THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 



SPRING in our northern climate may fairly be said 

 to extend from the middle of March to the middle of 

 June. At least, the vernal tide continues to rise 

 until the latter date, and it is not till after the sum- 

 mer solstice that the shoots and twigs begin to harden 

 and turn to wood, or the grass to lose any of its fresh- 

 ness and succulency. 



It is this period that marks the return of the birds, 

 one or two of the more hardy or half-domesticated 

 epecies, like the song-sparrow and the bluebird, usu- 

 ally arriving in March, while the rarer and more 

 brilliant wood-birds bring up the procession in June. 

 But each stage of the advancing season gives prom- 

 iuence to certain species, as to certain flowers. The 



