THE DIPPER AND THE BLUE JAY. 
11 
instantly drop into the water below, for safety. They ai-e not 
common birds even in their native haunts, but wild and solitaiy 
creatures, smaller than oui* robin, and of a dark, grave plumage. 
Until lately the Dipper was supposed to be unknown on this con- 
tinent, but more recently it has been discovered at several differ- 
ent points in our part of the world, frequenting, as in Europe, wild 
lakes and rocky streams of limpid water. The American bird 
differs slightly in some of its markings, from those of the Eastern 
continent. 
Wednesday, 8th . — Very pleasant day ; quite spring-like. The 
snow is melting fast. Spring in the air, in the liyht, and in the 
sky, although the earth is yet imconscious of its approach. We 
have weather as mild as this in December, but there is something 
in the fulness and softness of the light beaming in the sky this 
morning which tells of spring, — the early dawn before the sum- 
mer day. A little downy woodpecker and a bluejay were nmning 
about the apple-trees lumting for insects ; we watched them awhile 
with interest, for few birds are seen here during the winter. It is 
true neither the downy woodpecker nor the jay leaves this part of 
the country ; both remain here during the cold weather, but they 
are inactive, seldom ro\nng abroad. 
Thursday, 9</«. — Winter again ; the woods are powdered with 
snow this morning, and every twig is cased in glittering frost- 
work. The pines in the churchyard are verj' beautiful — hung with 
heavy wreaths of snoAV ; hut it is thawing fast, and before night 
they will be quite green again. This effect of the snow lodging 
on the trees is much less frequent than one might suppose in our 
highland climate ; it is seldom found to last more than a few 
hours at a time, soon vanishing before wind or sunshine ; indeed 
