THE TIDE HAS TURNED 363 
And the maize begins to grow, 
And the clover fields to blow. 
I have sought 
In far wild groves below the tropic line 
To lose old memories of this land of mine; 
I have fought 
This vague, mysterious power that flings me forth 
Into the North; 
But all in vain. When flutes of April blow, 
The immemorial longing lures me, and I go. 
— Maurice THompson. 
WHAT TO EXPECT 
“In April we may look for the coming of a score or 
more of different birds. How quickly they come and in 
what numbers depends upon the season. If it is mild, 
they come gradually; if stormy, by fits and starts, and 
sometimes in strangely mixed flocks. 
“These belong to the first half of the month: — 
The Great Blue Heron. Cousin to the white Egret; we 
always used to have a pair of them by the upper 
mill-pond. 
The Purple Finch. A large sparrow with a beautiful 
voice; the fully grown male having a rosy flush to his 
feathers as if, it has been said, the juice of crimson 
berries had been squeezed over him. 
The Vesper-sparrow. The wayside Sparrow of our 
afternoon walk that we have known as long as the 
Song Sparrow and Bluebird; famous for his clear, 
ringing song at twilight and dawn. Rather light in 
color, with rust-red wing markings and white outside 
