CHANGES IN HERMIT - LIFE 



at half -past five o'clock, so I could sit down 

 to breakfast in the back shop about six. 



In the winter months it w^,s dark at half- 

 past five in the morning, but that did not dis- 

 turb me. I did not use a lantern because I 

 would not be bothered with it, and for another 

 reason. It made one a bright and shining 

 object for early ghouls or tramps. 



For some years past I have discontinued 

 my early morning tramps, but I love to recall 

 the persistence with which I clung to habit. 

 Those early walks afforded me much pleasure 

 and some hardships. During the spring 

 months the frogs and birds enlivened my 

 morning walk with music. The bird-music 

 along the route to the city was divided accord- 

 ing to locality. Before leaving the cabin, 

 from early daylight, there would be a variety 

 of bird-songs. In numbers the veery led 

 all the rest. Then followed the red-eyed vireo. 

 After these, I could hear only one song each 

 of the following species : 



Catbird, townee-bunting, chestnut-sided 



101 



