The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-03-22
 THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS.


 How different the world seems after
 the return of the first immigrants!
 The soft. gurgling notes of the blue bird, waited to us on the warm south
 wind, bring us something more than a
 mere promise of spring, and the harsh
 cry of the gracke, and the first song of
 the robin, are more reassuring than
 either the dates on the almanac or the
 statements of the weather prophets.
 Although the first arrivals have been
 in the vicinity but week or two, the
 migration began months ago, when an
 uncontrollabl desire to visit their
 northern homes came to millions of
 birds which were scattered over South
 America, Central America. the West
 Indian Islands and the southern states.
 It came to some earlier than to others,
 but as soon as t came, 1t came with a
 strength which nothing could resist.
 No matter where they were no matter
 what they were doing, every other oc-
 cupation was given up that they might
 set their faces northward. Plentiful
 food, congenial climate and care free
 life-al these they gave up and for
 WndI 10 lace d leulOuS JUuiHS bl
 hundreds or of thousands of miles, be-
 set with every peril known to them; to combat storms wherein vast numbers
 of them must perish and to reach
 country where the snow still fingers and the air is raw and cold, and where as yet the food is very scarce. And
 was this all? Hark to the wild geese as their squadrons pass above you at night and they tell you that they are going home. home, home To go home to the place where it was born and reared, and where it's ancestors were born and reared before it, and there in it's turn to build q nest and rear it's young--that is perhaps the highest ambition, the strongest instinct, if you like, of every migratory bird There is no comfort he will not give up no danger he will not face, in order to reach his home, and there he will stay until he is literally driven out by the winter. And no doubt he would brave the winter too, could he but get suffi- cient food; the cold alone would not be enough to daunt his courageous spirit. |
 The birds do not complete their long journeys in one continuous forced | but come along in easy stages, l at each halting place until ! the country immediately to the north | is warm enough to justify them in pro ceeding on their way. We may easily | observe this for ourselves. as the sue l cessive bird waves pour into our part | of the country. If, immediately on | their arrival, there comes cold snap, | severe weather further | 1orth, the immigrant may stay with us 'or several days, but if the weather is inc and growing warmer they may come and go within twenty-four hours.
 We may notice also that birds which nave made long journeys are frequent V listless and inactive; they are tired md they show it. just as people do un- Ter the same circumstances. After a ew days of rest, the jaded appearance will wear off and they will resume their vonted activity.
 Another thing which is noticeable bout the new arrivals is that their 'lumage is much brighter than it was vhen they went away in the fall. In ome few cases this is due to the fact hat the birds have moulted during netI absence ana are returning Tn new l ttire But the majority are clad in he self-same costumes they wore when Ie saw them last, and strange as it nay seem, the reason why they are | 1ore brilliant now, is that they have ! cen more service. The dull appear nee in the fall was due in some eases } the gray barbules of the feathers nd in others to the gray or grayish ( ps During the sojourn of the birds , l the south, these barbules and tips z ave been worn off, with the result that | , le plumage looks very much brighter. his accounts for the fact that the | eads of the robins, which had dull, i, rayish cast when they left us last . ear, are now a brilliant black. Still another difference do we notice Then the sober clans were gathering 6 IT their journey to the south, they | + ere so quiet that many of them might | f lve been mistaken for wind- blown | I ayes but now every wood and mead ii V is gay with the songs of robins, 1 s uebirds, blackbirds and other feath-