BIRDS IN A VILLAGE 15 



sunny spot, where his restless, bright eyes could 

 sweep the lane, up and down ; and he could there 

 also give vent to his superfluous energy by lord- 

 ing it over a few sparrows and other small birds 

 that visited the spot. I greatly admired the fine, 

 alert figure of the pugnacious little creature, as 

 he perched there so close to me, and so fearless. 

 His striking resemblance to the robin in form, 

 size, and in his motions, made his extreme famili- 

 arity seem only natural. The robin is greatly 

 distinguished in a sober-plumaged company by the 

 vivid tint on his breast. He is like the autumn 

 leaf that catches a ray of sunlight on its surface, 

 and shines conspicuously among russet leaves. 

 But the clear brown of the nightingale is beau- 

 tiful, too. 



This same nightingale was keeping a little sur- 

 prise in store for me. Although he took no 

 notice of me sitting at the open window, when- 

 ever I went thirty or forty yards from the gate 

 along the narrow lane that faced it, my presence 

 troubled him and his mate only too much. They 

 would flit round my head, emitting the two 

 strongly contrasted sounds with which they ex- 

 press solicitude — the clear, thin, plaintive, or 



