“No, indeed,” replied Alec; “Big Tom’s eyes were more alert, and so he first saw it and then pointed it out to me as it was flying in graceful circles far up in the blue heavens.”
“The Indians will be all saying that spring indeed has come,” said Mr Ross. “As the appearance of the eagle is, as I think I told you, the beginning of spring, Mikisewpesim, the eagle moon, is the first spring month.”
“Is it not,” said Frank, “a very uncertain way of marking the seasons?”
“The variation is not as great as a person would at first imagine,” was Mr Ross’s reply. “We talk about an early spring or a late spring, and March with us is sometimes like April. Then some other years it is just the reverse. So the Indians’ methods of marking the months by the arrival of the birds, or other events in nature, is not generally much out of the way.”
“What birds follow the eagles?” asked Sam.
“The wild geese,” replied Mr Ross, “and as they do not come until the great marshes, which are their early feeding grounds, are partially bared of snow, they are about a month behind the eagles.”
“Then is there a goose month also?” asked Alec.
“Yes, indeed,” replied Mr Ross, “and it is a very important one to the Indians, and I anticipate that we, too, will have our share of excitement in it. It is called Niskepesim, from ‘niska,’ goose, or ‘niskuk,’ geese, and ‘pesim,’ month. The Niskepesim, goose moon, which corresponds with our April, is followed by Unekepesim, frog moon, as then those denizens of the swamps and ponds begin their croakings. In our North Land frog moon corresponds with May. Then comes ‘Wawepesim,’ egg moon, as in June the birds are nesting and hatching out their young. So it is with all the other months, each has some equally expressive name.”
“I am sure we are thankful for all this information,” said Frank.
“It is a pleasure to get information, even if it sometimes has to be acquired under difficulties, and it is equally pleasing to impart it to those who will make use of it,” was Mr Ross’s reply.