RURAL WALKS.— COLD WEATHER. 
13 
Pheasant, or Ruffed Grouse, as we should rather call it, is a more 
hardy bird, partial to mountains and wooded countries, and found 
as far north as Hudson's Bay. 
Saturday, 1 1 th. — Very pleasant. Walking on the skirts of the 
village this afternoon, we came to a fence blown down by some 
winter storm, and stepping over it strolled about the fields awhile, 
the first time we had walked off the beaten track since November. 
We were obhged to cross several snow banks, but had the pleas- 
ure at least of treading the brown earth again, and remembering 
that in a few short weeks the sward will be fresh and green once 
more. A disappointment awaited us — several noble pines, old 
friends and favorites, had been felled unknown to us during the 
winter; unsightly stumps and piles of chips were all that re- 
mained where those fine trees had so long waved their evergreen 
arms. Their fall seemed to have quite changed the character of 
the neighboring fields ; for it often lies within the power of a sin- 
gle group of trees to alter the whole aspect of acres of surround- 
ing lands. 
Wednesday, 1 5th. — Unusually cold for the season, the ther- 
mometer having fallen last night to six below zero. Half-cloudy 
day ; wind from the north. 
Thursday, 16th. — The cold still continues; ten degrees below 
zero last night ! This would be thought very severe at midwinter. 
Friday, 11 th. — Severely cold night, thermometer seven below 
zero. Happily, it is now growing milder ; the mercury above zero 
this evening. 
Saturday, 18th. — Spring weather again, quite pleasant to-day. 
Thermometer forty-six, the mercury having risen some forty de- 
grees within the last eighteen hours. 
