. Birds through the year . all birds to observe, and there is no evidenceof the same cause in its case, though it is at least corncrakes note in the June mowing grass constantlyvaries in intensity, but has no change of pitch; and thealternating softness and loudness of its cry is simply dueto its turning its head in different directions while it early May, when the grass is still short, it can sometimes 168 SUMMER be plainly seen lifting its head above the green pile of themeadow, and calling in different directions, apparently seek-ing a mate. In the south of England the
. Birds through the year . all birds to observe, and there is no evidenceof the same cause in its case, though it is at least corncrakes note in the June mowing grass constantlyvaries in intensity, but has no change of pitch; and thealternating softness and loudness of its cry is simply dueto its turning its head in different directions while it early May, when the grass is still short, it can sometimes 168 SUMMER be plainly seen lifting its head above the green pile of themeadow, and calling in different directions, apparently seek-ing a mate. In the south of England the corncrake usuallyfalls silent in June; but in the valleys of the north and west,where it remains more abundant than it has been of lateyears in the south, it calls in the late-mown hay-fields faron into July, when the bilberries are ripening on the hills. One curious feature of the early hours of a summermorning is the boldness of the beasts and birds. Before fiveoclock very few people are stirring, and wild creatures do. PARTRIDGES DUSTING not take man into account. They lord it in their owndomain, as once in Eden ; and except for the trim roads andwell-tilled fields telling of daily care, the human explorer ofthe June morning might almost feel himself a survivor ona planet from which mankind had flown. The roads areoccupied by the birds for courting, preening, fighting, bath-ing in the dust, feeding and exercising their young, and forevery purpose that a smooth and wheelless terrace natur-ally suggests to a birds mind. If it were not so naturaland unconscious, there would be something actively con-temptuous in this annexation of a country highway as apromenade of infant partridges and amorous the explorer approaches the birds show little of the THE LONELIER HOURS 169 timidity which they display towards mankind later in theday. They gaze at him indifferently, and are little disposedto give him room. The yellowhammer goes on tracing hisgolden semi-circles ab
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirdspi, bookyear1922
