Happenings by the Way 121 



And what was happening over in the field? Some- 

 thing worth noting, to be sure. A. coterie of juncos and 

 tree sparrows were breakfasting on the seeds of a clump 

 of tall weeds, a few of the little feasters perched on the 

 swaying stems, while others stood on the snow on the 

 ground and picked the seeds from the racemes that were 

 bent down by their burden of crystals. When I went to 

 the place, I could see the delicate tracery of their feet on 

 the snow, as if they had been writing their autographs 

 on an untarnished scroll. Two tiny footprints at regu- 

 lar intervals, one a little before the other, and each pair 

 connected with the next by a slender thread or two traced 

 by the bird's claws that is a junco's or a tree sparrow's 

 trail in the snow. 



A little later a scattering flock of tree sparrows were 

 skipping about on the snowy floor of the woods, picking up 

 at quick intervals a palatable tidbit. Birds often find edi- 

 'bles on the surface of the snow when our duller eyes can 

 see nothing but immaculate whiteness. What long leaps 

 the little birds took across the snow, which looked like a 

 marble pavement with fairies dancing upon it! Near 

 by, on one of the lower twigs of a thorn bush, a sparrow 

 sat with feathers fluffed up and wings hanging negli- 

 gently at his side, as if he were taking a siesta after a 

 hearty meal of weed seeds and winter berries. Two of 

 his companions soon joined him in his noonday rest, the 

 trio making a pretty picture sitting there within an inch 

 or two of the ground. 



It was not very long before a tree sparrow perpetrated 



I 



