MAGPIE FIELDS 



seem to come very early to the neighbourhood of 

 London, and before the time of their appearance 

 in other districts. The note is heard before they 

 are seen ; the foliage of the shrubberies, still thick, 

 though changing colour, concealing them. Pres- 

 ently, when the trees are bare, with the exception 

 of a few oaks, they have disappeared, passing on 

 towards the west. The fieldfares, too, as I have 

 previously observed, do not stay. But missel- 

 thrushes seem more numerous near town than in 

 the country. 



Every mild day in November the thrushes sing ; 

 there are meadows where one may be certain to 

 hear the song thrush. In the dip or valley at 

 Long Ditton there are several meadows Well tim- 

 bered with elm, which are the favourite resorts of 

 thrushes, and their song may be heard just there in 

 the depth of winter, when it would be possible to go 

 a long distance on the higher ground without hearing 

 one. If you hear the note of the song thrush 

 during frost it is sure to rain within a few hours ; it 

 is the first sign of the weather breaking up. 



Another autumn sign is the packing (in a sense) 

 of the moorhens. During the summer the numer- 

 ous brooks and ponds about town are apparently 

 partially deserted by these birds ; at least they are 

 not to be seen by casual wayfarers. But directly 

 the winter gets colder they gather together in the 

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