184 OUR NATIVE SONGSTERS. 



rain, will keep it from carolling a lay, nor cold nor 

 frost give a sadness tx) the song. The frost-bound 

 earth may be crisp with diamonds, and the leaves 

 all gone from the trees, and not a flower be left 

 save the daisy and tlie chickweed, yet robin will 

 even then sing to the dreary blast, and might in 

 autumn well suggest such thoughts as the author 

 of the '* Christian Year " has so beautifully ex- 

 pressed : — 



" Sweet messenger of calm decay, 



Saluting sorrow as you may, 

 As one still beut to find or make the bei?t ; 



In thee and in this quiet mead, 



The lesson of sweet peace I read, 

 Rather, in all, to be resign'd than blest 



" 'Tis a low chant, according well 

 With the soft solitary knell. 



As homeward, from some grave beloved, wo turn ; 

 Or by some lowly «leuth-bed dear, 

 M< st welcome to the chasten'd ear 



Of her whom heaven is teaching how to mourn." 



AVe all look upon the Redbreast* [Enjtham 

 rithecula) as the bird of the cold season ; not, 



• The Redbreast is five inches and three-quarters in length. 

 Whole upper parts olive-brown; the wing-coverts tipped with 

 buff; face, throat, and breast dull orange, margined with grey ; 

 lower parts impure white ; beak black ; feet purplish-brown. 



