MORE WINTER EXPLOITS. 33 



myself, and was surprised to learn that mid- 

 summer is almost as good a time as any for the 

 study of feathered folk. The nests of doves, 

 cardinal grossbeaks, goldfinches, and indigo 

 birds rew^arded my search even in the latter 

 part of August. 



There are persons who think Nature is not 

 worth studying in the winter time, but I know 

 a writer who finds the most wonderful things 

 to describe in that season. A frozen pond fur- 

 nishes him a subject for a long and delightful 

 essay. He sees Jewels, pearls, and diamonds 

 on its frost-bound surface and along its broid- 

 ered edges, and I often wonder why I am not 

 dowered with such a wonderful double vision 

 as he. 



But in my own line I do see a great deal in 

 the blessed winter weather. Take one day as 

 an example. A zebra bird had been seen in 

 my woodland a few days before, and I was 

 anxious to know if he still was present. But 

 on reaching the spot in the woods where he 

 and a colony of other birds had been wont to 

 linger, not a feathered flitter was to be found 

 nor a voice heard. So I pressed on through the 

 woods, almost to the other side, before I saw a 

 single flash of wings. Suddenly, as the sun 

 peeped out from behind a cloud, the soft. 



