The Newark journal., 1904-05-06
WHEN SPRING COMES
MANY SECRETS REVEALED BY
THE MELTING SNOW.
The Past Winter Proved to Be Very
Severe One for the Tiny Crea-
lures of Fur and
Feathers.


patches, we find some of the results of
the late severe winter. Birds which per-
ished from cold or hunger, and which
were not carried off by foxes, mink,
skunks or owls, are now uncovered, and
We find here a junco or a ehiekadee, and
there pheasant or quail. The spring
is here again, but not for them, and yet
no sign which We can read escapes the
survivors, to suggest that the dead are
missed. The "toot-toot" of the cock
pheasant is as vigorous as ever; the male
grouse will drum with his accustomed
vim, and there is not trace of sadness
in the clear whistle of the Bob-white."
The white-footed mice, too, have been
desperately hungry this winter, and, now
the snow has gone, we may find some
times, under log or stone heap, yell
1owish- brown skin. from which the body
has been eaten. During ordinary win
ters these dainty creatures are able to
subsist on seeds, nuts, cherry stones, ana
the like; but when food is as scarce as
it was awhile back, they sometimes are
obliged TO eat one another. The meadow
mice, if not reduced to such straits as
this, have at least been kept busy in their
efforts to obtain sufficient food Only
yesterday | went out to plantation of
several hundred young trees, and found
that every one of them had been killed
by the meadow mice, which had gnawed
off the bark all the way round, in some
cases to a height of two feet or more
from the ground. 1t would seem that an
army of mice must have been engaged,
so great was the destruction wrought
and indeed few of us realize how numer-
Gus these little rodents are until we be-
gin TO hunt for them Systematically
In spite of the fact that they are the
natural prey of hawks. owls, cats.
weasles, mink, skunks and foxes, their
name is legion. They are wonderfully
prolific, having usually eight young in
litter, and at least two filters in year
The winding footpaths which they make
through the meadows, if Strengthened
out and placed end to end, would reach
for thousands of miles-a wonderful
road system for little creatures only
65a inches long. And when the snow
melts away and the freshets flood the
low-lying meadows, the mice which
dwelt there in the winter are obliged to
seek higher ground, and how they es-
cape drowning is mystery, unless they
have some warning that their burrows
are soon to be flooded.
And with the melting of the snow
comes the warming of the earth and
the release of the myriads of creeping,
crawling and flying things which are
destined to become the food of the great
army of birds which is even now invad-
ing the land. For many days these
birds have been coming, a very few at
first, but growing in numbers daily.
They are late this year, for they follow
in the wake of retreating winter. and
winter itself was late in departing. The
vanguard of the bluebirds was more
than week later than usual, and it was
not until the 10th of March that the first
great flying squadron of Canada geese
passed over Stoneham. Mass. on its
way to the north. High overhead they
winged their way at dusk, their gray
forms mingling with the gathering mist.
In imagination could hear the Swish"
of the mighty wings that bore them
swiftly onward to the goal toward which
their eager necks were stretched and
clear as bell notes fell their confident
cries OF "Home-home-hom
On the morning of March 20 heard
the call of robin and. looking from the
window, saw him fly across the garden
his breast warm red streak across the
snow he skinned. How full of interest
and mystery is newly arrived migrant
We know not whence he comes or
whittier he goes, save in a general wav.
yet we feel that he is a bright. cour-
ageous spirit, filled with purpose from
which he is not to be turned by problems
Of time or distance or fear of bodily
harm
The perils of migration were brought
to my mind again. the other day. when
friend intrusted to my care a robin
which he had picked up in early March
The little fellow had the first Joint torn
from his wing, an accident which must
deprive him of sustained flight forever
In other respects he seems as we'll as anv
other robin, and fear that he does not
understand why we do not give him his
liberty. He is not much afraid. and
hops about the room, picking I'D food
which has been placed for him. and oc-
casionally taking a bath in dish of
water on the floor But nothing which
humans can do can make up for the loss
of his wild, free life. At first he tried to
escape by throwing himself against the
panes, but now he mounts by a chair
to perch close TO the window, and there
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