BIRDS IN MY GARDEN. 65 



loving-kindness to us poor City mortals, to 

 gladden our hearts with their sweet notes. 



This year they began on the "Feast of St. 

 Valentine," a cold and foggy morning ; and 

 it was pleasant as surprising, from one ; s 

 dressing-room window, for the first time this 

 year 



" To hear the lark begin his flight, 

 And singing, startle the dull night 

 From his watch tower in the skies, 

 Till the dappled dawn doth rise. " 



Only, unfortunately, the dawn was not dap- 

 pled the little songsters could be heard but 

 not seen ; their music came down through a 

 dense fog, perhaps all the more thrillingly 

 and with more chastened melody on that 

 account. 



Swallows, swifts, and martins occasionally 

 venture so far over the surrounding chimney- 

 pots as to float about over that meadow 

 surely more for our pleasure who see them, 

 than for any special advantage to themselves ; 

 but they never stay long, nor have I ever 

 seen them alight on rail, or tree, or housetop. 



Now and then, when old Charlie, our cat, 

 is away, I have had the pleasure of seeing 

 half-a-dozen rooks at a time come down to 

 my lawn to pick up the worms, or the crumbs 

 I had thrown out to tempt them. These 



