136 BIRD WORLD. 



the new-fallen snow? When once we have had their 

 tracks or footprints pointed out to us, we may be sure 

 we shall find them in our own neighborhoods also in 

 winter. In the wildest wind and snow flurries the 

 Tree Sparrows will keep up their cheerful chirp, while 

 they flit about on the snow as if it were down, picking 

 seeds from grass stems and w^eed stalks. Emerson 

 defines a weed as a plant man has not yet found a 

 use for. We and the sparrows have found a use for 

 weeds. 



Sometimes the tracks showed that the birds had 

 taken a bite, as it were, and then had flitted across 

 the snow to another spot ; deepened hollows showed 

 where they had wallowed in the drifts for mere fun, 

 as boys delight to do. Brave little sparrows, you are 

 better comrades than we thought. 



" I have seen birds," says Mr. Keyser, " taking pool- 

 baths, shower-baths, dew-baths, and dust-baths. Who 

 will say they never take a snow-bath } " 



Here in the very middle of winter we are watching 

 a Junco. He finds a feast of juicy berries on the dog- 

 wood tree, picks one, dashes down into the snow and 

 nibbles it, then flings the seed away, standing leg- 

 deep in ice crystals until he has eaten it up. The 

 rest of the birds eat their berries where they find them 

 on the trees. Tree Sparrows come to the dogberry 

 tree also, but they reject the pulp and bore the pit for 



