160 NEWS FROM THE BIRDS. 



cylinders presented a picture that was simply 

 wonderful. Looking through my opera glass 

 at nearly a right angle with the sun's rays, I 

 could see, flashing back from various points or 

 facets, pure crystal, gleaming silver, sparkling 

 gold, bright yellow, purple, pink, pale yellow, 

 greenish yellow, crimson, and I know not how 

 many other colors, all of them glimmering like 

 twinkling stars. No queen ever wore so rich 

 a display of diamonds as were worn that morn- 

 ing by every bush and branch. 



I said in the first part of this chapter that 

 artists do not study variety of attitude and 

 position in making tlieir pictures of birds as 

 much as they should. A song sparrow sat in 

 the midst of a clump of wild rose bushes by 

 the side of the lane. Every gracefully curved 

 stem was encased in its robe of ice, making 

 the thicket look as if it were spangled with 

 pearls and diamonds and gems. "Was ever a 

 bird surrounded with such wealth and glory ? 

 It was a scene worthy of the deftest hand that 

 ever wielded a brush, but I fear it will remain 

 unpainted save by my poor, scrawling pen. 



My mind was somewhat divided between 

 the birds and the beauty of the scene around 

 me ; but still I saw a nuthatch fly from one tree 

 and try to alight on the icy side of another. Of 



