The Birds and Poets 247 



the ascending sun. Eggs and larvae of many spe- 

 cies of insects are deposited in late summer and 

 early fall, and lie dormant until the spring 

 opening. 



The terminal buds of the thornapple, poplar 

 and other trees start to swell during the warm 

 Indian Summer days of November, and then, 

 before their protecting covering breaks, they are 

 stopped by the frosts, where they remain through 

 the winter, "patient, and awaiting the soft breath 

 of Spring." 



In January Nature's great family still lives, but 

 its members are withdrawn from our view, and 

 few venture forth before February or March, 

 when the spring sun renews their motive power. 



Although, as we have seen, January has its own 

 birds, like the other months of the year, we are 

 glad that, like Janus, it faces both ways, and while 

 looking back upon the old, it also looks forward 

 to the new, and opens the door to the new bird 

 year. We cannot much regret its departure when 

 we know it means the approach of the first spring 

 birds. It must have been January when Riley 

 wrote : 



"Go Winter I Go thy ways I We want again 

 The twitter of the blue bird and the wren." 



About the first of February one begins to long 

 for the feathered refugees "fresh from the far 

 Antilles," and to hear again their spring songs. 



