Feb. 12.—These cold and frosty still almost dark at 6 am. that the official Chinese Spi days ago....yet all Nature is answering to the call Every blade of grass and every twig may be quivering in the early light with those tiny particles of frozen dew which we call hoarfrost. yet every one of our resident birds appears to know that spring is coming. It is interesting to note that ancient observers had delighted in watching such phenomena. as witness verses 16 to 18 of Psalms CXLVII where is says, "He give th snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes... he sendeth out his word and melteth them All of which is an excellent description of the dividing line between winter and spring as I see it daily. Cold mornings at this time of year may deceive me, but they cannot Weceive the birds and other creatures of the wilds: they act spontaneously according to thei" imstinets and neither snow nor frosts nor bitter winds can turn them from their natural pur-Poses. Note how the Blackbirds are beginning to sing, and to wrangle and chatter among themselves: how Mynahs are beginning to whistle, Doves to coo... and how all such creatures are beginning to fight because they know that the Spring Running is at hand: watch the Rooks... how they are gathering in the tree-tops experimenting with the foundations of nests: listen to the Bulbul sitting in his favourite perch and pouring out his heart in bubbling song. All these things take place daily under most wintry conditions... then the sun swings up... the hoarfrost melts and suddenly it is
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.