The Birds and Poets 201 



should therefore be made not later than November 

 by all who claim to be real lovers of the birds, to 

 assist them in obtaining food through the winter. 



We would not think of allowing any person 

 whom we love to go hungry if we could help them 

 to food. We all love the birds, and without doubt 

 they bring us a great deal of happiness, but unfor- 

 tunately the opinion is too general that in winter 

 there are no birds, and we resolutely shut ourselves 

 in doors and hugging the fireside forget that there 

 are hundreds of tiny feathered creatures battling 

 with the cold and struggling for a bare existence 

 outside. 



Burns remembered and felt compassion for the 

 little winter bird: 



"Ilk happing bird, wee, helpless thing! 

 THat in the merry months o' spring 

 Delighted me to hear thee sing, 



What comes o' thee? 

 Whare wilt thou cow'r thy clittering win' 



An' close thy ee?" 



When we recall how the birds have delighted us 

 in the "merry months of spring," it should require 

 no argument to convince us that as a matter of sim- 

 ple justice we should take some thought of their 

 welfare at this season. 



Mable Osgood Wright in "Bird-Lore" for Jan- 

 uary, 1909, makes an appeal for our winter birds 

 which should be heeded by all their friends: 



