268 BIRD PARADISE 



On the old farm the robins, bluebirds and spar- 

 rows would domicile in the big barns and in that 

 manner tide over the cold storm handsomely. It 

 may be that they can abstain from food for sev- 

 eral days without any serious results following. 

 I have known some species, notably the little 

 grebe, to refuse all food for ten days without ap- 

 parently suffering in the least. This may be 

 one of the ways that " God tempers the wind to 

 the shorn lamb." The recent storm gave us the 

 damp snow. It clung to the trees, clothing them 

 in a mantle of fleecy white. The birds seemed 

 to regard it as a special festival in their honor. 

 They would fly into the trees scattering crys- 

 tals and calling to one another like a company of 

 boys at play. The sun came out a little later 

 and every bush and tree flamed with fire that 

 seemed to inspire the birds with new zeal. 



