NIOHT 



he began with a low note which carried 

 only a short distance, but the volume 

 of his song could be heard far across 

 the fading fields. 



Back on the beech knoll the wood- 

 thrush let loose a marvellous flow of 

 flute-like melody in little bursts of 

 song. His is the richer, but lacks the 

 wild attractiveness of the veery. He 

 has a great range and a variety of at 

 least six songs, with many notes resem- 

 bling the flute. A striking bird is he, 

 dressed in reddish-brown from head to 

 tail, and white breast heavily dotted 

 with black. He is more sociable than 

 the veery, and will sit and pour forth 

 his wonderful music within easy sight. 



Thus he continued through the hour 

 of sunset till twilight came. Thus this 

 time of tensest stress, when life runs 

 high ill all the winged creatures, was 

 intensified by these seductive notes. A 

 violet gauze draped itself about the 

 fences and crept from bush to bush 

 and from tree to tree. Vague, fantastic 

 shapes seemed to flit about, always 

 moving with the deeper shadows and 

 finally dissolving in their midst. With 

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