AMONG THE BIRDS IN WINTER. 291 



same perching-places daily. Rain will not stop 

 their joyous song, but snow and frost silences 

 them directly. In well sheltered districts, the 

 Hedge Sparrow also contributes his simple little 

 song to the winter concert. A mild day generally 

 sends a few Skylarks warbling heavenwards, and 

 the sweet-voiced Blackbird is heard to sing occa- 

 sionally during exceptionally mild weather. Un- 

 doubtedly the Robin, of all this feathered orchestra, 

 is the most pertinacious singer. Severe weather 

 generally silences the singing birds of winter, yet 

 he is never hushed. Many other sounds also 

 help to swell this winter concert of the woods and 

 fields. These are the noisy twitterings and merry 

 call-notes of birds that have lost their proper song 

 with the turn of the leaf. What, for instance, 

 more cheery in the short winter days than the 

 lively chorus kept up by a flock of Redwings or 

 Bramblings, like peals of little bells, on the tree- 

 tops ; the harsh chatter of the ever active Titmice ; 

 or even the loud caw of the Rook, as he flies 

 leisurely home at eventide ? Such simple cries 

 are passed unnoticed in the plethora of spring-tide 

 music, but are welcome now, when every sound 

 serves to relieve the monotony of the silent 

 woods, and to tell, in prophetic strains, of better 

 songs to come. It will thus be seen that winter 

 is by no means the silent, songless season we are 

 apt to think it. Even in the darkest days there 

 are a few musicians to relieve the dreary mono- 

 tony of a northern winter ; and during the fitful 



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