In X-rth West Cami'lo 



riiAiTKi: \\iii 



,. Arrived at Virden. at S o'clock in the 

 morning, and jiiit up at tin- hotel near tli.- station. 

 I \\us tired \\ith travelling all ni^ht. I \\--nt 

 an>l hail a sleep until dinner time. Dinner OVffl 

 I set "lit fr a tramp to the south of Yinl-n. Virden 

 ,. market to\vn of a particularly attractive dis- 

 trict. Kilt for forty miles west of this place is a Wretch of vir- 

 gin prairir ln-l<l 1-y sj>rculators, and tin- lV\v farms n.-ar th- 

 railway ar-- M-att-r.-il far ami wi<|.-. Tln-n- an- nunifroii- 

 ].oiiU. sloughs ami Uutfs in this section, atfonlin^ .-xc'-H.-nt 

 oj.portunitirs for sport, wild ducks and prairie chick. -us ! 



. .lin^ly aliundant. I canic across a prairie stream, the 

 banks of which were fringed with small oaks, ash-leaved 

 maple and poplar. < >f these, the poplar or trembling aspen 

 h- characteri-t ie tr-- of tin- North-West. A^ the tra- 

 veller ^..es \\-est. he B660 hai-dly any other for hundreds of 

 miles. To the s,uth-\\est ,,f Virdeii stretches the level prairie, 

 dotted here ami there with islets of asp,- 



I wandered alon^ tin- sides ,,f the stream, and soon found 

 the trees a! Torded shelter to numerous 



-mall 1'inls. 



!i found a numlier of ; !-ron/ed Crackle, n-d- 



wiir iiiLf : 'i'd kin^l.ird : the tuo fi.nner species had 



l.ut the kin_i:l>irds had IP ! to lay. 



liir-i numerous that it appeare- i 



all the small lirds f.>r miles amund had cunie and nmde their 

 in tin mi. The reason 



,at suital.le n.-stin^-places f, ,r tin- small woodland 1 

 ;,-w and far l.etween .,,, tl,,- prairies, and that account- 

 is U-iii^ found in >lated Muti's and stripsof 



tret'> the i-anks-.f ; ma Ai y Imsh . 



taim-d a Bird's in -M. and there must ha\- lie.-n BCOrefl 



