ACCORDING TO SEASON 



fallen. The early ripening of the fruit of these 

 two species, which are the first to flower, secures 

 the most favorable conditions for the speedy ger- 

 mination of their seed. 



The bursting of the uppermost buds of these 

 Catkins two maples, the pushing out of the catkins on the 

 pus ou w iHows, poplars, alders, and birches, and the ap- 

 pearance in the swampy woods of the green, red, 

 and purplish hoods of the skunk-cabbage are 

 almost simultaneous, fresh signs that the year is 

 carrying on her leisurely preparations for summer. 

 Every hour now we expect some new evidence of 

 Bee and her progress. The bee is ready to steal the pollen 

 appear* from the first tassel that turns yellow on the brook- 

 loving willow. The pretty mourning cloak but- 

 terfly, its brown, velvety wings bordered with 

 buff and spotted with blue, crawls out from the 

 wood-pile into the sunshine. In the woods the 

 chickadees, and in the gardens the juncoes, are 

 chipping and chattering, while closely ranked, the 

 cedar waxwings fly from one tree to another. 

 All these are so-called winter birds, but to me 

 they become frequent and conspicuous only in 

 early spring. 



These days, with what is almost homesickness, 

 I watch for the first robin. It is useless to look 

 for him when the ground is covered with snow. 

 But when the bare, brown earth comes through 



