A. 



' 



see them all shaken out into 



"...; 



,-.* dangling tassels of blossoms 

 several inches in length. But 



the other dark brown cones 

 have already seen their catkin 

 days. They were blossoms 

 last spring. But they are 

 now firm and rigid and reso- ^ * 



lute on their stalks, their only , ' 



thought being to spread the white counterpane with 

 manna for the birds, and to fill the woods full of birch- 

 trees ; for each one of these fruiting catkins contains 

 certainly a thousand seeds packed away with wonderful 

 art, and here is where we find the mimic birds, each 

 with its brood of two or three of the light-brown seeds 

 beneath its wings. 



This innocent-appearing catkin is well worth our care- 

 ful examination. I never go into the woods 

 in winter without stopping to admire its little 

 hocus-pocus, for it is a pretty piece of jugglery. 

 How firm and compact it seems as it hangs 

 upon its stem ! But it is laughing at our sim- 





