112 THE MARCH BROWN 



nightingales are transmitted to their progeny; for the 

 male birds have all fallen silent before the eggs are 

 chipped. 



Darwin noted as remarkable the fact that song, properly 

 so called, is an accomplishment confined to small birds. 

 The Australian Menura Alberti, half the size of a turkey- 

 cock, and the crested screamer (Chauna chavaria) are 

 reckoned the only exceptions to this rule a rule all the 

 more remarkable when the muscular effort required to 

 produce vernal song is considered in proportion to the 

 frame of the songster and the long daily periods during 

 which it is produced. Mr. Witchell had the patience to 

 reckon up the time spent in singing by a thrush in his 

 garden, and found that it amounted to no fewer than 

 sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. The silent intervals, 

 aggregating eight hours, sufficed this bird to seek its 

 food and take its rest. 



XXVI 



The poets have winged many a shaft to the discomfort, 

 me March not only of their own neighbours, but of future 

 Brown generations; but now and then they let fly 

 something soothing to the feelings of common men. So 

 now this evening I draw solace from the well-worn lines 

 about 'that last infirmity of noble minds,' for it was 

 ambition that made me stick to salmon fishing all day 

 and return at sundown with an empty pannier ; whereas 

 one of lowlier aim, with tackle to match, might have 

 stuffed a sack with lusty trout. 



Lord ! how they did splash and tumble round the boat 

 as I floated down the reaches of majestic Tay above 

 Dunkeld. They meant business too, these spangled 



