BIRDS OF AUTUMN AND WINTER. 



ship and the mellowing effects of mild weather to bring it to 

 perfection. 



The Snow Owls are thinking of going northward, unless 

 barred by an early March storm, and the Meadowlarks 

 that have braved the winter sing a full month before the 

 migrating flocks arrive. When March comes in, even if 

 it does roar like a lion, a single day may change the charac- 

 ter of the bird life about you and you will imagine that the 

 Snow Owls, Shrikes, Pine Finches, and Horned Larks are 

 under orders to vanish before the spring flocks of Fox Spar- 

 rows, Robins, and Bluebirds can appear. But when March 

 comes the ear is listening for the Spring Song and the win- 

 ter-birds are quickly forgotten, unless you happen to have a 

 stuffed Owl to preside in solemn silence in your library, per- 

 forming its mission of looking wise quite as well as a piece 

 of bric-a-brac as it did in life. Is not the Owl's general 

 immobility the reason why it was chosen for the pet of the 

 Goddess of Wisdom ? Doubtless her ancient, ladyship knew 

 that her protege would never take the trouble to contradict 

 her and never express a decided opinion, and thus would 

 pass for the incarnation of knowledge. 



Winter is the only season when you may point a gun at a 

 bird, and then never at a Song-bird, but you may do these a 

 favour by shooting some of their enemies, the bad English 

 Sparrows, and one or two Hawks and Owls. Yet you must 

 spare both Hawks and Owls with these exceptions, since Dr. 

 A. K. Fisher has given conclusive evidence of their value to 

 agriculture. 



Never shoot even a Game-bird, or Wild Duck, merely for 

 the sake of killing, and remember when on the bird-quest to 

 keep your hands free from all destruction of life, so that you 

 may answer in the affirmative the question, — 



"Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?" 



81 



