^o8 NATURE STUDY. 



the rose-breasted grosbeak are not easily distinguished by 

 the young student of bird life. The grosbeak is less 

 known than the robin and everyone should as soon as 

 possible learn to recognize the two both by plumage and 

 song. Besides being richer in quality than that of the 

 robin the grosbeak's song is also quite different in rhythm, 

 being in double time while that of the robin is in triple 

 time. A little careful observation this coming season will 

 demonstrate this fact to any one who cares to follow the 

 matter up. 



Notwithstanding the difficulties in the way of properly 

 transcribing the songs of birds, I, for one, propose to keep 

 trying, and I hope others will do the same. The pursuit 

 of truth is of greater value to man than the possession of 

 it would be. The attempts to accomplish a success in the 

 notation of bird songs will exercise the mind and invigor- 

 ate the spirit, though a satisfactory mathematical solution 

 can never be reached. " A bird in the bush is worth two 

 in the hand, " says a modern bird lover. And I say,. a 

 song in the ear and in the heart is worth a thousand songs 

 on paper. 



Niobe Falls. 



(Kaaterskill Creek— Palenville, N. Y.) 



BY MARY HAZEN ARNOI^D. 



Niobe, weird euchantress, 



Whene'er I visit thee, 

 I seem to hear a spirit 



Which calls incessantly. 



Bright sunbeams kiss thy waters ; 



Above thee, smile blue skies; 

 Majestic pines are sentries ; 



Grand mountains round thee rise. 



The tall pines bend to greet thee, 



