A Book on Birds 



First, the fence is hedged upon either 

 side — at some points to the depth of ten 

 feet — with a thick growth of sassafras, 

 elder, wild-cherry, hickory, blackberry 

 brambles, and '^ other things too numer- 

 ous to mention/' and if there is one place 

 which certain birds love more than any other, 

 and particularly in cool, windy weather, it 

 is a cross-fence thus reinforced. 



And, second, the fence is the boundary 

 line of a broad meadow and leads gently 

 down, after a hundred yards or so, to a 

 little stream of running water, fringed 

 with more elder and ^^ other things,'' and 

 just of the sort to which these same birds 

 delight to come at evening-time to drink. 

 So we keep to the cross-fence. 



And, sure enough, here are some, to 

 start with at least — even if they do happen 

 to be merely Snowbirds that have been 

 around all winter. They are recognizable 

 most easily by the light pinkish-yellow 

 of their broad beaks — which looks con- 

 spicuous against the dark slate color of 

 head and back and wings. 



[26] 



