90 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



been found in abundance as early as the middle of April, 

 but sometimes not until nearly a month later. And 

 they come at once. Yesterday, not a wren was to be 

 seen or heard ; none were to be flushed, however care- 

 fully the search was made — to-day, their united voices 

 make the reedy growths of the riverside fairly to ring. 

 By what means could they know just when to come ? 

 Do they send out an advance guard to explore, return, 

 and make a report? This has been seriously suggested, 

 but is too much to believe of a bird's wit and wisdom. 

 It is more reasonable to ask, do they judge of the ad- 

 vance of vegetation in one river valley by the condition 

 of tliat in the next ? The reeds in the Chesapeake are 

 earlier than those of the Delaware ; the Potomac is 

 earlier than the Susquehanna ; very little, to be sure, but 

 still there is ordinarily an appreciable difference ; and 

 if the migratory birds do go upon such guess-work, they 

 appear never to make a blunder. The wrens come when 

 the reeds are ready, and as soon as they are ready. 

 Never a week too early or too late. The weather after- 

 wards, whether cold or hot, matters nothing. The birds 

 have but two needs, food and shelter ; and given these, 

 they will laugh at ice and snow, both of which have 

 caught them in the Jersey marshes. The reeds must be 

 killed outright by severe weather, under such circum- 

 stances, to drive the birds away, and I have known this 

 to happen but once. As a general thing, April ice and 

 May snow-storms do no serious damage, except to culti- 

 vated plants. 



The careful collating of facts with reference to the 

 presence of the birds and condition of the weather after 



