126 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



to foretell, in the case of birds at least, the devo- 

 tion of the later season ; and while man looks on, 

 he may perhaps wonder, indeed, how it is that in 

 the realm of birds and beasts he can so rarely 

 discover a family in which the higher teachings 

 of instinct have not been implicitly obeyed. 

 Where shall he find a nest needlessly forsaken, 

 young starved by parents, or adult creatures 

 lying senseless whilst their little ones are crying 

 for food ? The May song may be dead, and in 

 its stead may be heard the harsh note of warning ; 

 but the little hero is still there, no longer daring to 

 be conspicuous for sake of song, but fearing not 

 to rate and scold even the arch-enemy, man 

 himself, should he threaten the helpless young. 

 Human affairs are slower than this ; yet the 

 transitions in bird-life are out-distanced in the 

 region of insects, in which whole generations 

 may have been born, and have bred and died, 

 within the few short weeks of the nightingale's 

 song. 



Does man need a stimulus for work at this 

 season, or does he need a consolation ? Let him 

 consider the toils and cares of one and all of the 



