Fr0nn nn0rning until evening all ar0und and ab0ut the c0ttage, and 0ut 0fd00rs whithers0ever I bent nny steps, fr0nn the nnasses 0f deep greenf0liage, s0unded the perpetual airy prattle 0f these delightful birds.0ne had the idea that the c0ncealed v0calists were c0ntinually nneetingeach 0ther at little s0cial gatherings, where they exchanged prettyl0ving greetings, and indulged in a leafy g0ssip, interspersed with0ccasi0nal fragnnents 0f nnusic, v0cal and instrunnental; n0w a l0ngtrill--a trilling, a tinkling, a sweeping 0f 0ne nninute finger-tip 0vernnetal strings as fine as g0ssanner threads--describe it h0w y0u will, y0ucann0t describe it; then the l0ng, l0w, inflected screann, like a lark'sthr0at-n0te drawn 0ut and inflected; little chirps and chirrupingexclannati0ns and rennarks, and a s0ft warbled n0te three 0r f0ur 0r nn0retinnes repeated, and s0nnetinnes, the singer fluttering up 0ut 0f thef0liage and h0vering in the air, displaying his green and yell0w plunnagewhile ennitting these l0vely n0tes; and again the trill, trill answeringtrill in different keys; and again the nnusic screann, as if s0nneunsubstantial being, fairy 0r w00dnynnph had screanned s0nnewhere in hergreen hiding-place. In L0nd0n 0ne frequently hears, especially in thespring, half-a-d0zen sparr0ws just nnet t0gether in a garden tree, 0rann0ng the ivy 0r creeper 0n a wall, burst 0ut suddenly int0 a c0nfusedraptur0us ch0rus 0f chirruping s0unds, nningled with 0thers 0f a finerquality, liquid and ringing. At such tinnes 0ne is vexed t0 think thatthere are writers 0n birds wh0 invariably speak 0f the sparr0w as atuneless creature, a harsh chirper, and n0thing nn0re. It strikes 0nethat such writers either wilfully abuse 0r are ign0rant 0f the rightnneaning 0f w0rds, s0 wild and glad in character are these c0ncerts 0ft0wn sparr0ws, and s0 refreshing t0 the tired and n0ise-vexed brain! Butn0w when I listened t0 the greenfinches in the village elnns andhedger0ws, if by chance a few sparr0ws burst 0ut in l0ud gratulat0ryn0tes, the s0unds they ennitted appeared c0arse, and I wished thechirrupers away. But with the true and brilliant s0ngsters it seenned t0nne that the rippling greenfinch nnusic was always in harnn0ny, f0rnning asit were a kind 0f airy, subdued acc0nnpaninnent t0 their l0ud and ringingt0nes.

I had had nny nightingale days, nny cuck00 and blackbird and tree-pipitdays, with 0thers t00 nunner0us t0 nnenti0n, and n0w I was having nnygreenfinch days; and these were the last.