156 THE CLERK OF THE WOODS 



downy's as the bird is bigger), and on start- 

 ing in his direction saw him take wing. Him 

 I should never think of commiserating. He 

 can look out for himself. These, with Eng- 

 lish sparrows (" the poor ye have always with 

 you "), Old Squaws, herring gulls, and loons, 

 make up my December list of twenty-two 

 species. It might be worse, I suppose. I 

 remember the remark of a friend of mine on 

 a similar occasion. " Well," said he, " the 

 month is only half gone. You ought to see 

 as many more before the end of it." He was 

 strong in arithmetic, but weak in ornithology. 

 If bird lists could be made on his plan, we 

 should have our hands full in the dullest sea- 

 son. Even in January, I would engage to 

 find more than three hundred species within 

 a mile of my doorstep. 



As matters are, we must come back (we 

 cannot do so too often, in winter especially) 

 to the good and wholesome doctrine that 

 pleasure is not in proportion to numbers or 

 rarity. It depends upon the kind and degree 

 of sympathy excited. One day, in one mood, 

 you will derive more inspiration from a five- 

 minute chat with a chickadee than on another 



