FEBRUARY 



A little family of titmice gathered about me 

 searching for their food both on the ground and 

 on the trees with great industry and intentness, 

 now and then pursuing each other. There were 

 two nuthatches at least talking to each other. 

 One hung with his head down on a large pitch 

 pine pecking the bark for a long time, leaden blue 

 above with a black cap and a white breast. . . . 

 A downy woodpecker with the red spot on his 

 hind head and his cassock open behind, showing 

 his white robe, kept up an incessant loud tapping 

 on another pitch pine. 



THOKEAU: Winter. 



8 



Judged by the eye alone, the fox is the lightest 

 and most buoyant creature that runs. His soft 

 wrapping of fur conceals the muscular play and 

 effort that is so obvious in the hound that pursues 

 him, and he comes bounding along precisely as if 

 blown by a gentle wind. His massive tail is car- 

 ried as if it floated upon the air by its own light- 

 ness. 



BURROUGHS: Pepacton. 



The snow buntings and the tree sparrows are 

 the true spirits of the snow-storm. They are the 

 animated beings that ride upon it and have their 

 life in it. 



THOREAU: Winter. 



