EARLY MORNING. 
309 
the light advanced. The rook is perhaps the first to 
salute the opening morn ; but this bird seems rather to 
rest than to sleep. Always vigilant, the least alarm 
after retirement rouses instantly the whole assemblage, 
not successively, but collectively. It is appointed to 
be a ready mover. Its principal food is worms, which 
feed and crawl upon the humid surface of the ground 
in the dusk, and retire before the light of day : and, 
roosting higher than other birds, the first rays of the 
sun, as they peep from the horizon, become visible to 
it. The restless inquisitive robin now is seen too. This 
is the last bird that retires in the evening, being fre- 
quently flitting about when the owl and bat are visible, 
and awakes so soon in the morning, that little rest 
seems required by it. Its fine large eyes are fitted to 
receive all, even the weakest rays of light that appear. 
The worm is its food, too, and few that move upon the 
surface escape its notice. The cheerful melody of the 
wren is the next we hear, as it bustles from its ivied 
roost ; and we note its gratulation to the young eyed 
day, when twilight almost hides the little minstrel from 
our sight. The sparrow roost in holes, and under the 
eaves of the rick or shed, where the light does not so 
soon enter, and hence is rather a tardy mover ; but it 
is always ready for food, and seems to listen to what is 
going forward. We see it now peeping from its pent- 
house, inquisitively surveying the land ; and, should 
provision be obtainable, it immediately descends upon 
it without any scruple, and makes itself a welcome 
guest with all. It retires early to rest. The blackbird 
quits its leafy roost in the ivied ash ; its chink chink 
is heard in the hedge ; and mounting’ on some neigh- 
bouring oak, with mellow, sober voice, it gratulates the 
coming day. ‘ The plain-song cuckoo gray,’ from some 
tall tree now tells its tale. The lark is in the air, the 
c martin twitters from her earthbuilt shed,’ all the 
choristers are tuning in the grove; and amid such 
tokens of awakening pleasure, it becomes difficult to 
note priority of voice. These are the matin voices of 
the summer season : in winter, a cheerless chirp, or a 
