ORDER ACCIPITRES. 151 



cuckow, &c. &c. They sally from their retreats at the close 

 of winter, and spread themselves through the country. 



Other families of birds do not, properly speaking, emigrate. 

 They content themselves with approaching the southern cli- 

 mates, in proportion as they are pursued by the cold. The 

 species called erratic, such as the greenfinches of the Ardennes, 

 larks, ortolans, other frugivorous races, and especially parrots, 

 go in troops, begging, as it were, their subsistence on their 

 passage. Others follow the track of cultivation, and spread 

 themselves in proportion with the habitations of men. 



Of the birds which emigrate every year, some depart in 

 autumn and return in s[)ring, while others depart in spring and 

 return in autumn. Our insectivorous races, and many grani- 

 vorous, finding nothing at the beginning of winter but a soil 

 deprived of its productions, presenting every where the image 

 of desolation and death, are necessitated to betake themselves 

 to more favoured climes. At the commencement of this season 

 of gloom, when the fields are denuded of herbage, and all 

 terrestrial animals have retired each to his peculiar shelter, 

 and many species have fallen into a state of torpor, the 

 birds prepare to set out on their voyages. They assemble in 

 troops at the appointed periodj and take advantage of the 

 favourable wind which is to aid them in their course. Their 

 proceedings are fancifully and beautifully depicted by a French 

 poet : — 



" Dans un sage conseil par Ics chefs assemble 

 Du depart g-cin'ral le grand jour est regie. 

 II arrive. Tout part: Ic |)liis jciuic peut-etre 

 Demandc, en regardant les licuxqiii Font vu nattic, 

 Quand vicndra ce printeinps par qui tant d'exiles 

 Dans les champs paterncls se vcrront rapelles." 



L, IlAcrNE, (ils. 



Those which, through negligence or weakness, remain be- 

 hind are placed in no very comfortable predicament. They 



