70 Rock Thrushes 



lightning across the room, and through the latticed 

 casement. 



It wasn't fright that moved him to it, it was 

 apparently a sudden wild impulse, begotten of instincts 

 hitherto unrealised. 



I began to be nervous ! Nowhere could the bird 

 be seen. No answer came to my whistlings ! 



At last, across the meadow that was separated from 

 my garden by a moat — a pretty water-meadow 

 bordered by giant poplars, and at the far side by a 

 clear river — I saw a bird flitting from tree to tree, with 

 a flight that was familiar, but not that of any of our 

 British birds. Arming myself with a tin of meal- 

 worms, I set off^ to capture the truant. He was at the 

 very tip-top of a very high poplar, the sun shining» 

 conspicuously on his orange breast ; and when he 

 heard me whistle, his melodious answer in the stillness 

 of a cloudless May day came back at once. In spite 

 of his independent position, I could tell by the cock of 

 his head and the tone of his voice, that he felt rather 

 like a lost child. Again I whistled ; swoop ! down 

 he came towards me ; but taking fright in mid-air, 

 inclined upwards again, to settle on another tree the 

 other side of the meadow, and off I went once more, 

 apprehensive that he might get altogether beyond my 

 bearings and his own also. 



But again his whistle came clear and strong. Then 

 he caught sight of his mealworm box. 



There was no missing his mark this time ; he shot 

 into the air off his tree top, to drop like an arrow at 

 my very feet, running round them with his body 



