THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



py, the song sparrow seemed to sing in 

 a sweeter key, than was its wont; and 

 the leafless trees swayed their branches 

 with the gentle wind, as if to entice 

 the slow coming leaves out of their 

 winter wrappings. 



Crossing a scrubby field we started 

 up a flock of Vesper Sparrows, new ar- 

 rivals likely, that were feeding on the 

 seeds of last year's grass. With cheery 

 songs they started up coquettishly dis- 

 playing their two white tail feathers. 

 Modestly hiding under the old year's 

 layer of dead leaves, the trailing arbu- 

 tus, with immalculately white blossoms 

 " wasted its sweetness on the desert 

 air." Near by the hepatica raised her 

 cerulean cup skyward, pure and un- 

 tainted from the .dead leaves around 

 her roots. 



Near bj' a crow 



■'This grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and om- 

 nious bird of yore." 



had built her " castle in the air," on 

 the summit of a large pine, and croak- 

 ed her delight in sundry loud, but per- 

 haps, not unmusical calls. 



On the * margin of a country road, 

 the Chewink preparatory to a dive 

 among the dead leaves, eyeing us from 

 out his fiery eyes, gave a few hurried 

 yet sweet notes and disappeared. 



Tn the nest field a purple Grackle 

 was sitting on a small pine tree, de- 

 claiming to his sable companions, and 

 we of course had to go over and hear 

 his husky oration. Farther on, we 

 heard the beautiful and lively warble 

 of the meadow-lark, aiid so on we went 

 at each step seeing something beautiful 

 and interesting. There on a solitary 

 tree by the road side, sat that feather- 



ed bufi^oon, the great crested fly catch- 

 er, now launching himself fly catcher 

 like into the air, and suddenly, after 

 some uneff'ectual efforts to stop him- 

 self which often threatened to bring 

 him to the ground, he would return to 

 his twig and attempt a song, and such 

 an attempt. The peal of laughter it 

 provoked semed to abash but not stop 

 it; for retiring to the shelter of a pine 

 tree it contiuued to defiantly belch 

 forth its song. We had now come into 

 view of the river and the sight which 

 then met our eyes was indeed beautiful; 

 the turbid and rapid river ; the pleasant 

 looking farm houses, and the bright- 

 ness of an unclouded day, all combined 

 to make a picture which will not soon 

 be effaced from our memories. 



On the road home we decided to fol- 

 low the stream, so on we went. In our 

 course down the river we passed groups 

 of men and boys vho, waist deep in the 

 cold water, were driving the fish up 

 stream, with much noise and splashing 

 into the nets held for their reception. 

 We were now on a narrow path over 

 the river; above us rose nearly fifty 

 feet of perpendicular wall, on the sum- 

 mit of which was an aucieut Indian 

 burying ground. There stood this 

 frowning promontory that with its top 

 crowned with pines, rearing its proud 

 head upwards, pointed higher to 

 "Gitche Manitou," and the happy 

 hunting grounds. • 



But this too, soon became out of 

 sight and out of mind, and profiting by 

 a short cut we soon reached home^ 

 tired and hungry, after our nine hours' 

 tramp. 



/ ^1*B&#^ 



