185
Rheims, France.
1897
July 15
(No. 3).
monotonous, even trill of the Greenfinch came from various di-
rections among the crumbling ruins. I saw also Redstarts,
Flycatchers and heard one Chiff-chaff. The walls of these
ruins supported  abundant growths of ferns, clematis, and vari-
ous small flowering plants and in places elder and hobble-bush
(covered with cymes of reddening berries) had gained a foot-
hold but there was much less ivy than one sees in similar
places in England. The grass of the lawns, commons and road-
sides in this part of France is everywhere similar to that of
New England and very inferior to that which forms the deep,
velvety turf of England. In the drier places it is fast ripen-
ing and turning brown owing to the dryness of the present sea-
son. The leaves of the birches are also turning yellow and
falling.
  With respect to the birds, fruits and flowers the season
here seems to correspond very nearly with ours of similar
dates. Many of the birds have evidently gone out of song
while others sing only at morning and evening and then list-
lessly. This makes it difficult for me to recognise the spe-
cies that I know or to identify those new to me.
  I am struck by the comparative scarcity of the House Spar-
rows. Even in the towns they are greatly outnumbered by other
birds and nowhere are they one fiftieth as numerous as in