ON BALD MOUNTAIN 



" FOUR inches of snow at the Profile House : " 

 such was the word brought to us at the break- 

 fast table, the driver of the " stage " having 

 communicated the intelligence as he passed the 

 hotel an hour or two earlier. We were not 

 surprised. It rained in Franconia night before 

 last, and yesterday, when the clouds now and 

 then lifted a little, the sides of the mountains 

 were seen to be white. This morning (October 

 7), although even the lower slopes were veiled, 

 the day promised well, and at the first minute I 

 set out for the Notch. 



It was evident almost immediately that at 

 some time within the last forty-eight hours there 

 had been a great influx of migrating birds. 

 Song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, snow- 

 birds, bluebirds, and myrtle warblers were in 

 extraordinary force. Soon I began to hear the 

 wrennish calls of ruby-crowned kinglets, 

 which have been very scarce hitherto, and 

 presently more than one was heard rehearsing 

 its pretty song. What with bluebird voices, 

 song sparrows' warblings (no set tune, but 



