MAGPIE FIELDS. 179 



colours in bright sunshine produces a tint for which 

 I know no accurate term. 



In the tops of the poplars, where most exposed, the 

 leaves stay till the last, those growing on the trunk 

 below disappearing long before those on the spire, 

 which bends to every blast. The keys of the horn- 

 beam come twirling down: the hornbeam and the 

 birch are characteristic trees of the London landscape 

 — the latter reaches a great height and never loses 

 its beauty, for when devoid of leaves the feathery 

 spray-like branches only come into view the more. 



The abundant bird life is again demonstrated as 

 the evening approaches. Along the hedgerows, at 

 the corners of the copses, wherever there is the 

 least cover, so soon as the sun sinks the black- 

 birds announce their presence by their calls. Their 

 *' ching, chinging," sounds everywhere ; they come 

 out on the projecting branches and cry, then fly fifty 

 yards further down the hedge, and cry again. During 

 the day they may not have been noticed, scattered as 

 they were under the bushes, but the dusky shadows 

 darkening the fields send them to roost, and before 

 finally retiring they " ching-ching " to each other. 



Then, almost immediately after the sun has gone 

 down, looking to the south-west the sky seen above 

 the trees (which hide the yellow sunset) becomes a 

 delicate violet. Soon a speck of light gleams faintly 

 through it — the merest speck. The first appearance 

 of a star is very beautiful; the actual moment of 

 first contact as it were of the ray with the eye is 

 always a surprise, however often you may have 

 enjoyed it, and notwithstanding that you are aware it 



