14 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 
March 9th, this year, blue birds were flying northward 
over the city at intervals during the morning. They 
had undoubtedly been on the wing all night, as it was 
pleasant and moonlight. They were just visible to the 
eye, and only uttured their plaintive “chee-ry,” but it 
was the first real voice of spring, and sent a thrill of 
pleasure through the heart of the listener, quickening 
the pulses like some tender pathos in a poem. The fol- 
lowing day, March 10th, robins were seen in different 
parts of the city, and song sparrows in considerable 
numbers were in the park and at Forest Lawn; these 
were in full song, and not troubled, like their weather- 
wise human friends, about the wintry weather still in 
store for them. In turning over my note-book I read 
“March 9 and 10, 1877, robins, song sparrows, blue 
birds and purple grackle here in great numbers.” Only 
one year since have they come as early. Last year it 
was March 18th, and the year beforea week later. They 
often arrive just before or soon after the spring equinox. 
The date of the arrival of those that come later when the 
weather is settled can be predicted with greater accuracy. 
Aprit 8.—Closely following the robins, sometimes 
accompanying them, are the purple grackles (Quzscalus 
guiscula). Their cousins, the redwings (Agelais phani- 
ceus), come a little later. Both are harbingers of 
spring, bright spots of life and color in the naked land- 
scape. On some bright, crisp morning in March we 
generally first see the grackle, where, from his high 
perch near the top of a tree, in a song, half gurgle, half 
