TREES ABOUT TOWN 



floral and bird life, and of these with the move- 

 ments of the heavens, impart a sense of breadth to 

 their observation. 



It is not only the violet or the anemone, there 

 are the birds coming from immense distances to 

 enjoy the summer with us ; there are the stars 

 appearing in succession, so that the most distant 

 of objects seems brought into connection with the 

 nearest, and the world is made one. The sharp dis- 

 tinction, the line artificially drawn between things, 

 quite disappears when they are thus associated. 



Birds, as just remarked, are attracted by our 

 own trees and shrubs. Oaks are favourites with 

 rooks and wood-pigeons ; blackbirds whistle in 

 them in spring ; if there is a pheasant about in 

 autumn he is sure to come under the oak ; jays 

 visit them. Elms are resorted to by most of the 

 larger birds. Ash plantations attract wood-pigeons 

 and turtledoves. Thrushes are fond of the ash, 

 and sing much on its boughs. The beech is the 

 woodpecker's tree so soon as it grows old birch 

 one of the missel-thrush's. 



In blackthorn the long-tailed tit builds the domed 

 nest every one admires. Under the cover of 

 brambles white-throats build. Nightingales love 

 hawthorn, and so does every bird. Plant haw- 

 thorn, and almost every bird will come to it, from 

 the wood-pigeon down to the wren. Do not clear 



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