MO NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



More than once, in former days, its swift mes- 

 sengers have screamed a warning, while below 

 gleamed its lightning, and its thunder roared 

 through the woods. But to-day the young have 

 received nearly all the food obtained ; the tired 

 parent is hungry ; this is the time for voles to be 

 astir ; so the bird merely swings away on his 

 ready wing to a safer distance, and resumes the 

 silent search. Alas ! that the gun so often strikes 

 so fair a mark ! And alas ! that its harmonious 

 plumage should so often be ruined, and its free- 

 dom so cruelly restrained, in the harsh confine- 

 ment of a cage, where it is fed on unsuitable if 

 not poisonous remains, and the range of its keen 

 sight restricted to the dingy horrors of a city bird- 

 shop ! Strange it is how man, who strives for 

 freedom, thus can terminate the triumph of the 

 wing. 



The fate of the shot hawk is less sad than that 

 of one encaged ; for the latter dies hard, and not 

 till after many days of hunger and miserable 

 effort to escape will the usual protracted withering 

 in consumption come to an end. To a bird reared 

 by hand the cage may be less irksome ; yet the 



