THE CHOUGH. 199 



their food be animal or vegetable, they must be driven to 

 greater distances when drought (which, generally speaking, 

 lessens the production of both) is of long continuance. As 

 their journeys become longer, and their food less easy to be 

 found (for the abundance of food in the vicinity, though not 

 the only element, always is an element in their choice of 

 situation), they must be later in getting home, until the 

 change of weather comes. But that change, especially after 

 long drought, often affects the earth, and the smaller living 

 creatures, before rain begins to fall, or even before the sky is 

 clouded ; and thus those incipient changes which are not pal- 

 pable to our observation, not only may, but often do, bring 

 out the earth insects and earth worms ; so that the birds 

 which feed on them fare abundantly, and return earlier than 

 before the change began. It is not meant to be said that such 

 is always the case, but it is so frequent that any one who 

 chooses may observe it. And it is a wise and beautiful pro- 

 vision of nature. All Nature's provisions are wise and beau- 

 tiful : the tempest which is to break in the night may confine 

 the birds for days to their shelters without food j they want 

 that, in order to recover from the fatigue of finding their food 

 in the extreme of drought ; and the very resistance which 

 the dry earth offers, finds them a hearty meal at the close of 

 their severe labours, so that they can comfortably rest in their 

 shelters and on their perches till the storm is over, and they 

 can again come forth to enjoy plenty in their own neighbour- 

 hoods. Thus, when studied aright, the time and manner of 

 the flight of birds, instead of being an idle augury serviceable 

 only to the purposes of superstition, is fraught with practical 

 information of the most useful kind ; and is more to be relied 

 on as indicating natural changes, than the feelings or the con- 

 jectures of man, in an artificial state. 



