74 IN BIRD-LAND 



chase and goes in search of other food. The 

 fields are covered with buttercups, and here and 

 there cowslips are seen, looking a very pale yellow 

 beside the bright round discs of the dandelions. 

 Country children will now gather bunches of 

 buttercups and hold them under each other's 

 chins ; and if the yellow is reflected on their skin 

 they say, "You are fond of butter." To see all 

 of this brings back thoughts of when we were 

 little children ourselves, and loved to play among 

 the flowers, when the days seemed always to be 

 as merry as they were long. 



The leaves on the hedges and on some of the 

 trees are now nearly full grown, but still remain a 

 very light tint of green ; but a sharp shower 

 quickly followed by warm sunshine will speedily 

 give to them a darker shade. I have seen the 

 whole countryside turned a shade darker after 

 such a shower. 



Each day summer becomes nearer, and the 

 birds sing louder as if to welcome its approach ; 

 especially the Blackcap and Garden-Warbler. 

 The Wren sings continuously over its nest the 

 livelong clay, but louder during early morning and 

 about an hour before sunset. A large red patch 

 in the ditch shows where a clump of red campion 

 is growing, and many of the butterflies will stop 



