24 PEPACTON : A SUMMER VOYAGE. 



there, may be heard almost any summer night, in any 

 part of the country, and occasionally his better known 

 cuckoo call. He is a great Yecluse by day, but seems 

 to wander abroad freely by night. 



The birds do indeed begin with the day. The far- 

 mer who is in the field at work while he can yet see 

 stars catches their first matin hymns. In the longest 

 June days the robin strikes up about half-past three 

 o'clock, and is quickly followed by the sparrow, the 

 oriole, the cat-bird, the wren, the wood-thrush, and all 

 the rest of the tuneful choir. Along the Potomac I 

 have heard the Virginia cardinal whistle so loudly and 

 persistently in the tree-tops above that sleeping after 

 four o'clock was out of the question. Just before the 

 sun is up there is a marked lull, during which I im- 

 agine the birds are at breakfast. While building 

 their nest it is very early in the morning that they 

 put in their big strokes ; the back of their day's work 

 is broken before you have begun yours. 



A lady once asked me if there was any individual 

 *ty among the birds, or if those of the same kind were 

 as near alike as two peas. I was obliged to answer 

 that to the eye those of the same species were as near 

 alike as two peas, but that in their songs there were 

 often marks of originality. Caged or domesticated 

 birds develop notes and traits of their own, and among 

 the more familiar orchard and garden birds one may 

 notice the same tendency. I observe a great variety 

 of songs, and even qualities of voice, among the ori 

 oles and among the song-sparrows. On this trip my 



