MY NATURE NOTEBOOK. 



A HESITATING RETURN. 



But when they have arrived above the trees they 

 merely circle in the air, caw once or twice, and then 

 return the way they came ; and the others that were 

 following will turn round with them and repair to 

 the winter roost once more. It is evidently in all 

 their minds to return, but for some reason they defer 

 it from evening to evening. The explanation may be 

 that each community has recognized leaders, mighty 

 old warriors to whom priority is conceded in all things, 

 and that until these have transferred their flag, so to 

 speak, from the winter roost to the rookery, it would 

 be almost mutiny for the younger ones to make the 

 change. Or it may be that the matter is decided by 

 those which chance to go to roost earliest each day, 

 and that the birds which pay a flying visit to the 

 rookery at dusk, but merely caw once or twice and 

 then return, really come to find out whether the others 

 are there or not. Or, again, it may be that these 

 domiciliary visits are paid at dusk simply to ascertain 

 if all is as it should be in the old home which they 

 propose to reoccupy immediately. 



THE LAMBS' FROLICS. 



The return of the lambs to the fields is attended 

 by no such mystery. The farmer knows perfectly 

 well the exact day upon which his first lambs will be 

 born ; and the fact that their appearance coincides 

 with early spring is merely the result of his desire 

 to put his mutton on the market at the earliest date, 

 subordinated, however, to the necessity of having 



