APRIL. 77 



America has made to the domestic ornithology of the old 

 world. Its form and colour are handsome, and its flesh of 

 approved flavour, 



C. — It does not seem much alarmed at the sight of us, 

 for it does not take to flight. 



F. — It is a heavy bird, and rises awkwardly ; and al- 

 though when fairly launched on its course, a bird of power- 

 ful wing, its first flight is low, and appears heavy and labo- 

 rious, as you may yourself observe ; for now it rises. 



C. — He is gone ; probably to join the first flock he 

 meets with, where he may sound his trumpet in concert. 

 Where do they spend the winter ? 



F, — The flocks that pass over us in autumn in a souther- 

 ly direction, probably scatter themselves over the estuaries 

 and inlets of the deeply indented coast of the United States, 

 particularly Chesapeake Bay, that paradise of water-fowl, 

 the resort of uncounted myriads of aquatic birds of almost all 

 species. In spring, the birds collect again in flocks, and their 

 migrations northward are an unfailing indication that " win- 

 ter is over and gone." 



" When cloud-cleaving geese to the lakes are a-steering ;" 



as Wilson has it ; though their destination seems far beyond 

 the lakes. 



C. — Why is the ground bare for a considerable distance 

 around trees and stumps, when the snow still lies on the 

 surrounding ground ? 



F. — Partly because the earth is always more elevated in 

 such situations by the roots beneath, and therefore becomes 

 sooner exposed ; but the principal reason is, the radiation of 

 heat from the central object ; as we find that even when the 

 snow has fallen to the depth of one or two feet, every weed 

 or stalk of grass which rises above the surface of the snow, 



