182 Clear Skies and Cloudy. 



Without moving from the spot at which I 

 have been standing this half-hour, by a mere 

 upraising of my eyes I can see an eagle perched 

 on the tall dead sassafras near the river-shore ; 

 a black hawk nearer by, intent upon the shallow 

 waters directly beneath where it is perched ; 

 and a broad-winged buzzard, hovering over a 

 hassock where a meadow-mouse is lurking, 

 helpless perhaps from fear, knowing well the 

 enemy that is so swift and sure when it does 

 strike. But not every swooping falcon rises 

 from the earth with prey. The dim light of a 

 cloudy November afternoon might be some ex- 

 cuse for failure, but even when light and wind 

 and all else is favorable, it is never so much as 

 fifty out of a possible hundred. Many a time 

 I have seen a hawk pounce and pounce again, 

 and then fly away with a shrill scream, clearly 

 indicative of its intense disgust. 



The frost and thin ice at times have driven 

 away much of the bird-life of these wide-spread 

 marshes. The redwings have gone, the reed- 

 birds disappeared, and the swamp -sparrows 

 have wandered to more sheltered spots, but the 

 reeds and cat-tail are not deserted. If we 



