178 BIRD PARADISE 



morning by the cones falling from the spruce 

 trees. It was perfectly still, no wind blowing. 

 I soon discovered that a red squirrel was loosen- 

 ing them one by one, and apparently enjoying 

 the entire effort as a real pastime. I counted 

 nineteen cones that came rattling down in about as 

 many minutes. Just a stroke or two of bunny's 

 hatchet and the work was done, and I rather 

 think from what I see that those remaining on 

 the tree will come down before night. Up to 

 this time nothing has been done with the cones 

 and I am quite sure that the squirrel has finished 

 his work with them. Was it play on the squirrel's 

 part or did he have some other motive? The 

 other day I saw a flock of English sparrows 

 romping through my lawn trees with no apparent 

 object but that of play. They scurried hither 

 and thither, even taking short flights out into 

 the park and the village orchards. I took it all 

 as real pastime on their part, though it may have 

 had some other object. In my boyhood on the 

 old farm I have known the different wild crea- 

 tures to have their games, or what looked like 

 them. Sometimes two or three different species 

 would join together, making a kind of fun " fast 

 and furious." Meadow-larks and flickers quite 

 frequently join their forces and I have seen them 



