io8 BIRD PARADISE 



passage of Browning reads, " All our best inter- 

 ests are on the dangerous edge of things." Fire- 

 fly has good command of his lantern. Easily he 

 flashes the light, and just as easily commands 

 the darkness. I half fancy, sometimes, that he 

 makes use of his extra furnishing to guide him 

 in his flight. Then, again, I get the notion that 

 the fellows are having a sort of Fourth of July, 

 or Old Home Week celebration. Each one lights 

 a bonfire and carries it around with him. If 

 there is any shouting I do not catch the ac- 

 cents. About all I get of the gathering is the 

 fireworks, and these last a good part of the night. 

 I rather enjoy looking out in the night and see- 

 ing these fellows going to and fro with their lan- 

 terns. They seem to be saying, "Sleep on, 

 parson, get a good rest, we will look after mat- 

 ters outside," and so far I have found theiir vigil 

 most ef&cient. 



A sparrow-hawk ventured into my orchard 

 this week and not only failed to secure any prize, 

 but met with several strokes of adversity that 

 evidently he had not counted upon. From all I 

 could gather I conclude that he made a vigorous 

 attempt to bag one of the little chip sparrows 

 that was housekeeping in the corner apple tree. 



