Water Fowl 



have the accompaniment of the babbling brook, 

 or the cascade's noisy plunge; the charm is 

 even heightened by the contrasting liquid 

 undertones. The song that floats across the 

 stream or lake acquires a richer, melting qual- 

 ity ; while the fair musician, embowered among 

 the trees of the secluded glen, will catch, as 

 surely as the listener, new inspiration from the 

 translucent pool beneath, in whose still depths 

 the fringing trees appear to live again. There 

 would be sad lack of harmony, however, were 

 the effusion of the wren, 



" That crowds and hurries and precipitates, 

 With fast, thiclc warble, his delicious notes," 



to issue from the sandpiper on the stormy At- 

 lantic coast ; or if the stately heron were to 

 mingle a sweet melody with the wild and end- 

 less anthem of the sea; or if the gulls, now 

 coursing vigorously to and fro in quest of food, 

 and again, in more restful flight, slowly wheel- 

 ing in ever receding circles until lost to view, 

 should break their sober silence with a song. 



Beneath the despotism of the sea, the water 

 fowl can only wildly cry, or be entirely dumb. 

 Indeed, old ocean tolerates no rival of any 

 sort in his antique sovereignty. Even the 



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