SEPTEMBER. 243 



list to-day only reaches just over fifty species, the lowest number we 

 have had for some weeks. 



Birds singing: Robin continuously, and sweeter and louder 

 than of late. Gradually resuming the beautiful Autumn song. The 

 song reminds me of a small and sweet musical box, played slowly. 

 Heard two Skylarks singing to-day, but the song was not well 

 sustained, and the resumed song-period has not yet, I think, 

 arrived. Still, hearing the well known notes again was very welcome, 

 and afforded much pleasure. Common Wren singing slightly, but not 

 to any extent. 



Birds seen or heard: -Rook (the "croo"-ing love song very 

 pleasant), House Sparrow (very noisy), Swallow, Carrion Crow, Chiff 

 Chaff (heard in full voice again), Chaffinch, Ring Dove (seems to be 

 increasing by leaps and bounds), Great Tit, Pheasant, Nuthatch (I 

 never remember hearing so many of these birds as I did during my 

 ramble to-day), Blackbird, House Martin, Starling, Pied Wagtail (I 

 have seen more of these birds during the past Summer than ever 

 before), and Jay. 



The leaves have commenced to fall. Nature's Summer dress is 

 beginning to be thrown off, and ere the Autumn garb has become 

 familiar to us, the bare, rude dress of Winter will be worn by her, 

 for it was ever Dame Nature. The keys on the Sycamore are 

 browning considerably, and amongst the earliest trees which bear 

 traces of Autumn are the Maple and the Hornbeam, the foliage of 

 both of which is a very pronounced yellow in many places now. How 

 very pretty the red-tipped buds of some of the Hawkweeds are! 

 The Grasshoppers are still noisy, and the Nuts are ripe, slipping out 

 of the shells quite easily. Going across a newly-ploughed field to-day 

 we remembered that it was here we noticed a few short weeks ago the 

 Field Scabious in plenty, the delicate Rest Harrow in all its beauty; 

 the Scarlet Poppy in all its gorgeousness and bright array; the 

 nodding golden heads of full ripe Corn. It was here, too, we noticed 

 the first green shoots in early Spring, then later the throwing up of 

 the ear-blades; but all is past and gone, and we now see the lately 

 ploughed and still later rolled earth, looking rich and red in spite of 

 the crop which it has so recently borne. Not a vestige of green or a 

 single wild flower is to be seen anywhere on or near the field, and 

 we are interested only by meditating upon what it has been to us 

 during the past Summer, and how long it will be before it again 

 supplies us with food for observation. The Ivy is in flower, and the 

 berries of the Privet are darkening very rapidly. The Acorns are 



