Ill 



MORE EARLY COMERS 



'T^HERE is a long dreary stretch of 

 •^ wintry weeks between the coming 

 of bluebird, which was a red-letter day in 

 the calendar of late February or early 

 March, and the advent of robin redbreast. 

 You had begun to think that bluebird 

 was the only songster with courage and 

 faith enough to face the tardy New Eng- 

 land spring, when cockrobin appeared. 



You first notice him hopping briskly 

 over the bare brown mowing looking for 

 seeds upon which to make his breakfast. 

 He much prefers worms and small fruit, 

 but one cannot be too particular on a crisp 

 spring morning about April Fool's Day. 



49 



