32 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



Tlie occurrence of migratory birds under such cir- 

 cumstances is by no means uncommon ; and there are 

 probably few birds, if they so willed it, but could stand 

 the severest winters, so far as temperature alone is con- 

 cerned, and but little ingenuity would be required to 

 enable them to find a sufficiency of food. The wrens, 

 as a family, illustrate this. There are three species that 

 may be said to be strictly migratory, and two which are 

 resident, and winter visitants. The food, in air cases, is' 

 the same. The common house-wren finds insects enough 

 from April to November, and from November to April 

 the winter-wren replaces the former species, and proba- 

 bly never goes hungry for a day. If the plucky house- 

 wren could but be made to believe it, it could comfort- 

 ably live in its summer haunts from the falling of the 

 leaves to the bursting of the buds. Some of our delicate 

 summer warblers have found this out, and one species, 

 in particular, has become as hardy as a snow-bird, and 

 sings merrily, be it ever so cold. 



It is not until we get fifty yards away from the ter- 

 race from which gush the springs that, collectively, go 

 to make up the stream proper, that a boat can be floated, 

 and even here the water is too shallow and the banks 

 too near each other to allow the use of a paddle. " Only 

 a decent ditch " has been said of it by a travelled compan- 

 ion, who could see nothing attractive about it. Only a 

 decent ditch, indeed ! Thank the powers that be that 

 such decent ditches are accessible to a lover of nature. 

 What with its patches of water-plants, hiding innumer- 

 able fishes ; its burrowed banks, harboring muskrats, 



