180 SPRING AT THE CAPITAL. 



into a warble. Saw a small, black, velvety 

 butterfly with a yellow border to its wings. 

 Under a warm bank found two flowers of the 

 houstonia in bloom. Saw frogs' spawn near 

 Piny Branch, and heard the hyla." 



Among the first birds that make their ap- 

 pearance in Washington, is the crow-black- 

 bird. He may come any time after the 1st 

 of March. The birds congregate in large 

 flocks, and frequent groves and parks, alter- 

 nately swarming in the tree-tops and filling 

 the air with their sharp jangle, and alight- 

 ing on the ground in quest of food, their 

 polished coats glistening in the sun from 

 very blackness, as they walk about. There 

 is evidently some music in the soul of this 

 bird at this season, though he makes a sad 

 failure in getting it out. His voice always 

 sounds as if he were laboring under a severe 

 attack of influenza, though a large flock of 

 them heard at a distance on a bright after- 

 noon of early spring produce an effect not 

 unpleasing. The air is filled with crackling, 

 splintering, spurting, semi-musical sounds, 

 which are like pepper and salt to the ear. 



All parks and public grounds about the 

 city are full of blackbirds. They are espe- 

 cially plentiful in the trees about the White 



