form a particularly fine feeding ground, 

 It is always very pleasant to come upon 

 a flock of these feeding chattering away 

 in sweet varied tones. Even the sight 

 of their tracks call up pleasing pictures 

 of the merry crowd that had been there 

 before me 



The blue-jay's tracks is more con 

 spicuous ; it is longer and looks as if the 

 maker was in right good earnest, which 

 he doubtless was. About a corn-crib or 

 in fresh gravel is a good place for -them. 

 Here the jays come for feed and grit 

 and spend a good deal of time before 

 they are satisfied. I am always sure of 

 finding them in an old rail crib that 

 stands far from the house close to tim 

 ber. 



The birds so far considered are all 

 hoppers, but there are some walkers 

 also. At the head of the list stands the 

 crow. He generally walks with a 

 stately step and the tracks would indi 

 cate that he had been in no haste. I am 

 always sure of finding them about lots 

 where cattle or hogs are fed or the re 

 mains of some dead animal. In strong 

 contrast to the large size of the crow 

 is the little track of the shore-lark. He 

 is a walker also and likes to feed with 

 hogs. But unlike crows, will spend 

 much time along roads. 



What a world of pleasant thoughts 

 quail tracks bring up. I can see the 

 very place where a covey spent the night 

 before. I can hear the clear call or low 

 talk which keeps the flock together. 

 Happy for them if the farmer inadver 

 tently leaves a pile of corn out during 

 the winter. Other supplies of food fail 

 ing, they will come about the barn or 

 sheds of the farm. One season a flock 

 stayed all winter about ours. It was al 

 ways very pleasant to have them 

 around. As a commentary on people 

 in general nearly every one that heard 

 of it said "Why don't you shoot them! 

 There is no better eating in the world!" 



Chickadees, nuthatches, titmice, and 

 woodpeckers cling to trees, so not 

 much is seen of their tracks. 



It is surprising how much of this trav 

 eling about is done at night. Morning 

 shows the history of the night before. 

 It is curious how many things do take 

 place in a single night. Sometimes cur 

 ious wavy marks in the snow and a few 

 drops of blood or a bunch of feathers is 

 too plainly evidence of a tragedy among 

 the forest folk. But oftener it is the rec 

 ord of their ordinary actions, the simple 

 annals of the fields and woods. 



WARREN HIGGINS. 



GOOD CHEER 



(Translated from the German of Karl Ebert.) 



Embodied song, the lark mounts high ; 

 Its rapture wafts it toward the sky, 

 And sends it circling through the air : 

 "The world is fair!" 



The flower awakes when dawn is bright, 

 Upholds it's chalice to the light, 

 And sheds its perfume like a prayer: 

 "The world is fair!" 



Like molten silver, in the stream, 

 Wave after wave reflects the gleam, 

 Bedews the bank and whispers there: 

 "The world is fair!" 



Why dost thou stand apart and scan 

 Thy gloomy heart, O brother man? 

 Behold the gladness everywhere, 

 world is fair !" 



ALICE M. DOWD. 



