SOME BIRDS 



snow in New Jersey meant certain death to 

 thousands of the species, it was absurd to expect 

 them to survive the deep snows of Maine. As 

 soon as these birds arrived in May, they paired 

 off and we had several coveys of young birds the 

 first year, there being eighty or more of them on 

 the island in September. That winter the snow 

 lay three feet deep on a level, but as the birds 

 always found plenty of food and safe shelter in 

 the bird-house, they survived the storms admi- 

 rably, and a considerable number of them were 

 still on the island when I arrived there in May. 

 I am quite certain of this, as I not only heard 

 their whistle frequently, but actually saw them. 

 They were there until the first day of June, but 

 after that no trace of them could be discovered. 

 Where they went or why they went, I never 

 knew. They were able to fly from the island to 

 the main shore at will, and had been seen to 

 make the trip frequently from and to a shore 

 over a mile away. While on the island the Bob 

 White made the air resound with his shrill, but to 

 me, delightful whistle. They perched upon the 

 trees and bushes close to the house, and their 

 concert began with sunrise. For some reason or 

 other their call annoyed Hortense excessively, 

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