108 FRIENDS WORTH KNOWING. 



curreiice of night seems to them like being overtaken by 

 the darkness which they thought they had left behind, but 

 which they must again flee ; that, therefore, they keep upon 

 the wing until each morning's light, supposing that they 

 have thus again and again outstripped the pursuing gloom, 

 until they reach a region of abundant food, and perhaps 

 learn wisdom from its resident birds. I will confess that 

 I do not myself put much faith in this theory, but a curi- 

 ous and sustaining fact is, that the northward migration, 

 in spring, is mostly accomplished by day-journeys instead 

 of at night. 



Whatever the motive, no sooner has the crowd of au- 

 tumnal migrants, with rustling wings and faint voices, swept 

 through our woods slowly during the long, mellow Octo- 

 ber da} 7 s, when the earth seems to stand still, and the sea- 

 sons to be in equipoise ; swiftly when the first blast of No- 

 vember sends them skurrying onward w r ith the deadened 

 leaves than their places are taken by the brave little fel- 

 lows whose fame I celebrate. 



Taking my way to the woods some bright, still morn- 

 ing in January, when the snow is crisp and the ice in the 

 swamps firm, I shall find the sombre fields full of a life of 

 their own well worth my while to see, even if the exhila- 

 ration of the walk does not prove reward enough. Here 



