HOMES NEAR TO NATURE 



93 



A COZY PLACE FROM WHICH TO WATCH THE BIRDS. 



but my chief gratification was due to 

 my amazement in beins" forced to real- 

 ize that we have birds living near us 

 such as we never dreamed of. I hadn't 

 the least idea that little birds with 

 bright green backs and yellow breasts 

 are common to New England; nor that 

 there existed anything so beautiful a 

 bird as the black and white warbler 

 I had had no knowledge of the indigo 



bird, the chewink, the water-thrushes 

 the vireos, nor such birds as the cross- 

 bills, waxwings, purple finch, rose- 

 breasted grosbeak, — oh, the list is end- 

 less. It was the most wonderful rev- 

 elation I have ever experienced: 

 nearly every da}' brought a discovery; 

 the exquisite colors and markings of 

 the tiny male warblers provided con- 

 tinuous pleasure: that the females and 



A VISTA OF THE LAWN AND THE. SOUND FROM THIS PORCH. 



