IN DEVONSHIRE LANES. 219 



weeks to a month before I ever heard them in 

 Yorkshire. The Thrush and the Blackbird dwell 

 in plenty in the hedges of the lanes, and may be 

 met with all the winter through, an interesting fact, 

 especially as regards the former species, which 

 leaves so many other districts entirely in mid- 

 winter. In the fields on either side of the lanes 

 the sweet-voiced Sky-Lark climbs upwards on throb- 

 bing wings towards the silvery clouds, scattering 

 broadcast its fountain of lovely song. There, too, 

 by the wayside we may notice the Red-backed 

 Shrike, sitting warily on the topmost spray of the 

 hedge, alert and watching for the beetles that may 

 chance to drone lazily by. A provident bird is 

 this, spitting such captures as he cannot eat on 

 thorns in the hedges, and keeping a larder from 

 which to draw food at will. Just now in early 

 June you may find his nest, usually made in the 

 tallest part of the hedge, and with no attempt at 

 concealment. Pairs of these birds will frequent 

 one chosen spot for years, coming each spring from 

 winter quarters far south of the equator in Africa. 



From time to time the voice of the Cuckoo 

 sounds near and far ; and in some of the nests we 

 visit we may be fortunate enough to find either 

 the egg or the newly-hatched young of this parasitic 



