310 In Touch with Nature. 



There is work to be done by the winter rambler 

 as well as by him who strolls afield in summer. 

 Forcible evidence of this is the fact that apparently 

 favorable conditions do not influence the birds. 

 In other words, beautifully calm and warm days 

 may be birdless, and forbidding, chilly, half-stormy 

 days may be birdful to a remarkable degree. It 

 is never safe to predict in such matters. I recall 

 one beautiful November day when all the earth 

 and air was simply perfect. I started across lots 

 as the sun was slowly sloping in the west, and saw 

 at a glance how complete was every arrangement, 

 but it was as if you were alone in a vast theatre. 

 The rich brown tones of the ripened leaves ; the 

 dark cedars with their dusty fruit; the tufts of 

 gilded and bronzed grass ; an andropogon bear- 

 ing eider-down tufts ; shimmering cobweb that 

 stretched from everywhere to all places whatso- 

 ever ; and a mellow sunlight that gave welcoming 

 warmth to all. What more could be asked ? yet 

 there was not a bird in sight. Not a vesper-spar- 

 row, yet never in June had they known better 

 days; not a song-sparrow on the weed-grown 

 fences ; no bluebirds in the air. This is the 



