The Birds’ Calendar 
tropical. regions, where their natural supplies 
are the greatest, and their dependence upon 
man the least, and it is altogether probable that 
the question whether human beings are to be 
found in any locality, has nothing to do in de- 
termining their migration thither, except as 
they have learned to associate his presence with 
supply and variety of food; just as the gulls 
will follow the steamship far out to sea, simply 
for the loaves and fishes. 
If the population of any country town were 
utterly to disappear for a period of years, and by 
invisible agencies all the agricultural and horti- 
cultural conditions of the town were to be main- 
tained, we may be sure that when the inhabi- 
tants returned, they would find not only as 
many birds of the usual species as before, but 
many other varieties which, from timidity, had 
hitherto resorted to more retired localities ; 
and that one and all, if endowed with human 
speech, would declare that they had enjoyed an 
unusually quiet and peaceable life. 
We are certainly crediting them with far 
more intelligence when we suppose them to re- 
gard man asa treacherous foe, to be avoided 
as far as is compatible with their own interests ; 
when we remember that until recently relentless 
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