WINTER FKOUCS. 41 



It has been much misunderstood, and therefore 

 much abused, for there are persons who will ever 

 and anon malign that which is above their com- 

 prehension. 



It is just possible that the weather may sometimes 

 become too cold in the winter for open-air exercise ; 

 but the winter of 1 890-1 891, with its occasional 

 snow-storms, its alternating days of rain and clear 

 sunshine, was an almost ideal one for the rambler. 

 There were times when the woods were clad in 

 robes more beautiful than the green of spring or 

 the brown of autumn ; when I was compelled to 

 exclaim with a Scottish poet, — 



"Now is the time 

 To visit Nature in her grand attire." 



I mean those days when every twig and branch 

 was " ridged inch-deep with pearl," making the 

 woodland a perfect network of marble shafts and 

 columns. 



As to the feathered tenants of the woods, they 

 were almost as light-hearted and gay as in the 

 season of sunshine and flowers, save that they were 

 not so prolific of song. Quite a number of interest- 

 ing species were the constant companions of my 

 winter loiterings, and several of them occasionally 

 regaled me with snatches of melody. Among our 

 winter songsters is the hardy Carolina wren. On 

 December and January days when the weather was 

 quite cold, his vigorous bugle echoed through the 

 woods, Chil-le-lu, chil-le-lu, or, Che-wish-year, che- 



