284 MY COUNTRY WANDERINGS 



Those who live in the country should seek out 

 some trees along a lane, or hedgerow, especially 

 where there is a nice thick grassy bank wherein 

 the March Violets hide their white and purple 

 blossoms. Look up into the trees, and you will 

 perhaps see a little bird about the size of a 

 Sparrow. He does not fly right away, for, see, he 

 is soaring in the air somewhat after the manner 

 of a Skylark. Watch him carefully; there, having 

 reached a certain height, the bird commences the 

 descent. Notice that he comes down like a shaft- 

 less arrow almost; there is hardly a motion of the 

 wings or body, but listen to the sweet lyrics the 

 bird is uttering. 



As he nears the ground or tree from which 

 he rose, the song increases in volume and sweet- 

 ness, until at last the listener stands spellbound, 

 captivated by the little mite in feathers whose 

 song-flights (to those who know them) are one of 

 the greatest features of our English countryside. 

 If you are successful in stalking it, and learn to 

 know it and appreciate it as I have done since I 

 was a boy of six, you will never regret when your 

 attention was drawn to it. 



II. THE WOODLAND IN MARCH 



The pleasure of country-life — that is, so far as 

 observing the various changes of the landscape 



