210 NATURE AND WOODCRAFT. 



CHAPTER XX. 



WINTER BIRDS. 



i 



Just when the great army of Warblers that 

 have charmed us through summer-time are pre- 

 paring to leave our shores, a like bird-move- 

 ment is setting in towards us. Our departing 

 guests are comprised mainly of the soft-billed 

 wood-birds, but the host of winter visitants is 

 made up of hardier forms. 



The migrations of these feathered things are 

 still among the mysteries of science, but every 

 year we learn some little about them. We 

 know now more accurately the lines and times 

 of migration, and as to the manner in which 

 the flight is conducted. Recently the British 

 Association has made some accomplished student 

 of bird-migration responsible for accurate obser- 

 vation over a well-defined area, he in turn being 



