MY WOODLAND INTIMATES 



straws and strings and other official announce- 

 ments of their intentions. The grackle croaks 

 and creaks in the swaying spruce-tops. The 

 chickadee calls plaintively, " Come sweet, come 

 sweet." The song-sparrow's throat ripples and 

 swells as he breaks into ecstatic little outbursts of 

 melody, the fox-sparrow deluges the thickets with 

 rapturous song, and the woodpecker laughs in his 

 glee. Juncos, white-crowned and white-throated 

 sparrows trill and whistle and warble, as they 

 tell of the good world, the beautiful world, the 

 glad springtime, and the joy of living. 



And oh! the delight of the day on which I 

 sighted our first robin guests! The great, hand- 

 some fellows (the earliest comers are always 

 males) went chattering about through the trees ; 

 some of them inspecting familiar haunts, others 

 evidently making the acquaintance of our neigh- 

 borhood. 



Much excited calling and chattering goes on 

 among the red-breasts through the day, but at 

 dawn and twilight on the warmest of these late 

 March days, before labor has begun, or when the 

 busy tasks are ended, all worldly thoughts are 

 banished and their voices rise in joyous, triumph- 

 ant hymns of praise. 



