JULY. 235 



low, the other five about four tones higher, and all alike, so 

 clear, and shrill, and musical, that I have been quite charmed 

 with the sound. The higher notes are something like the 

 strokes on a small silver bell, and are frequently shaken or 

 trilled. 



.F. I have heard the notes hundreds of times, both here 

 and in Newfoundland, where it is very common, and have 

 had very great curiosity to know the author. They usually 

 proceed from the thick- woods, and the bird is too shy to al- 

 low approach : one day, however, I heard it proceeding from 

 one of the plum trees in the orchard ; I crept cautiously to 

 the spot, without disturbing it, until I arrived directly un- 

 der the tree, within a few feet of the bird, which, while my 

 eyes were fixed on it, whistled its sweet but simple song. 

 It was the White-throated Sparrow (Fringitta AlbicollisJ ; 

 a pretty bird, the upper parts spotted, like most of the Spar- 

 rows, with bay, brown, and black, the head handsomely 

 striped with white and black, and the under parts white. 

 I have never seen the bird since. Its song, though heard at 

 all times of the day, is chiefly uttered early in the morning, 

 and in the evening ; and even sometimes continued till dark- 

 ness has spread her curtain over the earth, at which time it 

 has a pleasingly solemn effect. 



C. Did you see that very large moth that just darted 

 along, over our heads ? 



F. No : but I have seen several lately, in the dusk of 

 the evenings, of very large size, but too indistinctly to iden- 

 tify them : they are no doubt Saturnice, and would be a 

 noble addition to your cabinet ; but it would be vain to 

 pursue them at this late hour, as they are almost instantly 



lost in the darkness Now you have an opportunity of 



seeing an assemblage of Fireflies, which I described to you a 



