SOUTHWARD BOUND 103 



more than two hundred cross the moon's disk in 

 two hours. The greater part passed so swiftly as 

 to make it impossible to say more than that they 

 were birds ; but others, flying at a greater alti- 

 tude, and therefore traversing the field of vision 

 less rapidly, were identified as blackbirds, rails, 

 snipe, and ducks. Another observer plainly 

 recognized swallows, warblers, goldfinches, and 

 woodpeckers. 



All over the northern hemisphere to-night, in 

 America, Europe, and Asia, countless multitudes 

 of these wayfarers will be coursing the regions of 

 the upper air ; and to-morrow, if we go out with 

 our eyes open, we shall find, here and there, busy 

 little flocks of stragglers that have stopped by 

 the way to rest and feed : sparrows, snowbirds, 

 kinglets, nuthatches, chickadees, thrushes, war- 

 blers, wrens, and what not, a few of them singing, 

 and every one of them evidently in love with life, 

 and full of happy expectations. 



