224 



NATURE'S CALENDAR 



October 14 



on the walls and fences, and the yellow- 

 browed sparrow. . , Going over the large 

 hill -side stubble-field west of Holden 

 Wood, I start up a large flock of shore 

 larks, hear their sveet, si'eet, and sveet, 

 sveet, sveet, and see their tails dark be- 

 neath. They are very wary, and run in 

 the stubble for the most part invisible." 



For all these birds the weeds and 

 grasses bear a sure and bountiful harvest, 

 and bush and vine are filled with berries. 

 Think what a host of sumachs await the 

 coming of birds to feast upon their vel- 

 vety masses of seeds; and what millions 

 of acorns for the woodpeckers, and nut- 

 hatches, and jays! Along the old fences 

 rise the thorny barberry bushes, scarlet 

 with tart fruit and the rich offerings of 

 choke-cherry and sweetbrier. The frosts 

 open the chestnut burrs, and the nuts 

 patter down, to the delight of jays and 

 squirrels — and boys ; and the berries of 

 the red cedars are turning ripe and pur- 

 ple, while the blueberry bushes still hold 

 much sweet though half-shrivelled fruit. 

 Of the weeds, how many bear tiny pods 

 and vessels full of seeds, ready to pop 

 open at a touch and reveal their treasures, 

 or to cling to whatever touches them and 

 be carried away ! 



The heyday of the deer comes now. 

 By the time October opens, the antlers oi 

 the deer have been perfected, and the 

 bucks are now ranging the forest wooing 

 the does and fighting ?11 rivals ; their 



October 15 



