SOME JANUARY BIRDS 



world will chorus in the full tide of 

 spring the crows have the bass part, no 

 doubt, but they sing it none the less musi- 

 cally. It is surprising what a croak can 

 become, between lovers. 



I saw them slip away silently and 

 shamefacedly as I approached, and I 

 knew them for callow youngsters, high- 

 school age, let us say, to whom shy love- 

 making is never quite out of season. 

 But they got their come-uppance the 

 moment they sailed out of the grove, for 

 their appearance was greeted with a wild 

 and raucous chorus of crow ha-ha-ha's. 

 High in the air, flapping round and 

 round in silence above the pines, a half 

 dozen riotous youngsters of their own 

 age had been observing them, chuckling 

 no doubt and winking to one another, 

 and now that the culprits were driven 

 out into the open where all could see 

 in 



