THE WOODS IN ERMINE. 207 



their relatives, the little snowbirds, which also de- 

 light in the snow. One of the snowbirds, over- 

 come by curiosity, darted down into the bushes 

 where I stood. He hopped about fearlessly upon 

 the snow-covered twigs, as if he did not know they 

 were cold. So happy were several of tliese snow- 

 birds that they almost broke into song as they pur- 

 sued one another about in the tree-tops. This was 

 all the more remarkable because they had not sung 

 at all during the pleasant weather that we had had 

 earlier in the season. 



White-breasted nuthatches were tobogganing up 

 and down the tree-trunks, and several downy wood- 

 peckers were drilling into the crevices of the bark 

 for their afternoon lunch. But where were the 

 crested titmice ? I beat about the entire haunt and 

 sought for them in all the " woodland privacies," 

 but not a titmouse was to be seen. For several 

 years I have prowled about in these woods, winter 

 and summer, rain and shine, but never before had 

 I failed to find these sociable birds at my elbow. 

 It was queer. In December, when the weather 

 was much colder than now, and the snow lay 

 deeper on the ground, though it did not cling to 

 the branches, I had found them here as cheery as 

 birds could be. Only one way of explaining their 



