NOVEMBER 121 



olute, penetrating ijiuip, appropriate to a heroic 

 season, is often heard along' the streets. The 

 screaming bhie jays are conspicuous, though never 

 seen in considerable flocks ; the white-breasted nut- 

 hatch is working day by day, grunting as he hibors 

 up the maple boles ; and the quiet insect-like brown 

 creeper is ''busy as a bee." It is curious to note 

 how many times the creeper is seen and heard in 

 days of Hght rain or mist. He seems to be in the 

 best of spirits on such days. The most character- 

 istic real song of the month is the phoebe strain of 

 the chickadee. On winter days it is delightful just 

 because there are few other birds singing. In 

 other seasons it has less charm, though always 

 welcome. 



Cedar Falls, November 29, 1891. 

 The later part of the month has been of rather 

 wintry character. On the eleventh the wind drove 

 blustering through bare branches and over bare 

 fields lightly robed in new-fallen snow^; at night 

 the skies showed the moon and a star or two peer- 

 ing through Avind-driven masses of white cloud. A 

 few days later came autumn rains, dissolving the 

 snow; then the cold returned, the winds whirled 

 the chimney smoke to and fro in frosty air, pass- 

 ers-by walked briskly over creaking boards and 

 wagons rumbled over frozen earth. For days not 

 a bird was heard except the discontented jays. 

 One needed to be careful of the house plants, re- 



