MIGRATIONS. 187 
in song! These two, then, have consummated life; a virtue has 
gone out from them; an age already separates them from the fresh 
energy of their spring. 
Many would remain, but a goad impels them forward. The 
slowest are the most ardent. The French quail will traverse the 
Mediterranean, will cross the range of Atlas; sweeping over the 
Sahara, it will plunge into the kingdoms of the negro; these, too, it 
will leave behind ; and, finally, if it pauses at the Cape, it is because 
there the infinite Austral ocean commences, which promises it no nearer 
shelter than the icy wastes of the Pole, and the very winter which 
exiled it from Egypt. 
What gives them confidence for such enterprises? Some may 
trust to their arms, the weakest to their numbers, and abandon 
themselves to fate. The stock-dove says: ‘“ Out of ten or a hundred 
thousand the assassin cannot slay more than ten, and doubtlessly I 
shall not be one of the victims.” They seize their opportunity ; the 
flying cloud passes at night; if the moon rise, against her silver 
radiance the black wings stand out clear and distinct; they escape, 
confused, in her pale lustre. The valiant lark, the national bird of 
our ancient Gaul and of the invincible hope, also trusts to his 
numbers ; he sets out in the day-time, or rather, he wanders from 
province to province; decimated, hunted, he does not the less give 
utterance to his song. 
But the lonely bird, which has neither the support of numbers 
nor of strength, what will become of him? What wilt thou do, poor 
solitary nightingale, which, like others of thy race, must confront this 
great adventure, but without assistance, without comrades? Thou, what 
art thou, friend? A voice! The very power which is in thee will 
be thy betrayal. In thy sombre attire, thou might well pass unseen 
by blending with the tints of the discoloured woods of autumn. But 
see now! The leaf is still purple; it wears not the dull dead brown 
of the later months. 
Ah, why dost thou not remain? why not imitate the timorous- 
ness of those birds which in such myriads fly no further than 
