February 
Thus bird-life has its annual tide, whose 
‘*flow’’ and ‘‘ebb’’ approximately coincide 
with the months of spring and fall, while the 
intervening seasons of summer and winter are 
the periods of quiescence. 
Inferentially from the foregoing account of 
migration, the birds for February are much the 
same as for January. Yet this does not pre- 
clude many interesting discoveries in any given 
area. They are now in a roaming state within 
their congenial latitude, and not bound by any 
of the so-called ‘‘ domestic ties ’’ within very 
close limitations. They wander hither and 
thither, either singly or in pairs, or in larger 
or smaller flocks, having no particular aim in 
life except to keep as comfortable as possible, 
and to find something to eat. A specimen 
found anywhere in January will perhaps remain 
in that immediate vicinity till spring, or it may 
wander off more than a hundred miles. Their 
instincts and circumstances are so unknown to 
us, that we can feel that we may be on the verge 
of a discovery at any instant. 
9 
The demands of nature are paramount, and 
in the sharpness of hunger one will not be over- 
57 
