A COLD WAVE. ij 



paces, and they hid, I am sure, in the tangled 

 vines and bushes on the banks of the ditch, in- 

 stead of flying out into the meadow. But if jays, 

 there should be other birds I thought, and I 

 stopped again and again to listen. It was the 

 same old story nothing was to be heard but the 

 roar of the wind overhead. Weary at last with 

 creeping through such cramped quarters, I sat 

 down to rest at a convenient point, and never 

 have I been so fortunate in the choice of an out- 

 look. 



It is clearly evident that our resident birds 

 and mammals soon know every nook and cor- 

 ner of their chosen haunts, and more, that they 

 pass from point to point in accordance with fixed 

 plans and do not wander aimlessly about. If you 

 overtake in broad daylight, as sometimes hap- 

 pens, any animal larger than a mouse, it is not 

 likely to be confused, not knowing which way to 

 turn. Such indecision would invariably prove fa- 

 tal. Their actions under such circumstances indi- 

 cate full knowledge of their surroundings, and 

 convince one of this fact. If not true, then every 

 surprised animal must take in at a glance every 

 tree, burrow, ditch, and path, and select between 

 them, in the twinkling of an eye. My own ob- 

 servations lead me to conclude that our mammals, 

 which are largely nocturnal, survey at night the 

 whole country and know every inch of the ground. 



