BIRD PARADISE 225 



the winter. These that I see now seem to be the 

 same birds that I saw sixty years ago, and so far 

 as their actions are concerned they are the same 

 fellows. 



A pair of nuthatches patrolled my lawn trees 

 one day this week. The weather was not per- 

 fect, but it was not allowed to interfere in the 

 slightest degree with the birds. They went 

 about their business, which really looked like 

 play, in the cheery fashion peculiar to their race. 

 Up and down and all around they went, and I 

 fancied there was not a square inch on the trees 

 they did not look over. They would roll around 

 at times, as though hung on a pivot, the little 

 body balancing perfectly. They gave voice to 

 their feelings, and no more domestic sound can 

 be heard anywhere. With nuthatch, I am per- 

 fectly willing that he should keep the ripple of 

 song he possesses, for it certainly ripples in a 

 most delightful manner. What a great store- 

 house of food in common with the woodpecker 

 these fellows have nicely provided for themselves. 

 One who knows how perfectly, in the fall of the 

 year, cans a hundred and more diflferent varie- 

 ties of meats, and all that nuthatch has to do 



