THINGS TO HEAR THIS WINTER 125 



first snowflakes hitting the brown leaves on a for- 

 est floor; then the fine sharp scratch of a curled 

 and toothed beech leaf skating before a noiseless 

 breath of wind over the crusty snow. Only he that 

 hath ears will hear these sounds, speaking, as they 

 do, for the vast voiceless moments of the winter 

 world. 



VI 



I have not heard the " covey call " of the quail 

 this winter. But there is not a quail left alive in all 

 the fields and sprout-lands within sound of me. 

 I used to hear them here on Mullein Hill ; a covey 

 used to roost down the wooded hillside in front of 

 the house ; but even they are gone hunted out of 

 life ; shot and eaten off of my small world. What 

 a horribly hungry animal man is ! 



But you may have the quail still in your fields. 

 If so, then go out toward dusk on a quiet, snowy 

 day, especially if you have heard shooting in the 

 fields that day, and try to hear some one of the 

 covey calling the flock together: Whir-r-rl-ee ! 

 Whir-r-rl-ee ! Whirl-ee-gee ! the sweetest, softest, 

 tenderest call you will ever hear ! 



VII 



And you certainly do have chickadees in your 

 woods. If so, then go out any time of day, but go 

 on a cold, bleak, blustery day, when everything is 



