74 The Coming of the Birds 



in the weedy marsh. There they had 

 gathered on that sunny, summery day, as if 

 warm weather was an established faft; but 

 how different the next morning, when a cold 

 north-east storm prevailed ! How well it 

 showed that one such sunny day does not 

 make a season ! How clearly it proved that 

 birds have no prophetic insight ! They were 

 caught and suffered and disappeared. Did 

 they fly above the clouds and go to some 

 distant point, free of chilling rain, or did 

 they hide in the cedar swamps ? This prob- 

 lem I did not essay to solve. In the few 

 cedars along the river-shore I found nothing 

 but winter residents, but I made no careful 

 search. A few days later and spring-like 

 conditions again prevailed and every day some 

 new bird was seen, but not until May I 

 could we say, " The birds have come." 



These uncertain April days are not dis- 

 appointing. We are not warranted in ex- 

 pedling much of them, and whatsoever we 

 do meet with is just so much more than we 

 had reason to look for, an added bit of good 

 luck that increases our love for the year's 

 fourth month ; but if no migrant came, there 

 is little likelihood that the pastures and river- 



