Berkeley in May, 



the mother, but a happy one, neverthe- 

 less, for life means more to the palpita- 

 ting spirit at such times, and the bird is 

 exalted to a nearer kinship with man. 

 There is the delight of house building, 

 the conjugal felicity of the mated pair, 

 the pride of the mother and the sweet 

 solicitude of the father, the pangs of 

 disappointment, the wearisome doubts 

 and cares of rearing the young, the 

 training for the flight; and then, when 

 all is done, the sundering of tender ties 

 — the parting of mother and offspring. 

 Each goes its way to fight the stern 

 battle of existence, following the dictates 

 of its own nature, and doing what little 

 it can to make the world a more beauti- 

 ful and a more intense reality. 



