It is, I think, evidence of enjoyment of a book
that it stimulates criticism ; so by way of praise be it said that he seemed to me to support much too strongly the popular, but quite fallacious view, that February songs are a " thin string of feeble notes," compared with those of March. The thrushes will often sing with full throated gusto, long and loud, in February ; and this January one was tempted to think that they excelled their spring ecstasy. So did the wrens whose wives this year laid an egg or two in January. Most strange of all was the outbreak of a real general chorus of song after sunrise in the morning. A blind man must have inferred full spring. To return to Mr. Dagleish, if he does support too faithfully some standard and untechnical sentiments, his pleasant manner, his illustrations, as original as they are faithful, and the form in which his book is published make it a delightful possession.
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