BIRDS. 
249 
left the low country ; the plains lie beneath us ; we touch at 
least upon the borders of the “ everlasting hills.” 
Saturday, \ 2tli . — Thermometer 87. The birds seem to mind 
the heat but little. True, the full gush of summer song is over, 
and the change is decided from l\Iay and June ; but many of the 
little creatures sing very sweetly yet. A wren gave us this morn- 
ing as fine a song as one could wish for, and all his family sing 
yet. The song-sparroAvs also are in voice, and so are the green- 
lets. The goldfinches also sing ; we heard one this afternoon as 
musical as in May ; generally, hoAvever, their note differs at pres- 
ent from what it was earlier in the season. Their families are 
now mostly at large, and one sees the birds moving idly about, as 
if no longer thinking of the nest. At this moment their flight is 
more irregular than at first ; they rise and they drop carelessly 
with closed wings, moving hither and thither, often changing their 
cmmse capriciously, and while in motion, they repeat over and 
over again a series of four notes, with the emphasis on the first. 
In short, many of our little friends are seen about the fields and 
gardens yet, and the country is by no means silent, though the 
most musical season is over. Perhaps one enjoys these occasional 
songs all the more from their being heard singly, having become 
more of a favor than in June. But certainly August is not the 
voiceless month some people seem to fancy it. 
Monday, \^th . — Very warm. Thennometer 83 in the shade. 
It is not often that this valley suffers so much from drought ; the 
last month has been unusually dry. Tliis morning a few light clouds 
were seen about sunrise, and they were anxiously Avatched, Avith 
the hope of a shower ; hut as the sun rose, they melted away. 
There is no walking out of the woods, and even in the shade of 
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