WINGS THAT TALK 147 



as by his own charming personality ; so little 

 and so lonely he looks on the shore of the 

 wide, wide sea. 



" Never so tender a cry as his * sweet ! 

 sweet ! ' is uttered by any bird I know," says 

 the poet. " He has many notes and calls, 

 some colloquial, some business-like, some med- 

 itative, and his cry of fear breaks my heart 

 to hear ; but this tender call is happy with a 

 fullness of joy that brings a thrill to the heart 

 that listens." Sometimes he prefixes this 

 common call with a long roll, " r-r-r-r-sweet ! 

 sweet ! " which forms a peculiarly delightful 

 variation. 



This bird, probably the spotted sandpiper, 

 aside from the charm of his voice, is one of the 

 most winsome of birds, and graceful in every 

 movement. His use of the wings is particu- 

 larly expressive. They never seem to be mere 

 means of flitting, like wings in general ; they 

 are far more, they almost take the place of 

 speech. By their movements he expresses his 

 emotions, his sentiments, till, in watching 

 him one realizes how much may be said with- 

 out words, and longs for ability to interpret. 

 On alighting, he holds them far above the 



