AT PEEP OF DAY 



the drummers she is doubtless drawn by some 

 quality of the sound. Our ears and eyes are too 

 coarse to note differences in these things, but 

 doubtless the birds themselves note differences."* 

 A beautiful bronzed grackle has just disap- 

 peared in the hemlock beyond the flicker maple. 

 His beak was filled to overflowing with dainties 

 for his hungry babies. Wait and they themselves 

 will reveal their whereabouts. 



Squawk, Squawk, Squeak ! 

 Croak, croak, creak ! 



Strange to say, these agonizing sounds repre- 

 sent eager anticipation, delightful realization, 

 and every other pleasant thing you may choose to 

 picture to yourself in the line of happy, clamor- 

 ous nursery table-talk. 



A stealthy stirring in that blossom cascade 

 yonder would suggest the presence of a bird- 

 home in the wistaria-vine, and as for these hedges, 

 in bird-land they seem to be the equivalent of a 

 popular residence quarter among human beings. 

 The gardener told me recently that he plies his 

 huge shears with positive dread around these 

 great walls of osage orange and privet. Little 



* Riverby. 



[175] 



