BIRD PARADISE 199 



birds that stay with us during the winter have 

 their food provided for them to such an extent 

 that enforced fasting with them is rare. When 

 their supply of food is shortened through stress of 

 weather they can easily find their way to an 

 abundant store all ready for use. 



One of my winter pleasures is a stroll along the 

 swamp side. When the weather is right and the 

 walking in keeping with it there is a very 

 gracious return of pleasure, nicely distributed 

 over every foot of the way. The other morning 

 I bent my steps in that direction, and although 

 the weather was not perfect nor the walking very 

 satisfactory, still I managed to gather some real 

 treasure during the hour. The evergreens wore 

 the coats which give them their names, and I 

 fancied their winter salutation had more life in it 

 than the best that the summer gives. I rapped 

 at the doors of the muskrat houses, but gathered 

 no response. A flock of blue jays came out of 

 the thickets near the hillside, and I am quite sure 

 I never met them when they had more to say. 

 Blue jay talk has the merit of abundant sound, 

 but farther than that I am not prepared to pro- 

 nounce upon its excellence. My cheery friends. 



