NOTES OF BIRDS. 99 



was heard first. The yellow-hammer is remarkable 

 for its great regularity in keeping to a given hour, 

 which, during the height of summer, is three o'clock, a 

 few minutes before or after. This species is followed 

 generally by the chaffinch. The linnet, green- 

 finch, and wren appear to be among the later birds, 

 and are seldom heard till near four o'clock, if not 

 after that hour, though the last is earlier sometimes 

 than others. 



The circumstance of the general silence among the 

 blackbirds and thrushes after half past three, in the 

 instance of the 13th of June 1845, is curious. Their 

 singing had been so unceasing and so general for about 

 an hour previous, that it required a nice ear to be able 

 to distinguish the notes of other birds. It will be 

 seen that at twenty minutes after four one thrush 

 was heard to resume its song, but this was the only 

 individual of either species that sung afterwards so 

 long as the observations were continued. 



Many birds appear to be more or less clamorous 

 before going to roost. In the case of the rook this 

 fact is notorious, and, before they are in sight, the 

 approach of these birds to their nest-trees in the 

 evening is signified to the observer by the united 

 voices of the whole body " returning in long strings 

 from the foraging of the day." 



" Retiring from the downs, where all day long 

 They pick'd their scanty fare, a blackening train 

 Of clamorous rooks thick urge their weary flight, 



And seek the closing shelter of the grove." 



F 2 



