130 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



air are extremely graceful. Nearest to being a 

 blot upon the scene is a too near view of a 

 turkey-buzzard, particularly if it has just gorged 

 itself with unsavory food. Startle such a bird, 

 and its awkward effort to regain command of 

 its wings is not only suggestive of Nature having 

 blundered in this instance, but we are likely to 

 be amused as well as moved to pity. But when 

 this vulture's wings have conquered gravity and 

 the one-time almost helpless creature passes into 

 the upper air, our pity becomes envy ; we do 

 not criticise now, but wonder, and how helpless 

 we feel ourselves to be, at least in so far as re- 

 gards locomotion, when we watch that soaring 

 vulture floating, without an effort, among the 

 clouds. 



The hooting of an owl when we are passing, 

 it may be in the night, along some lonely wood- 

 land path ; the weird cry of the heron, its ghost- 

 like, guttural "whough!" suddenly breaking 

 upon our ears ; the far-away iteration of the 

 whippoorwill, hidden in some leafy dell ; the 

 shrill, despairing cry of some sleeping bird 

 roused to sudden realization of danger and of 

 death, such sounds as these may not be ac- 



