m 



EPISODES 



253 



them ; but we thought it no harm to shoot a whole covey 

 of Partridges. In the swamps we met with warblers of 

 various kinds, lively and beautiful, waiting in these their 

 winter retreats for the moment when Boreas should retire 

 to his icy home, and the gentle gales of the South should 

 waft them toward their breeding-places in the North. 

 Thousands of Swallows flew about us, the Cat-birds 

 mewed in answer to their chatterings, the Cardinal Gros- 

 beak elevated his glowing crest as he stood perched on the 

 magnolia branch, the soft notes of the Doves echoed among 

 the woods, nature smiled upon us, and we were happy. 



On the fourth of January we stopped at Bonnet Carre, 

 where I entered a house to ask some questions about 

 birds. I was received by a venerable French gentleman, 

 whom I found in charge of about a dozen children of both 

 sexes, and who was delighted to hear that I was a student 

 of nature. He was well acquainted with my old friend 

 Charles Carr^, and must, I thought, be a good man, for 

 he said he never suffered any of his pupils to rob a bird 

 of her eggs or young, although, said he with a smile, 

 "they are welcome to peep at them and love them." 

 The boys at once surrounded me, and from them I re- 

 ceived satisfactory answers to most of my queries respect- 

 ing birds. 



The 6th of January was so cold that the thermometer 

 fell to 30®, and we had seen ice on the running-boards of 

 our keel-boat. This was quite unlooked for, and we felt 

 uncomfortable; but before the middle of the day, all 

 nature was again in full play. Several beautiful steamers 

 passed us. The vegetation seemed not to have suffered 

 from the frost; green peas, artichokes, and other vege- 

 tables were in prime condition. This reminds me that 

 on one of my late journeys I ate green peas in December 

 in the Floridas, and had them once a week at least in my 

 course over the whole of the Union, until I found myself 

 and my family feeding on the same vegetable more than 



