A Year with the Birds

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Educational Publishing Company, 1881 - 318 pages

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Page 43 - Phew, shew, Wadolincon, see, see, Bobolincon, Down among the tickletops, hiding in the buttercups ! I know the saucy chap, I see his shining cap Bobbing in the clover there, — see, see, see !" Up flies Bobolincon, perching on an apple-tree, Startled by his rival's song, quickened by his raillery. Soon he spies the rogue afloat...
Page 45 - Every one's a funny fellow; every one's a little mellow; Follow, follow, follow, follow, o'er the hill and in the hollow! Merrily, merrily, there they hie; now they rise and now they fly; They cross and turn, and in and out, and down in the middle, and wheel about, With a "Phew, shew, Wadolincon! listen to me, Bobolincon!
Page 213 - Already with thee ! tender is the night, And haply the Queen Moon is on her throne, Clustered around by all her starry fays ; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways.
Page 211 - it is stated, that " a cautious observer, having found a nest of five young jays, remarked, that each of these birds, while yet very young, consumed at least fifteen of these full-sized grubs in one day, and of course would require many more of a smaller size.
Page 43 - Every one's a funny fellow ; every one's a little mellow ; Follow, follow, follow, follow, o'er the hill and in the hollow! Merrily, merrily, there they hie; now they rise and now they fly; They cross and turn, and in and out, and down in the middle, and wheel about, — With a "Phew, shew, Wadolincon!
Page 229 - ... the beatings of their wings, as at this time the wings are not flapped, but are used in sailing swiftly in a circle, not many feet in diameter. A person might cause a sound somewhat similar, by blowing rapidly and alternately from one end to another across a set of small pipes consisting of two or three modulations. This performance is kept up till incubation terminates ; but I have never observed it at any other period.
Page 43 - FAMILY. A flock of merry singing-birds were sporting in the grove; Some were warbling cheerily, and some were making love: There were Bobolincon, Wadolincon, Winterseeble, Conquedle, — A livelier set was never led by tabor, pipe, or fiddle, — Crying, " Phew, shew, Wadolincon, see, see, Bobolincon, Down among the tickletops, hiding in the buttercups ! I know the saucy chap, I see his shining cap Bobbing in the clover there — see, see, see...
Page 27 - There are certain times of the day, as well as certain seasons of the year, when the birds are most musical. The grand concert of the feathered tribe takes place during the hour between dawn and sunrise. During the remainder of the day they sing less in Concert, though many species are very musical at noonday, and seem, like the nocturnal birds, to prefer the hour when others are silent. At sunset there is an apparent attempt to unite once more in chorus, but this is far from being so loud or so...
Page 45 - Oh, what a happy life they lead, over the hill and in the mead ! How they sing, and how they play ! See, they fly away, away ! Now they gambol o'er the clearing, — off again, and then appearing! Poised aloft on quivering wing, now they soar, and now they sing : — " We must all be merry and moving; we must all be happy and loving...
Page 313 - He is, besides, (though a little vain and silly, it is true, but not the worse emblem for that,) a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards, who should presume to invade his farmyard with a red coat on.

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