THE COMPLETE ANGLER. 19 



she must descend to the dull earth, which she would not 

 touch, but for necessity. 



How do the blackbird and thrassel [thrush], with their 

 melodious voices, bid welcome to the cheerful spring, and in 

 their fixed months warble forth such ditties as no art or 

 instrument can reach to ? 



Nay, the smaller birds also do the like in their particular 

 seasons, as, namely, the leverock, the titlark, the little linnet, 

 and the honest robin, that loves mankind both alive and 

 dead. 



But the nightingale, another of my airy creatures, breathes 

 such sweet loud music out of her little instrumental throat, 

 that it might make mankind to think miracles are not ceased, 

 He that at midnight, when the very labourer sleeps securely, 

 should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the sweet 

 descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and 

 redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and 

 say, " Lord, what music hast thou provided for the saints in 

 heaven, when thou afFordest bad men such music on earth ?" 



And this makes rne the less to wonder at the many aviaries 

 in Italy, or at the great charge of Varro's aviary, the ruins of 

 which are yet to be seen in Rome, and is still so famous there, 

 that it is reckoned for one of those notables which men of 

 foreign nations either record, or lay up in their memories, 

 when they return from travel. 



This for the birds of pleasure, of which very much more 

 might be said. My next shall be of birds of political use. I 

 think 'tis not to be doubted that swallows* have been taught 

 to carry letters between two armies. But it is certain, that 

 when the Turks besieged Malta or Rhodes (I now remember 

 not which it was), pigeons are then related to carry and 

 recarry letters. And Mr. G. Sandys, in his Travels, relates it 

 to be done between Aleppo and Babylon. But if that be dis- 

 believed, it is not to be doubted that the dove was sent out 

 of the ark by Noah, to give him notice of land, when to him 



* Walton's knowledge of Natural History was as superficial and as supersti- 

 tious, if I may be allowed the use of the epithet, in many respects, as that of a 

 Munster peasant or Highland shepherd of the present day. No birds can be 

 trained to fly to and from places. The carrier-pigeon will only fly with a mes- 

 sage, generally written on a slip of oiled-tissue paper lapped round the leg,/ro?rc 

 a place to which the bird is taken, to its home. It will not cany a message 

 from its home or dove-cot to a given place ; it can make a return voyage, but 

 not an outicard one. ED. 



B2 



