Birds by Land and Sea 



point, it laid its wings back stiffly, and with tail 

 expanded and erect, and dangling legs, glided slowly 

 down a long curve, its quickening "Sing! sing! sing!" 

 crushed up into a prolonged trill, which ceased as 

 it reached the earth. At times this bird will sing 

 whilst perching on a tree, on some low object on 

 the ground, or even upon the ground itself. 



Now that we may well be considered to have 

 entered spring, I should, perhaps, advert to the 

 remarkable fact that the corn-bunting has continued 

 to sing in our meadows throughout the winter 

 months. I first noticed its resumption of song 

 after the autumn silence on the 2nd November. 

 From that time onwards I have continuous records 

 of the bird's singing throughout the winter until 

 now, when its note is only less frequently heard 

 than the somewhat similar long-drawn scream of the 

 greenfinch. Although the winter has certainly been 

 exceptionally mild, and although, during two spells 

 of rather severe frost, I failed to hear the bird's 

 song, still, I have known it to sing in weather 

 sufficiently severe to silence any bird. I remember 

 standing by the Mersey one bitterly cold morning 

 with the bird before me on the hedge-top, and its 

 note was then the only one to be heard in the silent 

 meadows around me. Still, the sun was shining, 

 and sunshine, even in very cold weather, seemed 

 always to provoke the corn-bunting to song. 



The corn-bunting's song if song it may be 

 called opens with a few detached notes, exactly 



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