A Morning in May. 83 



which first to settle down to the prosy facts of 

 life after the sun has risen. A bird's day and 

 ours are not the same, and he knows the birds 

 best who keeps the same hours. Such things 

 vary indefinitely, too, and a sleepy-head occa- 

 sionally is the earliest astir, just as no two morn- 

 ings are alike, even if wind and weather have 

 remained unchanged since yesterday. At least, 

 there will be a variation in the clouds, and the 

 shadow of a cloud may postpone the song of a 

 bird. Clouds and the shadow of a single cloud 

 have been quite too much neglected. I have 

 seen busy nest-building birds suddenly quit 

 work and sit as moodily as if in the depths 

 of despair because the sunlight was shut off, 

 and resume their labors with most suggestive 

 promptness when the sun shone again. It 

 would be difficult to explain this. I have no 

 intention of attempting it ; but after seeing it, 

 time and again, for years, there is an almost 

 unavoidable disposition on the rambler's part to 

 spend an hour or two in speculation as to the 

 status of the bird's emotions. Birds' nests we 

 know, and birds we think we know, but not too 

 much attention has been paid to birds when 



