WAKE-ROBIN 



THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS 



Qi PEING in our northern climate may fairly be 

 ^ said to extend from the middle of March to the 

 middle of June. At least, the vernal tide continues 

 to rise until the latter date, and it is not till after 

 the summer solstice that the shoots and twigs begin 

 to harden and turn to wood, or the grass to lose 

 any of its freshness and succulency. 



It is this period that marks the return of the 

 birds, — one or two of the more hardy or half-domes- 

 ticated species, like the song sparrow and the blue- 

 bird, usually arriving in March, while the rarer and 

 more brilliant wood-birds bring up the procession in 

 June. But each stage of the advancing season 

 gives prominence to certain species, as to certain 

 flowers. The dandelion tells me when to look for 

 the swallow, the dogtooth violet when to expect 

 the wood-thrush, and when I have found the wake- 

 robin in bloom I know the season is fairly inaugu- 

 rated. With me this flower is associated, not 

 merely with the awakening of Robin, for he has 



