Intimations. 37 



along their run-ways, and a whole chapter of de- 

 lightful bird-life is opened up to you. The nut- 

 hatch can only fret and scold, so it would seem ; but 

 when it ventures to peep into the nest of a gray 

 squirrel, and darts back, startled by the wide- 

 awake occupant, it can chatter so glibly that we 

 know it has something like a sense of humor. 



Watch, too, the wondering kinglets that are 

 half frightened when the white-footed mouse peeps 

 from his bush-nest or threads his way daintily 

 along the tangled maze of greenbrier. This 

 dainty creature, the prettiest of all our. mammals, 

 is nocturnal in habit, yet not even the brightest 

 sunshine blinds it, and when it does venture 

 abroad in daylight there is apt to be great excite- 

 ment among the gatherings of our smaller winter 

 birds, and these little kinglets in particular, that 

 love their sun-bath so dearly, are more than 

 roused to energy by the animal's appearance. 

 Their softly-uttered song- — for they sing only to 

 themselves — gives way to emphasis strongly sug- 

 gestive of the little house-wren's well-known pro- 

 fanity. 



Clearly, even in March, bright days may be 

 4 



