THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 7 



into harmony with the tinkle of falling icicles and the plash 

 and gurgle of the water. 



One who should write a poem to March and place butter- 

 flies, flowers and bird's nests in it, would doubtless be handled 

 roughly by the critics as a spring poet who had got ahead of 

 the season, yet such a poem could be written without in the 

 least misrepresenting the facts. In the hemlocks by this time, 

 the crows have begun housekeeping and the little screech owl 

 has stealthily selected a site for her nest in the depths of some 

 hollow tree. The crow is less careful about the concealment, 

 of her nest, especially in parks. She is quick to learn and knows 

 her advantages as well as anybody. The owl has the repu- 

 tation for wisdom, but the crow has the wisdom. In the 

 country where the crows are not protected, they are as wary 

 as ever, but in the parks they are quite fearless as if confi- 

 dent of their immunity. 



In February or March a walk on a bright day will often 

 show both caterpillars and butterflies about. The caterpillar, 

 well named the woolly bear — is a hairy animal, brownish red 

 in the middle and black at both ends and seems absolutely 

 careless of the weather. Freezing seems not to harm it. It is 

 frequently found creeping over the snow. A cold day may 

 stop its travels by freezing it stiff, but the next sunny day, it 

 thaws out and goes merrily on. Almost any day now, in the 

 woods, one may chance upon the mourning-cloak butterfly, 

 called from its retreat by the increasing warmth to dance 

 over the dead leaves or flutter about the base of the trees on 

 some warm slope. While flying the dark upper wings with 

 a clay-colored border makes the insect conspicuous, but when 

 it alights upon either tree or rock it seems almost to vanish 

 as if absorbed by the object, so completely does the under 

 surface of its wings which are now closed together over its 

 back, mimic and blend into the colors of its resting place. 

 Although apparently just awakened from a winters sleep, 



