13 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



projecting through the foliage, and the bird, perched 

 near its end, sat only about five feet above the bare 

 ground of the lane. Now I owe my best thanks to 

 this individual nightingale for sharply calling to 

 my mind a common pestilent delusion, which I 

 have always hated, but had never yet raised my voice 

 against namely, that all wild creatures exist in 

 constant fear of an attack from the numberless 

 subtle or powerful enemies that are always waiting 

 and watching for an opportunity to spring upon 

 and destroy them. The truth is, that although their 

 enemies be legion, and that every day, and even 

 several times on each day, they may be threatened 

 with destruction, they are absolutely free from 

 apprehension except when in the immediate presence 

 of danger. Suspicion there may be at times, and the 

 suspicion may cause them to remove themselves 

 to a greater distance from the object that excites it ; 

 but the emotion is so slight, the action so almost 

 automatic, that the singing bird will fly to another 

 bush a dozen yards away, and at once resume his 

 interrupted song. Again, a bird will see the deadli- 

 est enemy of its kind and unless it be so close as to 

 actually threaten his life, he will regard it with the 

 greatest indifference, or will only be moved to 

 anger at its presence. Here was this nightingale 

 singing in the rain, seeing but not heeding me ; 

 while beneath the hedge, almost directly under the 



