THE COMING OF SUMMER 



only know that it seems to be regarded with a sus- 

 picious eye by other birds, and that it wanders about 

 at night in a way that no respectable bird should. 

 The birds that come in March, as the bluebird, the 

 robin, the song sparrow, the starling, build in 

 April; the April birds, such as the brown thrasher, 

 the bam swallow, the chewink, the water-thrush, 

 the oven'bird, the chippy, the high-hole, the 

 meadowlark, build in May, while the May birds, 

 the kingbird, the wood thrush, the oriole, the orchard 

 starling, and the warblers, build in June. The 

 April nests are exposed to the most dangers: the 

 storms, the crows, the squirrels, are all liable to cut 

 them off. The midsummer nests, like that of the 

 goldfinch and the waxwing, or cedar-bird, are the 

 safest of all. 



In March the door of the seasons first stands ajar 

 a little; in April it is opened much wider; in May 

 the windows go up also; and in June the walls are 

 fairly taken down and the genial currents have free 

 play everywhere. The event of March in the coun- 

 try is the first good sap day, when the maples thrill 

 with the kindling warmth; the event of April is the 

 new furrow and the first seeding; — how ruddy and 

 warm the soil looks just opened to the sun ! — the 

 event of May is the week of orchard bloom; with 

 what sweet, pensive gladness one walks beneath the 

 pink-white masses, while long, long thoughts de- 

 scend upon him! See the impetuous orioles chase 

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