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, 



