BIRDS AFTEE THE SNOW STORM. 



Last Saturday, April 16, it really seemed as if 

 "old Hiems' icy crown 99 had returned to mock the 

 bursting buds of spring. I saw the bluebirds wading 

 about disconsolately in several inches of snow, and 

 the robins were clinging to the buckthorn hedge eating 

 the black berries, which I had supposed were poison- 

 ous; but the berries appear to have served in good 

 stead as hunger rations this cold spring. 



Monday forenoon the sun was tolerably warm; 

 most of the snow had disappeared from the garden; 

 so I walked forth therein to see what I could see. A 

 female downy woodpecker was pecking at the suet, 

 a gorgeous male bluebird was perched on the fence 

 rail ; then I saw to my great delight a fox sparrow on 

 the apple tree back of the barn. His bright rust-red 

 rump, wings and tail are enough to warm the land- 

 scape on these chilly days. He was the first of his 

 kind I had seen this spring, though they are very 

 early migrants, and were reported here two weeks 

 ago. 



I heard the soft tseep of a junco in the cherry tree 

 and turned to look at his pink nose, w^hich is so con- 



