312 jH)e (Sartren's Storn. 



the meadow-lark would sound from the depths 

 of a thicket, or how much of its metallic quality 

 the veery's song would lose if uttered in the 

 open field. 



. But the blackbird's notes during autumn are 

 assuredly sad, as they linger over the withering 

 stubbles, or drop down from the home-bound 

 flocks at evening. Every morning, now, they 

 pass overhead in large bands from the marshes, 

 on the way to their daily forage-grounds ; and 

 every evening, now flying low and now flying 

 high, they return over the self-same route to the 

 haven of the reeds. The majority are black- 

 birds, though the starling and crow-blackbird 

 feed with them, and form part of the morning 

 and evening flights. The flocks grow larger as 

 the season advances, and, when flying low in 

 the calm of evening, cause a sishing sound, like 

 the ebb of the surf upon the shingle. What a 

 clamor there arises from the ebon flocks in the 

 corn fields for weeks before their departure ; 

 what garrulous sessions are held by the disput- 

 ing crowds ere the date is fixed upon for their 

 southward flight ! We may well wonder how 

 the young birds are made to understand the sig- 

 nal of departure, and marvel 



Who calls the council, states the certain day ? 



Who forms the phalanx, and who points the way ? 



