20 BIRD LIFE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR 



But few Januarys fail to interrupt these early 

 romances by sudden recurrence to weather of a 

 more seasonable type. The wind shifts to the north, 

 and the evening sky is thick with coming snow. 

 But the fall ceases by day-break and a bright sun 

 lights up the untrodden whiteness, while all the bare- 

 ness of winter is hidden by glorious frost-work. As 

 we wander abroad, we are at once aware that birds 

 in unusual numbers are everywhere upon the move. 

 The first feeling inspired by the new conditions in the 

 breasts of ground-feeding birds — larks, starlings, 

 thrushes — is evidently one of consternation. They 

 hurry to-and-fro, unable at first to make any plans, 

 intent only on finding some spot where the white mantle 

 is thinner than elsewhere, or where the first indications 

 of an early thaw are already apparent. Thus the 

 Song Thrushes seek a southern slope where the kindly 

 face of mother-earth is already visible in places. 

 Others are searching the hedge-bottoms, from which, 

 in weather such as this, they turn out great numbers of 

 banded-snails ; hammering the shells into fragments 

 upon favourite stones which serve as " altars." Mean- 

 while the Mistle Thrushes, Fieldfares and Redwings 

 make a sudden descent upon the berries, of which, 

 this being the first snowfall of the winter, the main 

 reserve is as yet untouched. In these hungry times 

 haws, holly or yew-berries none come amiss ; all-comers 

 are tugging eagerly, for beggars cannot be choosers. 



