ON THE BIRDS' HIGHWAY 



welcomed to the woods by the blue jay, 

 who stands with acorn in his claw shout- 

 ing loudly his imitation of the red-shoul- 

 dered hawk between each savage peck at 

 the nut. 



" His character a tonic. 

 His future a dispute; 

 Unfair an immortality 

 That leaves this neighbor out." 



What was that nasal "quank" that inter- 

 rupted the jay's performance ? It is the 

 white-breasted nuthatch climb- 

 ing head down upon an old 

 pine stump ; he must have 

 little blood in his veins, espe- 

 cially if he sleeps upside down 

 as it is hinted, or he would 

 have apoplexy and might wear 

 a scarlet patch on his head as 

 does the male downy wood- 

 pecker who is hitching like a 

 respectable bird up a neighbor- 

 ing maple stub. We have met 

 one of those merry parties that 

 always go hand in hand through the win- 

 ter woods. There is the nuthatch and 

 downy and a number of chickadees and 

 the monotonous brown creeper is climb- 



