Rock Thrushes 71 



feathers uplifted, and warbling in a crooning con- 

 fidential way, which said, " It was very nice, my bird's- 

 eye view from the poplar tops, but I prefer you and 

 the mealworms, after all." After that, I had only to 

 place my hand on him and carry him home ; he 

 pecking at my fingers and piping all the time, which 

 makes one somehow think of " Peter Piper pecked 

 a peck of pepper." There were some boys standing 

 by the river fishing ; wondering why I was meander- 

 ing in the meadows, gazing up at the trees, and whist- 

 ling in a manner that at first must have seemed to 

 qualify me for an immediate entrance to the nearest 

 lunatic asylum. The sequel astonished them con- 

 siderably ! 



Birds, apparently wild, don't usually whistle back 

 to one in precisely the same key and notes as your- 

 self, or settle themselves at your feet to let you pick 

 them up ! 



How vividly it is all impressed on my memory ! The 

 stretch of water-meadows, gay with cuckoo plant and 

 lingering king-cups ; the glimpse of the mill through 

 the tree trunks across the river by the back-water ; the 

 train puffing along in the distance between Melton and 

 Wickham Market ; the pretty thatched roof of the 

 rectory, half hidden from the meadows by a giant 

 copper-beech ; the distempered walls of apricot-orange, 

 with the green wood shutters thrown back from the 

 latticed casements, over which climbed roses William 

 Allen Richardson, Fortune's yellow, and a crimson 

 rambler besides honeysuckles and jessamine ; the 

 garden aflame with huge scarlet poppies and many 



