168 STUDIES IN THE FIELD AND FOREST. 



cause the hour which is consecrated to health to be 

 attended with the greatest amount of charms for all 

 the senses ; and to make all hearts enamoured of the 

 morning, she has environed it with every thing in 

 heaven and on earth, that is charming to the eye or to 

 the ear, or capable of inspiring some agreeable senti- 

 ment. 



During the night the stillness of all things is the cir- 

 cumstance that most powerfully attracts our notice, 

 rendering one peculiarly sensitive to every accidental 

 sound that meets the ear. In the morning, on the con- 

 trary, at this time of year, we are overwhelmed by the 

 vocal and multitudinous chorus of the feathered tribe. 

 If you would hear the commencement of this grand 

 anthem of nature, you must rise on the very first ap- 

 pearance of dawn, before the twilight has formed a 

 complete circle above the eastern porch of heaven. 

 The first note that proceeds from the little warbling 

 host is the shrill chirp of the hair-bird, which is occa- 

 sionally heard at all hours, on a warm summer night. 

 This strain, which is a continued trilling sound, is re- 

 peated with diminishing intervals, until it becomes 

 almost incessant. But the hair-bird has not uttered 

 many notes before a single robin begins to warble from 

 a neighboring orchard, being soon followed by others, 

 increasing in numbers, until, by the time the eastern 

 sky has attained a crimson hue, every male robin in the 

 country round is singing with fervor. 



It would be difficult to note the exact order in which 

 the different birds successively commence their parts in 

 this performance ; but the bluebird, whose song is only 

 a. short mellow warble, is heard nearly at the same 

 time with the robin, and the song-sparrow joins them 

 soon after with his brief, but finely modulated strain. 



