MAY 



The chewink is a shy bird also, but not stealthy. 

 It is very inquisitive, and sets up a great scratch- 

 ing among the leaves, apparently to attract your 

 attention. The male is perhaps the most conspicu- 

 ously marked of all the ground-birds except the 

 bobolink, being black above, bay on the sides, and 

 white beneath. The bay is in compliment to the 

 leaves he is forever scratching among, they have 

 rustled against his breast and sides so long that 

 these parts have taken their color; but whence 

 come the white and black ? 



BURROUGHS : Birds and Poets. 



Crossing the first Conantum field I perceive a 

 peculiar fragrance in the air (not the meadow fra- 

 grance), like that of vernal flowers or of expanding 

 buds. The ground is covered with the mouse-ear 

 in full bloom, and it may be that in part. It is 

 a temperate southwest breeze, and this is a scent 

 of willows (flowers and leaflets), bluets, violets, 

 shad-bush, mouse-ear, etc., combined, or perhaps 

 the last chiefly. At any rate, it is very perceptible. 

 The air is more genial, laden with the fragrance of 

 spring flowers. I, sailing on the spring ocean, get- 

 ting in from my winter voyage, begin to smell the 

 land. 



THOREAU : May Days. 



