1910-1911.] Burns and the Song-Birds of Scotland, 327 



it climbed the mountain sides. And so on he proceeds enu- 

 merating in detail her various charms, until he comes to speak 

 of her voice, when he says — 



" Her voice is like the evening thrush 

 That sings on Cessnock braes unseen." 



Here again we have a revelation of Burns' close and exact 

 acquaintance with the facts of nature. For except in the 

 early morning, and perhaps not even then, there is no period 

 of the day when the mavis sings with such exceeding strength 

 and sweetness as in that mystic hour between the setting of 

 the sun and the settling down of the night, — that hour said to 

 be so dear to lovers, and for which a Scottish word affords 

 the best expression — the gloamin' hour. Again, the mavis is 

 referred to in another poem, which hits off with truthful 

 fidelity the varied haunts of bird-life : — 



" The partridge loves the fruitful fells 

 '^ The plover loves the mountains, 



The woodcock haunts the lonely dells, 



The soaring hern the fountains : 

 Through lofty groves the cushat roves, 



The path of man to shun it : 

 The hazel bush o'erhangs the thrush, 

 The spreading thorn the linnet." 



Each of these lines flashes up, one after another, scenes in 

 bird-life as lifelike in their descriptive exactitude as they 

 are brimful of pleasant recollections. In yet another poem 

 he displays equal power of exact and beautiful description. 

 It is when he is bemoaning his fate, imaginary or real, as a 

 disappointed lover. He tells us how nature cannot charm 

 away his melancholy or ease the pain of his heart. The 

 gay and the happy scenes and voices of nature call to 

 him in vain, — 



" In vain to me the cowslips blaw, 

 In vain to me the violets spring ; 

 In vain to me in glen or shaw 

 The mavis and the lintwhite sing." 



In another verse of this poem we have a reference to the 



VOL. VI. z 



