76 birds' eggs 



brief beating of the wings on the downward 

 curve. As he quickly opens them they give 

 him a strong upward impulse and he describes 

 the long arc with them closely folded. Thus 

 falling and recovering, rising and sinking like 

 dolphins in the sea, he courses through the 

 summer air. In marked contrast to this feat 

 is his manner of flying when he indulges in a 

 brief outburst of song in the air. Now he flies 

 level, with broad expanded wings nearly as 

 round and as concave as two shells, which beat 

 the air slowly. The song is the chief matter 

 now, and the wings are used only to keep him 

 afloat while delivering it. In the other case 

 the flight is the main concern, and the voice 

 merely punctuates it. 



I know no autumn egg but a hen's egg, 

 though a certain old farmer tells me he finds a 

 quail's nest full of eggs nearly every Septem- 

 ber; but fall progeny of any kind has a belated 

 start in life, and the chances are agayist it. 



