo has 

 called by the brook, and now fainter from 

 a greater distance. That the titlarks are 

 singing I know, but not within hearing 

 from here; a dove though, is audible, 

 and a chiffchaff has twice passed. Afar 

 beyond the oaks at the top of the field 

 dark specks ascend from time to time, 

 and after moving in wide circles for 

 awhile descend again to the corn. These 



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