TANGLE-LEAF PAPERS. 37 
the wild sea-fowl and shore-birds have some- 
thing of the ocean-swell and the surf-ripple in 
their flight. I believe it is Dr. Holmes who 
speaks of the 
“ Oriole floating like a flake of fire,” 
but, true as the comparison is, the oriole, with 
its sunshine and shadows, harmonizes perfectly 
with the fresh greens and yellows of the young 
spring leaves and tassels. How many of our 
fly-catchers, finches, and warblers have a dash 
of sap green and pale leaf-yellow, as if Nature 
had purposely meant them fora part of her 
general spring scheme of color! Even the 
bull-frog has the same marking as the tuft of 
water-grass in which he sits ready for his head- 
long plunge into the pool. Need I remind the 
experienced sportsman of the fact that a wood- 
duck among the broad leaves and snowy 
blooms of the water-lly is a thing almost im- 
possible to see although in plain view? ‘The 
beautiful bird’s white and gray and purplish 
markings blend easily with the water-gleams, 
and leaf-shimmer, and pure white flower-clus- 
ters. 
The herons and kingfishers have for ages 
set an example that anglers have not had the 
wit to foHow. White and pale blue are the 
water high-lights as seen from under the surface 
of the water, A white coat, with misty, dark- 
gray wading-boots, would be nearly the snowy- 
heron’s fishing outfit for still, murky water. 
Why? Because the legs must be in the water 
and the coat above water. So the great blue- 
heron has dark gray-brown legs, and all its 
under parts are overlaid with fine narrow 
feathers of silvery white. But the kingfisher, 
