50 IValks in New England 



of spring honey, their hum of wings heard a rod 

 or two before one reached the bushes. 



On the way to the mountain one saw an ex 

 traordinary apparition, a little bevy of terns 

 from the sea, dipping and swinging over the 

 waters of the Connecticut. They are back to 

 salt water before this, we hope, or some fool will 

 be shooting them. Over the valley inside of 

 Mount Tom, an eagle sailed, a noble wild crea 

 ture, and with an air of majesty even beyond the 

 osprey s, which is fine enough. Birds were on 

 every hand ; the song-sparrow, singing on the 

 fences, and in the hedge-rows that Nature fur 

 nishes along even barbed-wire barriers, with that 

 infinitely happy melody which he knows so well 

 and varies so joyously ; the robin, with his clear, 

 bold notes ; the bluebird, repeating his modest 

 warble ; the chewink, the dashing flicker, the 

 chickadee and phcebe, the grackle, besides the 

 jays and crows, who are old winter familiars. 

 Truly a rich body of Easter music, all of them 

 praising God as he inspires them. Lesser crea 

 tures, too ; for not only the bees, but flies of un 

 known families, butterflies here and there making 

 the scene more vivid with their wayward flights ; 

 spiders all over the leaves, and ants rustling be 

 neath them ; and the hylas in the pools fifing and 

 flageoleting because life is too good to be silent. 



