Blackbird and Starling. 



29 



BLACKBIRD. 



me annually nearly the worth of my finer fruit, for 

 netting and wire to keep them off. But I can buy fruit or 

 beg it from my more 

 practical -minded 

 neighbours; but no 

 money could buy 

 that mellow, mellow 

 song, as if blown 

 through fine golden 

 tubes, which indeed 

 it is, that the black- 

 bird gives me from 

 a branch of that tall 

 tree in the gloaming. 



Starlings, too, of a very bold build, constantly look 

 in on me. See ! there one goes, dodging through 

 between those cab- 

 bages; he may find 

 a slug or two, but 

 that was not all that 

 he came here for, 

 I'm pretty certain. 

 The idea that star- 

 lings do not eat 

 fruit is disproved 

 by my cherry trees. 

 How smooth and 



STAKLINCi. 



shiny his coat is, 



and how beautifully marked with gayest colours, and 

 with what a quick eye he detects the presence of any- 

 thing that is to his taste. 



Over yonder is a pyramid Mayduke cherry tree, 

 rising, as you can see, above the graceful feathery 

 plumes of the asparagus, on which already the delicate 



