aye THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 
ship before the glass could be got out and focused. 
An opera glass is rather better than a field glass, be- 
cause the focus is deeper and the field larger—very 
convenient qualities when the bird is skipping around. 
Its defining powers should be excellent. 
In the drawer of the desk lies a notebook. Par- 
don the egotism now while we attempt to see from it 
what a single point of view, occupied for a few years 
only, may reveal of the Story of the Birds by glances 
at the proper time 
THrovucH THE WINDow PANE. 
For two winters some of the most interesting vis- 
itors that I had were a pair of brown creepers—rather 
rare birds in the region. In many rambles I have 
seen but one other elsewhere. Their behavior led us 
to think that they were members of the same family. 
They kept near each other, and came and went to- 
gether. Their visits were usually about a fortnight 
apart; they always made almost exactly the same 
round among the elms. They began at the bottom 
of each, and ascended in rather crude spirals, rarely 
passing far into the limbs. When they wished to re- 
explore the bark they fluttered down again, never 
backing as a woodpecker may, or running head down- 
ward as a nuthatch. I could see with the glass the 
keen bill thrust into the deep corrugations of the 
bark and note the long, stiffened tail feathers and 
long rear claw. There was no pecking or driving at 
the tree—just the gentlest sort of thrusting and the 
closest inspection. What a wonderful range of focus 
