i82 BEACH GRASS 



from the sky just before dawn from a multitude 

 of throats, it is a pleasing forerunner of the day. 

 The robin is a close second as an early riser, and 

 next the song sparrow. A robin gives a challenge 

 call, there is a rustle among the hundreds of robins 

 that roost in the forest, a bird carols forth and 

 soon the whole robin chorus bursts on the ear, 

 a glorious morning hymn of praise for the sun, 

 clear, rich pure and holy. A catbird sings from 

 the roof close to my head, a yellow warbler and a 

 Maryland yellow-throat from a birch near-by, 

 bobolinks and meadowlarks sing from and over 

 the fields, a kingfisher rattles as he flies over the 

 forest on his way to the creek to fish, and crows, 

 rather lazy about awakening, caw from the big 

 nut tree, or utter their crackling song. 



Among the winter birds that visit the forest 

 the northern shrike is always worth seeing. On 

 rare occasions with us he sings, and he has per- 

 formed from a tree-top in the forest. To an 

 optimist his song is well worth hearing so abound- 

 ing is it in sweet musical sounds — full-throated 

 robin-like warbles, clear notes like the bell-tones 

 of a blue jay, and pretty trills. These he in- 



